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“that’s what people called us. What were we going to do with all these grapevines.” " The vines bear grapes and therefore wine — an example of one of Virginia’s fastest growing industries right here in Rappahannock.
His are some of the oldest vines in the county, the older the vine the more desireable as the vine winters better, becomes less susceptible to disease and the sugar and acid content stabilizes.
His first grapes were made into wine in 1975. “It is a family business, mostly,” Mrs. Raney said, adding that while the Raney children grew up, their help was vital for the care vineyards require and production demands.
“Now, we use teenagers for pruning and other management works,” she explained, adding when harvest arrives the Raney family hosts a “harvest party. We invite our friends to help.”
The family harvests six or seven types of grapes each year — providing the local deer do not harvest the grapes first.
“It’s so discouraging,” Mrs. Raney said. Last year the deer “harvested” 85 percent of the chardonnay grapes and 90 percent of the cayuga.
“You work just as hard for a crop that produces as for one that does not produce,” Mrs. Raney said.
Six-foot-tall electric deer fences are in the making around the seven acres of grapes. “We just don’t want to compete with the deer,” she said with a smile.
The Raney winery produces a variety of wines — from the dry white or red picnic wine to aged chancellors or chardonnay.
“The trick is to do it right each and every time,” he explained, adding ledgers and journals are kept so each step is documented.
“You write down every move you
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