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By Marian Betancourt
Winery in Prince William County, Virginia,
Offers Taste Of The Past In A Very Modern Way
The wineries in northern Virginia have become not only places to taste and purchase fine wines but epicurean community centers where wine lovers, local suburbanites and weekenders from the city, go to take a cooking class, have a gourmet dinner, see a movie, or get married. The winery with the shortest drive time from the Washington DC is LaGrange in Prince William County. It was opened in 2006 by Chris Pearmund who has been in the forefront of restoring what the early English settlers started 400 years ago when they began cultivating grapevines in hopes of sending good wine back to King George.
Early Virginia wine aficionados George Washington and Thomas Jefferson didn’t have much success with their own vineyards in northern Virginia but they might be surprised to learn that today Virginia is one of the top five wine producers in the nation and that Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales order some of their wine from the state. Virginians are rightfully proud of their wines and Pearmund, a driving force in the industry for more than 23 years, is active in national and local wine organizations, teaches classes in wine, and generally enjoys his role as winemaker and cheerleader. He established his first winery, Pearmund Cellars, in Broad Run in 2002. That winery, like LaGrange, was built on an historic site, part of a 1740’s farm that once cultivated tobacco, apples, and dairy herds.
At LaGrange, Pearmund and a small group of investors acquired a rundown 1790 manor house and outbuildings along with 20 acres of land that was carved out of  a Bull Run tract in the 1600s. The restored three-story manor house is fun to explore and in the cellar known as Benoni’s Lounge you may run into the ghost of Benoni Harrison, who owned the property from 1837 until his death in 1869. (He apparently did not want to leave.) The lounge has the look and feel a colonial tavern with stone walls and floors and a fireplace. There are simple wooden tables and chairs where you can sit and enjoy the wine. On the second floor some of the colonial rooms are used for private events. In one, a small framed photo of Mary Todd Lincoln adorns the mantle along with a small flat cast iron sculpture of a cow. Fresh wildflower bouquets are set on the windowsills and overall, the feeling is one of stepping back in time. For larger parties, there is a tent banquet room behind the manor house for tastings as well as sit down dinners
In addition to the house and grounds, of course, LaGrange is a full production winery with 5,500 newly planted vines. For that operation an experienced winemaker, Jef Stebben, was brought in from the Napa Valley. The Fletcher’s Chardonnay 2006 won the gold medal at the 2008 State Fair of Virginia wine competition. Many LaGrange wines from the Pino Gris and Viognier to the Cabernet Franc and Meritage have won gold or silver medals. Most are affordably priced in the $18 to $25 range.
While every inch of Prince William County has historic significance (think Manassas) much of it is transected by highways and strip malls. Indeed, it is said to be the third most traffic-congested area of the country after southern California. LaGrange is a short drive from Haymarket, Virginia where three major routes intersect: interstate 66 and historic Virginia routes 15 and 55. Once off the highways and onto local roads, you can step back in time, park the car, and stroll the lovely grounds of LaGrange. A wine country basket is available for picnics with a baguette, summer sausage, lobster spread, brie, and fresh fruit. And wine, of course. Should you have the desire (and the funds), you can join other friends of LaGrange on special cruises to European wine areas such as Burgundy, Provence, and the Rhone Valley.
The Winery at LaGrange, at 4970 Antioch Road in Haymarket is open from 11 am to 6 pm daily. For a current schedule of activities and events go to www.wineryatlagrange.com, or call 703-753-9360.
And keep an eye out for the spirits of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who rode over these same trails all their lives. As wine lovers, they would no doubt find today’s northern Virginia wineries really cool.
CAPTIONS
Chris Pearmund, managing partner, and spokesman for Virginia wines.
The restored 1790 Manor House at LaGrange
Some of the prize-winning wines
(Photos courtesy of LaGrange Winery)
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