Paradise Springs Winery Set to Open New Facility

Paradise Springs Winery will finally have some room to breathe. 

On Friday, April 29, they’ll open a brand new winemaking and tasting facility at their Clifton winery and the public is invited to come out and raise a glass.

Proprietor Kirk Wiles says their journey hasn’t been perfectly smooth.  He got the idea to open a winery five or six years ago, but it took a few years of court battles before they could open their doors officially in January of 2010.  While they started making wines in 2007, they had to push the open date until they were sure they could get a license.

Once open, things were a little cramped, but that is about to change with the grand reopening.

“We haven’t had a lot of indoor space,” said Wiles.  “Now we’ll be able to provide insight to the wine making process.  People want to feel that connection to the land.”

Paradise Springs makes a vast array of wines, including whites and reds.  But while many wineries in Virginia are known for sweet, fruity wines, Paradise Springs focuses on a drier style of wine.

Wiles said there are more than 200 wineries in Virginia now and the industry is growing fast.

“We are where Napa Valley was in the mid 1970s,” said Wiles.  “We’re making good wines but we’re kind of a well kept secret.”

Wiles said while the quality of winemaking in Virginia ten years ago may not have been strong, that’s no longer the case.  He says the rising standard of Virginia wineries and the area’s historic setting bodes well for the future.

“Where could we be 20, 30 years from now?” Wiles asked.

Paradise Springs is located in Clifton at 13219 Yates Ford Road.  The winery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Tastings usually cost about $7 and you get to take home the glass.