{"id":4706,"date":"2011-03-10T20:39:50","date_gmt":"2011-03-11T00:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=4706"},"modified":"2011-03-25T20:00:18","modified_gmt":"2011-03-26T00:00:18","slug":"desert-rose-winery-blooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/desert-rose-winery-blooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Desert Rose Winery Blooms"},"content":{"rendered":"

High<\/strong> Desert Country and a Glass of Wine Comes to Western Fauquier County<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bob and Linda Claymier travelled the world during his career with the Federal Service.\u00a0 Yet, they always felt an urge to return to their roots in eastern Oregon\u2019s high desert country. \u00a0What they didn\u2019t count on was falling in love with Fauquier County.<\/p>\n

The solution?\u00a0 Create the\u00a0horse ranch of their dreams<\/span><\/a> in Virginia when they retired.\u00a0 But retirement did not mean slowing down.\u00a0 Within a few years of purchasing eighty acres off Hume Road and stocking it with purebred Arabian horses, Claymier had become a nationally known horse trainer.\u00a0 He collaborated extensively with the renowned \u201cHorse Whisperer\u201d Frank Bell, and produced his own horse training DVD.<\/p>\n

So how did wine enter the picture?\u00a0 \u201cMy family made wine when I was a kid.\u00a0 It was mostly fruit wines.\u00a0 But I enjoyed the hobby and wherever I was stationed I made grape wine for my family and friends.\u00a0 When we moved to Fauquier and saw what was happening in the wine industry, we thought we could take the hobby to the next level,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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Bob & Linda Claymier<\/p><\/div>\n

Today, the Claymiers have created one of the more unique wineries in Virginia.\u00a0 Horses are an integral part of the atmosphere with a small corral at the front of the property and a ranch pond just below the wrap-around deck. Could that be a cowboy saddling up an Arabian in a nearby pasture?\u00a0 Most likely it\u2019s Claymier getting ready to exercise one of his prized horses.<\/p>\n

As you enter the winery itself, you are transported out west with earth tone colors, a stone fireplace and the de rigueur caribou horn rack hanging above the fireplace. \u00a0A large tasting bar—with a counter top displaying an impressive collection of international coin and paper currency collected during Claymier\u2019s career—is the focal point of the spacious ranch-like tasting room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want a down-home atmosphere here. This is not so much a business as an extension of my home.\u00a0 Linda and I love entertaining and guests at the winery will be treated like family.\u00a0 We have a \u201cKiddies Korner\u201d and family dogs will be welcomed,\u201d he emphasizes.<\/p>\n

Fred Furtado, a long time friend and colleague recalls, \u201cI\u2019ve known Bob for over thirty years.\u00a0 He embodies the \u2018rolling stone gathers no moss\u2019 philosophy. His energy level is amazing.\u00a0 Folks are going to be impressed with what he has created at Desert Rose.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Delmare, owner of nearby Rappahannock Cellars, echoes the sentiments, saying, \u201cBob and Linda are good friends.\u00a0 We couldn\u2019t be happier to see them realizing their hard earned dream.\u00a0 His winery will be good for the industry and good for us.\u00a0 A rising tide does float all boats and we\u2019re excited to be recommending a new local winery to our guests. Especially one that\u2019s making very good wines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Very good indeed. \u00a0Opening day will see six wines on the tasting sheet. Two whites, one ros\u00e9, two reds and a dessert wine.\u00a0 Some of the wines will be whimsically named, such as \u201cOle Moo Moo\u201d, an off-dry blend of Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Vidal Blanc, and named in honor of a beloved cow who endured numerous hardships. \u00a0One of the reds is called R.E.D.—Retired & Extremely Dangerous—in reference to the thrill the Claymiers experienced during their first months of retirement.\u00a0 And the dessert wine is labeled \u201cStarboard\u201d. \u00a0If it\u2019s not Port, then it must be Starboard, hey?<\/p>\n

The Claymiers are committed to being good stewards of both the land and their local community.\u00a0 \u201cWe will not be an event-focused winery.\u00a0 We will not host tour buses and there will be no outside amplified music. \u00a0A visit to Desert Rose will be like calling on friends and neighbors.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to build our business one customer at a time.\u00a0 Our goal is to have each guest planning their next visit as they leave the ranch,\u201d Bob explains.<\/p>\n

So head \u2018em up and move\u2019 em out to the Desert Rose Winery<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s not often you can travel out west and never leave Fauquier County.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Desert Rose Winery is located at 13726 Hume Road in Hume, VA.\u00a0 The tasting room is opened Friday through Sunday and all Monday holidays from 1pm to 6pm. <\/strong> 540.635.3200. <\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

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Desert Rose Winery<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Published in the March 9, 2011 edition of the Fauquier-Times Democrat.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

High Desert Country and a Glass of Wine Comes to Western Fauquier County Bob and Linda Claymier travelled the world during his career with the Federal Service.\u00a0 Yet, they always felt an urge to return to their roots in eastern Oregon\u2019s high desert country. \u00a0What they didn\u2019t count on was falling in love with Fauquier […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[311,309,308,310,265,242],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n