Come to Loudoun for the award-winning wines; stay for the incredible views: forest-covered mountains, tumbling river valleys, lush vine-covered slopes. Join us on a two-day trip through some of the most scenic vineyards and tasting rooms in DC’s Wine Country®.

Day 1

Morning

Start with a fortifying coffee at Hillsboro’s Stoneybrook Farm Market before visiting the Baki family’s Hillsborough Winery, Brewery and Vineyards on the slopes of Short Hill Mountain, the tasting room a renovated stone barn from the 1840s. Overseen by winemaker Kerem Baki, order a glass of his crisp 2022 Provence-style Serafina Rosé made from 100% Tannat grapes and drink it on the shaded slate stone terrace. The view? A sweeping vista of landscaped gardens, undulating green fields of the Loudoun Valley and swooping crests of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. After the rosé, toast the view with a bottle of the 40^th Anniversary Loudoun Red Blend, a collaboration vintage overseen by Baki to commemorate forty years of Loudoun wine.

Afternoon

For a late lunch, stop for a gourmet pizza at artisanal brick oven pizza shack Market in the Gap in the heart of Hillsboro, the thin-crust pies crafted right in front of you. After that, take meandering Route 719 south for 10 miles before winding your way up to Bluemont Vineyard on the steep, east-facing slopes of the Blue Ridge. The multi-floor tasting room and terrace have arguably the best views in all the Mid-Atlantic: terraced vines below, piedmont farmland stretching to horizon. The Washington Monument 50 miles east is said to be visible on clear days, and during the holidays the vines are lit with a thousand sparkling Christmas lights. What to drink? The aptly named Ascent red blend is a Loudoun classic while the Norton Reserve 2020 and Cabernet Franc 2021 won Golds at the 2024 Loudoun Wine Awards. Toast winemaker Scott Spelbring as the sun sets. For dinner – and a final glass - make your way to Purcellville where West Wine Bar & Pub features an extensive list of Loudoun wines alongside superb farm-to-table food.

Day Two

Morning

Start your second day in Middleburg, south Loudoun, the capital of horse and hunt country. After a latte and breakfast pastry at Cuppa Giddy Up and a stint of boutique shopping  on elegant Washington Street, drive east on Route 50 to Greenhill Vineyards. The beautiful open-plan tasting room is set in 128 acres of woodland, lawns and vines, the Blue Ridge Mountains visible to the west from umbrella-shaded tables on the lawns. What to order? The Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine appeared in the 2016 Academy Awards gift bag, but we are currently partial to the earthy 2021 Tannat, which secured Gold at the 2024 Virginia Governor’s Cup. While the wine and views are special, don’t miss a tour of the wood-paneled Barrel Room, its vaulted ceilings and clerestory windows reminiscent of a cathedral.

Afternoon

It’s a short drive from Greenhill to Cana Vineyards & Winery set on 43 acres between Middleburg and Aldie on the north side of Route 50. From the second-floor balcony of the main tasting room, gaze out on vineyards sloping down to woodland, while the aptly named pagoda-like Sunset Pavilion adjacent is where to be when the sun goes down. In winter, get comfortable on modish couches by its fireplace and enjoy a glass of acclaimed winemaker Melanie Natoli’s 2020 Unité Reserve red blend, a previous version of which won the Virginia Governor’s Cup. She also does a slate of single varietal rosés, which are wonderful on warm days.

Pick up a fortifying fresh juice, salad or sandwich at roadside Greenheart juice shop in Aldie and then motor north up Route 15 toward Leesburg. Just past Oatlands Historic House & Gardens, turn left on winding Hogback Mountain Road to arrive at 55-acre Stone Tower Winery – the sprawling hilltop winery of the Huber family. There are multiple settings to sample velvety French varietals, from the rustic-chic Harvest Barn to an open-air terrace area and, most spectacularly, the Tower View Tasting Room with a bird’s eye view of the vineyards, a glassy lake and dense forest stretching to distant mountains. What to order? You can’t go wrong with the 2021 Wild Boar Pinot Noir or 2022 Nebbiolo.