SPECIAL FEATURE | WINERIES VIRGINIA’S GRAPE RUSH With Virginia now the nation’s fifth biggest producer of , some familiar names now own vineyards in Virginia’s lush, fertile Piedmont

BY JOHN ARUNDEL P M U R T C I R E ; O T O H P K C O R E N N O V Y Y B L L I H N E E R G D I V A D ; N E S S U A L O E L I C E C Y B E L A D N I K R O C C M N A S U S D N A D N U M R A E P S I R H C ; N E S S U A L O E L I C E C Y B E K O O C T N E K N H O J ; A N N A H S E M A J Y B L A I R E A D O O W X O B : S O T O H P

Boxwood Winery

hile it might not yet be Napa BOXWOOD WINERY or Sonoma, where tech tycoons Middleburg S S O V N E H P E T S Y B E S A C N A E J ; Y E N O O L K C A J Y B Wpull into their world-renowned After a career running the Los Angeles Lakers vineyards producing 100,000 cases of award- and Washington Redskins, teams his father

winning , a state that had a handful of owned, John Kent Cooke and his wife Rita John Kent Cooke vineyards 20 years ago now boasts 150 thriving teamed up with son Sean and daughter Rachel vineyards. This month Washington Life checks Martin to re-open the vineyard on their hand, then put through gravity flow. “We treat in with five business leaders who decided to Middleburg farm. Sean now runs Boxwood our grapes very gently,” he says. “This produces get in on Virginia’s maturing wine industry, Estate Tasting Rooms while Rachel runs a premium grape.” Boxwood produces 2,500 names like Cooke, Case and Trump. With operations. bottles of reds each year. In April, first lady orders for their recent vintages coming from Hugh Newell Jacobsen designed the Michelle Obama also came here, leaving with a The White House (namely, Michelle Obama) modern winery, and French vigneron Stéphane case of reds. Cooke has plans to produce a white and The State Department (namely, Hillary Derenoncourt and eneologist Dick Vine give varietal in the future, but says he’s in no hurry. Clinton), all share the same passion: To make Cooke lots of advice, such as planting 19th- “Boxwood works beautifully and has given me Virginia wine a contender. >> century vines from France. Grapes are picked by great pride and joy,” he says.

34 WASHINGTON LIFE | SUMMER  | washingtonlife.com Chris Pearmund and his wife Susan McCorkindale P M U R T C I R E ; O T O H P K C O R E N N O V Y Y B L L I H N E E R G D I V A D ; N E S S U A L O E L I C E C Y B E L A D N I K R O C C M N A S U S D N A

D N U M R A E P S I R H C ; N E S S U A L O E L I C E C Y B E K O O C T N E K N H O J ; A N N A H S E M A J Y B L A I R E A D O O W X O B : S O T O H P David Greenhill Eric Trump Jean Case

GREENHILL WINERY & VINEYARDS PEARMUND CELLARS Kluge and wife Patricia left off. With 50,000 Middleburg Broad Run cases sold each year, the winery is already the Satellite executive David Greenhill of Broad Run in bucolic Fauquier County has biggest producer on the Eastern Seaboard. Alexandria bought the former Swedenburg its own stop sign, cemetery and small post Eric says he’d like the vineyard to compete Vineyards in 2012 and set about satisfying office, housed in a trailer. It also features on an international level. “We are a unique a lifelong dream to make wine. He hired the oldest vineyard in Virginia. Founded in real estate company, the largest mom and Burgundian winemaker Sébastien Marquet 1976, Pearmund harvests the most award- pop in the world,” Eric says, “but the one and his wife Isabelle Truchon to make the winning wines in Virginia. Located on a consistency is that we have to be the biggest wine and run the vineyard. “The ideal is to farm that dates back to 1743, owner Chris and best, and want the highest-end product produce better Virginia wine and have an Pearmund is Virginia Wine’s most outspoken in anything we do.” unforgettable experience for our customers in advocate and his winery has picked up every the countryside, and I think we’re doing that award imaginable, including best vineyard EARLY MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS here,” Greenhill says. in Virginia four times, best Madison So far so good. In his first two harvests, and best . As Secretary Jean and Steve Case know more than enough Greenhill produced a , a , a of State, Hillary Clinton ordered his 2007 about technology, and building a better S S O V N E H P E T S Y B E S A C N A E J ; Y E N O O L K C A J Y B red Bordeaux blend made of , sparkling Meritage vintage, which won 23 medals in Virginia wine is their new task at their new blanc de blanc from grapes, 23 competitions, by the caseload. “When vineyard in Madison County. The co-founder cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet you apply equal standards to our wine in of AOL and Revolution LLC purchased and franc grapes, winning accolades right out of California and Europe, we do well,” he says. renovated Early Mountain Vineyards in 2011. the gate. “Virginia wineries are doing a really good job On weekends, the billionaire couple often In April, the first lady picknicked with in heritage, pedigree and style.” stay in the guest cottage here. “We invested in friends on the vineyard’s pond-side patio, Early Mountain to serve a broader purpose,” stopping to admire the Revolutionary War-era says Jean, president of the Washington-based manor house with its silver leaf gilded walls, Charlottesville Case Foundation. “We are wine lovers, and venetian plaster and Edison-era lighting. After If there is one thing a Trump cannot resist, we decided to invest and build a winery she purchased four bottles of her favorite, the it’s the opportunity to compete and be the in our home state because we truly feel Seyal blanc, a White House buyer returned a best at something, whether it’s a hotel, golf Virginia wine is emerging, and the state has week later and purchased four more cases of course or wine. Donald Trump’s son Eric has the potential to become one of the world’s it, Truchon says. taken over where the late billionaire John leading wine regions.”

WASHINGTON LIFE | SUMMER  | washingtonlife.com 35