We stopped in after another area winery suggested we give Fabbioli a try and as soon as we entered were greeted by a counter and someone at a register, as if to sell tickets. We were explained that they do things alittle differently here, as they sell tastings with pairings for $15 each, we pay then and they will take us back into the tasting room when a table opened. We actually liked how this was set up, as it will help prevent the "pushiness" that occurs at popular vineyards when there are too many people gathered around the tasting bar at one time. The pairings they offered were nicely done and really did accompany the wines quite nicely. Overall, we enjoyed the entire visit, except that the tasting is rather over priced for what you get... they could very easily do this for $8 - $10, instead of $30. In fact, we could have gone to other wineries and gotten a bottle and two tastings for the same price. The bottle prices here are average and they offer nice, local treats in their shop as well. read more

Fabbioli Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

So, I've been coming here since 2012 and the quality of the wine has always been top notch and wonderfully presented, I wish I had joined the wine club back in the day when Doug himself was still pouring at his 4 person bar top. *sigh... memories* Fabbioli has grown a lot since then, expanding into his house's basement, and finally doing so well as to be able to expand into a completely separate and brand new 2-story building in his own backyard that overlooks the sprawling vineyards and the hop garden. There is so much seating inside and out that you can find a place perfect for whatever type of interaction you desire or atmosphere you prefer. It's quite beautiful. When you walk into the new tasting room, you will notice a bunch of tasting tables lining the left side of the room for a food-paired experience. You will be asked to pay ahead first for your tasting as they can get quite busy and it's easier to track that way, plus it notifies the cook to prepare the small bites for the tasting you just purchased. As you progress through the wine tasting, you receive a full background of what, how, and why the wines exist. You will notice the small bites are quite literally big enough for one bite, the reasoning, to give people a better idea of how the wine tastes with food instead of just describing it. So sip the wine first for your initial opinion, then take the bite and chew it without swallowing, then take another sip of the wine to allow it to mix with all the flavors of the food for the whole experience. Some people discover this way that a wine either tastes better by itself or the food enhances or pulls out a better flavor profile. Tasting wine is very subjective and Fabbioli caters to both newbies and seasoned wine connoisseurs alike. You pay about $15 for 7 tastes of wines, plus an extra of some sort, along with the food pairing. This puts the tastes about on par with the rest of the regional wineries in the range of $1.67 to $2.67. It's an entire experience where you sit down to enjoy and not just a stand, sip, and pour taste that lasts 5 minutes like some other wineries The wines themselves are above average for the region, especially when it comes to red wines, with most of the grapes grown on properties owned by Fabbioli. My favorites are 2013 Tre Sorrelle (Bordeaux Blend), the Cab Franc, and the Zinfinadel. He also makes wines from strawberries, raspberries and pears and has started even started producing a few ciders. The wines have numerous awards and Doug Fabbioli was even named Winemaker of the Year for Loudoun County in 2016. He was presented the top winemaker award, he was lauded for his winemaking expertise and for his pioneering leadership in and dedication to the cause of furthering Loudoun's wine industry over a 20-year period. His claim to fame is still the Raspberry Merlot which is a dessert wine that can't be beat, other than Cooper's Noche... there aren't any other contenders in that arena. I encourage anyone that loves red wines (they also have whites but his specialty is definitely reds) and that isn't in a rush to try them out. You will learn something new about how to wine taste correctly (like holding your glass by its stem and not the bowl) and many other things. If you balk at the price, remember they are in line with everyone else and have been winning awards for their wines since 2007 and not just in VA, but the entire east coast, west coast, and even internationally. Thankfully this isn't Napa with its average tasting for $20-$25. Then again, quality over quantity. read more

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Omg looooove this place. Little snack with each wine taste! Wine is amazing. Staff is amazing. Views amazing. Will definitely be coming back. I love they have themes!!!! read more

He makes exclusively red wines here. He does market the 8 Chains North white wines made by a friend of his as well though. His red wines were good, but none of them really jumped out at me. The tasting was also way too long. I love when they tell stories and are very friendly and conversational during the tasting, but this woman would go on and on, then go to pour and remember something she forgot or also wanted to say. Then she would pull the bottle back and talk more (instead of pouring while talking). read more

