Ten exciting Virginia wines to try

Virginia has cultivated vineyards since 1619, a long history for an American wine region, but the past 20-30 years have seen real development. Here are producers to watch and a selection of wines to try, plus news of a potential AVA...

Old world meets new world

It’s said that Virginia wine is one of the places where the old world meets the new world.

Matthieu Finot is winemaker at King Family Vineyards in Crozet; his 2014 Meritage won the prestigious 2018 Governor’s Cup. A native of Crozes Hermitage in France’s Rhône Valley, Finot works with Rhône, Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties.

Finot says that working in Virginia, is a ‘mix between freedom and tradition.’

Virginia’s ability to plant outside of appellation rules is beneficial, as growers are able to cultivate ancestral varieties as well as grapes that thrive in Virginia’s relatively hot and humid climate—candidates for the future with climate change.

‘We are a fairly new wine region so we need this freedom to explore, research and refine our combination of terroir and variety,’ says Finot.

‘But we are not reinventing the wheel—we just want to produce great wines.’ For Finot, this means wines with restraint, balance, subtlety and complexity.

New AVA on the horizon

The Williamsburg Winery has been pursuing a petition to form a new American Viticultural Area (AVA) for the Virginia Peninsula, a sector comprised of counties James City, York, New Kent, Charles City.

The state is already home to six AVAs, but Williamsburg has argued that Virginia Peninsula experiences distinctly higher temperatures and less rainfall than other growing environments in Virginia. The preservation of colonial history along the Virginia Peninsula trail is also culturally relevant, the winery has said.

The governing body Alcohol Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) has accepted the petition as ‘perfected’, which is generally a good sign that the designation will be awarded. There are currently 242 AVAs in the United States and new appellations become official in a trickle—one new AVA was established in 2017 and two in 2018.

 See also: Jason Tesauro’s at-a-glance guide to Virginia wine areas

A variety of varieties

Virginia is the sixth largest US state for wine grape production, with Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Viognier and Petit Verdot among the most-planted.

Emily Hodson, of Veritas Vineyard and Winery, told Decanter columnist Andrew Jefford in 2015 that Viognier could have a bright future in Virginia, with around 80 growers working with the variety. Viognier likes the extra hang time in September and is thick-enough skinned to withstand autumnal rains, she said at the time.

Particular interest is currently being paid to Petit Verdot, a variety that boasts solid tannic structure while being outwardly floral.

Often used in Bordeaux blends – sometimes called ‘Meritage’ wines – Petit Verdot is considered by some in Virginia as a peer to Cabernet Sauvignon in bold blends or even as a single varietal wine.

Also watch for Tannat, Albariño and Petit Manseng, all of which can handle Virginia’s humid summers and are seen as rising stars.

A selection of Virginia wineries to seek out:

• Barboursville Vineyards
• Michael Shaps Wineworks
• Ingleside Vineyards
• RdV Vineyards
• Early Mountain Vineyards
• Boxwood Estate Winery
• Linden Vineyards
• Delaplane Cellars
• King Family Vineyards
• Keswick Vineyards
• The Williamsburg Winery
• Glen Manor Vineyards
• Rosemont of Virginia
• Stinson Vineyards

Ten Virginia wines to try:

You may also like:

Andrew Jefford looks at Virginia’s classic grape varieties – published 2015

Top Sonoma red wines for the cellar – published October 2018