"From the Bay to the Blue Ridge"
By Doug Fabiolli Balancing An Industry I have been in the middle of the maturing of the Virginia wine industry over the past couple decades. When we talk about maturing, I don’t want folks to think that there is an end to this part of our state. There are different challenges that we take on […]
By Doug Fabbioli Is there Art in Agriculture? I have spent almost 4 decades working in agriculture, turning crops into a preserved, value added product, and teaching people how to be successful at this vocation. We don’t always acknowledge that there is an artistry to agriculture, mainly because the science is so critical to success. […]
By Doug Fabbioli Let’s make a plan As a grape grower, I have to have some long range vision. The decision on “what grapes to grow where” is decided 4 years before any crop is harvested from those vines. If the vines don’t grow well in that location, or if the vines you planted were […]
By Doug Fabbioli Where are the lines drawn in the alcohol world? Beer, wine or liquor? How do you make what, who sells it and how is it regulated? I must admit, I have learned a few things about this subject over the past few decades. When working with alcohol products that are based on […]
By Doug Fabbioli It’s Bud Time! So the season has begun again! The green leaves that contain the chlorophyll are growing bigger every day, staging themselves to collect another seasons worth of the sun’s energy. That energy will be turned into the sweetness and flavors in the fruit that will make our wines something for […]
By Doug Fabbioli The Language of Tasting Wine Tasting wine has been a process that many have made fun of over the years. You have to admit that it is kind of an odd process, seeing that we taste different food and beverages all the time, but don’t always put words to the process. When […]
By Doug Fabbioli Mentoring Should Never Stop When I look back at my career as a winemaker, I realize it started without a real mentor. I had a boss at the vineyard that overlooked one of the Finger Lakes so many years ago, but he was trying to figure out what he was doing as […]
By Doug Fabbioli Holiday Time at the Wineries Underground tips to enjoying the wineries in the holiday season: • Early December quiets down on the weekends at most wineries. If you can make the time, it’s a great time to do a tasting tour. Less crowds and better parking. • Many wineries will have music, […]
A Vinter’s Job is Neverending! By Doug Fabbioli There always seems to be a sense of relief once the first hard frost comes that knocks our grape leaves to the ground. The high priority of tending to those vines over the past seven months drops like the leaves themselves. The fruit has long been in […]
By Doug Fabbioli Harvesting Through a Hurricane This game of grape growing and winemaking in the Mid-Atlantic region has its ups and downs. For the record, I believe this has been the hardest growing season I have encountered of my 22 seasons in Virginia. The rains, the heat, the humidity, the rain, the lack of […]
