Let’s Talk Tannat

By Doug Fabbioli As a winemaker, I am often asked about my favorite wine or grape. I love Zinfandel but it is difficult to consistently grow Zinfandel in Virginia. Lately I have been focusing on learning more ways to work with Tannat, so that is my current answer and read on to find out why. In the past, it has been hard to make a full bodied, high tannin intense red wine in Virginia. Tannat has consistently been my solution with its thick skins, deep color and a firm tannin structure. Years ago, I made a conscious decision to lean into Tannat as a grape and wine so I could learn more and share what I’ve learned with customers and other winemakers. Tannat has its home in the Pyrenees foothills, the mountains between France and Spain. It is mostly a blending grape, usually 30-60% in a wine blend. Uruguay has adopted Tannat as its national grape. Rosé, light reds, full bodied reds and port wines are all made from this grape in Uruguay. Loudoun County has been running a cultural winemakin

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They’re Baaaccckkk!

By Doug Fabbioli I thought I would take this space to update you on the status of the spotted lantern fly (SLF), how they are affecting the vines and what we are doing to address them. We (Fabbioli Cellars) have been dealing with the spotted lantern fly since 2025. Many other vineyards in Loudoun County have been fighting them for 3-5 seasons. A brief rundown on the SLF: They arrived here from China, most likely hitchhiking on wooden pallets of cargo. They have a one-year cycle meaning eggs are laid in the fall, hatch in the spring as nymphs and as the season goes on, they grow larger and sprout wings. They are starting to feed on other trees and plants now, but one of their favorite plants is still our grapevines! There are a few ways that these bugs damage our vines. By feeding on the vascular system of the plant, the SLF is sucking out vital nutrients and moisture needed for the productivity of the plant. In addition, they can introduce pathogens into the plants system that can caus

Let’s Talk Tannat

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They’re Baaaccckkk!