VERITAS ENTERS A NEW ERA: A SPRING AND SUMMER RETROSPECTIVE
September 22, 2026
Andrew’s Newsletter
Well, it has finally happened: what used to be Saddleback Winery, Vineyards and Stables LLC d.b.a. Veritas Winery is now owned by Veritas Legacy Partners, and on behalf of the whole Hodson family, I don’t exaggerate when I say we are delighted. Back in May, I let our wine club members know about the planned change, and on September 1st, 2026, it finally happened.
It couldn’t have come at a better time; the family business needed that extra OOMPH to take Veritas to the next level nationally and internationally. We feel honored in two ways: first, that someone wanted to continue to grow what we started, and second, that the new company is called Veritas Legacy Partners, so everything we have created here will live on after 27 years of dedication and hard work.
I’m even more complimented and actually honored by the fact that I have been asked to carry on writing the newsletter, attend signature events, and of course, continue my favorite topic: wine education.
We missed sending out the spring newsletter because we wanted to wait to announce the finalization of the sale, so I am combining our Spring and Summer news from the farm.
Meet the New Team
I think it fitting that I should introduce you all to the outstanding members of the Veritas Legacy Partners team.
The principal investors are Kurt Wassenaar and the Trebor family, led by Eric Trebor, who, along with Allison Evanow, Andy Murphy, and our own Emily Hodson, make up the team.
When we began this journey to sell our beloved winery, we were thrilled to meet Kurt and Eric, locals from Ivy whom we knew from early on, could take Veritas into this new era.
Kurt is a true Renaissance man and above all a true gentleman.
Kurt is originally from Michigan and has a wide-ranging background as a real estate developer, commercial architect, and biotech entrepreneur. He serves on the Foundation Board for Piedmont Virginia Community College and spent 16 years on the Charlottesville Opera Board. He was Chief Architect at UVA Medical Center and taught as an Associate Professor of Architecture at UVA, where he also directed research in computer technologies. He holds degrees in Chemistry, Computer Science, and a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Kurt splits his time between here and Trieste, Italy, where he chairs a biotech company working on therapies to mitigate the effects of Parkinson’s Disease. In his free time, he enjoys beekeeping, painting, sailing, skiing, and spending time outdoors with his daughter and dog. At Veritas, he will focus on the estate’s long-term vision.
Eric is a lifelong Virginian and longtime Charlottesville local.
He grew up in Richmond and moved to Charlottesville in 2003 to raise five children with his wife of 30 years, Heidi. Eric has spent his whole career in Charlottesville, building and managing a diverse real estate portfolio in Central Virginia. His experience with deals matches his excitement for helping Veritas reach its potential. He loves mountain biking, being outdoors, spending time with his family and animals, and is grateful for the chance to be part of Veritas Legacy Partners.
Andy started his professional career 30 years ago as a change management consultant for Accenture. He brings extensive experience in strategy, team building, and hospitality leadership to the Veritas team, and has a strong track record of entrepreneurship. He is a co-founder of Sojourner Glamping, Inc., an outdoor hospitality brand with approvals for a retreat in Greene County, Virginia, and a co-founder and Board Member of Zaina Lodge, an acclaimed retreat in Mole National Park in Ghana.
In addition to his business background, Andy has expertise in conservation, sustainability, and community engagement, having served in strategic advisory roles with the Philadelphia Zoo, World Wildlife Fund, and the U.S. Peace Corps. A lifelong runner, travel and outdoor enthusiast, and proud father of four. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University and a double master’s from the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Allison joins Veritas with a deep passion for American Wine and Spirits. Her extensive global industry experience spans Napa and Sonoma wineries, International marketing for an iconic tequila brand, and breaking ground as one of the first women to launch her own spirits company.
A Shenandoah Valley native and UVA graduate with an International MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Allison enjoys traveling the world for local food and wine, hiking the Blue Ridge, playing tennis, and cheering on the Cavaliers. She lives in Ivy with her husband and spends summers with their college-age boys.
Our son George is moving back to his roots in biopharmacy. The whole Veritas Legacy Partners team and Emily wanted George to stay on, but he was pulled back into his previous career and is looking forward to handing the reins to the new team and pursuing his own path after years of working in the family business. He will continue to support the business in a strategic consulting capacity.
What an incredible lineup of highly talented professionals who, with Emily, our daughter, and Veritas Head Winemaker, will turn this Mom and Pop operation into the realm of a successful, professionally organized company.
In the Vineyard
In Spring, a sense of optimism pervaded the air.
The darling buds of Spring came, but not before a nasty cold front in late April caught us after an early warm spell with early budding that basically hit every vine below the elevation of 920 feet. White grape varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc bud first and were hit hardest. Many vineyards in Central Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley were also severely affected to the point that the Virginia Wineries Association is asking Governor Spanberger to declare a state of emergency that might pave the way for compensation to the growers most severely affected.
Really, there was nothing anyone could do about it. You have probably heard of wine growers burning what are called “smudge pots,” often consisting of bales of hay ignited with petroleum. In areas of France like Chablis, they turn on the water spigots and spray the vines to take the sting out of the frost. These methods may help when temperatures are between 30 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but when temperatures are in the low twenties, there is no possibility of saving the buds.