Fabbioli Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

This was my favorite of the wineries in the little cluster of Northern Leesburg. The tasting room is really beautiful with great views. There are also plenty of stations and can accommodate groups of people. Of all the wineries in the area, I really liked their wines best. It's just an added bonus that they do food pairings. And I have to say they were really well done with complementing and transforming the wines. I'm told they rotate wines and food pairings each month so it's something different every time you come back. The wine and food pairing was $15. This is one that I would return to. read more

Great wine, but disappointing experience. My husband and I have been here several times, but most recently several staff members were exceedingly rude. In such a consumer driven industry I was taken aback that they felt such behavior was acceptable. It was disheartening to deal with staff who went out of their way to treat patrons in such a negative manner; we certainly won't go out of our way to frequent this establishment again. read more

Love this place! Doug Fabbioli excels at making great bold red wines. The whites and ciders are good too, but I love the Chambourcin, Tre Sorelle, and the Zinfandel. Staff is wonderful and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. read more

The staff was amazing. From the first step we took into the winery to the last step out, we felt like we were treated like royalty. We unfortunately did not have reservations , but they were able to accommodate us when we walked in. The staff was very friendly. I felt very safe during covid times. Overall wonderful experience! read more

Decent wine and land but unbelievably rude staff. Not hospitable and does as much as possible to make you want to leave.

This was a great place to visit on a multi stop tour. The staff were extremely knowledgeable and attentive. We were offered the sweet or savory pairing and had about 5 wines. We really liked all of the wines, and were very surprised about that. I've never visited a winery and liked all wines! Would love to go back and recommend to everyone. This was a great place to visit on a multi stop tour. The staff were extremely knowledgeable and attentive. We were offered the sweet or savory pairing and had about 5 wines. We really liked all of the wines, and were very surprised about that. I've never visited a winery and liked all wines! Would love to go back and recommend to everyone. read more

LOVE the food pairing with the wine. For $15 that's not bad at all considering other places offer a regular tasting for $12. There are also vegetarian and I think gluten free options. The drive in was a bit treacherous, especially for a car. The melting snow made for a very muddy mile plus drive and the parking area was a bit tricky. Good thing I wore riding boots. My friend drove an suv that almost got stuck in the parking lot and he ended up wading through a water hole soaking his shoes, socks, and pant legs before we even made it inside. We will wait to return until the weather gets better and they put down more gravel. Once inside we ordered and paid and were whisked away for our tasting and pairing. The sommelier was great and the wine and snacks were amazing. I highly recommend It! They also had a complimentary Girl Scout cookie wine pairing to try after in a different area. Very cool! But, it left us with a hankering for Girl Scout cookies, which they don't sell.... Come again? I thought that was odd. Could be a great way to support them but might conflict with business permits, etc. We each bought a bottle of the raspberry merlot. Very unique and delicious, which was surprising. Pairs well with a dark chocolate truffle, as well as in brownies, from what I hear. They also have a $95 bottle of pear wine, where they literally grow a pear on the vine inside a bottle of wine. So cool but too rich for my wallet. This one was not part of the tasting. Once finished with our two tasting, and after already visiting another winery, we had had our fill. We were hoping to get a box of girls scout cookies to sit and munch on but felt bad taking up space (even though we bought two bottles to go). There also wasn't any free seating, maybe we missed something but it was slim pickings. So, we decided to leave and head back into Leesburg for some coffee to wake us up. Lovely place though. read more

Fabbioli Cellars - Food pairing - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

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I love this place..the wine and the food pairing is delicious. I never been to a winery where my husband and I both love all the wines. We loved all of them. I hope they open a little eatery that serves full portions of the food they pair with the wine. The only negative to me is the location. I wish they had better views and better seating arrangements. read more

Fabbioli Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

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Been here twice and each time we had a great experience. Everyone is so nice and accommodating. They have a decent selection of wines to choose from -- as someone who likes sweet wine I really liked that there were multiple options because most places don't carry sweet wines (actual sweet wine). My favorite is the Raspberry Merlot! Would come back again. read more

One of the few wineries I've ever been to that doesn't allow kids. We came at 4:15 on a Friday afternoon (they close at 5) with a two year old. We sat as far away from the building and within 3 minutes of us being there we were told we had to leave because they have a no children after 2:00 policy. We were encouraged to "come earlier next time". We all have full time jobs, so coming earlier isn't feasible most of the time. No problem though, the message was received. We'll never be going back to Fabiolli... and that includes the numerous times my adult girlfriends and i frequent the Loudon county wineries (minus the children). This wasn't my first time there and even when we were "welcome" to be there, the manager or owner isn't a pleasant person, and the wine is ok at best. Choose one of the many, many other wineries within a 10 mile radius of this one. read more

