Anyone who’s hiked Sky Meadows Stake Park has seen Ovoka Farm in the distance. Situated on the northern end of the park, the farm’s red-roofed manor home and grain silos have long been magnets for local photographers.

The property has gone through many iterations, ranging from an early 18^th century farmstead, equestrian center, and personal residence. In 2010 it was purchased by the current owner, who slowly transitioned into an event space, AirBnB, and wagyu cattle farm.

Adding to this series of ventures is its latest initiative; a partnership with The Winery at Bull Run to become a farm winery. I was quick to join their first official “Wagyu & Wine” tour, one a series of events now available on their website.

The Farm and Manor

I’d be remiss to just say ‘it’s an old farm’ and leave it at that.

The land was part of an 18^th century colonial land owned by Robert Carter, who at the time was one of Virginia’s largest landowners. In 1769 it was surveyed by George Washington, who stayed at a stone building that still stands today. The name ‘Ovoka’ means ‘ever running water’, although the owners aren’t sure what language it originated from.

Today, the farm consists of ~700 acres, including a farm store and a cira-1780s manor home. I came early for photos, which allowed me to stop at their pickup some Shepard’s pie for dinner at their future tasting room.

Owner Karen Wray moved here from Chicago for more space for her family. As the kids gradually moved out, she decided the farm was best suited for raising cattle. And not just any cattle – Japanese Wagyu.

Wagyu beef is prized for its fine marbling and tenderness, the result a low-stress life (you might say they live charmed lives…until their very last day). Chefs love it, and Ovoka sells their beef to an assortment of fancy local restaurants. You can also find it at some farmers markets and their food truck.

One drawback about Wagyu is it’s not easy for non-chefs to cook. To compensate, Ovoka bred their cattle with more traditional American Angus. The 400-head herd is now “F1 Wagyu”, a 50/50 cross with the best traits of both.

The Wine and Event

Our event was in the main parlor, but guests got to wander around, gawking at the various bedrooms and the den with the huge fireplace. Much of the furniture is made of cherrywood that was taken from the property. I also sneaked out to take a picture of where George Washington slept.

Operations Director Mel Freshwater gave the attendees the low-down on the property’s history and their newest direction, then followed up with a series of wine and food paring, highlighting Ovoka’s beef.

While Ovoka is on its way to becoming a farm winery, they don’t yet have vines on the property. In the interim, Ovoka is partnering with Bull Run winery.

We lounged around the den and enjoyed our first sampling; a tasty amuse-bouche of beef bone broth made with thyme and cognac. Mel also did a show-and-tell using artifacts from the property (it was good I remember them, since they were part of an informal scavenger hunt).

Of course, the highlight was our food and wine pairings. First off was a 2024 Viognier paired with a wagyu tartare, then a savory cheese puff (the fancy name is tallow gougère) to go along with their 2024 Rosé.

Then came the empanadas – lots of them. The salsa verde was spicy, but we cooled them off with Bull Run’s 2022 Cabernet Franc.

Not surprisingly, my favorite was beef sliders made with that W1 Wagyu, paired with a 2020 Merlot.

If it hadn’t been so cold I would have walked around outside more – although that didn’t stop the group from some picture-taking.