21-04-2025
Virginia Wine Goes To Paris
Octagon 2007, Barboursville Vineyards, Central Virginia, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
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 people despite its small production (several other smaller wine states produce more wine than Virginia). 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.
One such initiative was going to Paris in February and presenting their wines at Wine Paris, a trade fair. This also meant 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 AVAs, American Viticulture Areas, the American equivalent to the French wine appellations. Monticello AVA near Charlottesville is the oldest, created in 1984.
The total vineyard acreage in Virginia is 5,000 acres, planted with approximately 30 different grape varieties. Some of the most planted are well-known varieties such as chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. Still, we also find some more unusual ones here, such as cabernet franc, petit manseng, viognier, petit verdot, to mention just a few. 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. The vines did not survive, however, probably 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.
In this Forbes article you can read more about the phylloxera crisis : How Texas Saved The French Wine Industry.
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 in ten years. Today, there are more than 300 wine estates. Together they attract 2,5 million visitors a year.
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 900-acre estate, 170 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.
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 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)
Brut Blanc de Blancs 2021, King Family Vineyards, Monticello AVA, Virginia, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
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, which is precisely what Matthieu is looking for. Delicious aromas of white flowers and apricots. (32$ half bottle, from the estate)
Loreley 2021, King Family Vineyards, Monticello AVA, Virginia (back label), copyright
BKWine Photography
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 450 acres of the Rosemont Estate have been in the Rose family since 1858. The family used to have cattle, dairy farming, corn, and 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 30 acres is ideally situated between two lakes.
Cabernet Franc 2017, Rosemont Vineyards, La Crosse, Southern Virginia
This is quite a powerful cabernet franc with spices, tobacco, violets, and dark cherries on the nose and palate. It is structured with firm tannins but still with a certain smoothness in the finish. (~30$)
Cabernet Franc 2017, Rosemont Vineyards, La Crosse, Southern Virginia, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
Only three wine estates in Virginia were founded before 1980. Chateau Morrisette is one of them. The family Morrisette planted its first vines in 1977 and made their first wines five years later. David Morrisette, the third generation, now runs the estate. The production has grown fast, from the 650 cases the family made in the beginning to the 50,000 cases made today.
I tasted Chateau Morrisette's white wine made from the vidal grape. Vidal blanc is a high-quality hybrid. The Vitis vinifera parent is ugni blanc (trebbiano in Italy). Vidal is generally very resistant to cold winters, and it resists downy mildew, a common fungal disease, and grey rot. The grape does very well in Virginia.
Vidal Blanc 2023, Chateau Morrisette, Blue Ridge, Virginia
Vidal Blanc 2023 is delicious and dry, with citrus flavours and a certain salinity. David uses only stainless-steel tanks to enhance the freshness and the fruity flavours. (~30$ from the estate)
Vidal Blanc 2023, Chateau Morrisette, Blue Ridge, Virginia, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
Hark Vineyard's winemaker, AJ Greely, is also the current president of the Virginia Vineyards Association, so she is constantly promoting the region, helping the producers with communication, informing them about research, helping expand the Virginia wine industry and so on. Before taking the helm at Hark Vineyards, she worked ten years with different Virginia winemakers, so she is well suited for the job.
The family Hark 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 concrete tank which, says AJ, gives the wine a certain roundness. (~34$ from the estate)
AJ Greely of Hark Vineyards and Luca Paschina of Barboursville Vineyards, Virginia, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
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 started making a comeback there some 15-20 years ago, 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 900 feet 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)
—Britt Karlsson
Michael Shaps Wineworks Petit Verdot 2017, Monticello, Virginia, copyright BKWine Photography
BKWine Photography
