50 West—A Fortunate Change in Ownership
by Brian Yost
A few years ago, I was working on a story about Middleburg wine country and spent a weekend just taking photographs and orienting myself to the surrounding area.
In addition to the town of Middleburg, I visited many of the area’s inns, restaurants, equestrian events and some of the wineries. I’d been blogging about Virginia wine for some time and had been to all the local wineries except one. Leaves of Grass near Aldie seemed to be perpetually closed. So when I drove by and saw an “Open” sign, I pulled off of Route 50 and drove up the twisting, rutted gravel path that passed for a winery lane.
At the top, I was immediately struck by the amazing view of the Bull Run Mountains on the southern side of the valley. The property, on the other hand, appeared to be in a state of decline. The vineyards had been pulled up and general maintenance of the grounds looked like a mere afterthought.
By contrast, the tasting room was tastefully decorated with big French doors that were opened, allowing a light breeze to flow through the space. Through the doors I could see that same spectacular mountain vista. The proprietors were attentive and exceptionally friendly, but it was obvious this was not their passion.
Nevertheless, as I departed, I felt it could be an interesting story. I also experienced a brief lament over the lost potential of a winery venue that easily has one of the most spectacular views in Northern Virginia. In addition, the south-facing slopes appeared ideal for the cultivation of vines.
A little more than a year went by when I received a tip from Visit Loudoun that the property had changed hands.
Mike and Diane Canney purchased Leaves of Grass and changed the name to 50 West Vineyards. Based on what I knew about their stewardship of the Sunset Hills Vineyard, that was a good sign. They had a reputation for job creation, community outreach and sound environmental practices. It’s also was fortunate that the new owners were intent on maintaining the property as a winery. This piece of prime real estate might easily have transitioned to some other use. So I contacted the winery and made plans to stop in on their opening weekend.
When I turned off Route 50, the first thing I noticed was that the winery drive had been repaired. The grounds also had seen significant maintenance, all good signs. Inside the tasting room, Diane Canney took time to speak with me and show me around the property.
It was obvious some work already had taken place, with the tasting room interior already undergoing a small facelift. The upstairs area, which was not previously open to the public, had been cleaned out in preparation for additional tasting space. The tasting room, however, was the part of the estate that required the least work.
Outside, Diane pointed me to the parts of the property where vines would eventually grow. The 1.5 acres south of the tasting room had already been planted. The Canneys were not wasting any time.
Other potential sites may be planted this spring. With their current vineyard holdings, the Canneys vine acreage will increase to somewhere between 80 and 100. This should easily supply the need of Sunset Hills and 50 West. There’s no current estimate of how many cases of wine will be bottled with the 50 West label, but we’ll see how it evolves in the coming years.
The property also contains a house that was previously home to one of the owners. We took a stroll through the mid-century modern structure, with small rooms, alcoves and storage areas. The pool and surrounding yard were in a terrible state of disrepair.
Work crews labored for many weeks trying to reclaim the house from its wild state. It may have been a beautiful home in the 1960s, but it’s difficult to imagine it as a clubhouse. Still, Diane was confident it could be done and I don’t doubt her. After all, they’ve already done wonders with their other property.
In the end, this was a very fortunate change in ownership for the old Leaves of Grass property. I’m certain the Canneys will continue to invest in 50 West Vineyards and transform it into a regional showpiece. If you haven’t been there, it’s worth the trip just for the view.
Brian Yost is the editor in chief of Wine Tourist magazine and blogs about Virginia wine as The Virginia Grape.