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Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard
By Liza Weinberger At Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, wine is a business that’s all in the family. “The Windmill Farm” has been around since Dan and Polly O’Donoghue purchased it in 1962. Their four children and their families transformed it into a vineyard in 2002 and have been making high quality wine ever since. Carol McGarry and her husband Mike got the idea to start a vineyard on Carol’s family farm and open a winery after attending a family member’s wedding in California. After convincing Carol’s sister and brothers to climb onboard, the wheels were set in motion for a business that would see much success. The family visited a lot of wineries in Maryland and Virginia among other states to learn as much as they could about the method. “We really wanted to be able to make good wine,” McGarry says. “Everyone was really helpful.” The process got a jump-start in 2004 after introducing Lucie Morton, renowned viticulturist, to the family’s plan for a vineyard. After Morton gave the thumbs up, the family waited a year and a half to plant ten acres of French vinifera. In the meantime, they prepared for cultivation by ripping the fields and feeding the soil with essential ingredients to promote growth. The ingredients are all natural and no pesticides are used in the vineyard. By 2005, the winery was complete and the entire family has been pleased to see their hard work recognized by more than 25 awards in the past three years. What is it that makes Sugarloaf’s award winning wine so special? The answer: “The soil,” McGarry says. “The mountain here brings unique weather, and because we are in between the mountain and the plains, we have a nice mix of rock and clay, and fine soil.” “We use all French Oak barrels, except for the Pinot Grigio which ages in stainless steel tanks,” says McGarry, noting that their barrel-aging program also contributes to the quality of Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard’s wine. By experimenting with techniques such as fermenting the wine in the oak barrels, the family is determined to make theirs “as fine a wine as you could possibly want.” The future seems to hold only more success for Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. A new tasting room debuted in 2008 in their renovated barn featuring a brand new patio and extra capacity for tastings and tours. The family also hopes to increase their production from 4,500 cases a year to 6,000 cases and anticipate seeing more of their wines in retail stores and restaurants. “Everyone is having a wonderful time doing it,” reveals McGarry. “It’s a lot more work than we thought it would be, but it’s a lot of fun.”
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