New Fabbioli Logo
We just finished our last bottling of 2015. We bottled 4 different wines, totaling about 900 cases. Every once in a while, I talk about the bottling process because I feel it is one of the most impactful components in the quality of our industry, just behind the farmer. The wine is very vulnerable during the bottling process due to pumping, oxygen exposure and bottling line delays.  There is no 'fixing' the wine once it is in the bottle. Therefore it is critical that procedures are followed, equipment is well cleaned and problems are quickly identified and solved in order to minimize risk to the wine.
 
Many larger wineries have their own bottling equipment and have a person dedicated to that line for maintenance, repair and changeover operations (so that a different bottle can be used on the same run.) Wineries in the 3,000-15,000 case range tend to use a mobile bottling system, which is a truck or trailer with the assembly line built inside. This model has been a key part of the growth in quality and volume for our industry. The winery does not need to invest in the expensive equipment or train to operate it. But the winemaker must put their wine in the hands of the bottler and trust that the job will be done properly. Most of the time things go rather smoothly. The bottler needs to be a mechanic, a skilled driver, understand winemaking, understand production processes, be an on-the-fly engineer and have some serious people skills to deal with all of us crazy, moody winemakers. When a problem arises, that's when the true character of the bottling line owners comes out. I have had times years ago where figuring out the source of a problem with a bottled wine is like a game of "Not It!" There would be no logical discussion or evaluation of the problem, just a simple answer from the bottling line operator of "It's not my fault." Most of the bottling operations in the area have grown past this stage and have matured into sound businesses with high quality operations.
 
Maturity may be the key point of this article. As we grow as people and business operators, we sometimes make mistakes. The character shows in how we handle those mistakes. As a business grows out of the start up phase, smart owners and operators tend to look for the mistakes they may be making, and try to prevent and/or eliminate them. The operation is running, but focusing on effort towards continual improvement will ensure the business is sound for years to come. As a business owner, I have learned a lot over the years, especially this past year. Growth of a business is great, but controlling the growth for the customer experience, the quality of product and the sustainability of the industry creates the "always striving, never achieving" goal. Hopefully, we all keep striving forward in 2016. Having humility and confidence, a long term vision and attention to details create a yin and yang to balance the success for generations to come. Peace Out.
Events & News

Happy New Year!  
 
Our new Tasting room will open later this month... check our Facebook page and your emails for the official open date!
 
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Want to join our FABBulous team? We are hiring! 
Do you have experience in any of the following industries?

retail - hospitality - food & beverage service - staff management - customer service - property management - grounds keeping 

Please send your resume to info@fabbioliwines.com  
Please put "employment" in the subject line.

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January 24th & January 31 (Sundays):
 Wine Club pick up event days:
Club members, the emails were sent on 12/31; please check your emails and RSVP!
Tasting Room News
Photo by Andrew Peters

January's wines are paired with "lucky" foods to help make 2016 a wonderful year!  Oranges, beans, pomegranates, green foods and pork are all lucky foods in various cultures.  We even have Chinese fried wonton noodles as our table crackers for more luck!  Come for a tasting this month and set the stage for a healthy, delicious and fun 2016.

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January Tasting Lineup

Una Pera:
Apricot, goat cheese and orange cranberry marmalade on mini Saltine

Paco Rojo:
Three Bean salad 

Sangiovese '13: 
 Green bean & sun dried tomato wrapped in prosciutto with garlic sprinkle

Cabernet Franc '14: 
Cream cheese, prosciutto & pomegranate arils on mini Saltine
 
Cab Franc Reserve '12:     
Pepper turkey, basil pesto and wood smoked cheddar on mini Saltine

Raspberry Merlot: 
Dark Chocolate truffle (by The Perfect Truffle)

Rosa Nera:
Lemon scones (by Zaglios Bakery)

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Wine of the Month:  Paco Rojo
Enjoy an additional 5% off bottles in January!
Cellar Notes - Meaghan Tardif

The first part of December was spent preparing for bottling.  The wines went through cold stabilization and filtration, and then were bottled by the amazing crew at Hunter Bottling, out of Canada.  The day after we finished bottling we received more fruit: pear and apples.  For now we are keeping it "hush hush" what we are doing with this fruit, but we promise it will be exciting!

In the vineyard, we have pulled many of the vines that suffered winter damage over the past few years, which were mostly Merlot and Tannat varieties.  We have ordered replacement vines and will be planting those in late March through early April. Winter pruning should begin sometime this month.  The first round of this pruning is called the "rough cut" and involves cutting back the canopy from within the wires which support the vines. We do this so that when it comes to prune in the spring and make our final cuts it will be cleaner and easier. 

 Tasting Room Hours
 Daily 11am - 5pm
 (except for holiday hours)
 
Fabbioli Cellars 
15669 Limestone School Road 
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-771-1197

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Reservations required for groups of 8 or more.  Please visit our web page for more information about group visits.
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