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