Paradise Springs Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Winding through the small town of Clifton, Virginia, travelers continue on past scattered homes along the tree-lined road until reaching Paradise Springs Winery, a family-owned and operated winery. A renovated log cabin stands near the driveway. The winery buildings are set back from the road and a sense of peace permeates the area.
Near the entrance to the tasting room a large direction sign posts the distances to various locations of interest:
• Indian Springs Vineyard: 63 miles
• Washington DC: 21 miles
• Williams Gap Vineyard: 33 miles
• Town of Clifton: 1.3 miles
• Paradise Springs, Santa Barbara: 2,370 miles
Today the tasting room is located in a new building adjacent to a vintage barn that is used for events. Just outside of the tasting room doors a large cement patio has numerous wrought iron tables and chairs - a lovely spot to spend a warm summer day enjoying the atmosphere paired with a glass of Paradise Springs wine.
Inside the structure the tasting room occupies the center of the building and offers numerous seating opportunities with traditional tables for four and many barrels with seating. To the left a large glass wall offers views of the barrel room. To the right is the long tasting counter with a stone-style base and granite top. At the far back of the tasting room, glass doors lead to an outdoor area complete with tables, chairs and a large fireplace.
After arriving in the tasting room, we learned that Jane Kincheloe who owned the property, as a result of inheritance, wanted to do something with property which included the 1700s log cabin. Early on, the log cabin served as the winery’s tasting room.
The name Paradise Springs relates to the mineral springs that were once located close to the town of Clifton.
Paradise Springs Winery has a one acre vineyard onsite and produces 12,000 cases of wine. They also source grapes from other areas of Virginia where they own and lease vineyards.
The winery has a connection with Santa Barbara, California. The owners also built a Paradise Springs Winery in Santa Barbara. The two wineries share the same winemaker, Rob Cox. The Virginia winery only sources fruit from Virginia, while the California winery only sources fruit from California. Some of the Paradise Springs Virginia wines are available at their California tasting room and visitors to the Virginia location can also taste some of the California wines.
Wines
We tasted several wines at the tasting counter with Ed Lohmann, a very knowledgeable wine staff member. Ed noted that the “wine speaks for itself” and that the wine “creates a dialogue.”
Viognier 2015, with 13.9% alcohol, was produced in French oak and neutral barrels. The wine offered notes of yellow stone fruit and some crispness. The finish had tropical fruit notes with a hint of mineral.
Chardonnay 2015 was in French oak for two months and an additional six months in neutral oak. The wine was 13.5% alcohol. The wine was a yellow color. The aroma was of apple and pear. The silky taste was accompanied by apple, pear and a hint of caramel. The finish was crisp and fruity.
Petit Manseng 2015 was a dark yellow with a gold hue. The aroma was reminiscent of a tropical fruit salad. The taste included notes of pineapple, mango and white peach.
The Meritage 2014 was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine was aged for 11 months in oak separately in French oak and then as a blend. The wine was an opaque dark ruby color. The aroma was very fruity and the taste was smooth with notes of blackberry, blueberry, plum and black cherry. This full-bodied wine had bold tannins. The finish was fruity.
PVT 2013 was an opaque dark ruby color with a black hue. The aroma was of black fruit. The taste was silky with notes of blackberries and blueberries with a hint of oak. The wine was full-bodied. It had bold kissing tannins. The finish was fruity.
Norton was an opaque dark ruby color. This wine was produced with a splash of Cabernet Franc and aged in French and American oak barrels. The wine had an aroma of cherries. The full-bodied taste offered notes of cherries. The wine had bold tannins. The finish was crisp and fruity.
Swagger IV was produced with Chambourcin aged in used bourbon barrels for 24 months. This wine was produced with the Solera-style. The wine was 19.4% alcohol. The aroma included notes of jammy fruits and alcohol. The taste was reminiscent of cherry jam. There was very little alcohol burn on the aftertaste.
Events at Paradise Springs Winery
Paradise Springs Winery offers a variety events. They offer a vast number of live music events on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Other events include: cigar pairings, barrel tastings, and a blending class. For 2018, they also have “Easter Sunday in Paradise: Mimosa and Pastry Bar.” Wine Club members can also participate in quarterly pickup weekend events.
Escape from the pressures of a hectic life and spend a few hours in paradise at Paradise Springs Winery.
Paradise Springs Winery
13219 Yates Ford Road
Clifton, Virginia 20124
Article written March 2018
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