Explore 16 Virginia wines in this wine class and tasting.
Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the historic Monticello AVA, Virginia Tech, and Thomas Jefferson’s home, was named Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2023. This recognition was the culmination of over 400 years of dogged perseverance by English settlers, zealous entrepreneurs, and American presidents, to make world-class wine in a region where imported French and Italian vines failed year after year to produce a harvest, and native grapes only produced sour, unpleasant wines. The story of Virginia viticulture reveals the quixotic struggles of man versus nature and the persistence of a dream to conquer and cultivate against all odds. Through scientific research, experimentation in the vineyard, pro-business governance, and communal solidarity, Virginia wine has evolved in the past 50 years from a regional curiosity into an international luxury.
Learn about the unique history of Virginia wine and try a wide range of varietal bottlings and Meritage blends — from the 2025 Virginia Governor's Cup-winning Vermentino Reserve from Barboursville Vineyards, to Virginia superstars Viognier and Cabernet Franc, trendy imports from Southwest France like Petit Manseng and Tannat, and the fascinating but polarizing native hybrid grape, Norton.
