612 Vineyard
Located on Route 612 (Shepherds Mill Road) in Berryville, Clarke County, a few miles West of where Route 7 crosses the Blue Ridge and descends across the Shenandoah River. Opened in 2014 by Lisa Clarke, in the ground floor of her home. The wines are from the Shenandoah (there is no vineyard on the property) and produced for 612 by Cave Ridge Vineyards.
Wine. Tier III. Wines are from Shenandoah Valley grapes, produced by Randy Philipps of Cave Ridge Vineyards.
Setting. Large indoor tasting room. There is a good view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the East from 612’s stone patio, which can seat up to 40. The winery’s picnic area features firepits and Adirondack chairs. Live music many weekends. Generally less crowded than wineries in nearby Loudoun County.
Stories. One star. Fort Loudoun, and the French and Indian Wars. Fort Loudoun, a site now in the town of Winchester, was built between 1756 and 1758 under the supervision of George Washington. Its construction was triggered by the French and Indian Wars, an escalation of the fighting between Great Britain and France and their respective Native American allies (in the case of the English, the Iroquois being their main ally). This War was part of a broader conflict between Great Britain and France called the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). The fighting was primarily on the frontier between the colonial possessions of the two European countries, in the Ohio River basin. The War led to France’s ceding of the Louisiana Territory to Spain, and most of Canada to the British. At the war’s outset, in 1756, the Virginia House of Burgesses approved the construction of a chain of forts to defend the colony’s frontier. George Washington, colonel of the Virginia Regiment, was responsible for protecting the back country from incursions by the French and Indian allies. Washington chose Winchester to be the site of a major fort due to its strategic location. The fort was named after John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, then commander of the English forces in North America. The property today at 419 North Loudoun Street in Winchester encompasses the historic heart of the fort, including a well dating to the fort’s construction, and a portion of its northwest bastion. It is now owned by the non-profit French and Indian War Foundation.