Quaker Run Vineyard Shouldn’t Be There — And That’s Exactly Why It Works
Early Mountain’s Quaker Run Vineyard defies expectations with ancient rocks, fractured soils and high-elevation stress combine to produce some of Virginia’s most distinctive wines.
Quaker Run Vineyard shouldn’t be there.
Not the vines that yield Early Mountain’s delicious wines, but the jagged rocks, fractured soils and ancient mountain debris beneath them. This is land born from degraded mountains, rock slides and eons of environmental evolution — a site that by all conventional wisdom shouldn’t host vines. And yet, at nearly 1,000 feet, this improbable patch of Virginia hillside is exactly where Early Mountain shines.
Winemaker Maya Hood White says Quaker Run’s distinct character comes from its very geological oddity.
“What makes some of these old mountain ridges so interesting is they are very degraded,” Hood White said. “When we got into the soil pits it was fascinating. We laid out the vineyard and found and interesting mix of soil, structure and rock. A geologist looked at the soil and core samples, and that’s when it got real interesting.
“We found evidence that Quaker Ridge was formed by an old land slide. You don’t usually see these rocks at this elevation. The rock diversity is unique to its place.”
With what she said is a “great aspect, great soil and great drainage,” White Hood knew expansion had to happen.
The vineyard’s altitude and fractured soils create a unique stress on the vines, pushing them to dig deep, producing fruit with remarkable intensity.
Planted in 1999, Quaker Run is home to some of the oldest vines in Virginia. The site’s steep slopes and free-draining soils make it a challenge to farm, but the payoff is wines with density, complexity and freshness.
While the Early Mountain RISE 2021 ($150) had ideal balance between fruit, tannin and structure, it was uniquely Virginia. The blend is 58% Merlot, 17% Petit Verfot 15% Tannat and 10% Cabernet Franc; varietals that are Virginia’s take on a Bordeaux Blend.
