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Keswick 2021 Chardonnay and Barboursville Octagon make Wine Enthusiast's Top 100... Jump Mountain Borderland 2019 (Red Blend) wins Shenandoah Cup... Delfosse 2021 Screaming Hawk Meritage wins 2023 Governor's Cup... #VAWines capture 80 medals; 7 double golds @SF Int. Wine Competition... MV@MV - Muse Vineyards at Mount Vernon

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Remembering Pomeroy

July 20, 2017
Alexandria, VA

One year ago today at the age of 18, Pomeroy, one of the original Virginia Wine Dogs, ran out of time and crossed over to his next life.

We didn't post anything then as it was simply too hard to find the words. Now, as we remember Pomeroy a year later, we share one of the last pictures taken of him.

The vet estimated he was 7 years old when we rescued him from a puppy mill and he had his forever home for 11 more years. We still miss his smiling face every day.

A few favorites:
Halloween at Kewsick (a prize winner as the Cowardly Lion)

Overseeing the Cardinal Point Oyster Festival
International fame
At Lost Creek... always wanting to join the band

Playing peek-a-boo among the barrels
Windblown atop the Three Fox hill
A satisfied customer at Rappahannock
Checking out the bouquet of the wine he made at Three Fox
Planting his first vine at Gadino
Making the cover of NoVaDog Magazine
And his own Hallmark Card



Sunday, July 2, 2017

Wine Dogs Destination: Hamilton Station

"Enjoy! It's a barn and we're just as unpretentious as it can get."
The Barns at Hamilton Station
Hamilton, Virginia

The Governor's Cup proudly displayed
among The Barns award-winning wines.
When Ecco decided to take the northern route (Route 7) out to Virginia Wine country, the destination was obvious. It was time for the Wine Dogs to explore The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, winner of the 2017 Governor’s Cup (read The Governor's Cup Finds a New Home).

Past time, actually. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon sold out in March, about three weeks after the award was announced, which not surprisingly, created at big rush to the winery. (link to post) “It got crazy for a while,” says owner Andrew Fialdini. “Things are just starting to settle back.”

A 1910 dairy barn creates the setting for a comfortable and inviting tasting room. Andrew and his wife, Maryanne purchased the property around 2010 with a winery in mind. After a career in intelligence, Andrew, who grew up working his uncle’s ranch in Idaho was ready for a change. Call it the Green Acres syndrome. “I’d just love to get on a tractor,” he decided. 

A small tasting room in the cellar (where the dairy cows used to reside) serves as a venue for larger groups visiting The Barns. 

It opens out to a patio and expansive lawn ending with a retention pond (new vines will be going in behind the pond in the future).
Upstairs where tractors and farm equipment were once housed is the main tasting room, abuzz with activity.
The old barn structure offers unique architectural perspectives and a treasure-trove of antique farm pieces. 
Be sure to check out the wine glass rack, created from old rakes.

The Fialdinis put their life savings into the enterprise, and Andrew feared he had lost it all when the 2011 harvest came in (it was a challenging year across Virginia). But business has been building progressively since opening thanks to some smart business decisions.

Grapes come from 80 acres of vineyards spread across the state, offering insurance against Virginia’s unpredictable grape-growing climate. This year, he two acres of vines on the property (Petit Verdot and Viognier) were green and lush, basking in the July sun.
  

The wines at The Barns are top-notch, thanks to a partnership with acclaimed Virginia winemaker Michael Shaps. Through the 10-wine “Extensive Tasting," there wasn’t a dog in the bunch. Ecco was particular to Bliss (a white blend designed for weddings; a max of 25 are hosted on the property each year). She also gave two paws up to the 2014 Merlot and the 2014 Malbec (the winemaker used a unique approach, fermenting the grapes first in tank and then aging in neutral oak).

The Barns is a boutique winery, producing about 3,800 cases per year, and Andrew intends to keep it that way. Wines are sold exclusively through the tasting room and on-line purchases, with the Case Club forming the base of the business.

And yes, The Barns at Hamilton Station welcomes dogs across the property – as long as they are on a leash attached to a human.


As Andrew says: “Enjoy! It’s a barn and we’re as unpretentious as it can get.”

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