Virginia wine

Virginia wine refers to wine made primarily from grapes grown in the commonwealth of Virginia. Wine has been produced in the area since the early days of European colonization in the 17th century. Virginia has hot humid summers that can be challenging to viticulture, and only within the last twenty years has the industry developed beyond novelty status. By tonnage, Vitis vinifera varieties represents 75% of total production. French hybrids varieties account for nearly 20% of total wine grape production in the commonwealth, while American varietals make up only about 5% of the total. As of 2012, the top 5 varietals produced are Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Vidal blanc and Viognier.[2]

Virginia
Wine region
Official nameCommonwealth of Virginia
TypeU.S. state
Year established1788
CountryUSA
Sub-regionsMiddleburg AVA, Monticello AVA, North Fork of Roanoke AVA, Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA, Rocky Knob AVA, Shenandoah Valley AVA, Virginia's Eastern Shore AVA
Climate regionHumid subtropical with maritime and continental in highland areas
Total area42,774 square miles (110,784 km2)
Grapes producedAglianico, Albariño, Barbera, Black Muscat, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Chardonel, Chardonnay, Colombard, Concord, Corot noir, De Chaunac, Fer, Gewürztraminer, Graciano, Grüner Veltliner, Malbec, Malvasia, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Munson, Muscat Canelli, Muscat Ottonel, Nebbiolo, Niagara, Norton, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Pinotage, Primitivo, Riesling, Rkatziteli, Roussanne, Ruby Cabernet, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Scheurebe, Semillon, Seyval blanc, Steuben, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo, Tinta Cão, Touriga Nacional, Traminette, Trebbiano, Verdelho, Vidal blanc, Vignoles, Villard blanc, Viognier, Zinfandel[1]
No. of wineriesOver 250

As of 2016, the commonwealth has approximately 2,600 acres (11 km2) under cultivation, with a total harvest of over 6500 tons. The commonwealth ranks fifth in the nation for both bearing acreage and grape production.[3] The central and northern Virginia counties, in particular those located just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, account for the significant majority of the commonwealth's production.[2]

History

Virginia has a history of wine that dates back to the colonial era. In 1619, at the meeting of the first representative assembly in English America, the burgesses sitting in the Jamestown church passed “Acte 12” which required Virginia colonists to plant vineyards.[4]

Around 1807, Thomas Jefferson, considered one of the greatest patrons of wine in the United States, had established two vineyards in his south orchard. His goal to make wine from his Virginia Monticello estate was met with the unsuccessful cultivation of the classic European grape varieties due to the inability to control black rot and the destructive aphid-like root louse called phylloxera.[5][6]

The vineyard at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home did not produce wine until the late 20th century.

In the early 1900s, Charlottesville's Monticello Wine Company and its Virginia Claret Wine were so well-regarded that the city declared itself to be "the Capital of the Wine Belt in Virginia."[7][8]

The rebirth was led in part by the investment of the Zonin family of Italy in a new vineyard in Barboursville in 1976. Barboursville Vineyards served as a catalyst in the 1970s, alongside the now defunct Oakencroft Vineyards. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, many other vineyards and wineries joined the mix and by 2009, over 163 wineries were operating in Virginia. By 2012 there were over 230 wineries operating in Virginia. Almost all of these are small, family-owned vineyards and wineries, and only the very largest have developed distribution networks. As a result, the wineries rely on wine tourism and direct sales for most of their revenue. To encourage visitors, they often play host to special events with music, food, and other activities.[9] As Virginia wines sold in Virginia have the requirement that the majority of the grapes used must be grown in Virginia, and since Virginia is not growing enough grapes to support the number of wineries, one Floyd County winery has expanded its operation in a five-year contract to export its wines to China. Chateau Morrisette, with the help of Governor Bob McDonnell's office, will be exporting its Merlot to China, and plans to add other wines later.[10]

Wine industry

A growing number of for-profit and non-profit organizations have been established since the 1980s to help promote Virginia Wine. Two of the more well known organizations are the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA) and the Virginia Wineries Association (VWA). The state of Virginia has taken an active role in helping promote the wine industry in the state even to the extent of managing a state wide distributor company for Virginia wineries called Virginia Winery Distribution Company (VWDC) that was established by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.[11] The intent of the VWDC is to provide wholesale wine distribution services for Virginia farm wineries, many of which are too small to manage on their own.