Great venue with awesome atmosphere. Welcoming and inclusive. The wine and fare is awesome and always something unique to sample. Just plain wonderful! read more

Cute and honey, lacks a bit of sophistication. Staff were very nice and the wine I had was perfectly described and enjoyed. Probably won't come back till they have real glass again as this 1/2 plastic cup pour for more than $14 was ridiculous. read more

Fabbioli Cellars - $14 pour - no thanks - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

The expansion has helped greatly. They do fun pairings. They do delicious pairings. The seasonal red wine hot chocolate was AMAZING. Absolutely incredible. Then we did the cookie pairing. Fantastic. They just released a Rose and I can't wait to try it! read more

We were on a wine tour done through Wine Pros (I believe). This was our second stop. The grounds are friendly, cozy, and inviting. Beautiful view f the vineyard and the famous cats as well! We had never done a wine tour that takes you to multiple vineyards, so we were excited (group of 5 women of color ages 25-33) and this place lifted our spirits from the previous vineyard (Winery 32). What we loved the most: 1. The variety of wine/cider 2. The staff 3.Food Parings (currently Thanksgiving theme/food pairing!) 4. The outdoor fire pits and sitting area (scenery) 5.The fancy wine tower holder lol 6. DID I SAY THEIR STAFF? We loved them. Very accommodating to my friend who had lots of allergies and really cared about our overall experience. We actually plan to go back soon because we only had 1 hour here and 2.5 at the other! read more

The staff was rude and crass and oddly made me more aware of the color of my skin and how some people feel it's okay to treat people differently based on it. read more

Great time at this winery! I've never experienced anything like this, they pair wine and tasty bites together to make a wonderful wine tasting even better! This was our first time here and everyone was very friendly. The wines are excellent and tasting them along with a little bit of food is a great way to experience the true flavors of each wine. The staff is very knowledgeable, the views are wonderful and they are a short drive from the Ashburn, Sterling and Leesburg areas. Highly recommend you take a tasting on at this vineyard!! read more

Fabbioli Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

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Stopped in while playing hookie from work on a dreary day. Andrew was amazing and so full of joy as he walked us through our tasting. He knew so much about the wines, the 'bite, sip, bite' pairings and had great punchlines. We came on Thursday afternoon around 3, and the place was empty aside from us. A couple finished their tasting as we were beginning. We left with a bottle of port! The strawberry sparkling wine was my LEAST favorite and it was on special, as well as the last wine we tried for our tasting. I'd definitely say start with that- and everything from there would be uphill. read more

Fabbioli Cellars - Tasting on a wintery day - Wineries Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Hannah in section 1&3 was the ABSOLUTE best. She was the only one who came to our section multiple times and she wasn't our server. She offered us the best drink, exactly what we described and checked in on us once we were sipping them. Place is beautiful, drunks are amazing. Ask Hannah what you'd like and she will do everything you need. SHE NEEDS A RAISE!!! read more

We came with a newborn and we're told that we couldn't enjoy our wine inside. We had to go outside to the kid friendly area. I could possibly understand this during the summer but it was mid 50's. We were also told by the GM that 5 percent of the time we would have to be outside during winter months if we brought our other kids. I guess families are not expected to like wine and if you do you need to stay way far away from the pretentious snobs. Wine: I would give 4.5 stars. Will not come back. Like many reviews mentioned management is rude. Will not be going back read more

This has been the summer that I have finally ventured into exploring wineries in VA. We went on a Saturday around 1pm and was surprised that there was no wait. As others have mentioned, the tasting is $15 per person and includes 7-8 wines and small bites. Is this the best winery I have visited? No. But, it cute and quaint with a small seating area in the back. Kudos to them for having the sun shades. I only wished they had a patio area as well although I think there was another section I did not explore. As for the wines, I wasn't really in love with any of them but did purchase 2 bottles. A white to drink there and the pear wine. I purchased the pear wine because they use Catoctin Distillery to make that wine and I love them. Overall, this place was 3.5 stars to me because I wasn't in love with the wines but appreciated the tasting and small bites. The small bites were actually amazing. The disappointing thing is that they say they sell everything they use to make the bites but when we went to purchase they were sold out. But, the gentleman was nice enough to tell us where to get the products. For that, I rounded up to 4 stars. read more

