Located on Woodgrove Road in Purcellville, in Loudoun County. Forever Farm & Vineyard opened its doors in 2019. Owners Bob and Terri Riggs, from New Jersey by way of California, made the farm their place to settle after a long corporate career, as where they plan to stay “forever.”
Wine. Tier II. Forever Farms’ Chambourcin was awarded a silver medal at the multi-state Finger Lakes Wine Competition in 2022, while their Norton and Cabernet Franc were awarded silver medals at the Best of Loudoun wine competition of 2022. The Cabernet Franc’s 2019 vintage had received a gold medal at the 2020 Best of Loudoun event. The “Boykin Blend” (a multi-varietal red blend) came away with a bronze medal at the Finger Lakes competition. Bob Riggs is the winemaker. The farm grows Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnel. Blends include estate and mostly Virginia grapes, and in one case California Cabernet Sauvignon. There are only two acres currently planted.
Setting. One star. Pretty farm with good views of the hills; small and less-crowded than many other Loudoun wineries. Baskets from Virginia Picnic Company available to eat on the lawn, porch or inside. A Boykin Spaniel theme is visible in the winery and on the wine labels. Tastings are initially by appointment only.
Stories. The Civil War comes to Purcellville: the ambush of Jubal Early. Purcellville was but a flyspeck village along the Leesburg-Snickers Gap Turnpike at the outbreak of civil war. Stagecoach services connected Purcellville to the Alexandria & Loudoun Railroad terminus at Leesburg and over the Blue Ridge to Winchester. In July, 1864, the war came home to roost in tiny Purcellville. On July 16, General Jubal Early’s Confederate army began to pass through the village, heading west to Snickers Gap, after his attack on the northwestern defenses of Washington, moving toward safety in the Shenandoah Valley. Two Union corps followed. A Brigade of about 300 men under Colonel William B. Tibbetts of the 21st New York Cavalry, reached Heaton’s Crossroads east of Purcellville at mid-afternoon. They found Early’s wagon train passing by, and attacked furiously all along the wagon train. The main attack came up the Berlin Grade Road (today’s Hatcher Avenue) to the pike and captured some 200 wagons and 150 prisoners. The Confederates reclaimed 118 of their wagons in a counter-attack, and all but 54 prisoners. The Union force escorted to Harpers Ferry 37 wagons filled with booty taken earlier by the Early’s forces in Maryland, and torched 43 Confederate supply wagons before departing.