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Love is in the Air at Wintergreen Winery |
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By
SUZANNE DUVALL |
Reprinted Courtesy
of |
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There is a certain
undeniable association between wine and love.
So strong is this connection that few who visit a Virginia
winery fail to romanticize the experience.
Perhaps attributable to the scenic location or the
vacation-time experience, the romance associated with wine can spill
into the dream of making such occasions a lifestyle by owning a
winery. Meet two people who live
the fantasy: Jeff and Tamara Stone of Wintergreen Winery.
In their mid thirties the Stones quit their lucrative jobs as a
national sales account director and an event promoter in Atlanta,
Georgia to take over the operation of Wintergreen Winery. But be warned if you care
to indulge such flights of fantasy, the realities of the day-to-day
operation of a Virginia winery might well bring you down to earth.
“People think that we spend our days leisurely sipping wine
and strolling through the vineyards,” Tamara Stone explains, “they
couldn’t be more wrong. This
is mostly about running a small business. The reality is that it is a constant struggle to keep the
focus on a high quality product and excellent customer care.” Behind every winery there
is a story. But Jeff and
Tamara Stone are not sure precisely when their story began.
“Gosh, it seems like so long ago,” Tamara mused as she
conferred with her husband on exactly when they took over running
Wintergreen Winery. After
tossing out a few years, the couple agrees that it was during the
second half of the harvest of 1998 that they considered Wintergreen to
be fully their own. Perhaps
this is because the changing of hands did not entail the Stones
plastering an ‘under new management sign’ or to making drastic
changes. “It was a
relatively smooth transition. After
all, the winery had been successful for years,” according to Jeff. In their search for someone
to take over the operation of Wintergreen, former owners Mike and
Kathy Riddick approached Tamara’s father seeking a hardworking,
young couple to whom to sell the winery.
According to Tamara, “The Riddicks thought of Wintergreen as
their baby and they wanted to see it continue to grow.” Having fostered the
business for nearly a decade, the Riddicks were wise to select a
couple with a strong work ethic; after all, “this is not an easy
business. It’s sink or
swim. We’re investing
in ourselves and our family’s livelihood so you cannot just let
things slip…but there is a certain satisfaction which comes from not
investing your time and effort in your boss’ dream but your own
dream,” Tamara insists. But the Stones emphasize
that this was not an undertaking to which they blindly agreed.
The couple extensively researched the industry, location, and
the daily operations of winemaking and grape growing in order to
prepare themselves for the trials and tribulations of the business.
“It was more a leap of faith than a blind leap,” Tamara
remembers. Perhaps one of the reasons
for the pre-existing success of Wintergreen is the winery’s ideal
location. Wintergreen is
located in Nelson County, Virginia, whose appeal Jeff likens to
consumers’ fascination with sport-utility vehicles: “It’s
rugged, scenic and adventurous but it has a cosmopolitan flair.” The couple explains that
Nelson County is a popular vacation spot because of its upscale
galleries, restaurants, orchards, and shopping.
Although not affiliated with the resort, the name Wintergreen
is apt—the winery is nestled in the Wintergreen area of the same
Blue Ridge slopes to which vacationers also flock for sports such as
skiing, golfing, fishing and to generally enjoy the nature which the
Blue Ridge provides. Wintergreen Winery has
developed a large customer base of wine lovers drawn as much to the
beautiful valley location as to the exceptional quality of its wine.
A rustic gravel road carpets the approach to the green-roofed,
150-year-old barn in which customers can indulge themselves in both
complimentary wine tasting and extensive gourmet gift shopping. Neither the Stones nor the
Riddicks were first owners of the farm.
Tamara explains that the winery site “was originally part of
the Rodes’ Highview Plantation and was an apple packing building
back when the farm was an orchard.” All of these ideal
conditions benefit Wintergreen’s production of 6,000 cases per year
which is spread among Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and various red, white and sweet blends.
The apple growing history of Wintergreen also lends itself to
the creation of the specialty Mill Hill Apple wine that is made from
local apples and offered solo or packaged with spices for mulling. Widely regarded as one of
Virginia’s best Chardonnays, the Stones are especially proud of
their Black Rock Chardonnay which benefits from Jeff’s special
attention to these high-grade grapes, barrel aging and frequent
stirring of the lees. The
growing demand for exceptional Virginia dessert wines is met in the simply titled
“Raspberry,” which is a complex, well-balanced dessert
accompaniment whose bouquet harkens back to grandma’s jam. The Stones’ hard work and
innovation, along with the ideal growing conditions, has yielded
several awards for Wintergreen. Among
many others, the wines have medalled in the prestigious Governor’s
Cup, Vinifera Wine Grower’s Association, Monticello Cup, Town Point
Festival, and even a recent accolade in an international wine
competition. These awards
have encouraged the Stones to steer toward an increasingly premium
direction with an eye to meet the demand for vinifera grapes. With so many awards under
their belts, it is surprising that neither member of the couple has a
formal training in winemaking. Jeff is quick to recall that his predecessor also did not
have winemaking experience and believes that, “we have been lucky
enough to benefit and learn from Mike’s mistakes, but every harvest
is a learning experience.” Even for the most seasoned
winemaker, the climate of Virginia can prove to be a challenge.
Jeff recognizes that “there used to be a time when making a
good wine in Virginia meant making a defect-free wine.
As Virginia’s reputation has grown in national [and]
international circles, the bar has been raised to expect an
exceptional product.” Nonetheless, the Stones
remain undaunted and eager to meet the challenge.
“This is the perfect time to be in the Virginia wine
industry. The popularity
of Virginia wine is causing growers to plant more vines just to meet
the interstate demand.” Such
demand is evident in the low stock of wine that Wintergreen is able to
hold on to during the winter but the Stones look forward to unveiling
their bounty of 1999 reds and additional whites this spring. The Stones are confident
that their business philosophy will continue to draw customers and
keep demand for their wines high. Tamara characterized their goal: “We strive to make
customers feel that they are our guests so that they want to come back
to this charming environment and spend some time.
We want our customers to feel comfortable here, feel like
family.” This
orientation is evident when Jeff and Tamara, along with veteran
tasting room manager Marion Craig, roll up their sleeves and pour
their wines with great satisfaction. The most recent addition to
the tasting room may be what the family at Wintergreen takes the most
pride in: Alanna Grace. Shortly after becoming the new owners of Wintergreen, the
Stones also became new parents to a darling baby girl. While the Stones may have difficulty putting their finger on
exactly when “their Wintergreen” came into existence, Alanna is a
living testament to the winery’s age.
Repeat customers are eager to see not only how much Wintergreen
has grown but how much the fair-haired toddler has grown.
Customers can expect to see both mature with time. Jeff and Tamara Stone invite you to become part of their family by visiting Wintergreen. |
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