Think of wine from the USA, and your thoughts automatically go to the West Coast. However, the East Coast is starting to make its presence felt. We have tasted wines from Virginia, where good growing conditions, variation in both climate and soil, and producers who invest heavily and enthusiastically in quality wine, ensure that success is a given.
The United States is the world’s 4th biggest wine producer. Outside of the country, people tend to know only California wines. If you are a non-American wine enthusiast, you would probably also know the wines from Oregon, Washington, and perhaps New York State. And possibly soon, the wines from Virginia.
Virginia has caught the attention of wine enthusiasts despite its relatively small production (several other smaller wine-producing states produce more wine than Virginia, see below). There are multiple reasons, including Virginia’s focus on premium wines and its investment in wine tourism. However, their wine producers’ ambition and many initiatives to make themselves known also play a part. They are proud of their wines and the potential of their wine industry.
This is a longer version of an article published on Forbes.com.
Facts and figures
Wine production in Virginia
- Wine production is over 8 million litres
- There are around 1400 hectares (3500 acres) of vineyards, similar in size to Pessac-Léognan in the Graves area in Bordeaux
- It is usually the eighth to nineth biggest wine producing state in the US
- There are around 300 wineries in Virginia, a significant increase since the early 2000s
- The main grape varieties include chardonnay, cabernet franc, merlot, vidal blanc, viognier, petit verdot and vermentino. In addition to Vitis vinifera there is a significant acreage of hybrids and native American grape varieties.
- The wine sector is an important contributor to the state economy. Wine tourism is one of the big revenue sources
- There are eight AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in Virginia, including Monticello, Shenandoah Valley, Middleburg, and George Washington Birthplace (!)
Wine production in the USA
- California producers approximately 80 % of all US wines. Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Virginia, all make it into the Top 10 list but the order varies.
- Currently there are 276 AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the USA, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. 34 of the wine producing states have more than one.
One such initiative was attending Wine Paris in February and presenting their wines, marking my first opportunity to taste the wines from Virginia.
The biggest concentration of vineyards is in the de northern and central parts of the state. Virginia has 10 regions and 8 American Viticulture Areas (AVAS), the American equivalent of French wine appellations. Monticello AVA near Charlottesville is the oldest, created in 1984.
The total vineyard acreage in Virginia is around 2,000 hectares, planted with more than 30 different grape varieties. Some of the most planted are well-known varieties such as chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. However, we also find some more unusual ones here, such as cabernet franc, petit manseng, viognier, petit Verdot and others. More than 80% of the varieties are Vitis vinifera (European vines).
That was not always the case. Thomas Jefferson brought European vines to Virginia in the late 1700s. However, the vines did not survive, likely due to the presence of phylloxera, the vine louse, in the soil. In the end, they had to contend with native American grapes. But when the modern pioneers got things going in the 1970s, they did it with Vitis vinifera vines, this time properly grafted onto American rootstocks.
Here you can read more about the phylloxera crisis: Rootstocks, grafting and when French wine almost died but was saved by Texas.
The rebirth of the Virginia wine industry started on a small scale. In the mid-1990s, Virginia had around 50 wine estates. The industry grew as the region developed, and the number of estates doubled over the next decade. Today, there are more than 300 wine estates. Together they attract 2,5 million visitors a year.
“Virginia is a very special place”, says wine writer Frank Morgon, a Virginia native and a great promoter of its wines. He realises that everybody says that, but he wants to stress the geographic and geologic diversity in Virginia.
He continues: “Grapes grown on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, at sea level, are cultivated in sandy loam soils, kissed by the salty breeze of the Chesapeake Bay. Just 90 minutes inland (west), altitude gains and soils turn more clay. In the Monticello region (central) grapes are cultivated in dark clay soils at 700 – 1,500 feet [215-460 meters] in elevation; further west and north, grapes are grown at higher elevations in granite soils. Over 75 grape varieties are cultivated for wine in Virginia. I view the wines of the state as a bridge between old and new world.”
In February in Paris, I met six Virginia producers and tasted wines that showed both a diversity of styles and gave me some unexpected surprises such as petit manseng and petit verdot.
Barboursville Vineyards
Barboursville Vineyards, one of the pioneers, was, in 1976, the first winery to successfully plant European grapes, says Luca Paschina, the manager. Barboursville Vineyards is a 350-hectare estate, 70 of which are vineyards. Their superb top wine, Octagon, is something of a reference for Bordeaux blends in Virginia. “Octagon is a classic Bordeaux blend, “says Luca, “merlot and cabernet franc adapt very well to our soil. We have now skipped cabernet sauvignon as cabernet franc gives greater consistency.”
I tasted Octagon from 2007, a “great vintage” according to Luca.
Octagon 2007, Barboursville Vineyards, Central Virginia
60 % merlot, 22 % cabernet franc, 14 % cabernet sauvignon, 4 % petit Verdot.
