Williams Gap Vineyard

Williams Gap began with Dr. Jack Sexton, a Northern Virginia native and retired small-animal veterinarian. After a long career caring for animals he turned to another passion, and in 2006 started planting vines on the family's property — a personal project that became a family one.

Jack and his wife, Jeanne, have built Williams Gap alongside their three children. Their connection to the land, and the wish to create something the family could share, are still at the center of the estate.

Jack's favorite is the 2019 Red Blend — a fitting marker for the passion that started it all.

The Sexton family has owned the property since 1984. The first vineyard blocks went in in 2006, and by 2009 Williams Gap was supplying grapes to Virginia wineries, earning a reputation for quality fruit among winemakers across the state.

For more than a decade the focus stayed on growing for other producers. In 2019 the estate began making its own wine, bringing the fruit grown on the property directly into the Williams Gap portfolio. The tasting room followed in April 2021, turning a working vineyard into a place to visit.

Since then Williams Gap has grown into a Loudoun County destination that combines its agricultural roots with wine, hospitality, events and the plain beauty of its Blue Ridge setting.

The philosophy is that great wine begins with exceptional grapes, and the move from grape supplier to full producer follows from it. As a full-estate winery, Williams Gap grows, harvests, produces and bottles its wines on the property.

With over 40 acres under vine, Williams Gap grows a deliberately diverse mix of varietals matched to the region's soils and climate: six red vinifera — Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat and Syrah — alongside six whites including Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Manseng, Albariño, Vidal Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

The portfolio is organized into two series. The Signature Series is the core of the collection — approachable, food-friendly wines that show the estate's varietals and style. The Black Label Series is the elevated collection, with more distinctive and refined expressions for guests who want to go a level deeper. Sparkling wines and limited releases round it out.

Beyond wine, there's a rotating craft beer made in partnership with Lost Rhino Brewing Company and finished on site, cider from Cider Lab, and non-alcoholic wine and beer — so mixed groups are easy to accommodate.

Bar tastings ($25 per person) are offered every day the winery is open, subject to availability: a host guides guests at the bar through a list of 6 wines. On Saturdays and Sundays there is also an elevated version on the upper level of the tasting room, where guests are seated and guided through a list of 6 wines. Wine flights ($20 per person) let each guest choose a white, red or club exclusive flight of three 2 oz. pours, with tasting notes brought to your table.