Yes, Virginia, There is a Wine Country
By Robert P. Farmer
It’s not uncommon anymore to travel the world and find “wine country” wherever
you go. As wine and its appreciation has grown in prominence and
popularity, so too has the industry designed to serve it. These days, grapes
are planted with breakneck frequency and wine producers are taking root
in regions previously better known for corn and wheat.
For good or ill,
there are wines coming from all parts of the globe. But not all
wine regions are created equally. While some are well known, others have
reputations still sung by only a few lucky erudite. And some of the lesser-known
regions are deserving of mention alongside the names of the great wine-producing
regions of the United States.
Few such regions are as noteworthy or ambitious as Virginia.
Though
its winemaking history dates back some 400 years and even claims
Thomas Jefferson among its early practitioners, Virginia is only
recently making headlines among wine lovers nationwide. After a near complete
shutdown following prohibition, the industry has rebounded steadily to
now claim nearly 120 wineries statewide. That’s up from just six
wineries as recently as 1979.
Producing beautiful chardonnay, rich cabernet,
and charismatic cab franc, and delightful sweet wines, Virginia
has caught the attention of wine aficionados throughout the States.
In fact, a recent Travel Industry Association study ranked Virginia 8th
in the United States for wine-related travel. Virginia is also
fifth in the nation for number of wine producers in a state. And Virginia-made
wines continue to garner accolades, including a “Best of Show”
ranking in a California competition.
The wine country itself traverses
the state, marked by picturesque wine trails that stitch the
landscape together. Working together to promote the industry, all
wineries are open to the public and are recognizable from the road with
the telltale Virginia Wine Tour grape-bunch sign. There are five primary
wine regions in Virginia, each marked by distinct characteristics in terrain,
climate, and varietals.
Nearest Washington DC is the Northern Virginia
growing region, where a vast collection of wineries welcome visitors
to the state—the majority of Virginia’s winemakers are found here.
The adjacent Shenandoah Valley is well known for its postcard
views and increasingly known for its variety of viticulture.
In the Central Region, where Thomas Jefferson made wine once upon
a time, there are more than 20 wineries. Eastern Virginia is
a popular draw among visitors from the DC area thanks to its easy
access from the DC area. And in Southwestern Virginia, the wineries
along the scenic Blue Ridge Wine Trail are fast making a name
for themselves.
Yes, it seems that in Virginia’s wine country, the
future looks ripe. But it hasn’t been all bumper crops and blue
ribbons. Indeed Virginia’s wine industry still struggles with
what some might call growing pains, others might call pains in
the you-know-what. Primarily, the hurdles are of the legal variety. The
issues are many, and their favorable resolution could have a major impact
on the state’s wine industry and its ability to expand. Among
the legislative concerns currently facing the wine industry are
issues dealing with self-distribution, direct shipping to customers,
wholesaling, and land use.
Without venturing too deeply into the
Byzantine language of it all, the good news is the industry continues
to chip away at the obstacles. Through the mobilization efforts
of the Virginia Wine Association, the industry has enjoyed recent legislative
success with matters of land use restrictions, consumer deliveries,
and wholesaling. With an uproarious grassroots approach and
a bumper-sticker slogan of “Save Virginia Wines,” volunteers
have reached out to state lawmakers urging them to pass legislation
that will ensure Virginia’s wine industry it able to reach
maximum yield. As recently as this February, panels in the Virginia
House and Senate approved legislation to restore a measure of self-distribution
to small Virginia wineries, effectively allowing them to distribute
through the state up to 3,000 cases per year.
Of course, there’s
much more to come, so stay tuned. This is no doubt an interesting
time in the long history of Virginia wine country—from both a wine and an
industry standpoint. But what I love about it is, at a time when the nation
is fixated on politics at a presidential level, Virginia is knee-deep
in statewide battle over wine. You gotta love the priorities.
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Yes,
Virginia, There is a Wine Country 