LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE
[ Vol. 2, No. 48 ]
[ loudounnow.com ]
Another old school could get new life
[ Oct. 5 – 11, 2017 ]
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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Vineyard workers pick the bounty at Fabiolli Cellars north of Leesburg. The late-season heat has made for a challenging harvest, but it may ultimately mean tastier wine.
Winemakers Wary of Fall’s Fickle Weather BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ
T
he balmy start to fall may have prolonged the days of shorts and tank-tops, but it also had Loudoun’s winemakers on edge. The cool temperatures in August, followed by the hot September, made for some challenges this harvest season.
At Bluemont Vineyard, the first white grapes were ready for harvest on Sept. 11, about 10 days behind schedule. That left little time to turn around and begin the harvest for the red grapes, which is underway now. “It’s really kind of become a bit of spreadsheet management harvest,” said Scott Spelbring, winemaker at Bluemont Vineyard. “We started harvesting white grapes later than normal. Typically, we tend to see a
lot of whites come through and then a little bit of a lull where we can put those to bed and reset the processes for reds, but now they’re coming right on the heels of each other. So [the harvest is] slightly more condensed.” Doug Fabbioli, winemaker and owner of Fabbioli Cellars, said the unseasonably warm conditions in the HARVEST >> 47
Lansdowne Infant Fatality Case to End in Guilty Pleas BY NORMAN K. STYER There will not be a jury trial in the case against the driver charged with killing a Lansdowne infant who was being pushed through a crosswalk in a stroller last year.
There may not be a trial at all. Last month, a Loudoun Circuit Court judge approved prosecutors’ request to drop an involuntary manslaughter charge against the driver, John Miller. Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman
! LE W A O S N N O
said that while investigators initially believed Miller was distracted by his phone when he struck and killed 5-month-old Tristan Schulz, forensic studies turned up no evidence to support that theory. To win an involuntary manslaughter
conviction, prosecutors must prove that the driver’s conduct was “so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard of human life.” Without that
Where will you purchase your next mattress?
GUILTY PLEAS >> 39
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