Three Fox Vineyards - a take on Italy in horse country?

 

Stopping at Three Fox Vineyards wasn't my intention but after Delaplane Cellars left a "bad taste in my mouth"  and I literally had to pass this winery, it just didn't make sense not to stop.

 

 

 

Created in 2002, Three Fox Vineyards, sits on 50 rolling acres in Northern Virginia's horse country area of Fauquier County. Vineyards cover 10.5 acres of this beautiful winery perched up on a hill.

I must admit it was pretty tempting to climb up to the top of this hill and roll down. Had it not been 30 degrees, who knows what may have happened. I believe this is also the site where the winery was given its name. When surveying the 50 acres of land, the owners were at the top of this hill and saw three foxes playing down below.

 

 

One thing I have to admit that was strange though was the sign saying "Road to Serenity" and pointing toward a worn path into the woods. Perhaps it was the "faces" on the tree trunks. Perhaps it was the wind rustling through the trees.  Perhaps it was that the area was pretty desolate.

Regardless, there's no way that you'd catch me walking down that path.

 It had abduction or rape written all over it. Sorry, but it did.

 

 

While most of the tree faces were creepy, this one made me laugh.

The Evil Red Genius had found a friend and we hadn't even gone inside yet!

 

 

The owners of this winery are passionate about Italian wine and food. They have traveled to Italy many times to learn how wines are made in different regions of Italy.  The relaxed feel of Southern France also excites this couple. As a result, the wines made here have an Italian influence with a touch of France.

 

• Leggero Chardonnay - pineapple, citrus, crisp and refreshing. This is a "give me cheese" wine!
• Calabrese Pinot Grigio - done in the true Northern Italian style, this doesn't taste like a typical Pinot Grigio to me. 
• Gatto Bianco  - meaning "white cat," this Viognier/Chardonnay blend has an aftertaste of goat cheese which was unexpected and exciting to my taste buds!

• Cano Pazzo Rose - meaning "crazy dog," is made from Sangiovese grapes and smells of bacon and pepperoni. This Rose also has a disgusting maple aftertaste. The Evil Red Genius and I both made a horrible face and said in unison, "no!"

• Il Signor Reserve Sangiovese - winemaker's selection of prime Hungarian oak barrels of estate Sangiovese grapes, aged a minimum of 10 months. This wine is very light and was missing something but I couldn't place it.  I do know that it made me instantly want to devour a cheese pizza.  It would be a good base for mulled wine too.
•  Volpe Sangiovese - meaning "fox," this blend of Sangiovese and Cab Franc is beautiful in color but lacking taste. As a result, I refer to it as "invisible wine".
• Piemontese Nebbiolo - This grape of the Italian Piemonte and estate grown at Three Fox. It smells better than it tastes; cloves and red wine vinegar.
• Aloutte Cabernet Franc - If I was blindfolded, I'd never guess this was a Cab Franc. Smells like a dead skunk on the side of the road. I like dirty smells but this is beyond dirty.
• LaTrovatella Merlot - Supposedly, this wine is blended in a French style with Merlot and Cab Franc. It is the most full-bodied of the reds that Three Fox offers. It smells like stinky, rotten fruit and has a sandpaper rough finish.  That being said, it wasn't horrible. The three before this one all tasted pretty much the same so this was somewhat of a welcomed change.
• Rosso Dolce Chambourcin - port alternative - tastes like peppermint

 We also tried their mulled wine which tasted like rotten, hot tomatoes. Very confusing.

 

 Does Three Fox have fabulous wines that knocked my socks off?

Nope.

Do they have fantastic customer service and make everyone feel welcome when they walk in the door?
Yep.

Do I regret stopping at Three Fox Vineyards?
 Nope.

Do I need to go back anytime soon?
Nope.

 

 

There are way too many wineries in Fauquier and Loudoun, and life is too short, to waste time on wineries that don't excite us.