Located in Hillsboro, VA
Can you provide a brief overview of the history and founding of your winery?
We purchased a 120-acre family farm in 2011 and began planting grapes at that time. We opened as a winery in 2012 and now have 21 acres under vine.
What inspired the establishment of your winery, and how has it evolved over the years?
Our founders, the Deliso, Charron, and DiManno families, wanted to create a beautiful and welcoming space for people interested in enjoying good wine and food. We have been 100% estate-grown since 2018 and make 4,000 cases of wine each year.
Are there any particular vintages that you are especially proud of, and why?
We are particularly proud to have won the 2020 Virginia Governor's Cup with our Vidal Blanc Passito. It was quite a rollercoaster - receiving this amazing award and then three weeks later, having to close for covid restrictions.
Are there specific grape varieties that thrive in your vineyards, and why were they chosen?
We knew we needed to plant a vineyard close to the main road we are on to serve as a road sign to let people know we were a vineyard, but the land near the road has very little slope and is a little boggy. We planted Chardonel there just to see what would happen and today, our most prolific vineyard is that one-acre of Chardonel. We make several different wines with Chardonel, including a dry, a semi-sweet, and a sweet. In 2023, we've even had some of it turned into brandy which we have used in our Fortified Cab Franc.
Describe the atmosphere and experience visitors can expect at your tasting room.
868 is described most often as "welcoming, with a great staff." We invite you to take a walk around the grounds, visit the vineyard, enjoy live music (seasonally) and our casual food menu. Our staff will make sure you have a wonderful experience and will help you find the right wine for enjoying onsite as well as for taking home. In addition to our two tasting rooms, we have a shaded picnic area, an open air pavilion, a large canopy space with views of our vineyards, and private gazebos to discover. We are family-friendly, and dog-friendly in our outside spaces.
Are there any unique events or activities that you host for visitors at your winery?
We have live music May through October and feature a full day, multiband concert on both Memorial Day Sunday and Labor Day Sunday. We offer many other events during the year, including crafternoons, artists' activities, barrel tastings, and more. On Black Friday, we invite visitors to "Walk Off Your Wobble" and take a walk to our 868-foot high hilltop and enjoy a complimentary two-pack of housemade chocolate truffles.
What do you hope guests take away from their visit to your winery?
We want people to take away memories of spending a wonderful day with friends and family in Virginia Wine Country and to be able to relive those memories with a bottle of wine from us at their home.
How does your winery engage with the local community?
Our Tasting Room Gallery is host to art shows for high quality, local art throughout the year. We invite the public to regular "Meet the Artist" days and, through our "Artists in Action" program, the artists are onsite painting and creating so our guests can see their works in progress. All our reserve wine labels are selected from the artists who have been in our gallery during the year.
Do you support any charitable or environmental causes?
Our two full day concerts (Memorial Day Sunday and Labor Day Sunday) are both fundraisers for local causes. The Memorial Day concert (NoVA MusicFest) raises funds for "Cancer Can Rock" which provides recording sessions for musicians with cancer. The Labor Day concert (LoCo Fest) provides grants of music equipment to musicians and students in Loudoun County to continue growing live, local music.
To learn more about 868 Estate Vineyards, visit their website here!
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About the VWDC
Established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2007, the Virginia Winery Distribution Company (VWDC) is a non-profit, non-stock corporation housed within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to provide wholesale wine distribution services for licensed Virginia wineries and farm wineries.