Hardscrabble Vineyard

Hardscrabble is the name of the vineyards that surround the winery building. The local name was well established before any vines were planted here. The word has its origins in southern vernacular and refers to the poor soils that make for poor farms and subsistence farmers. And this hollow was undeniably hardscrabble.

Most houses here were made of log, which was the only affordable option as opposed to stone or brick. One hundred years ago these farms were among the first to be abandoned as society made the transition from agrarian to urban. Poor soils made for poor people looking for better opportunity.

In 1983 a young eager winegrower, searching for that perfect place to plant a vineyard, found this long-abandoned farm. It was an overgrown mess. What once had been orchards, pastures, and cropland was a twisted jungle of trees and vines. Access lanes were rutted, eroded and impassible by any vehicle. No usable buildings existed. No water. No electricity. But it was ideal for vines and it was affordable.

The first plantings were established in 1985 and after years of trial and error it was discovered that where the soils are especially rocky, shallow, and the slopes are steep, Cabernet Sauvignon vines produce exceptional wines.

Compare and Contrast | Hardscrabble

As you may have guessed by now, our four-pack offering is all about Hardscrabble, which is Cabernet Sauvignon based.

Hardscrabble Red 2014
Hardscrabble Red 2015
Homage 2015
Hardscrabble Red 2016

These are four expressions of the same place. Vintage variation explains the differences. The exception is Homage which is a limited bottling of Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown at Hardscrabble. A special blend honoring Richard Law, a founder of Linden Vineyards. Detailed notes will accompany the wines.

$260.00 for the four bottles. Can be combined with eight other bottles to receive a 10% case discount.

The combination of cold weather and COVID has reduced Linden’s ability to safely receive visitors. However, we are shipping by UPS to Virginia, DC, and (finally!) Maryland. Linden Direct

We will take a pause and close during the holidays and the month of January. We will then re-evaluate our options.

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: January 21, 2021