Greetings! 

Hard to believe that it's the first day of February when it's 70 degrees outside!  Since we're of the belief that winter is still going to show up this year, we're not taking advantage of the warm spell to prune, but are working in the office instead.

We're excited and proud to say that the December 28, 2011 edition of Wine Enthusiast Magazine featured North Gate Vineyard in its article "Top 10 Wine Travel Destinations 2012: Virginia".

The article describes Virginia as "an excellent wine destination on the East Coast," noting specifically the scenic drives of Loudoun County and Charlottesville. North Gate is the first listed vineyard in the "Where to taste" section, with special note made of our solar-powered, LEED Gold tasting room, handicap access, and live music.

The article is part of a series featuring local vineyards, inns, restaurants, and activities in pockets of wine country nationwide. Other featured Loudoun County vineyards or restaurants included Tuscarora Mill, Tarara Winery, Sunset Hills Vineyard, and The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm.

Read the full article on the Wine Enthusiast website.

We've also joined Virginia Green, a program sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to promote environmentally-friendly practices in the tourism industry.  This program encourages recycling and waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation and minimization of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in the vineyard.  We are happy to join our neighbors Sunset Hills, Delaplane, and Barrel Oak and hope that more wineries commit to being more green!