You see, when it comes to viticulture (grape growing), you have to look after the vines whether or not they are carrying a crop. So, although only 60% of our vineyard is in production this year, our vineyard team still has to manage the entire crop, including shoot positioning, pest control, and netting.
Speaking of our Vineyard team, and much to the relief of the sheep, Bill Tonkins, now retired from the role of vineyard manager, will move into the role of farm manager.
Bill has been with us since 2008 and has proved himself a stalwart member of the Veritas Family. He taught himself to become a viticulturist and, at one point, served as President of the Virginia Vineyards Association, which gave him a seat on the Virginia Wine Board. He and Emily have formed a unique working relationship, and Bill has delivered pristine fruit that has enabled Emily to make our most excellent Veritas wines.
As you can see in the photo, Bill has reveled in his role as Chief of Ovine Operations, with guests and grandchildren standing in line for a chance to feed the lambs.
Summertime in the Vines
July was the warmest month on record in the contiguous United States, and although we suffered the heat, it was just a very hot summer for us, with the dreaded heat dome hovering over us like a mantle of doom. Not only that, but remember the smoke from Canada. We were in a drought state for most of the summer. The result: an early harvest; we started at the beginning of August, we usually start in the second week, and because of the light yields, it looks like we are going to finish before the end of September – actually the third time this has happened in 25 years.
Viognier grapes.
Harvest is always the busiest and usually the happiest time of the year; think of the joy of the bountiful harvest bringing in the fruits of the growing season. We hire our “harvest intern,” and harvest takes precedence over everything; we book no additional events and make no plans until the last bin comes in.
In the Cellar
As in the vineyard, the seasons move in the circle of life; Emily and the team spent the Spring and early Summer bottling and preparing for harvest! We are now well into our 2026 harvest season (our 24th for those keeping track!) and look forward to seeing the bounty of this year’s vintage in bottle over the next 1-2 years.
Signature Summer Events
From crab picks to Starry Nights, we did it all! Summer kicked off with an incredible Basque Country dinner from Chef Andy and Chef Adam. We were also thrilled to participate in the annual Monticello Wine Week, where our 2023 Monticello White Blend placed in the top twelve wines in their annual competition.
Last month brought a flurry of activity during the third week, with a back-to-back Supper Series x Starry Nights weekend. We were thrilled to share these events with the new team members from Veritas Legacy Partners!
Reconnecting with Old Friends
With the closing now behind us, I want to thank everyone who has visited Veritas, been a wine club member, hosted an event here, or ordered a bottle of wine. We are so grateful of the kindness you’ve shown us over the last 27 years. As a tribute to a few important friends I reconnected with over the summer, this group of individuals has supported Patricia and me since the early days.
Pat and Stu Harvey have a special place in Patricia’s and my heart. Two of the most generous people you could wish to meet. They were visiting from Ohio (they used to live at Wintergreen), brought here by the kindness of our good friend Don Schildcamp. Stu and I formed an immediate and lasting bond through our love of life and wine. He and I formed the Wintergreen Men’s Wine Corps in 2006, which is still going strong thanks to Don Schildkamp. Stu worked in the tasting room for years and loved every minute. They loved us, too, having wedding anniversaries and birthday parties at Veritas whenever they could. Stu and Pat were central to the Wintergreen Music Festival, donating and participating with what seemed boundless energy. I was so happy to meet up with them again.
August 11th, 2026 was a big day for me. I had arranged to taste wine with Anne Vercelli, a dear friend whom I met way back when I was a wine judge with Anne. She serves on the wine board of the very prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. She also flies from the West Coast to judge wines at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, where I first met her. She loves our wines, and every year when she is on the East Coast, I arrange a tasting with her to go through our latest releases and revisit some library vintages that are tasting well.
On the same day I was setting up for the tasting with Anne Vercelli, I met Ron and Lisa in the tasting room, with a glass of wine to celebrate Ron’s birthday. Now let me tell you about Ron and Lisa, a lovely couple who both work at UVA. Since we started selling wine in 2002, Ron and Lisa have been loyal members of the Veritas Wine Club. I might be exaggerating, but pretty much at every event where we were playing music and pouring wine — Starry Nights, Wintergreen Music Vines and Violins, and Andrew’s Wine Line — I could always rely on seeing Ron and Lisa. For me, it was one of those surprise moments when I realized how important they both were to me, and what we’d created with Veritas.
Family Updates
Our talented and very science-oriented winemaker, Emily Hodson, joins the Virginia winemakers hall of fame by being awarded the Joe Formica Award from the Richmond Wine Society, whose previous awardees include Gabriel Rausse, Lucie Morton, Luca Pachina, and Michael Shaps. The prize is awarded to individuals who benefit the Virginia wine industry at home and at the national and international levels.
Emily with Jack Beringer and Diane Formica Trent at the Joe Formica Award ceremony.
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!’” – Hunter S. Thompson
It has been a ride for all of us, and the greatest part of all is that we were together on the same bus.
It has been a ride for all of us, and the greatest part of all is that we were together on the same bus.Thank you for reading the newsletter, which I see as part and parcel of the legacy Patricia and our family set up with our beloved Veritas. We are so happy with the renewed enthusiasm of Emily and Veritas Legacy Partners. Veritas will prove the old saying: In Vino Veritas.
The future looks bright.
From all of us at Veritas,
Andrew Hodson
Finally Retired Chief Bottlewasher.
