Top Virginia wines: The 2020 Governor’s Case

For the first time in 15 years, a sweet wine took top honours at Virginia’s 38^th annual Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.

In another first, 868 Estate Vineyards’ Vidal Blanc Passito 2017 is the only wine from 100% Loudoun County fruit to have won Virginia’s premier wine award.

In five of the past 10 years, the Governor’s Cup has gone to a red blend from Central Virginia, which includes the Monticello AVA.

This year 19 judges, headed by Master of Wine Jay Youman, tasted and rated 530 wines from more than 300 Virginia wineries. Over half of the 64 gold-medal winners (those scoring 90 points or more) were red blends, mainly of Bordeaux varietals.

The top-scoring dozen wines win a place in the Governor’s Case, which this year includes a Tannat blend, a Vermentino and another sweet wine from the hybrid Vidal Blanc variety.

Virginia resident and wine importer Bartholomew Broadbent was a judge. His father, the late Michael Broadbent, was one of the first to shine a spotlight on the state’s wines following a visit in 2002.

The Governor’s Case and overall Governor’s Cup winner were announced at a gala in late February, just ahead of the lockdown imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yes, there were black ties and speeches, but the after-party took place at a bowling alley. Nothing strikes down fustiness quite like winemakers and sommeliers in funny shoes.

It’s a fitting image for Virginia’s new role. No longer a trying-to-impress upstart and not yet a too-cool-for-school untouchable, the state finds itself on self-assured middle ground.

While red blends will always make sense in this state, with its mercurial climates and variable vintages, quality is expanding beyond the familiar styles and varietals of yore – as well as expanding beyond the reliable terroirs of Central Virginia.

Virginia’s 2020 Governor’s Case

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