By Doug Fabbioli

The French word “Terroir” literally means soil or land. But, in the wine world it means so much more. We describe it as a “sense of place,” the uniqueness and individuality that a wine shows about where it was grown, the soil, topography and climate. As a winemaker over the past few decades, I have learned a bit about terroir. There are certainly plenty of people that know more, and there are education programs built around teaching others about the many wine regions, soils, grape types and history of the industry. The Master Sommelier rank is extremely rare and highly regarded.  Jim Law, from Linden Vineyards, teaches that terroir is the ground, the grower and the grape. This definition gives the winemaker a little more chance for expression and personality in the finished wine. Because if it was only about the soil or land, then why don’t wines grown in similar conditions taste the same?

The survival of our young local wine industry is built around customers buying our wines and taking them home on a regular basis. That being said, are terroir driven wines the type of wines that our customer base will take home and consume consistently? In 2024 with products like White Claw, numerous local craft breweries, bourbon sitting strong in the market and all the other choices out there, what is the demand for our best, most artistic and expressive wines?

Visitors of many wineries are enjoying wine slushies, sweet, cold and refreshing on a hot day. Although I am not sure if these are as fashionable as they were a few years back. Many of the wineries have begun to carry beer or sparkling wines to give more options for folks. Here at Fabbioli Cellars, our wine cocktails have become popular. Some of our cocktails are more classic sangria style while others fit our monthly themes in flavor, color and back story. These drinks utilize our wines as a base and are jazzed up from there. Traditional winemakers might feel this is sacrilegious, but this is the business part of offering a product your customer will appreciate.

As a more traditional winemaker, I will always make wines that are from the land, respecting the grower, the vintage and the variety in a way that expresses each in the glass. This is the traditional artistry of the winemaker. But in the interest of making wines that sell a bit more, and feeding the customer the wines they want regularly, I make sure to have Tuesday wines as well. These wines are blended so they taste the same year after year. For example, our Paco Rojo is a lighter styled red wine that is perfect for a picnic, served chilled or room temp. It is important as a business and as an industry to keep flexible and make products the customers want.  Our grapevines are in the ground for decades but the traditional wine from them may not always be what our guests want.

As the heat of the summer sets in, come out and visit or revisit a couple of your local wineries. See what they are offering, whether traditional or unconventional. We want our grapes to find a home with you in any form. This keeps our local farmers working and our local businesses open. As Loudoun County, DCs Wine Country celebrates 40 years of winegrowing, we all appreciate your support and patronage over the decades. We are here for you and the next generation of artisan winemakers continues to improve on the quality that we started. We are well rooted in the culture!

About the Author: Farmer, winemaker, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Doug Fabbioli has been accelerating the growth and quality of Virginia’s wine industry since 1997. With his wife Colleen, Doug is the owner/operator of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA. He is the founder and director of The New Ag School, which focuses on teaching the next generation of farmers and agriculture-related leaders. No wonder they call Doug Fabbioli the Godfather of DC’s Wine Country.