Winery 32 Review
Address: 15066 Limestone School Road Leesburg,Virginia 20176.
Phone Number: 240-687-1989
Tasting Hours: Sat-Sun 11:00-5:00
Region: Virginia
Reviewer: Anthony Marocco
Review Date: 7/20/2014
Reviewer: Anthony Marocco
Rating: 4
The Review
Word travels fast amongst industry folks when it comes to new, exciting Virginia wineries, and Winery 32 is among the newest that have opened in 2014. The winery is located in Loudoun County – just past Fabbioli Cellars and just before Lost Creek, Hiddenbrook, and Tarara on Limestone School Road. As we scanned the skyline after passing Fabbioli, Winery 32’s gorgeous, newly built tasting room was noticeable in the distance.
Farmland covers the land surrounding the entrance, and the dirt and gravel driveway is lined with circular stone pillars. As we began to climb the hill to the back parking lot, we spotted a few children sitting in Adirondack chairs on the side of the small pond that sits just off the back deck of the tasting room. The gorgeous, freshly stained deck perched high above the pond was filled with laughter, tables, and umbrellas to shield patrons from the afternoon sun.
Situated in the right-hand corner of the tasting room was an enormous, crescent-shaped, granite-topped tasting bar crowded with people trying Winery 32s offerings. Open space is abundant. In addition to a seating area towards the back, there is what appears to be a future members’ section staircase to a second level tasting area. Glass patio doors lead patrons to the back porch, and the entire tasting room glistens with freshly lacquered wood.
As we hopped in for our tasting, immediately the question came up, why the name of Winery 32? As we entered, we had no idea there were actually 32 of those stone planters each bearing Gloria Peach trees. The property is also comprised of 32 acres of farmland, perfect for grape growing. It also just so happens that these particular acres were planted on Michael and Roxanne Mooshers 32nd wedding anniversary, and, as she puts it, the name was just right.
The new Loudoun venture is the 43rd winery in the county and was opened a mere two weeks prior to our visit. We quickly hopped into the tasting and were treated to eight wines. Out of the eight, the whites were clearly the superior of the tasting. With Winery 32s young vines, they have yet to yield any usable fruit so as of now, the fruit has been brought in from other local vineyards. All of the bottle labels were designed by the Mooshers daughter, who clearly has an artistic hand, and the tasting room also touted many of her works of art.
The first wine of our tasting was the Being Koi ($22), which is a blend of 60% Vidal Blanc and 40% Traminette. Spicy citrus flavors with light grapefruit and floral nuances were dominant and led to a nice, clean, and zesty finish. Next up on my list of favorites is the 2013 Chardonnay ($26), made from fruit sourced from the Trump Vineyard in Charlottesville. This French oak-fermented white shows off light mineral character on the nose while floral character coats the palate with a soft structure, toned down acidity, and a crisp mineral finish. Moving onto the reds, the 2012 Chambourcin ($22) is a fruit-forward red that touts plenty of luscious dark berry notes backed by semi-sweet dark chocolate undertones and a spice lined, smooth finish. Concluding the tasting favorites, we ended with the 2012 Cabernet Franc ($24). Dominated by green pepper notes from the nose to the finish, this 2012 red has dark fruit nuances and light tobacco and scintillating peppery notes on the finish. Other wines on the tasting sheet include Glorias Sunshine (66% Peach / 34% Vidal Blanc), 2011 Cabernet Franc, 2012 Merlot, and the Gloria (Peach wine).
Overall, the wines were decent, and the property is just stunning. I am really looking forward to seeing what Winery 32 is capable of producing with their estate fruit going forward and will be revisiting them down the line. Be sure to check out Winery 32 for great views, a quiet atmosphere, and friendly people!