By Sean Tarallo for Stevenson Ridge

 

Did you know that here in the Commonwealth October is officially known as "Virginia Wine Month"?

 

A brief history of Virginia wine is in order to explain just how far the Virginia wine industry has come over the years. Virginia currently has the fifth-largest number of wineries of any state, with more than 250. Virginia has seven official "AVAs," or American Viticultural Areas. AVAs are "sub-regions" within a particular area or state. They are

Here in the U.S., Virginia is often considered to be "First in Wine." Early American history shows that the first settlers in Jamestown attempted to make their own homemade wine in the early 1600s. However, the European varietals of grapes that they used were highly susceptible to Phylloxera (at the time, an unknown pest), as well as new diseases in the new environment.

 

Then, most famously, in the late 1700s, Thomas Jefferson attempted for more than 30 years to grow European grapes in hopes of realizing the promise of Virginia fine wines. However, his experiments at Monticello Vineyards never produced so much as a bottle of wine. He was not alone, either: George Washington had nothing to show after 11 years of attempts at Mount Vernon.

 

Some progress was made in the 1820s, making wines from Virginia's native grape, Virginia Norton. It eventually became a huge success as a Virginia Norton was named "Best Red Wine of All Nations" at the 1873 Vienna World Fair. It followed with more success, winning awards and medals around the world. But the early 1900s brought this success to a screeching halt with the onset of prohibition.

 

The wine industry was slow to bounce back, taking until the 1950s before plantings of vinifera (European grapes) showed promise. Then in the 1970s, the first handful of wineries opened in Virginia. The industry was led by Gianni Zonin, an Italian winemaking pioneer who hired Gabriele Rausse to grow and harvest vinifera grapes near Charlottesville. He helped establish Barboursville Vineyards, then helped other grape growers get started, as well. To this day, you can visit Virginia's most famous winery (Barboursville), still owned by the Zonin Family. And, if in Charlottesville, you can visit Gabriele Rausse Winery. Gabriele is, and will forever be known as "The Modern Father of the Virginia Wine Industry."

 

After 200 years, Thomas Jefferson's dream is finally coming true! By 1995 there were 46 wineries in Virginia. It grew to 107 by 2005, and stands at over 250 today.

 

That brings us back to "Virginia Wine Month." October is a great month to visit a Virginia Winery! The autumn weather is great and the leaves begin to change. No matter where in Virginia you may be, chances are, you can get to a winery inside of an hour. If you have never tasted a Virginia wine, I highly recommend that you give it a try. And, if you have not tried one in awhile, give it a try again-Virginia has come a long way in just the last few years. Virginia truly has some world-class wines.

 

Most of you likely know the iconic state ad, "Virginia is for Lovers." However in October it's known as "Virginia is for WINE Lovers"!