Fairfax County opens the first winery since the age of Thomas Jefferson and Lord Fairfax.
By Kirsten Obadal
Winemaking is a family affair among the co-owners of Paradise Springs Winery, Kirk Wiles, Jane Kincheloe and Drew Wiles (l-r). Photo by John Arundel
From the time of Mssrs. Jefferson and Washington, right up until the 20th century, Clifton, Va. was a sleepy resort town owing its presence to its famous springs.
When Jane Kincheloe’s aunt passed away, she left her niece a postage stamp-sized parcel tract of land in the town of Clifton, now an affluent, quaint bedroom community of DC in the farthest corner of Fairfax County. Jane and her son Kirk Wiles fought to keep the land from falling victim to tax collectors, fighting to keep the land in the family and intact for future generations.
The site of Paradise Springs Winery lies on 36 acres nestled in the quiet corner of Clifton. It borders Hemlock Regional Park with the Bull Run River flowing through the nearby woods. It was part of a 1,000 acre land grant from Lord Fairfax in 1716 to Jane, Kirk and Drew’s direct ancestors and has been passed down through the generations.