The number of vineyards and wineries in Virginia grow each year. As of 2019 there are over 250 registered vineyards and wineries in the state.

Virginia Vineyards/Wineries [12]
2 Witches Winery and Brewing Co
50 West Vineyards
612 Vineyard
8 Chains North Winery
868 Estate Vineyards
Abingdon Vineyards
Afton Mountain Vineyards
Albemarle CiderWorks
Altillo Vineyards
American Way Country Wines
AmRhein's Wine Cellars
Ankida Ridge Vineyards
Arterra Wines
Ashton Creek Vineyard
Aspen Dale Winery at The Barn
Barboursville Vineyards
Barrel Oak Winery
Barren Ridge Vineyards
Beliveau Estate Winery
Blacksnake Meadery
Blenheim Vineyards
Blue Ridge Vineyard
Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery
Bluemont Vineyard
Bluestone Vineyard
Bodie Vineyards
Bogati Winery
Bold Rock Cider
Boxwood Estate Winery
Breaux Vineyards
Brent Manor Vineyards
Bright Meadows Farm
Brix & Columns Vineyards
Brooks Mill Winery
Burnley Vineyards
Byrd Cellars
Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg
Capitol Vineyards
Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery
Caret Cellars
Carroll Vineyards
Casanel Vineyards & Winery
Castle Glen Estates Winery
Castle Gruen Vineyards and Winery
Castle Hill Cider
Cave Ridge Vineyard
Cedar Creek Winery
Chateau MerrillAnne
Chateau Morrisette
Chateau OBrien at Northpoint
Chatham Vineyards on Church Creek
Chester Gap Cellars
Chestnut Oak Vineyard
Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm
Chrysalis Vineyards at The Ag District
Cobbler Mountain Cellars
Cooper Vineyards
Corcoran Vineyards & Cider
Courthouse Creek Cider
Creek's Edge Winery
CrossKeys Vineyards
Crushed Cellars
Cunningham Creek Winery
Davis Valley Winery
Delaplane Cellars
DelFosse Vineyards and Winery
Desert Rose Ranch & Winery
DeVault Family Vineyards
Doukénie Winery
Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery
DuCard Vineyards
Early Mountain Vineyards
Eden Try Estate Winery
Effingham Manor & Winery
Elk Island Winery
Fabbioli Cellars
Fincastle Vineyard & Winery
Firefly Hill Vineyards
First Colony Winery
Five Oaks Vineyard
Fleetwood Farm Winery
Flying Fox Vineyard
Foggy Ridge Cider
Fox Meadow Winery
Gabriele Rausse Winery
Gadino Cellars
Gauthier Vineyard
General's Ridge Vineyard
Giles Mountain Vineyard & Winery
Glass House Winery
Glen Manor Vineyards
Good Luck Cellars
Grace Estate Winery
Granite Heights Winery
Gray Ghost Vineyards
Grayhaven Winery
Greenhill Winery & Vineyards
Greenwood Vineyards
Guilford Ridge Vineyards
Haley's Honey Meadery
Hamlet Vineyards
Hammerstone Cellars
Hampton Roads Winery
Hartwood Winery
Hickory Hill Vineyards
Hidden Brook Winery
Hiddencroft Vineyards
Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery
Hillsborough Winery, Brewery & Vineyard
Honah Lee Vineyard
Horton Vineyards
Hunters Run Winery
Hunting Creek Vineyards
Ingleside Vineyards
Iron Heart Winery
Jacey Vineyards
James Charles Winery & Vineyard
James River Cellars
JBR Vineyards & Winery
Jefferson Vineyards
Jump Mountain Vineyard
Keswick Vineyards
Kilaurwen Winery, LLC
King Family Vineyards
Knight's Gambit Vineyard
Lake Anna Winery
Lazy Days Winery
Leo Grande Vineyards & Winery
Lexington Valley Vineyard
Little Washington Winery
Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery
Lovingston West
Lovingston Winery
Maggie Malick Wine Caves
Magnolia Vineyards & Winery
Maidstone Meadery
Marceline Vineyards
Mattaponi Winery
Mediterranean Cellars
Meriwether Springs Vineyard
Mermaid Winery
Michael Shaps Winery
Miracle Valley Vineyard
Misty Mountain Meadworks
Molon Lave Vineyards
Monroe Bay Vineyard
Morais Vineyards & Winery
Moss Vineyards
Mountain Cove Vineyards
Mountain Run Winery
Mountain View Vineyard
MountainRose Vineyards Inc
Mountfair Vineyards
Mt Vale Vineyards
Muse Vineyards
Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards
Narmada Winery
New Kent Winery
North Mountain Vineyard & Winery