All of their wine are consistently good. I really enjoyed the food pairings. Tastings are done in a small group (5-6) so you get a lot of information about their wines. Nice space outside of the tasting room for picnics. They also sell larger portions of the food from the tastings menu. Parking is easy and close to the tasting room. read more

What a great little winery. When we arrived on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, the tasting room was packed like a real bar, and we had to wait a few minutes before four spots opened up at one of the tasting tables, which are peppered throughout the barn-like room. While we waited, one of the gracious hostesses appeared at our sides with four glasses of Viognier to sample while we waited. The Viognier isn't included in the regular tasting, and we were really impressed by that touch of hospitality. I'm also impressed by the agriculturally sustainable business model employed by winemaker Doug Fabbioli: organic fertilizer, geothermal climate control, recycled wine bottle program, and repurposing oak wine barrels by making them into wine racks. Once we sidled up to a tasting bar -- with a cardboard cut-out of Obama in overalls watching over us -- we were treated to a fun, informative, laid-back tasting of '09 Rosa Luna, '08 Chambourcin, '08 Cabernet Franc, '08 Tre Sorelle, and a Raspberry Merlot. We particularly enjoyed the Chambourcin, a light red with Chambourcin and Shiraz grapes, and the smoky Cab Franc. I'm not normally a fan of sweet wines, but the Raspberry Merlot (made with 70% Merlot grapes, and 30% raspberries!) was absolutely delicious without being overly sweet. As a bonus, the woman doing our tasting managed to smuggle a bottle of Pear wine for us to sample. Again, not such a fan of the sweet wines, but the flavor of this pear brandy fortified wine was so true and mellow I found myself thoroughly enjoying it. Between each wine, the woman conducting our tasting took the time to rinse each of our glasses -- something you do on your own other places. Again, little touches of hospitality are appreciated. Fabbioli provides buttery crisp crackers, miniature cubes of cheese, and dark chocolate alongside your wines to enhance the overall experience. We also purchased a bottle of Chambourcin -- a steal at $16 -- to bring home. read more

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Charming buliding. Very unique tasting pairing their wines with bites of food. The problems starts when we went out of our way to visit the winery for certain wines, only to learn that they have a restricted tasting list that rotates monthly through their collection. All of the wines we tasted were sweet and flat, with the exception of two flat, dry reds. The tasting room attendant told us that there are other wines that demonstrated the winemaker's skill but we would have to come back next month to taste them. Skip this one on your tour. read more

I really enjoyed this winery! From the wines to the staff to the atmosphere -- all of it was really wonderful. You pay prior to tasting, so line up and do that. You can pick either the sweet or the savory pairings to go with your tastings. Boyfriend got one and I got the other and we just split them. What they line up for you to taste everything with is perfect. They really pay attention to this and that's awesome because it really adds to the tasting. The man that was pouring for our tasting was great. I think his name was Cory. He was funny and knowledgeable and just looked like he really enjoyed being there with us. So we had a great time with him. The wines. Ohhhhhhhhh the wines! I can't say that I didn't like any of them. The one that stood out for me was the raspberry merlot. We purchased a bottle to take home. Now we just have to decide what to have with it. The winery is beautiful and near other wineries in the area, so if you're out and about visiting Hidden Brook and Lost Creek, make sure to get here because it is very close by. read more

