Meet the New Owners

Jim & Deanna Gephart

Sometimes the greatest joys in life come from the unanticipated! Jim and Deanna, parents to four remarkable young people and grandparents to two beautiful granddaughters, came to Virginia from the West Coast in 2011 to finish out their federal government careers. Never anticipating that they would fall in love with Virginia and want to stay after retirement. Jim, a veteran and retired federal law enforcement officer, and Deanna a retired US Public Health Service Officer were not in careers that truly aligned with pursuing a dream of owning and operating a winery and vineyard. However, when starting to discuss what to do in retirement the discussion circled back around to staying here in Virginia and pursuing a different life style. Both being wine enthusiasts; they started volunteering at vineyards, taking classes and looking for the perfect location. In their pursuit, they came across Stone Mountain Vineyards and were completely inspired by this hidden gem. Walking out onto the deck and looking off into the distance as far as the eye could see left them with a sincere sense of peace as the view is breathtaking.