White Fences Vineyards
by
K. L. Sullivan
Summary: Located in the town of Irvington, Virginia White Fences offers visitors a dramatic entrance to their winery tasting room. Two large sculptures of corkscrews are eye stopping. Just behind the entrance and sculptures, you’ll drive past several acres of vineyards.
The entrance between the two tall corkscrew sculptures leads along a driveway past the vineyards to the tasting room. The sculptures dramatically point out the location of the vineyard and tasting room. White fences border the vineyard. From the parking area, small signs point out information about the vineyard and varietal grapes planted. The vineyard has one-acre blocks of Merlot, Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc and Chardonel. Rose bushes planted along the ends of the rows provide a dramatic view when in bloom, offering a contrast to the white fences and green of the vineyard.
Bill Westbrook, owner of White Fences Vineyards, added a large screened in porch that has numerous sitting areas. We met Cabell Westbrook, Bill’s son, who is a public school English teache. Cabell is in charge of the tasting room when he is not teaching. He was friendly and even after a long day of teaching, he did not hurry us through our wine tasting. Visitors are encouraged to stay awhile and play board games or read a book.
Near the tasting counter gifts are available for purchase. While some are wine related others offer numerous gift possibilities as well as games children play. Cabell mentioned that these are the types of games, he remembers playing as a child. Moreover, if you are wondering, parents are encouraged to bring their children with them.
Bill previously owned and operated a restaurant, Trick Dog Café, and an inn The Hope and Glory Inn, both in Irvington. The restaurant earned an award from Wine Spectator and this added to Bill’s interest in starting his own winery with grapes from his own vineyards. Bill loves the area and wants to see the area grow. The town is supportive of the winery and vineyards and local restaurants carry White Fences Vineyard's wines. Last summer a festival was held and even though the temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, people came to the festival, paid the entry fee and tasted wines just to show that they supported White Fences Vineyards.
During warm weather the tasting room’s screened in addition provides a delightful area to sit and enjoy a glass of wine while visiting with friends or reading a book. It offers an additional venue where townspeople can gather. Visitors can enjoy viewing the vineyards just outside the tasting room.
Bill owns 100 acres of property that is located where city lights do not reach. The night sky is spectacular here in the vineyards. Bill was out one night, looked up and saw a meteor. It was not long before he decided to make Meteor his wine brand.
Events at the winery include pairing parties and wine dinners. Eventually they will add other events including rehearsal dinners.
Consider a visit to White Fences and discover the red and white wines they are producing. Be sure to note the designs on the bottle featuring elements of the sky.
White Wine
Bright White is the most popular wine. The Vidal Blanc was aged in stainless steel. The result was a wine with a spicy aroma and fruity taste. When paired with spicy food the food cuts the sweetness and the wine cuts the spice from the food.
Rosé Wine
Meteor Firefly was a blend of Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc and Chardonel. While the aroma had a slight strawberry aroma, the taste had strawberry and raspberry nuances. The wine finished crisp.
Red Wine
Bright Red 2006 was a dark purple opaque red. The blend was 60 percent Chambourcin and 40 percent Merlot. The aroma and taste were of dark berries. The finish was crisp with light tannins and some pepper. Merlot 2007 offered a dark, opaque purple color with an aroma and taste of black cherries. The finish was smooth with tannins. Midnight Red was the second best seller. Midnight Red produced from Chambourcin offered a dark purple color with a residual sugar of 2.5 percent. The aroma offers blackberry nuances with a hint of pepper. The taste was of blackberries and the wine finished slightly sweet and fruity.
The land surrounding the vineyards has been sold and will soon become Vineyard Meadows, a community with twenty-five homes. In an email Bill Westbrook wrote, "We pride ourselves on creating affordable, award-winning wines. Every wine we craft wins consistently in international competitions against thousands of the best wines in the world. Who knew?" Enjoy your visit to White Fences Vineyards, located in Irvington, Virginia. Be prepared to take a picture of what may be the largest corkscrew sculptures in the world.
White Fences Vineyard & Winery
170 White Fences Drive
Irvington, VA 22480
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