Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Petit Domaine, Sparkling Winery & Estate, will officially open for business on Friday, Oct. 24, in Virginia’s Loudoun County. The ribbon-cutting at the winery, located at 37938 Charles Town Pike in Hillsboro, is set to begin at 3 p.m. Tastings and tours are planned from 3:20 to 4:30. A several-month-long soft opening featured visits by reservation only, and that will continue. However, the tasting room hours will expand to 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. Per the press release, Petit Domaine is the first of its kind in Virginia, focused exclusively on sparkling wine. It also features “a refined tasting room, a curated food program developed under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Eric Ziebold of Kinship and Métier in Washington, D.C., and a limited-production sparkling portfolio crafted by head winemaker Shai (pronounced Shy) Van Gelder." “A sparkling winery brings a different energy to the wine experience,” said J Snyder, a Loudoun native and founder of Petit Domaine, in the release. “We are specialists in the wine, but we’re also a place for celebration and an elevated hospitality and lifestyle experience. Our goal is to add that dimension to the region’s already remarkable wine landscape.” Added Ziebold, “It’s an exciting opportunity to be involved with a winery that is as purposeful and intentional about their food program as they are about their sparkling wine.” Van Gelder said that a well-known local consultant winemaker recommended that he meet with Snyder, who shared his idea for the project. That led to a few meetings and a visit to the property, and ultimately, Van Gelder said, he was sold on the vision for the place. “Since starting on the project with J in May 2025, I have considered myself incredibly fortunate to be a part of this journey, from carpentry and tiling floors in the tasting room, to fruit site selection, and ultimately the winemaking,” he said. “I met Ziebold at his restaurant Kinship on Sept. 18 this year for a chef pairing that J had arranged. It was an immersive experience, and I could tell that there was careful consideration into every intentional decision. ... The wines and the pairings have wonderful synergy, and multiple wines work well for each dish with different reasons; it was a special experience to be able to participate in.” Counting his education and professional stops, Van Gelder has been making wine for more than 15 years. He was drawn to the profession, he said, because it “requires a great deal of chemistry, patience, romance, and artistry. As someone who loves to work with my hands, I fell in love with the concept of creating something ‘from bud to bottle’ that can be used to share in the happiness and celebration of others. “Another, more personal reason: while fighting in the second Lebanon war in 2006, the only dream that I could recall having during the five weeks of hell was wine-centric. It was so vivid and powerful that it felt prophetic. After the war was over, I started to look into tracks to pursue a formal education in winemaking. God showed me the way; I just listened.” He said that he started working and volunteering in vineyards and cellars throughout California during his time in the Enology program at Fresno State, and his first job after graduating was in the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, California. Since moving to Virginia in 2015, he has worked at Barrel Oak Winery & Brewery and Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery — both in Delaplane — in addition, he said, to consulting on several projects in their vineyard management and winemaking practices. Van Gelder said he’s no stranger to producing bubbly. “I made a sparkling wine base in 2010 for my Enol163 [fermentation] final examination at Fresno State. The base was made using fruit from Santa Cruz Mountains, and after completing traditional method bottling, I remember saying to myself, This is the kind of winemaking that I want to do. In nearly every vintage since then, I have experimented with sparkling wine production, including carbonated piquette, white and rosé frizzantes, pet-nats, and traditional method wines. “I am elated at the opportunity to focus my attention on specializing in 100% Virginian-grown traditional method sparkling wines,” Van Gelder said, “and am confident that we will contribute to Virginia’s rising profile in quality winemaking on the world’s stage.” Pricing for the bottles will be as follows: Brut $115/bottle, $81/bottle club member Blanc de Blancs $130/ bottle, $91/club member Rose $130/bottle, $91/club member Magnum of Blanc de Blancs $270, only available for club members. Van Gelder: “As a wine aficionado, J belonged to multiple wine clubs but became unimpressed with the standard offerings. His goal with Petit Domaine’s club is to shake up the industry standard club discount of 10-20% and we aim to focus on membership benefits with 30% discounts on bottle and glass purchases, and incredible club-exclusive events like a Ferrari test drive experience on Nov. 6 and IWC watchmaking class on Nov. 20. Many more high-caliber events are being scheduled to reflect a luxurious experience for our club members.” Van Gelder said that Petit Domaine will offer an introductory tasting (2-ounce pours) or immersion tasting (5-ounce pours) of its three wines. All wines are available by the glass or bottle for enjoyment on site, in addition to purchase and bring home. The tastings are focused on the wine, and the food items are available for purchase, he said. Van Gelder and Snyder have more in common than their love of wine and optimism that this project can give consumers a unique destination. They are both also fathers of three, from toddlers to school-age. “It makes for a wonderful family-first dynamic,” Van Gelder said, “and we both understand when the other needs to be pulled away from work for family situations. I call it ‘six under 6.’”
