Desert Rose Ranch & Winery [closed]
- Off in the far West of Fauquier County, in the village of Hume. Opened in 2011 by Bob and Linda Claymier, on an 80-acre farm which is also a horse ranch.
- Wine. Tier II. Try a unique varietal: their Covert Cab, made of “Crimson Cabernet,” a unique hybrid of Norton and Cabernet Sauvignon. Other available reds at present are Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin and a pair of blends. The “Ole Moo Moo” (yes…) is a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Vidal Blanc.
- Setting. One star. A beautiful back road drive to arrive in Hume. Great views of the hills and fields. Three different tasting options available. Western theme to the casual tasting room. Cheese available.
- Stories. Uses of land – Not everyone loves a winery. Desert Rose uses their property as both vineyard and horse ranch. Another example of how winery owners across Virginia look to different models to make ends meet, in a state where rapid industry growth has made grapes expensive. The use of land for horses here does not seem to create concerns. Use of land for winemaking by one of their Hume neighbors, however, created far-reaching concerns. In 2012 Fauquier County supervisors enacted a new Ordinance limiting the events that could be held at County vineyards and directing closing hours. The Ordinance generated a lot of concern at the time, including a subsequent lawsuit by some 10 of Fauquier’s 26 wineries. Concerns that led to the ordinance included traffic and noise, and are a good example of how people – even neighbors – can have quite different views on how land should be used and whether a government should interfere in this. The most visible precipitant of the 2012 conflict was a very unusual winery which subsequently went into foreclosure: Oasis Vineyards. Oasis was one of Virginia’s early wineries, launched in the 1980s, and achieved a good following for some time. It was also owned by a family with a tremendous attraction to the television camera: the Salahis. Washingtonians may remember owner Tareq Salahi primarily for his highly-publicized uninvited “crashing” of a State Dinner at the Obama White House. Or for his filming of “Real Housewives of Washington DC”. Or they may remember him for the also highly publicized divorce with his wife Michaele, complete with a fictitious kidnaping, multimillion dollar lawsuits, and her immediate remarriage – aired on Pay-per-view Television — to the lead guitarist of the Rock’n Roll band, Journey (Michaele was apparently known at Oakton High School as “Rock Chic Miss”). Neighbors, more to the point, remember him for late night fireworks displays, very loud music and bachelorette parties. An inspiration to new County rules… Oasis went bankrupt (or its owners, or both, not very clear), and went through foreclosure in 2013. Since 2013 the Fauquier County Wine Ordinance has stopped making news. Tariq Salahi meanwhile has restarted making wine, under a new label: Housewinos.