Steve and Stephanie Pence both grew up in farming: Steve helped his grandparents on their family farm and Stephanie was an avid horse rider.
In 2003, they found the perfect property to nurture that farming background, only miles from both of their childhood homes. The 160-acre farm is located in Rockingham County, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley AVA.
They began planted vines in 2015, and added more in 2017 and 2022.
Their oldest son Tyler had the inaugural wedding for The Columns at Six Penny Farm venue in 2007, according to the winery bio. Those nuptials have become a part of the fabric there, as has Brix & Column Vineyards, which opened in 2017.
Located at 1501 Dave Berry Road in McGaheysville, the winery is open seven days a week.
They sell wine by the glass and bottle, offering flights of 5 wines for $16, these are available in red, white, and sweet. They also offer our Foundation Flight which allows our customer to choose 5 wines for $20, according to their website.
Stephanie brought the winery the Brix & Columns 2024 Viognier and 2024 Cabernet Franc to the East Coast Winemakers Summit on Aug. 4. That Cab Franc earned a gold medal in the 2026 Virginia Governor’s Cup competition.
Emailed several questions, Stephanie provided these answers:
Q, Is the description of the vineyard on the website up to date? Tell me about the walking path. Self-guided, I assume?
A, We have 16 acres under vine on our 160 acre farm. Our lower vineyard flanks either side of the driveway with plantings of Cab Franc, Petit Manseng, Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc. The upper vineyard is located on the northern section of our farm where we grow Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot and Tannat. We have a walking path around the farm that gives you a closer look at our vines.
Our walking path is a 1.2 mile path around the lower field and vineyard. Many of our guests enjoy the mountain views as they walk. We have several regulars who bring their dogs to walk weekly. If you are feeling more adventurous, our upper vineyard is also accessible, though a bit more hilly.
Q, How old is the Music and Mimosa series and what led you to creating that?
A, Our Music and Mimosa series started about three years ago. It is every Sunday from 2 to 5 pm. We had been offering seasonal mimosas and one of our staff members came up with the idea. We have jazz a few Sundays each month. We find many of our wine club members or other locals like to come and spend the afternoon with us. Looks like music there is pretty much Fridays and Sundays? Yes, we have music every Sunday. Friday night music is March through November. Our Friday night guests enjoy the evening either winding down from the work week or starting off a vacation weekend. If the weather is nice we have our musicians play outside on our large back patio. Views of the Blue Ridge mountains with our landscaped hydrangeas and Crepe Myrtles make an ideal setting for our guests.
Q, How many weddings do you do there a year? You two must not stop, between the events and the winemaking and vineyard work. Manage to get away at all?
A, This year we decided to limit the number of weddings we are doing so we can enjoy more time with family and friends and give ourselves a little rest. We are hoping to keep the number to about 8 to 10 weddings a year. Recently we enjoyed a trip to Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor. It was a much needed getaway before the start to a busy fall.
Q, I try to ask just about everyone I feature: What’s the vibe you strive for there?
A, We are a laid-back farm/vineyard in a classical Virginia farm country setting located in the central Shenandoah Valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Massanutten Peak. We take pride in our Virginia roots and try to support local artisans/products. An example of this is we had large farm tables made from trees sourced from our family farms and produced by a local furniture maker. What are a couple of your best-selling wines? Our best wines vary seasonally. We recognize that wines age and change in bottle. Currently our Petit Verdot has hit a sweet spot and is selling very well. Typically our White Brix (off-dry white), Viognier and Cab Franc are the best sellers.
Q, So, along with everything else, welcome to the Virginia Wine Board. How long is one on the board, and what are a couple of the biggest challenges you hope the board can address (or maybe is addressing now) while you are on it?
A, I am very excited and honored to be serving on the VA Wine Board. It is a four year term, with an optional second term. I am happy to represent the Shenandoah Valley with Lee [Hartman], as we have had limited representation on the board from our area. I think many wineries are struggling with a downturn in visits to their tasting rooms resulting in decreased sales. I hope we can bring more attention to Virginia wine, showcasing the excellent wines we are making from our vineyards. There have been large strides in our industry over the last couple years, and I hope we can build on that.
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