6/8/14 After sampling their collaborative pear brandy at Catoctin Creek Distillery and hearing endless praises about the great Doug Fabbioli and his contributions to the VA wine scene, I had been bugging my man friend about taking a trip to support another winery. While we were in the neighborhood yesterday afternoon, we did just that and hopped on over to check out Fabbioli Cellars. Fabbioli Cellars is located on the first floor of his house but you would never really know it because it's set up so nicely with patio furniture and picnic areas surrounding the house outside and inside, there's a check-in register, wines and products set up for retail while the tasting rooms, kitchen and bathrooms are in the back. We walked in and were immediately greeted and told how they ran their tastings. Check in at the register, show id and pay $15pp for tasting and notify the staff of any food allergies/restrictions. No problems here but it's considerate for them to offer this option/personalization. Now for $15 per person, you get to taste 7 Fabbioli wines paired with 7 gourmet bites. Bites are made in house and use ingredients grown on premises or source local vendors. Fabbioli conducts their tastings very differently than surrounding wineries: They round you up and sit you at a table of 4-6 people and you are given your own wine tasting and food pairing led by your own wine educator. This results in a very special wine tasting experience where you can "sip, taste, sip". Sip the wine to see how it tastes on your palate. Take a few bites of the food and sip again to see how the food interacts with the wine and changes on your palate. I love this! I love this kind of tasting because it's great to see how you can pair the wine with food at home. Our tasting guide was Eric and not only was he very personable, but he gave great explanations of the wine, explained what to expect on our palate, answered any and all questions we had about the winery and kept the tasting interactive and kept conversation going smoothly. Great job, Eric! First up for the wine + food pairing...Sip, taste, sip! Una Pera + dried apricot....dry and crisp pear white wine Something White + garlic cheddar sliver on club cracker...crisp stainless steel white Chambourcin + prosciutto wrapped asparagus...delicious and versatile wine that would go well with many foods and can be enjoyed at room temp or chilled. Tres Sorelle (blend of merlot, cabernet savignon, petit verdot) + garlic cheese on cracker...great bold, dry red wine- a tribute to his wife and her sisters, this is the kind of wine that Fabbioli is famed for. Tannat (governor's cup winner)+ Sopressata salami with spicy plum chutney...dry, bold and a hint of spice paired perfectly Raspberry Merlot + Chocolate truffle...sweet and delicious and chocolate uh hello! Bring home a bottle and add to your brownies or chocolate cake recipes and then invite me over! Rosa Nera (black raspberry port style wine) + lavendar cheesecake...loved this port style wine that was not too sweet and notes of black raspberries was quite delish After our tasting, we could not help but check out the wine goods for purchase. Picked me up a nice "wine, how classy people get wasted" sign for my wine collection at home (don't judge me!) and bought the Chambourcin, Tres Sorelle, Rose Nera and Paco Rojo (not tasted but told it would be perfect to pair with our spicy foods). Fabbioli is a fantastic place to take in a wine and food pairing or grab a bottle of wine and take in the scenery. Great experience, wines, environment and staff. Wines and pairings change every month so always something new and different. We'll be back! read more

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A group of 7 of us came on a lovely Saturday. 7, by the way is the perfect group because reservations are only required for groups of 8 or more. This was our third and final winery that we visited but I strongly believe that my palette was still, at that point, discriminating. (After the bottle that I purchased from there and drank on the way home, not so much. But I had to feel that I got my money's worth for the paid transportation). I thought their Paco Rojo was not bad. They desribed it as a good pairing with Mexican food and I think that's accurate. I ended up purchasing the Cab France Reserve not because i thought it was amazing but I just really enjoyed the whole experience there, especially their food pairing. The presentation was so cute and the pairings were really spot on. I also got this garlic cheese that was made in Lancaster PA there that was really tasty and unique to me, as I've never seen or had garlic cheese. To compare, Casanella and Hidden Brook were the other 2 wineries we visited. Both had great ambiance but the wines did not impress me that much. Casanella did have a nice Viognier though. I will provide the disclaimer that I drink mostly old world wines and find it hard to take most Virginia wines seriously, especially when it comes to reds. That being said, I would love to visit Fabbioli again and just spend a couple of hours enjoying a beautiful day with friends and the scenery. The people there were really awesome and friendly too. read more

One of the members of my party had called ahead to schedule a private tasting today. I must say it was very much worth it. The same friend and I had been to the winery a handful of times prior to today's tasting, but today's must have been the best. We had some food pairings. When the wine expert mentioned one of our wines had been good with dark chocolate, I had asked why wasn't chocolate among our tasting option. Instead of being haughty, he apologized and gave us an extra tasting with the chocolate. He was most awesome. Not only is the customer service awesome, the wine is delectable. Particularly, I love the pear wine. They will have bottles with the actual pears inside the bottles next year. Although their red wines are more popular, I like the simple white wine. It could be due to the upcoming summer months. All of the times I've been here, everyone has been more than friendly and attentive. The winery is earth friendly. The location is wonderful. read more

