Fairfax County supervisors cleared the way Monday for the creation of the county’s first winery by setting aside a local zoning law that would have blocked its creation.
Kirk Wiles, along with his mother, Jane, had proposed to build Paradise Springs Winery on a 35-acre agricultural plot just outside the town of Clifton. But because they intend to bring in grapes from off-site, as well as grow their own, county zoning staff said the plan qualified as an industrial use, prohibited for the area.
Supervisors on Monday criticized the staff’s interpretation, then unanimously voted to draft new rules to allow the business to move forward. They also barred staff from taking action against the proposed winery until the final passage of those new regulations.
Kirk Wiles said the vote was “very encouraging.”
“It shows that Fairfax County does want this here,” he said. “And hopefully we can come to some sort of resolution to get it done.”
Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly, speaking at his last board meeting before departing for Congress, said the restriction would “effectively exclude wineries in Fairfax County by prohibiting their establishment in agricultural areas.” He said the use of the land would preserve tree canopy and protect streams, and was superior to the alternative of subdivision and residential development.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, whose district encompasses the plot, said in a statement the winery is “in keeping with the tradition and heritage of the area.”
If successfully established, Paradise Springs Winery would add to the more than 100 wineries that have taken root across the commonwealth, including in areas as close as Haymarket and Leesburg.
Wiles said he is looking to open the facility in the early summer of next year. In addition to selling wine, he said he plans to offer tasting and tours to explain how the product goes “from vine to wine.”