Notaviva Vineyards
Oak Crest Vineyard & Winery
Old Hill Cider
Old House Vineyards
Otium Cellars
Ox Eye Vineyards
Paradise Springs Winery
Peaks of Otter Winery
Pearmund Cellars
Philip Carter Winery
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards
Plum Creek Winery
Pollak Vineyards
Potomac Point Winery
Potter's Craft Cider
Preston Ridge Winery
Prince Michel Vineyard
Pungo Ridge Winery
Quattro Goombas Winery
Quievremont
Ramulose Ridge Vineyards
Rappahannock Cellars
RdV Vineyards
Rebec Vineyards Inc
Revalation Vineyards
revalationvineyards.com
Reynard Florence Vineyard
Rockbridge Vineyard
Rogers Ford Farm Winery
Rosemont Vineyards
Rural Retreat Winery & Vineyards
Sans Soucy Vineyards
Sassafras Shade Vineyard
Saudé Creek Vineyards
Seven Doors Winery
Sharp Rock Vineyards
Shenandoah Vineyards
Skippers Creek Vineyard
Slater Run Vineyards
Spinning Jenny Vineyard
Spring Run Vineyards
Stanburn Winery
Star in the Valley Estate Winery
Stinson Vineyards
Stone House Meadery
Stone Mountain Vineyards
Stone Tower Winery
Sunset Hills Vineyard
Tarara Winery
Terra Nebulo Vineyards
The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards
The Briede Family Vineyards
The Dog and Oyster Vineyard
The Hague Winery
The Homeplace Vineyard
The New River Vineyard & Winery LLC
The Vineyards & Winery at Lost Creek
The Wine Reserve at Waterford
The Winery at Bull Run
The Winery at La Grange
Thistle Gate Vineyard
Three Fox Vineyards
Three Sisters of Shiney Rock
Tomahawk Mill Winery
Trump Winery
Turk Mountain Vineyards
Twin Oaks Tavern Winery
Two Twisted Posts Winery
Upper Shirley Vineyards
Valerie Hill Vineyard & Winery
Valhalla Vineyards
Valley Road Vineyards
Vault Field Vineyards
Veramar Vineyard
Veritas Winery
Villa Appalaccia
Village Winery
Vincent's Vineyard
Vint Hill Craft Winery
Vintners Cellar Winery of Yorktown
Virginia Mountain Vineyards
Webster C Hall Vineyards
West Wind Farm Vineyard and Winery
Weston Farm Vineyard and Winery
White Hall Vineyards
White Rock Wines, Vines & Brews
Whitebarrel Winery
Wilderness Run Vineyards
Williamsburg Winery
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards
Winchester Ciderworks
Winding Road Cellars
Winery 32
Winery at Kindred Pointe
Wineworks Extended
Wisdom Oak Winery
Wisteria Farm & Vineyard
Wolf Gap Vineyard & Winery
Zephaniah Farm Vineyard

References

  1. Appellation America (2007). "Virginia: Appellation Description". Retrieved Nov. 16, 2007.
  2. "2012 Virginia Commercial Grape Report". Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office. March 18, 2013.
  3. "Governor McDonnell Announces Sales of Virginia Wine Reach New All-Time High". Office of the Governor of Virginia. January 14, 2013.
  4. "Romancing the Vine in Virginia". Colonial Williamsburg, Charles M. Holloway. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  5. "The Vineyards". Monticello and Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  6. "At Historic Vineyard, A Historic Harvest". NY Times, Howard G. Goldberg. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  7. Leahy, Richard (February 19, 2008). "Virginia Wine: Nearly Four Centuries and Counting". Retrieved November 30, 2008. In Charlottesville, the Monticello Wine Company, operating with grapes grown by co-op members, won a major international award in 1873 at the Vienna Exposition for a "Virginia claret" based on Norton.
  8. "Historical Highway Markers: Monticello Wine Company". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  9. "Realising Jefferson's Wine Vision" (PDF). Sommelier India. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  10. The Roanoke Times, July 7, 2013
  11. "Index | VWDC". www.vwdc.org. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  12. "All Wineries | Virginia Wine". www.virginiawine.org. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
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