By Doug Fabbioli

I recently read a discussion on social media about local wineries and where the wines are actually being made. There seemed to be some concern about wines that are not being produced at the facility where the grapes are grown or where customers are enjoying the wine hospitality. I felt inspired to give my perspective of the state of the industry and where we are in the world of estate wines, custom crush and how our businesses succeed at this point.

In the Old World of wine, namely France, a number of vineyard towns have a central wine co-op where a vineyards crop will go for processing. Trained cellar workers and winemakers will transform the grapes into wine using modern equipment, scientific analysis and climate-controlled conditions. Most vineyards will receive back their wine in bulk or bottles for them to sell on their own. These co-ops are an intricate part of the industry so the growers can focus on growing grapes, and still have a finished wine without having to invest in the permanent staff and infrastructure that is a winery.

Here in Virginia, we have a handful of wineries that have committed to making wines for others in addition to making their own. Fabbioli Cellars is one of these wineries. Michael Shaps and Walsh Family Winery are others. The keys to their success are a well-seasoned winemaking team and a strong commitment to quality for all. My first year of processing fruit for others was in1999 when I was the winemaker for Tarara and we made Viognier and Chardonnay for Chrysalis. The success of this effort gave me the confidence to make other people’s wines, but also gave me more experience. We tend to copy the model of California, where new wineries will utilize the opportunity to get wines made under a knowledgeable winemaker while their own facility is being built.

Winemaking is a profession that needs experience to improve. It doesn’t come from solely from a book, seminar or a degree. Winemakers grow in confidence and quality with experience. There are many new vineyards being planted and new wineries opening and we need to make sure we have the winemaking experience to make great quality wines. We only get to make wine once a year, so the lessons learned from experiments this year can get applied next year. More wines made means more lessons, better quality and more professionalism, if the learning is properly applied!

I have folks ask me how I can keep all these wines separate and make them different. The biggest part is using grapes from their own vineyards. I remember years ago selling grapes to a fellow winemaker. When I tasted their wine in a blind tasting 6 months after harvest, the characteristics of that wine were very similar to the one I made from the same grapes. Winemakers have fermentation choices, blending choices, aging decisions, but the grape and where it was grown will always be most important.

Our wine region is judged by the wines we produce. I am proud of the work my clients have done with their businesses, and I am as proud of their wines as I am of the ones with my name on them. The efforts to continue learning is critical especially with our shifting climate. I am happy to learn more with others grapes as well as my own.

Please venture out in 2025 to try another winery. Maybe one you’ve haven’t been to in a while or maybe a new one that opened up close by. Bring home a couple bottles and share with your friends. This industry is deeply rooted in this region and is here to stay. Your patronage will add to our continued quality. Thank you from me and my fellow vintners.

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.