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Monday, September 27, 2010

Sunset Hills Vineyard Tour

A good friend and I recently went on a tour of Sunset Hills Vineyard in Purcellville. Located a few miles north on 287, the facility offers wonderful views of Loudoun looking west, the sunsets are spectacular.

The brief tour began in the spacious barn building, used mainly for tastings. After Mark, our Winemaker, introduced the process of making wine, we were led to the basement. Our group of roughly 30 wine enthusiasts filled the main fermenting room as premature wine was served from a large stainless tank. The sugar content is tested on a regular schedule to determine the how long the fermenting process should continue.


With glass in hand, I watch the Sunset Hills crew painstakingly sort berries from stems and leaves. The high tech playground slide (green) carries the sorted grapes into the stainless bin below. The vineyard sorts literally tons of grapes with each harvest type. Some strains require no sorting, as seeds and stems are included in the process (varies by wine type).

A truly wonderful day to be visiting the vineyard. I'm partial to the wine they make, and am rather fond of it. This is not an ad, but I do suggest you go.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Great capture! Like the fork shadow @ "Sunset" Hills and the improvised ladders. Shhh, don't tell osha.