Hickory Hill Vineyards & Winery

Hickory Hill Vineyards & Winery
1722 Hickory Cove Lane
Moneta, Virginia
USA 24121
Phone: (540) 296-1393
http://www.hickoryhillvineyards.com/

Contact: Roger & Judy Furrow
Email: [email protected]

Roger and Judy Furrow are Roanoke natives and the owners of Hickory Hill Vineyards & Winery, with ties going back to the very beginnings of the lake and raising a family around it for over 40 years. They achieved a life-long dream by retiring to Smith Mountain Lake, but their interests in grape growing and winemaking had begun in the 70’s.

25 years ago, Roger and Judy planted the experimental 250 vine "Hickory Cove" vineyard on the side of the lake at the home of Alberta Furrow (Roger’s mother). In 1991 the couple purchased the nearby Tobe Scruggs farm and expanded the vineyard onto the "Hickory Hill" vineyard, now totaling 1800 vines. In the '90s they were a commercial vineyard supplying Stonewall Winery, and 2001 was their first vintage under the Hickory Hill label.

Roger experimented making homemade wine in the '70s and enjoyed it, but he wanted to try his hand at actually growing the grapes instead of buying juice. After studying hard, planting hobby grapes near their North Carolina home and talking with many of Virginia's winemakers of the time, they decided to plant a larger experimental vineyard at the lake.

From 1982-1984 they planted 250 vines of several grape varieties on the side of the lake and joined the fledgling Virginia wine industry. During the '80s the Hickory Cove Vineyard was mostly a hobby, but they were studious with what classes and help VT offered and what other state winemakers would pass on. They slowly learned how to grow vinifera, how to make wine, and what it would take to make it work as a business.

By the late '80s they had decided to make the vineyard and possibly a winery their retirement goal. They had discovered their Hickory Cove Vineyard space was too small to support a true commercial venture, and so they began to look for additional property at the lake to expand production.

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