Iron Will Winery & Vineyard

Jan and Fernando Mathov established Iron Will in 2015 on Route 9 in Waterford. The four acres of Viognier, Petit Manseng, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are farmed with the same iron will the name implies.

Loudoun County, VA Loudoun grown Trade available

The story

Four acres, four varietals

Jan and Fernando Mathov established Iron Will in Waterford, Virginia in 2015 on Route 9. 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.

Why the name Iron Will?

There are multiple reasons, but the main one is that growing high quality grapes in Virginia demands an iron will, given the heat, humidity and weather conditions. It also took the Mathovs two years to find the right property. And in 2014, the year before they planted, Jan had an accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. They almost abandoned the project, but pressed forward; Jan still does a lot of the vineyard scouting using a track chair.

Winemaking

Walsh Family Wine guides the cellar. The reds see roughly 12 to 18 months in French oak (about one-third new), and total production runs 600 to 800 cases per year: small, deliberate, and built for restaurant lists. First vintage came in 2019.

The team

Owners & winemaker

Owners

Fernando & Jan Mathov

Jan and Fernando spent a lot of time speaking with other local growers, industry experts and the Loudoun Extension office to ensure the best varietals, not only suitable for Virginia but for their specific property, were selected. Based on their extensive research and analysis, they ended up selecting Viognier, Petit Manseng, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, approximately one acre of each varietal.

Winemaker

Nate Walsh

Nate Walsh is a career winegrower. Starting as a cellar rat at Horton Vineyards in central Virginia, he went on to work in vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley and Central Otago before spending seven years as winemaker and vineyard manager for Sunset Hills Vineyard in Purcellville, Virginia, during a time of large expansion. It was during this time that he began searching for a site from which he knew one could create truly premium Virginia wine. Walsh Family Wine is committed to elevating our community. Nate has been or currently is active as a board member for The Virginia Wine Board, The Virginia Vineyards Association, The Virginia Wineries Association, and The Loudoun Wineries Association.

Vineyard consultant

Tremain Hatch

Tremain has been the viticulture research and extension associate at Virginia Tech since 2010, where he generates and delivers innovative research to Virginia grape growers. He is responsible for developing programs and outreach for new and experienced grape farmers in Virginia’s growing wine industry. His current research focuses on vineyard cost flow projections, evaluation of protective culture in vineyards, and vineyard fertilizer programs. Tremain completed vineyard and winery practicums in Italy (2006), New Zealand (2009) and Virginia (2007 and 2010), received his MSc in Horticulture at Virginia Tech (2010), and completed his MBA at Shenandoah University (2017). A third-generation farmer, he has helped transition the family farm in Loudoun County from dairy production to direct-to-consumer sales of pastured beef, lamb and wine as Zephaniah Farm Vineyard. He is currently an independent vineyard consultant under Hatch Viticulture LLC.

From the cellar