A very well-balanced wine with a smooth and silky mouth feel, black currant and dry herb aromas and a good freshness.
King Family Vineyards
European influence is not uncommon in Virginia. Italians founded Barboursville. King Family Vineyards was established in 1998 and has a French winemaker, Matthieu Finot, originally from Crozes-Hermitage in the Rhône Valley. He travelled the world – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, Italy, South Africa – before settling in Virginia, which he did in 2003. He is a very keen promoter of the Monticello Wine Trail.
Brut Blanc de Blancs 2021, King Family Vineyards, Monticello AVA, Virginia
A delicious sparkling made with the traditional method with a second fermentation in the bottle. Chardonnay gives freshness, lightness, and complexity. (~30$ from the estate)
Loreley 2021, King Family Vineyards, Monticello AVA, Virginia
This sweet wine is made from petit manseng, originally from southwest France. “We used to do this wine with viognier, but it is better with petit manseng,” says Matthieu. “It is made with the vin de paille method, the way they do it in the Jura and the Rhone Valley. The grapes are picked very ripe and are dried for three weeks before pressing.”
The wine ferments and ages in barrels, 50% acacia and 50% French oak. The acidity is particularly refreshing, precisely what Matthieu is looking for. The wine boasts delicious aromas of white flowers and apricots. (32$ half bottle, from the estate)
Rosemont Vineyards
Luca Paschina at Barboursville Vineyards likes cabernet franc, and he is not the only one in Virginia. Justin Rose at Rosemont Vineyards believes their soil is optimal for cabernet franc. The 180 hectares of the Rosemont Estate have been in the Rose family since 1858. The family used to raise cattle, engage in dairy farming, grow corn, and cultivate other crops, but in 2003, they developed the vineyard and started making wine on a small scale, blending different clones and rootstocks. The vineyard of around 12 hectares is ideally situated between two lakes.
Cabernet Franc 2017, Rosemont Vineyards, La Crosse, Southern Virginia
This is a mighty Cabernet Franc, with aromas of spices, tobacco, violets, and dark cherries on both the nose and palate. It is structured with firm tannins, yet retains a certain smoothness in the finish. (~30$)
Château Morrisette Winery
Only three wine estates in Virginia were founded before 1980. Chateau Morrisette is one of them. The Morrisette family planted its first vines in 1977 and produced their first wines five years later. David Morrisette, the third generation, now runs the estate. The production has grown fast, from the 650 cases the family made in the beginning to the 50,000 cases made today.
I tasted Chateau Morrisette’s white wine made from the vidal grape. Vidal blanc is a high-quality hybrid, with Ugni blanc (also known as Trebbiano in Italy) as its parent. Vidal is generally very resistant to cold winters and resists downy mildew, a common fungal disease, as well as grey rot. The grape does very well in Virginia.
Vidal Blanc 2023, Chateau Morrisette, Blue Ridge, Virginia
Vidal Blanc 2023 is delicious and dry, with citrus flavours and a certain salinity. David uses only stainless-steel tanks to enhance the freshness and the fruity flavours. (~30$ from the estate)
Hark Vineyards
Hark Vineyard’s winemaker, AJ Greely, is also the current president of the Virginia Vineyards Association, constantly promoting the region, assisting producers with communication, informing them about research, and helping expand the Virginia wine industry. Before taking the helm at Hark Vineyards, she worked for ten years with various Virginia winemakers, making her well-suited for the job.
The Hark family bought their first land in 2015. “In 2016, we planted 10 acres of vines, chardonnay, merlot, petit verdot, and cabernet franc”, says AJ. “One and a half acres was petit manseng. 2019 was our first harvest in our own winery.”
From the petit manseng, she now makes a very pleasant off-dry white wine. Petit manseng lends itself perfectly to both crispy dry whites, off-dry whites, and sweet wines.
Hark Vineyards Petit Manseng 2021, Earlysville, Central Virginia
Excellent wine with notes of honey, a good structure, and a full body. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in a concrete tank, which, according to AJ, lends the wine a certain roundness. (~34$ from the estate)
Michael Shaps Wineworks
Petit Verdot is an interesting and unusual grape that is present in Virginia. It is originally a Bordeaux grape that almost disappeared from Bordeaux but has started making a comeback there over the past 15-20 years, especially in Médoc. We can now find it in small quantities around the wine world.
It is one of the varieties Michael Shaps planted in his vineyard in the AVA Monticello. “The vineyard is at 300-meter altitude, it gives a good quality potential and a true sense of place”, says Michael. “We can do a nice varietal wine; the tannins ripen lovely, and we do a two-year oak ageing with 50% new barrels”.
Michael Shaps Wineworks Petit Verdot 2017
This is an excellent example of a petit verdot wine: dark in colour, intense and concentrated, long taste, warm spices and a high, fresh acidity. (~40$ current release from the estate)
