Greenhill Winery and Vineyard
- Located just East of Middleburg, off of US Highway 50 on Winery Lane. For old-timers, this is the former Swedenburg Winery, one of the first wave of the Northern Virginia wineries. David Greenhill purchased the estate in 2013 and renamed it. Husband-wife duo Sébastien Marquet and Isabelle Truchon, owners of Burgundy Style Consulting, spearheaded the creation of the new winery (Marquet is also the chief winemaker of both Doukenie Winery and Lost Creek Winery).
- Wine. One of the Top 100 wineries in the state, and one of the Top 40 in Northern Virginia. At the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle nation-wide wine competition, Greenhill was awarded two gold medals in 2023, for their 2021 Petit Manseng and Nebbiolo wines, and in the 2022 event, Greenhill came away with a “best-in-class Petit-Verdot-led red blend” award for their 2019 “Philosophy,” as well as gold medals for their 2019 Tannat and Petit Verdot. Greenhill’s 2021 Chenin Blanc and Pinotage also were awarded silver medals at the 2023 Chronicle competition. Strangely, Greenhill wines do not do as well in Virginia tasting competitions. At the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup wine competition, Greenhill came away with only silver medals (for their 2019 Merlot, 2021 Nebbiolo, Pinotage and Viognier) and a bronze medal for the same 2021 Petit Manseng which did so well in California. At the 2022 Governor’s Cup, Greenhill also came away with five silver medals and one bronze medal, and again two silver medals at the 2022 Best of Loudoun wine competition. Greenhill’s Chardonnay Reserve did win a gold medal at the 2021 Governor’s Cup, along with again five silver medals and a bronze; the Chardonnay had won a double gold medal at the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle competition, in the same “liked more out West than at home” pattern. The wine offerings feature several red Bordeaux-style blends. Some of the wine, such as the Ontology/ Chambourcin, is produced from grapes grown in their associated vineyard in southern Virginia. Wine is a bit pricey, as you might expect from the location and the décor, and tastings are also in the higher price bracket.
- Setting. Two stars. Great views of the vineyard and farm, as extolled in the article below. Ranked #1 among Loudoun County wineries to visit by Trip Advisor member ratings. A new tasting room was opened in 2017, and Greenhill Wine Club members can use the beautiful original pre-Revolutionary War manor house of the estate for tastings. Cheese and jams available (try the “Four Fat Fowl,” from Stephentown, New York. Note this is an adults-only vineyard. You can also follow the Greenhill Polo Team, fitting for a winery in Middleburg, the heart of Virginia’s Horse and Hunt Country. If you don’t mind a place that’s a bit… highbrow.
- Stories. One star. (A) Wine draws interesting people. The following is from a piece on Virginia wineries in Highbrow Magazine: Greenhill Winery & Vineyards is owned by what might be considered a Thomas Jefferson protégé (or at least Most Interesting Man in the World). In addition to being a wine aficionado, David Greenhill is a publisher and telecommunications entrepreneur, with a master’s degree in philosophical theology from Yale (which explains the cathedral-like cave and some of the wine names, including Ontologoy and Philosophy). Master winemaker Sébastien Marquet says the vineyard’s soil structure is similar to that of Bordeaux, and the prestigious awards they’ve won prove they’re onto something good. The winery itself is gorgeous, set on rippling, stream-laced countryside dotted with Charolais cows from Burgundy. And while the setting is pure Old World, the new tasting room is pure modern world, with state-of-the-art equipment and stylish, contemporary décor. Be sure to take a peek at the adjacent Farm Store, where you can purchase local produce and gourmet foods, including Greenhill Charolais beef, honey, artisanal cheeses, and jams, as well as local art. (B) Economic development in Loudoun County – the Internet Capital of the World. As noted above, owner David Greenhill made money as a telecommunications entrepreneur, and bought the site in 2013. In the Northern Virginia wine world, you can expect to see a lot more David Greenhills buying vineyards. The moniker, though little known to most people, is correct: Loudoun County IS the internet capital of the world: over 50% of the entire world’s internet traffic passes through servers located here. Along with the military, and wineries, the high-tech and internet sector is driving much of Virginia’s strong economy. There’s a lot more money where this came from.