Magnolia Vineyards and Winery is owned and operated by the Marchione Family with Glenn and Tina as proprietors and winemakers. Their love for all things earthy, Italian and wine literally run in their blood, with both being able to trace their roots back to the Olde Country.
Tina's paternal side of the family emigrated from Naples, Italy to the US where her grandfather Joseph "Pappy" Marrone ran a grocery store in Lewistown, Pennsylvania and was renowned throughout the area and generations for his homemade sauce and special recipe meatballs the family still serves today.
Glenn's maternal grandmother (Elvira Farina) emigrated from Sorrento and the Amalfi coast where her family owned a small vineyard that was later destroyed in the devastating mudslides of the 1970's. His maternal grandfather (Ralph Vollero) married Elvira and they opened a family bakery in the Belleville, NJ area. Ralph was an avid gardener and grew much of the family's food during the summer months, including several grapevines trellised up the side of their garage. Ralph made wine in his basement that was served to all family members at Sunday dinner (even the children were allowed a small, jelly jar glass back then).
Glenn and Tina both had long careers in IT and met through work in Charleston, SC, and discovered their mutual interest in wine early on during their first date. They shared a bottle of Fat Bastard Chardonnay (selected because they found the name funny) and discussed wine and many other topics late into the night. The bottle from that wine remains enshrined in their china cabinet and, despite their passion for red wines, they share a bottle of this same Chardonnay every year on the anniversary of that first date.
In their first few years together, they enjoyed touring Virginia's wineries, attending festivals and usually enjoying wine with dinner, but never seriously considered starting a winery of their own. Although Tina had been to Italy, touring Tuscany as well as visiting Rome and Venice, Glenn had never been. In 2006 they traveled together to visit his family on the Amalfi Coast and also spent time in Florence and Tuscany. It was on this trip they visited Castello di Verrazanno winery and first began to entertain the notion (and romance) of owning a small family winery of their own.
Upon their return, they became more serious about their wine "excursions", wanting to learn everything they could. On one such trip they toured Doukenie Winery and met the winemaker at the time, Doug Fabbioli. Doug was friendly, patient and extremely fervent in his belief in Virginia as a wine growing region. Although he likes to downplay his impact, he firmly converted the yearning found in Tuscany to an all out addiction in wanting to start a winery.
Glenn & Tina began dedicating a portion of each weekend to looking at available farm land, taking classes on winemaking and grape growing (including with Jim Law at Linden), and volunteering to get hands-on experience in every aspect they could (including at Gadino Cellars, North Gate Winery, Corcoran, and with Mark & Maggie Malick). In 2008, with Mark and Doug guiding them, they found the "perfect" parcel of land with rolling hills, good drainage and soil, mountain views and peace & quiet without being TOO far out from civilization and the hustle and bustle of their day jobs.
In May 2008 they purchased the first 25 acre plot in Amissville in Rappahannock County and immediately began purchasing farming equipment, putting up deer fencing and having trellis installed. The first 3 acres of vines were planted in 2009 with family and friends as volunteers, and a fourth acre was planted in 2011. Their first vintages in 2011 and 2012 were produced at Fabbioli Cellars under the tutelage of Doug and his assistant at the time, Melanie Natoli (now winemaker at Cana Vineyards). Their farm house, designed and built to include a winery housed in the customized garage and a tasting room in the basement, completed construction in August 2013, the same time they were able to purchase the adjacent 25 acre tract.
In the Spring of 2014 they expanded the vines another 3 acres and now have 7 of the 50 acres under vine (with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Viognier and Merlot planted). The 2013 vintage was the first made in the garage by Glenn & Tina, and the basement tasting room opened in July of 2014. During that time, they produced 500-750 cases/year. With the positive reception of their wines and tasting room experience, they took the big step and built and opened a new winery & tasting room building in 2019, on the ridgeline by the Black Walnut tree with views of the Blue Ridge, Old Rag and Battle Mountain. That provided them room to expand production and sales and they now produce between 1000-1200 cases/year.
The name "Magnolia" originates from their love of Charleston and it's beautiful southern Magnolia trees. They have planted Magnolia trees everywhere they've lived since, including many southern and other types of Magnolia trees on the vineyard property. You'll see the first one they planted in 2008 along the drive to the tasting room.
They both continued working their "day jobs" for many years, but are both now "retired" to the vineyard & winery full-time. In the 17 years since they started the journey, the romantic notion of sitting on their porch, drinking a glass of their wine and having ample free time to admire their vines has pretty much given way to the hectic day to day reality that is REALLY owning a vineyard and winery, but they will both fervently tell anyone that asks that they have no regrets and would not do it any differently!
The Marchiones welcome all visitors coming out with a hearty "Vinum est Vita!!!"
