If music be the food of love and Bacchus the Roman God of wine, then it’s no wonder wine and music go very well together. Luckily, in Loudoun you don’t have to travel far to experience this alchemy in action.
While October is Virginia Wine Month and a great time for music in the vines, here we select five of the best wineries to enjoy sweet sounds year-round.
868 Estate Vineyards
This award-winning winery near Hillsboro in far western Loudoun is famous for its music festivals, notably the Nova MusicFest in May and the much-loved LoCo Fest each September where more than a dozen Loudoun artists perform to raise money to buy equipment for local musicians. Beyond the annual festivals, however, there’s live music pretty much every weekend, sometimes two acts a day. Regular singer-songwriters featured include Victor Torres, Gary Smallwood and Laura Cashman while you can also catch jazz band On Easy Street and 70s cover act Bottle Shock. You’ll find the 2022 Cab Franc plays a lovely tune on your tongue, too.
Old Farm Winery at Hartland
Over in Aldie, Old Farm Winery at Hartland has live music most weekends with recent acoustic acts including singer-songwriters Sonny Wilde, Fran Scuderi and Bobby Crin. When the winery hosted the inaugural LoCo Wine Fest in September there was live music on the porch of the historic Longfield Manor and space to dance on the lawns. Most live music takes place at the main Tasting Room however where one of the many wines you should try is the exquisite 2020 Petit Verdot, which is sure to get your toes tapping.
The Barns at Hamilton Station
The Barns, as it’s affectionately known, exploded on the Loudoun wine scene when the winery won the 2017 Virginia Governor’s Cup for the best wine in the state. Now, not only does The Barns produce exceptional wine but the property’s main tasting room – a repurposed century-old stone and timber dairy barn – creates some spectacular acoustics, allowing for major live music events. Recent happenings included Women in Blues (featuring Carly Harvey, Mary Shaver and four-piece band) while in November the venue will host sultry songstress Juliet Lloyd's Todd Wright-produced ‘Carnival’ Album Release show. As for festive December fun, book tickets now for The Holiday Concert at The Barns at Hamilton Station featuring guitar-mandolin duo Gary Smallwood and Michael Fath.
Stone Tower Winery
The scenic mountain-top winery of the Huber family is known for its world-class wines, opulent event spaces and elegant art-filled interiors. And yet there’s a popular live music scene on offer, too. Singer-songwriters are scheduled each weekend in the rustic-chic Harvest Barn and get the regulars singing along with glasses of Cab Franc in hand. In the bar-lounge area of the Tower View Tasting Room meanwhile there is often an acoustic performer on weekend afternoons. Catch the likes of Scott Clark, Laura Cashman and Lovettsville-based Americana act Summer & Eric Duo at either location. A glass of the 2023 Kristi Chardonnay will go down well with whoever is playing.
Cana Vineyards & Winery of Middleburg
This scenic hilltop winery is rightly famous for winemaker Melanie Natoli’s award-winning vintages: she won the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cup for her 2019 Unité Reserve Red Blend and she makes a stunning range of single-varietal rosés. But while you come for the wines, on Saturdays you also stay for the tunes. The winery’s Live Music Series takes place from 12 to 4 p.m. each Saturday in the spacious pagoda-like Sunset Pavilion and features the likes of Tom Petty-influenced rocker Scott Kurt and classically trained pianist-turned-singer and keys artist Stephanie Ball. Soak up the sounds and spectacular views with a bottle of Melanie’s 2020 Unité Reserve.