My friend is a local and have visited this winery before. Since there are so many Alexandria wineries, she wanted to make sure we only went to the best ones. So, we started here. The $15 wine and food tasting was a great way to kickstart our day full of wine tasting fun! Each of the 7 food items were prepared fresh! and paired excellently with the wines. During the pairing, we discovered the dried-fruit chutney and German cheese - both of which were for sale in the shop and we bought. Fresh baguettes are also baked & served onsite! After sticking around to enjoy glasses of our fav - the something white - with some baguette / cheese / chutney, we embarked on our next adventure! read more

The person working there told me my dog could not come inside and we couldn't do a tasting outside, then suggested that I leave my dog in my car on a 80+ degree so we could come in for a taste. I won't support any business that promotes animal cruelty. Additionally, the property was surrounded by ugly McMansions and smelled like a sewer by the entrance. The employees were pushy and unpleasant. We won't be back. read more

Let me start out by saying I enjoy the wines and environment of Fabbioli Cellars. My wife and I recently went for a wine tasting and was shocked by having to pay $15 for 7 wines with food paring per person. We were not given the option to have the tasting without food paring. It's nice to have food and chocolate parings with wine, but only if you are into it and not forced. They do have a gluten free food paring which is nice. I would give Fabbiolis 4 to 5 stars if only being able to have the option of a wine tasting without a food paring. I will not be enjoying any more tastings until they are giving the option of just wine tasting or wine and food paring tastings. There are plenty of other wineries we love to visit that we can enjoy just wine tastings. read more

This winery was on a Food & Wine itinerary for VA Wine Country - http://www.fodors.com/weekend-getaways/washington-dc/virginia-wine-country/. THE SERVICE Sterile. Business as usual type of vibe. Everything about this place is so commercial. The friendliness was what you would expect from someone who is doing their job but it was not as organic as what you see at other wineries. The tastings are the most organized but the least fun - and are very quick. This winery is missing the personable factor. Even when friendly, it seems a little manufactured. The tasting is $15 dollars and comes with very small bite sized food to pair with the wine. Although the food was delicious, just as you get a taste of wine during wine tastings, they gave you a taste of finger food (let's call it thumb nail food). The food is from other food places in the area. They seemed a little taken a back by me trying to guess what was in the food. They do not allow outside food on the property. They do offer some lite food plates for purchase. Two options are from the tasting plate. I did not purchase any food but I did like the Sweet Potato (w old bay) & Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar on Club Cracker at the tasting - so that may be a good selection if you do get a plate. Pairs well with the NV Ladies Man Cider. THE PROPERTY/VIEWS I thought the property was nice, but small. They had many places to sit with fire pits. When I think of wineries, I think of a place that is oudoorsy or rustic. This was neither. More like visiting someone's house who has a really nice back yard with fire pits. A house where they make you take off your shoes when you enter because they don't want to mess up the white carpet. THE WINES Typical of any winery. There are some clear winners you like and others that are average. I would say that I enjoyed: - NV Raspberry Merlot (great with dark chocolate) - NV Pear Port-style (I dislike Port because it taste like liquor but this has less alcohol and I liked the butterscotch flavor) - NV Ladies Man Cider (taste like champaign - great holiday drink) I found int interesting to learn that the NV Pear Port-style could help you indicate if you have a sweet palate or a savory palate. If you taste more pear - your taste buds are geared toward the sweet. If you taste more butterscotch, your taste buds are geared toward the savory. I guess my palate would be geared toward the savory. i am assuming savory drinkers may also like the above selections. THE ENTERTAINMENT None. read more

Initial impression: $15 for seven, half-ounce tastings in the middle of wine country? They better be laced with gold. But read on. We were warmly greeted by a lovely woman who introduced us to one of the many cats they have roaming around inside. I didn't care for the guy who checked us in - but I loved the guy who did our actual tasting. Fabbioli does a sip, taste, sip system - so you are provided with seven individual high-quality, hand-picked accompaniments to go with each wine. He explained every last detail about each wine, right down to the meaning behind some of the labels, and gave personal feedback about how he uses some of the wines in his cooking. We were also there with two children and he was more than patient. Though I do think a full tasting is worth the $15, I do wish they would offer perhaps a half tasting option for those of us who were interested in only trying two or three wines, and are also not interested in the food pairings (loved the chocolate but I don't eat cheese, so a lot of the total experience was wasted on me.) read more

