Hiddencroft Vineyards
- Just about the northernmost of Virginia’s wineries, Hiddencroft is tucked away in scenic Lovettsville, Loudoun County. Terry and Clyde Housel have been growing six acres of grapes here since 2001, and aim to produce “Serious wines”. The farm is off of “Dutchman’s Creek,” an area featured in the Washington Post’s living section in November 2022.
- Wine. Tier II. Awarded four silver medals and one bronze medal at the 2020 state-wide Governor’s Cup wine competition. Wines focus on reds and include Tannat and Chambourcin, and a pair of blends both with Tannat. Hiddencroft also produces several fruit wines from their orchards: one reviewer highlights “Grandma’s Love Potion,” blueberry wine, and “Persephone’s Punch” from pomegranate.
- Setting. Hiddencroft’s tastings take place in an 1830-era farmhouse. Good scenery, long and pot-holed driveway (“off the beaten path”). Walking space on the grounds, including Dutchman’s Creek. Nature lovers will enjoy the farm’s Butterfly center. Limited snacks available. Occasional music events.
- Stories. Virginia’s “new economy” – Farm to Table. While the boom in wineries across Virginia gets the attention, another parallel trend has also had a major impact on the state’s farming economy – the “Farm to Table” movement. Overlapping with the local food and organic food movements, this idea has been fueled by concerns over food safety, freshness and interest in broader public interest in small farms. Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in San Francisco pioneered the rise of the high-end Farm-to-Table restaurant model, whose popularity and spread has had a major impact on farm economies in many parts of the country. Farmers’ markets have also seen a big rise in popularity. Matching up with demand from high-end consumers and upscale restaurants have been key for local farms. Together with wineries, they have made it more economically to for landowners across the state to keep their land in scenic farms and fields, and keep housing developments closer to the cities. One of the more popular farm-to-table model restaurants in Northern Virginia is in the village of Lovettsville, close to Hiddencroft. This is “The Restaurant at Pawtowmack Farm”, now in its third decade. The food here is sourced from their own, as well as several other Northern Virginia farms — well explained on their website. Enjoy a meal here after some of your winery visits, and encourage the wineries you see providing local farm produce. Both will help keep intact the Virginia scenery you enjoy.