With more than 40 wineries and tasting rooms spread across the region located 25 miles west of Washington, D.C., Virginia’s Loudoun County has emerged as a premier wine destination. One recently launched winery in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains might just be the buzziest.

© Crimson Lane Vineyards

Crimson Lane Vineyards in Linden, Virginia, opened last March by the husband-and-wife duo of Tom and Deanna Herrity, has since been lauded as the state’s best new winery. Nearly 200 vineyards with an enviable terroir of south-facing slopes and elevation are joined by equally enviable mountain views. It’s the perfect location for winemaker Dominick Fioresi (who coincidentally hails from Vineland, New Jersey) to craft stellar single-variety and blended wines from estate-grown fruit, including sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, petit verdot and cabernet franc.

The team even creates a wine paying homage to the Mexican family vineyard crew so integral to its success. Parral is named for the hometown in Chihuahua, from which vineyard and crew manager Rumaldo Chavez and six other members of his family — and employees — hail. The bold Bordeaux blend of 42 percent merlot, 33 percent cabernet franc and 25 percent cabernet sauvignon touts notes of baking spice, full-bodied dark fruits and fleshy plums.

Dominick Fioresi © Greg Powers

But what also sets Crimson Lane Vineyards apart from its peers is the sleek, modern and minimalist tasting room and the experienceguests can have in it, as well as on the expansive patio and lawn. To prevent throngs of visitors trying to elbow their way up to a tasting bar four rows deep, every seat, table, Adirondack chair and cushioned hanging patio swing requires a reservation — and a deposit to secure it. And unlike other pet- and kid-friendly wineries in area, no dogs, anyone under 21 (including infants) or groups larger than six are allowed. So, while you might not be able to show up for a spontaneous tasting or bring the family, an afternoon here makes for a highly elevated yet accessible visit for a romantic date or friends’ outing.

And the winery isn’t only aesthetically gorgeous; it’s also designed with sustainability in mind, with electric and hybrid recharging stations and passive solar features including south-facing windows for summertime cooling and materials holding in heat to add warmth during the colder months.

© Crimson Lane Vineyards

Options include a 1.5-hour communal tasting led by a wine educator ($45 per person), during which you’ll taste and learn more about the current releases. For the same per-person price, groups up to six can reserve a table inside or on the patio for a two-hour seated tasting, with a flight of wines and optional selections from the menu. Finally, passionate oenophiles will want to spring for the exclusive, two-hour private tasting ($90 per person for four–six guests). Set up in one of two exclusive rooms overlooking the vineyards, the tasting includes the winery’s most prized expressions and limited production vintages, served with small accoutrements from the food menu.

No matter if the vines outside are dormant, approaching budbreak, have just undergone fruit set or are heavy with fully ripened bunches of grapes, any season is the perfect time here to drink in the best of what Virginia wine has to offer.