Pretty nice yet small winery. Glad we stopped there but I probably wouldn't head back again. We are not from the area but decided to stop here first for our winery trip in the area. The tasting ($15) was a bit expensive to me, but it did come with an interesting food pairing which was nice. We decided not to purchase any bottles because honestly they were a bit pricey. They had a nice upstairs area where you can sit and have flights and food, which would be nice but we decided not to eat there. It had a nice view and I'm sure it would look even better during the summer or when the grape vines are in the vineyard! I tend to collect wine glasses on my trips, and usually tastings come with them for free but this was you had to pay $5 more for. So that wasn't cool to be honest ha! Overall nice to stop at but glad we didn't spend more time here than we did. read more

Visited here on Sunday with my daughter and did the wine tasting paired with small bites. I think there were 7 wines, and 6 of them were paired with a small bite. It was interesting to see how the food changed the flavor of the wine. Unfortunately, it was quite rushed. It maybe took 12 minutes from first sip, to "move on, you're done". It was $16 pp for the tasting, and you truly only get a sip of each wine. After the tasting, we bought a flight of 4 wines, and sat out on the patio overlooking the vineyards. Will be beautiful when the fruit is on vine! You can buy wine flights and there are several options- all white, all reds, or you pick 4. If we go back, that's what we will do again as you get a nice pour with the flights. Also, they have food there for purchase and it looked good. I liked the Barbera ($35/bottle) and my daughter liked the Petit Manseng ($26/bottle). We both liked the Raspberry Merlot but it was $24 for a 35 ml bottle, so didn't purchase. All of the wines seemed a little pricey. Staff was friendly. Like several others we visited this weekend, the winery is located on a dirt road. read more

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The folks working the tasting room here seem to really be wine fans, not just interested in selling their employer's wares. You can have a good wine conversation here that won't be met with blank bemusement. The rose - meh. It's Sangiovese, and the only Sangio rose I've ever liked is out of Alexander Valley in Sonoma, CA. The reds are not bad - nicely balanced Cabernet Franc, which is Virginia's premier red wine grape, a Chambourcin fermented on Tannat pressings for extra color and earthiness, and a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvgnon, and Petit Verdot. Of the three, the Bordeaux blend was the standout, with the bonus of a relatively restrained wood profile that doesn't clobber the wine with oak. Where Fabbioli really shines, and I hate to admit this, is in their dessert wines. The merlot/raspberry blend is very pleasant and, while fruit-forward with plenty of residual sugar, has the tannin and acidity to back it up and balance it all very nicely - a shocking surprise since most of the sweet wines in this region are just sugar-bombs with no depth. Likewise, their pear wine is really fantastic - it's like a really good Poire William, and is made from a pear wine from three varieties blended with a pear brandy made from the same wine, aged in whiskey barrels. The result is like drinking a spiced baked-pear tart - sweet, fruity, tart, with vanilla and baking spices. read more

Fabbioli Cellars was my last stop on a day of winery visiting in Loudoun County. I really liked the laid-back atmosphere. The tasting room was pretty with lots of tables and umbrellas around for hanging out. I kind of wished I'd come earlier in the day so I could hang out too. The Loudoun wineries definitely seem to get more traffic than the Charlottesville ones, and each seems to deal with the crowds in a different way. Here, you go and pay for your tasting, and if they are busy, your name is put on a waiting list. They call you in with a group and do your tasting. I guess this is an ok way to do it and I like how organized it is, but I wish there was a way that didn't involve having to mill around and wait for your name to be called. We happened upon this place on a really warm day, so when we got called into the back of the tasting room, it was HOT! But the lady who guided our tasting was very friendly. I wonder if the heat may have clouded my impressions of the wine, because I wanted to like them more than I actually did. They only make reds and get some whites from other nearby vineyards to sell. I bought a bottle of Cab Franc, and my friend got a bottle of the Raspberry Merlot, which was quite tasty. I liked that it was sweet with berry flavors, but that it still tasted like wine. In general, I thought all the wines were good, but none stood out as OMG love at first sip. I'll be interested to open my Cab Franc and see if I like it more in the climate-controlled environment of my home. So, I guess all in all, my impression of Fabbioli was so-so. That said, I definitely want to go back and check it out again. read more