The town of Purcellville has no shortage of entertainment– it is home to a wide array of boutiques, restaurants, farmer’s markets, breweries and festivals.  With endless opportunities to discover this historic Virginia town it’s no wonder that the winery scene is booming.  The flourishing wine industry draws locals, tourists, DC and MD residents, dogs, and even Cockatoo’s (yep!) to visit the tasting rooms and indulge in Virginia Wine Country.  We try to visit the area often, stopping in to old favorites and checking out the newest locations in town.  Our latest Purcellville wine adventure brought us to Two Twisted Posts Winery located in the heart of the action.  With their tasting room only open for about a year, this winery has already made quite the name for itself.

 

Located directly on Route 9, Two Twisted Posts is open Friday-Sunday from 11am-5pm.  Upon entering the winery we were warmly greeted and directed to the tasting bar.  We settled in to hear the history of the winery, learn about the winemaker and sample their award winning varietals.  Originally from England, winemaker and owner Theresa, and her husband purchased the property in Purcellville a few years ago as an escape from city living.  As Theresa explained to us, she’d “rather be watching grapes grow then anything on television”.  After years spent developing their love and appreciation for wine, Theresa decided to take the plunge and try her hand at winemaking.  Turns out– she’s pretty darn good at it!

Samantha, our wine educator and Theresa’s daughter, shared with us the exciting details of the winery’s opening.  A little over a year ago after getting some positive feedback on their wines from friends they were searching for the honest truth– was the wine that Theresa was making really as delicious as people were saying?  In an effort to see how they compared to other Virginia-made wines, Two Twisted Posts decided to enter the Governor’s Cup of 2014.  Surprisingly to Theresa, and the rest of the family, they not only discovered that their wines stood on their own against the competition, but several were award winning!  Their 2012 Chardonnay won GOLD and was selected for the Governor’s Case, while the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon won Silver along with a favorite of ours, the 2012 Petit Verdot!  For a winery without a tasting room, this was quite a feat!  Within the span of a few weeks following the Governor’s Cup, Two Twisted Posts put together a temporary tasting room (originally a tent on the grounds) and opened up to the Loudoun County public.

Now open for over a year, they are seeing a steady stream of winery enthusiasts making their way out Route 9 to try some of their award winning wines.  The inviting tasting room and grounds provide a welcoming atmosphere to all– including families and dogs.  Perhaps one of the more surprising visitors is the Cockatoo belonging to one of the wine educators!

On our visit we were able to sample their three award winners (the 2012 Chardonnay, 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2012 Petit Verdot), as well as the 2011 Chardonnay, the 2011 Cab Franc, the 2011 Don’t Call Me A Cab, and two sweeter semi-dry wines, the 2011 Sweet Life and the 2011 Vidal Blanc.  We thoroughly enjoyed each of their wines and will be sure to return to sample future varietals– we’re willing to bet there are a few more award winners in those barrels!

All in all it was a great visit.  We were blown away by Theresa’s passion, enthusiasm, kindness and love for wine.  She has created an award winning winery and is a true self-taught Virginia Wine Country success story!  When you visit, make sure to inquire about the winery’s name– it’s quite an interesting story.

Cheers!

-The Virginia Winos (Amy & Alli).