Our Story

We started in 1997 by caring for a few neglected grape vines on our property that we had just purchased. That small effort has led us down a path which we are still walking. Along the way we have learned by doing. We've made some mistakes, had some successes, worked hard, and had a lot of fun. More importantly, we've met some wonderful, intelligent, and talented people who have helped mentor us and cultivate the passion and dedication for excellence that we have for growing grapes and making wine.

Our first planting at North Gate was what we refer to as the "test vineyard". We planted a small amount of several different varieties, on several different rootstocks to (1) see what grew on our site, (2) see if we could actually keep them alive long enough to produce fruit, and (3) really enjoyed doing so.

From 2003 through the 2006 vintage, Mark and Vicki were the winemakers for Corcoran Vineyards (formerly Waterford Vineyards) in Waterford, Virginia. During that time, our vintages garnered over 50 medals in national and international competitions. We are proud of those accomplishments, but we continue to strive to set the standards higher for Loudoun County and Virginia wines.

As we have mentioned, the path is neverending, there is always something new to learn in this business. Every growing season offers a new challenge and a new opportunity to produce even better wines than the previous year. We hope you find our standard web site inspirational and educational. Check it out for more details about our vineyard, our wines, and our winemaking philosophies. Please drop us a line as we love to hear comments, suggestions and answer questions.

• Visit us soon at our new tasting room, opening October of 2010!