Our Story Begins…
…with owner Tom Herrity’s personal dream: own a vineyard, make great wine, and create memorable experiences. This dream didn’t come from a single ah-ha moment or sip of incredible wine. For Tom, discovering the community of wine inspired him. He simply believed there was magic in producing a high-quality, tangible product from an exceptional place that could be shared with others.
As With All Great Stories…
…there is a chance meeting. Tom’s happened in the early ’90s when he met Deanna Fioresi while working in Alexandria. Sharing a love of epicurean adventures and a devotion to family, Tom and Deanna married, settled in Arlington, VA, and began raising four children.
Deanna comes from a long line of hardworking Italians whose family winemaking practices have been a way of life for generations. As luck, or fate, would have it, one of these family winemakers became the third and final piece to making Tom’s dream come true.
A Family Tradition
In the small agriculture town of Vineland, New Jersey, winemaker Dominick Fioresi and his sister Deanna grew up eating Sunday dinners surrounded by a boisterous and lively Italian family. This tight-knit family taught them the art of living off the land and working hard with their hands. Grandpa was a surly and tough man, most likely found down a narrow staircase leading to a basement cellar packed with barrels and barrels of homemade wine.
A student of his Grandfather’s, Dominick began experimenting with winemaking processes at fourteen, buying his own grapes and equipment. Sharing these wines with family and friends at Fioresi Sunday dinners, Dominick’s attention to detail, sincerity, earnestness and innate talent was expressed with each bottle opened. He garnered the nickname “Little Professor” from his uncles. They could not deny his wines were good, with a certain potential to be great. This potential was reaffirmed several years later by his brother-in-law, Tom.
Propelled by Passion
By the mid-2000’s Dominick was working in information technology security by day and producing homemade “basement wine” by night. Tom joined him, tasting, trying, and turning out ideas for a winery that might one day be theirs. Soon, their passion turned to purpose. What started as a hobby for Dominick, a dream for Tom, and a vision for Deanna, was now a shared mission:
- Plant grapes in diversified soil
- Produce outstanding wines from estate vineyards
- Plan for a tasting room that welcomes family, friends, and strangers who become both
Determined and Intentional
Travels throughout the Virginia countryside took Tom and Deanna searching for the perfect place to plant their vineyard roots—a place with ideal soil, slope, and sunlight.
In 2011, ten years into this quest for perfection, they took a dusty ride down a gravel road called Crimson Lane. Suddenly, they knew they’d found something exceptional. With significant slope, ideal elevation, an ability to plant south-facing vineyards, and ideal soil for wine grapes, it was clear—this site was special—too special to pass up.
Purchasing this land was not easy. Tom spent years in negotiations, determined not to let this site slip through his fingers and derail his dreams. As they say, good things come to those who wait, and in, 2014, the wait was over. Tom secured the rights to what is now Crimson Lane Vineyards—a shared dream finally realized and a mission well on its way to being complete.
Executed with Purpose
As we continue to evolve, each viticultural, winemaking, and creative decision is made with meticulous care and purposeful precision. We consider ourselves beneficiaries of the past, listening to and building upon the guidance and learnings of others within the Virginia wine community. We’ve leaned on their expertise with humility and patience, using it to guide us to a bright future.
Thank you to those who’ve had a profound impact on our lives, our land, and our wines.