FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Seasonal Trellis Rentals
Available for rent on Saturdays, and Sundays during our Season (not offered November - Mid-March), with two, 3-hour timeslots on each day. This season beginning March 25, 2023, we have Trellis rentals with seating for 12 ppl, 6 ppl, and 4ppl. Groups larger than 12 ppl will have the option to rent a long picnic Table in our Wine & Beer Garden also beginning on March 25th. The Wine & Beer Garden can seat up to 18ppl per picnic row and may be booked in combination for additional guests. Only one tab per party is allowed. It is up to you if guests ordering individual glasses, pints, or flights on their own can put their purchases on the main tab or pay separately at the time of purchase. In case of inclement weather, we do our best to accommodate all booked parties indoors or under our covered outdoor pavilion.
What forms of ID are required?
Guests enjoying our alcohol are required to show proof of age ID before consuming on our premises. Primary forms of acceptable ID are ones issued by DMV (valid State-issued ID card, learners permit and driver’s licenses from all 50 states), US passport, and Military ID. Guests visiting from abroad must show a valid passport from their country - we do not accept pictures
Dog & Children Friendly?
We allow dogs in the trellis, patio, and garden areas as long as they are leashed. We only allow adults on our stone patios. Children in strollers or those old enough to sit still in their seats as there is no running around or playing allowed on the stone patio area. While our Trellis area, Wine & Beer Garden, and picnic areas are designed for guests to freely roam around on the grassy area, we ask that children please be closely observed. We are a working farm so we recommend not running around barefoot or outside grassy areas. We also require everyone's respect for Mother Nature... please NO touching the vines/grapes or littering down the aisles.
Food?
We only allow our foods in the Tasting Room and surrounding stone patios. We always feature artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, toasty baguettes, tapenades, and other seasonal light fare. Our kitchen and wood-fired brick oven are open on the weekends (and Fridays during the season) and offer hot seasonal made-to-order foods as seen on our Food page. Trellis rentals and Wine & Beer Garden rentals may ONLY bring food for celebratory purposes such as cakes & and desserts. If there is still time left before your visit, larger groups may like to preorder a large cheese & and charcuterie grazing platter, suitable for up to 8 ppl. We also do provide our exclusive catering menus for booked meetings or parties. Please note all preorders have a highly-suggested 14+ day lead time for requesting availability; and a minimum 5-7* day advance-of-visit to confirm and pay the order. Please visit here to see booking options.
Outside Alcohol?
Consumption of our wine ONLY is allowed on property grounds during public business hours. No other alcohol, open or closed, is permitted on the grounds due to Farm Winery regulations and ABC law. If you've visited other wineries or breweries, please keep all purchased items in your vehicle during your visit. We will confiscate any open bottles, cans, or growlers as indicated by State and Federal law.
Parking?
Regular parking at top of driveway in marked spaces. Two Handicap parking spots are available behind the tasting room with easy access for wheel chairs. Large vans, buses, and limousines: After entering and driving up the driveway, please drop your guests off at the entrance which features the welcome sign at the top of the driveway before you pass the main Tasting Room building. • Please take care to not block the entrance from other visiting guests arriving from their vehicles as this drop-off point is in the middle of our main parking lot. • Upon safe drop-off, please proceed past the Tasting Room building on your right and the main house on your left, and continue down to the winery/brewery parking lot (the buildings with the silo and large ‘H’ logo on the wall. • You may park here while you wait for your guests OR turn around to continue back to the overflow parking by the driveway entrance by Route 9. • There is no parking permitted on the grassy area’s behind the Tasting Room building. • The winery/brewery parking lot and the overflow parking lot are the only places you may park over-sized vehicle as the other outlined parking spaces are too small and designated for smaller-passenger vehicles.
Professional Photography?
We love to share our beautiful property and views with the public & for you to do the same: @hillsboroughwine As we are a private farm, we ask that Formal photography (such as photo shoots or engagement photos) please call the tasting room ahead of time to request permission & best time of day. Times are usually granted during public hours and cannot deter from fellow guest comfort. We request that:
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photographs are taken during business hours of 12pm to 8pm (during our season); 12pm to 6pm (Nov thru mid-March)
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do not disturb or include any other customers in the photographs without consent;
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wine or beer purchased and enjoyed while on our property,
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any photographs taken (especially with our wine or beer in them) be shared or tagged with @hillsboroughwine on Social Media.
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for beyond Tasting Room and surrounding vineyard, you may check-in with staff for any happenings in production areas
Winery & Brewery Tours?
We offer 45 minute tours of the East Vineyard, Winery & and Brewery during the week and by reservation only. $100 for up to 5 guests, $25 per person thereafter with a maximum of 20 guests.
Please email us at tastingroom@hillsboroughwine.com to confirm availability - a couple of weeks lead time is very much appreciated, especially during the Fall.
We also host Tasting Room, Winery, and/or Brewery events as well which are advertised through our newsletter and on our events calendar.
Do you make your own wine and craft beer?
Yes, all of our wines 100% Estate grown and produced. The winery is located in the building with the silo, which is located on the private end of the property. The beers are crafted in the building right next to the winery. RSVP for our next winery or brewery event to experience the behind-the-scenes of both!
Do you grow all your grapes?
Our wines are 100% estate grown & produced!
Can we eat or purchase the grapes or the grape leaves?
No!! Our grapes have thick skins, and seeds, which would be bitter to most. They and the leaves are specifically for vitaculture and winemaking, therefore we do not sell or give them in raw form to the public.
How old is the actual vineyard?
The vines were planted by the Baki family in 2001, which was when the property was purchased. The tasting room opened to the public for the sale of wine in 2003!
What do you age your wines in, steel or oak?
We use neutral French Oak, Acacia Wood & stainless steel barrels for the white wine. For the red wine, we use only the neutral French Oak.
Where do the following varieties grown on the property originate from: Roussanne, Petit Manseng, Fer Servadou, and Tannat?
Roussanne: Rhone Valley Grape | Petit Manseng: Jurancon which is north of the Pyreenes mountain range | Fer Servadou: From a sub-region in SW France called Gaillac | Tannat: Madiran region is SW France. These grapes thrive here as our soil is of similar terrior as the regions mentioned above.
How are Hillsborough Red’s unique?
Before releasing our wines, we like to age them a bit longer than other Virginia wineries to give them a softer and creamier taste. We typically prefer to release our reds in 4-5 years past their vintage date, the whites at least 1 year. The vintage date represents the year the grapes were harvested. We don’t filter our reds in the winery because it strips flavor and thins out the wine. We recommend decanting each bottle using a stainless steel filter before serving it at home as we do here in the tasting room. This not only removes the sediment but also aerates the wine opening up the flavors. Anyone interested in learning more about our Virginia varietals over the years, join us for our different Vertical Tastings and Tours with the Winemaker ~ all our events are edutaining!!
Are the flavors, spices, and different fruits that I taste, and smell actually added to the wine?
No, those flavors come from the grapes. The smell and taste of certain varietals is different from year to year and region to region. These characteristics (smells and tastes) help differentiate the wine from one another. The taste and smell of wine, can be most helpful when trying to pair the wine with food.
What does the term “Brix” mean?
Itʼs a unit of measurement for the amount of sugar left in the wine. This corresponds with the percentage of residual sugar. Defined by Wikipedia: Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is a unit representative of the sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix corresponds to 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and thus represents the strength of the solution as a percentage by weight (% w/w) (strictly speaking, by mass).