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Miracle's growth
"In retrospect it is the perfect name for us, because I look around, and it is like a miracle what we've been able to do."To hear Miracle Valley Vineyard co-owner Mary Ann Cunningham tell it, the past four years have been little short of phenomenal. But for every ounce of miracle, there seems to have been an equal or greater amount of muscle work.
She, her husband Joe, and her 30-year-old son Jimmy, have toiled on a near full-time schedule to bring their decade-old dream of owning and running a Virginia winery to life. They've invited hundreds to their grand opening event, slated for Saturday, Aug. 4, and Sunday, Aug. 5, from noon to 5 p.m. both days. Afterward, they hope to do what any self-respecting glass of wine does to enhance its flavor: just breathe.
"It was ten years ago that my husband and I went to Barboursville Vineyards, had the lunch and the wine pairing and sat out under a tree and had a little picnic," recalled Mary Ann, who retired from her job as a nursing home administrator four years ago in order to pour all her energies into the vineyard. "That's where my husband got the dream. Sitting there on the open portico, looking out on the scenery, we just couldn't believe how peaceful it was.
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Following their Charlottesville wine venture, Joe started reading everything he could get his hands on that dealt with wine. "My husband's the kind of person that if he gets a dream or a vision, he's going to go for it, and he's going to get it," said Mary Ann.
So the two went on a "vision quest," touring countless state wineries, as well as one memorable overseas tasting trip that included stops in Rome, Tuscany and Florence. Four years ago, the Fairfax-based couple took the plunge by purchasing land in Delaplane, although they didn't instantly recognize the value of the site because of its waist-high camouflage. The entire 50 acres was completely overgrown in weeds and brambles when the couple surveyed the site for the first time.
"When we found this property everything that was on here were just so rundown. The realtor told us just to come in with a bulldozer and tear everything down," Mary Ann said.
Instead, the family tackled a renovation project that is just now nearing completion. Between the two of them and Jimmy, every wall in that cattle farmer's home was torn apart and rebuilt. Hardwood floors were refinished and, in the case of the kitchen area, torn up and replaced with slabs of stone.
"We just took one step at a time; once the house was gutted, we worked with a general contractor....Just keeping the project going, that can be a challenge in and of itself," said Mary Ann.
Today, stone angels - "miracle workers," if you will - stand sentinel at the door, in the gardens, even along the rim of the back patio birdbath, looking out over the 50 acres of Delaplane soil in which Miracle Valley is nestled. The vineyard boasts seven acres of grapes: two of Chardonnay, two Cabernet Franc, one Merlot, one Cabernet Sauvignon and one Viognier. Available for tasting this weekend are two Chardonnays, a Merlot, a Cabernet Franc, and "Sweet Michelle," crafted from a sweet Russian grape and named after the Cunninghams' daughter. All varietals were harvested for the first time last fall, under the guidance of local wine making consultant Tom Payette, whom Mary Ann credits with having kept the family on task and on schedule.
"Our strongest are going to be our reds," Mary Ann noted proudly, "especially the Merlot and the Cab Sauvignon [not to be release until this fall]."
The family has received additional assistance from John and Holli Todhunter, the owners of neighboring business Three Fox Vineyards. In exchange for assistance pruning when the Cunninghams' grapes were in the developmental stages, the Todhunters offered the Cunninghams advice on starting up and help with the bottling process.
"People in this industry are unbelievably so helpful to new people coming in," said Mary Ann. "We hope that someday we'll be able to do it for somebody else."
She speculates that one reason why fellow industry owners are so eager to assist is the fact that there's still space for growth in Fauquier's wine region.
"There's room here," said Mary Ann. "[The Todhunters] get 200-300 people on a weekend at their place, and this is only becoming a bigger part of the tourism industry."
Mary Ann said her family didn't anticipate the amount of work they took on four years ago, and in light of that, they plan to run their business on a relatively small scale.
"We might down the road go for another two to three acres, but I really don't think much more that that," she said.
The Cunninghams do have plans to expand their own living space on the property and ultimately move to Delaplane to retire, though the whole experience is not without a bit of irony, given that the couple hails from Long Island.
"It used to be all potato farms, and now has lots of vineyards," said Mary Ann. "Turns out we could've stayed there all along."
Miracle Valley is now open for tastings Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment throughout the week. Visit www.miraclevallyvineyard.com for additional details.
E-mail the reporter: sanspach@timespapers.com
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