Located in Waterford, Virginia
Can you provide a brief overview of the history and founding of your winery?
Jan and Fernando Mathov established Iron Will Winery & Vineyard in 2015. What started as a pastime of visiting Loudoun County wineries from the consumer perspective, turned into a desire to join the wine community and become part of a very special journey. Located in the heart of the Loudoun County Wine Trail, Iron Will Winery & Vineyard is proud to grow the highest quality fruit Virginia has to offer which translates into outstanding wines.
Why the name Iron Will?
The main reason the name was chosen is that growing quality grapes in Virginia demands an "Iron Will" due to the weather conditions such as the heat, humidity, etc. In addition, Jan had an accident in 2014 (the year before they planted) that left her paralyzed from the chest down. They almost abandoned the project altogether. With the help of family, friends, and the wine community, Jan and Fernando pressed forward and established Iron Will Winery & Vineyard. Jan performs a lot of the vineyard scouting using a track chair (which was gifted by the wine community via the Harvest Kindness Initiative).
Can you highlight a few of your flagship or signature wines and what makes them stand out?
Our 2020 "The Arrival" Cab Franc and 2020 "Vitraux" Bordeaux-Style Red Blend both received gold medals at the Loudoun Wine Awards and the Vitraux earned "Best in Class".
Are there specific grape varieties that thrive in your vineyards?
Petit Manseng is our "work horse". It always produces high-quality fruit and seems to do well at resisting deceases.
Where to find Iron Will wines.
While they do not yet have a tasting room, you can find Iron Will at the One Loudoun Farmer's Market and at various pop-up events.
Stay tuned for more Vineyard Spotlights!
About the VWDC
Established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2007, the Virginia Winery Distribution Company (VWDC) is a non-profit, non-stock corporation housed within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to provide wholesale wine distribution services for licensed Virginia wineries and farm wineries.