Virginia is a state with a rich history; after all, it was the site of North America’s first permanent English colony, established in 1609. Unsurprisingly, these early colonists planted many crops, including grapevines, hoping to create profitable businesses. Many of the plantings, such as tobacco, quickly became successful commercial enterprises. However, it wasn’t until the late 1970s that the state’s wine industry began taking root, aided by a handful of hard-working farmers.
Today Virginia is a well-established wine region with eight distinct AVAs: Blue Ridge, Central Virginia, Chesapeake Bay, Eastern Shore, Hampton Roads, Heart of Appalachia, Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Southern Virginia, and Virginia Mountains. Virginia winemakers and wine lovers are reaping the fruits of the early pioneers’ labor. The state, with 4,000 acres of grapes grown in ten different regions, is home to over 300 wineries that work with about 25 grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Petit Manseng.
Early Mountain Vineyards is a leader in Virginia’s quality wine production. The winery, with 55 acres of estate vineyards, was founded in 2012 and has since grown into one of the most celebrated wineries of the state, winning four gold medals in the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.
During a recent dinner at Manhattan’s Pinch Chinese, I met with winemaker Maya Hood White, who says Virginia’s winemaking community is very tight-knit, with the attitude that “we’re all in this together.” She also noted that it is less bound by tradition, which allows more experimentation in the
This Article was originally published on The Wine Chef
