Loudoun County, Virginia led to one disappointment after another in the order of red wines. Whites, on the other hand do very well in Virginia, especially Chardonnay, Viognier, and Seyval Blanc. The only winery in the whole county that seemed to stump the chump was Breaux Vineyands, an espcially attractive and large vineyard and winery. 105 acres out of about 450 are dedicated to wine production. Only about 30% of grapes go to Breaux's wines. 70% of their grapes are farmed out to other wineries in the county. Breaux is unequivically the best in the county, and perhaps one of the best in Virginia. Their Equation Merlot (90% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot) is a wonderful example with aromas of plum and black pepper, the flavors yield an array of dark fruit including, dark cherries, plums, and cassis and finishing with dark, bitter chocolate (on the order of 60% cacao that is). After a good aeration time, the wine is creamy and elegant, bold, and would pair very well with steak. $15, which is very reasonable compared to other wineries in the area, which do not compare at all. www.breauxvineyards.com