WHAT GROWS

Part I. Environment.  February 16, 2024

Virginia’s climate is incredibly varied – from the shores of the Atlantic through the Piedmont to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Growing climate can hold a great deal of moisture and humidity, calling for relatively hardy varietals.  Overall, Virginia tends to be warm and hospitable, with fewer harsh swings from cold winter snaps to blazing summer heat waves, allow a wide range of grapes to be grown.  Rainfall and humidity are characteristic elements, with four distinct precipitation areas ranging from 39 to 45 inches of rain per year on average.  https://daily.sevenfifty.com/regions/virginia-wine/

The geology in Virginia is quite diverse.  The Commonwealth is home to five major geologic regions that range from zero to 5,729 feet in elevation with soil parent material that rages from sedimentary to metamorphic rock.  West of the Blue Ridge, sandstone and limestone are most prevalent in Virginia’s inland regions.  Metamorphic rock and ancient volcanic soils dominate in the central Blue Ridge and Piedmont, with more sandstone and shale in the former compared to Piedmont’s concentration of gneiss, schist, and greenstone.  Clay and sand predominate in the plains going toward the sea. 

Growing latitudes range from 36 to 39 degrees, roughly the same as Napa and Sonoma counties in California.  Climatic conditions vary from inland plateaus, through the Blue Ridge, to maritime shores.  Virginia is blessed with many rolling hills which are ideal for drainage from frequent rains.  See, Climate Change section.  Rain followed by heat can bring sour rot.  A choice of Petit Manseng, with thick skins and loose clusters, is less susceptible to rot than Riesling, which has thin skins and tight clusters. 

According to the Virginia Wine Vision strategic plan published in March 2022, Virginia has over 4,300 acres of vines.  See, https://vaw-public-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/6ce1d5929155bb45b3c80bb8560a9b35.pdf.  This is an increase of 14% over 2015.  See, 2021 Virginia Commercial Grape Report, accessed at https://vaw-public-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/bb055b2fe3306bf86a3111cc5ab60580.pdf.  There are over 10,000 tons of grapes being harvested from 473 active vineyards, according to the Virginia Vintner's Association.  See, Linda Jones McKee, Update on Growing Grapes in Virginia, May 19, 2022 accessed at https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/258908.  This places Virginia in the top ten largest states in terms of wine grape production.  Virginia Wine Month Proclamations - October 15, 2021 and October 1, 2020.  The 2021 Virginia Commercial Grape Production Report (May-June 2022) showed over 3,800 acres bearing and over 500 acres non-bearing (that is, plants under three years).  Most grapes are grown in Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley.  With only 4,300 acres under vine to supply more than 306 wineries, there is a situation of more demand than supply – contributing to higher prices for Virginia wine.  By comparison, Napa Valley alone has more than 43,000 acres of vines to supply 375 wineries in that county, alone.

The Virginia Wine Marketing Office (Virginiawine.org) lists some 24 varietals grown in Virginia.  https://www.virginiawine.org/varietals  While this is incomplete, and misses some varietals like Saperavi and Carmenere, and others, I would recommend this listing over the one featured by the VABC which fails to mention a number of varieties – such as Tannat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir, to name just a few.  The VABC site also lists grapes like Niagara and Concord, which are not seen often in Virginia (although Wilderness Run has both, for example). https://www.abc.virginia.gov/products/product-knowledge/buying-guide-wine  Of the 24 varietals, the vast majority are Vitis vinifera grapes, with one Vitis aestivalis (Norton - see below) and a few hybrids like Traminette and Chambourcin.  According to the 2022 Commercial Grape Report, 82% of wine grapes planted in Virginia are vinifera grapes and only 14% hybrids. Vidal Banc and Chambourcin are to two most planted hybrids.

Some Particular Grapes (October 2, 2024):

I am not going to go into much here on the different varietals.  Every wine writer has their own set of descriptors and attempts to relate a grape to some non-grape thing (e.g., Tempranillo being "leathery, like Johnny Depp's perfume," whatever that means.  See, Meyer, Welcome to Wine, 2020) page 73.)  But here are a couple of important Virginia grapes for you:

    At the May 2022 Virginia Vintner's Association technical meeting, it was announced that Cabernet Franc is now the most widely planted grape in Virginia - ending Chardonnay's 40 year reign as the most widely grown grape in the Commonwealth.  See, Linda Jones McKee, Update on Growing Grapes in Virginia, May 19, 2022 accessed at https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/258908.  Maybe this is a result of global warming, which tends to favor reds - or maybe it signals a shift in consumer preferences. Cabernet Franc is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a child of Cab Franc after all, but is lighter bodied, lighter colored and less tannic than Cab Sav and hardier in the cold.  People associate aromas of gravel, and wood pencil shavings (Jancis Robinson), bell pepper and chili pepper (me).  Ms Robinson also characterizes Virginia Cab Francs as lean and elegant "with gentle herbal notes and palate-cleansing acidity."  J. Robinson and L. Murphy, American Wine, 2013, page 233.  It is also associated with a vegetative or green pepper taste, which is often found where it is offered as a non-blend varietal in the Loire Valley of France.  In Virginia, the trend has been away from that vegetative taste.

    Virginia has a "State grape" - Viognier (vee-yawn-yea) - so-designated by the Virginia Wine Board in 2011.  "Virginia is for Viognier Lovers."  I associate Viognier with intense floral aromas and generally a dry silky style - like a white Pinot Noir.  It has done well in Virginia and is grown few other places outside of a couple of French appellations, like the Loire and Rhone valleys.  Jancis Robnson says that Virginia Viognier is "lighter and less unctuous" than Viognier from northern Rhone.  See, American Wine page 234.  Thanks to Dennis Horton for introducing Viognier in the 1990's.  It shares some of Chardonnay's vulnerability to spring frosts and colder weather.  I'm always trying to push Kim to Viognier instead of Chardonnay with little success.  Some sources report some growers feel that the designation in 2011 was premature and that Petit Manseng may be the more better choice.  See,  https://www.virginiawineguide.net/viognier.  (Maybe I should try Albarino.)

    Another Virginia grape is Norton, developed in the early 19th Century by Dr. Daniel Norton of Richmond.  When Missouri became the Napa Valley of the 19th Century U.S. wine industry, it was because of Norton, which is today Missouri's state grape. Norton is making a comeback in Virginia, led with nearly religious fervor by Jenny McCloud of Chrysalis Vineyard.  I have found that Chrysalis has had a hand in most Nortons on offer in tasting rooms in the state.  Norton makes one of the best non-vinifera red wines, tending to be bold and jammy in a "classic" presentation, but also available in dry and rosé and other manifestations.

    For its part, Chardonnay, while it is highly adaptable to different sites, is also highly susceptible to many diseases, and it demonstrates a very early bud break in spring which can predispose the variety to frost injury. This weakness was apparent in the spring of 2020, owing to a warmer than average March, followed by a cool April and early May punctuated by sub-freezing events that resulted in frost damage across the Commonwealth. See, https://www.arec.vaes.vt.edu/arec/alson-h-smith/arec-updates/varietyevaluation.html, accessed August 11, 2021.  The 2023 Commercial Grape Report showed that with the 2023 harvest, Merlot and Petit Verdot had surpassed Chardonnay in total acreage.

The 2023 Commercial Grape report also showed that Vitis vinifera grapes were by far the most planted grapes in Virginia.  In addition to these any other common grape varietals, you may see references to ENTAV, an agency of the French Ministry of Agriculture that manages and accredits all grape clones for their industry and for sale.  A clone is a genetic mutation of a mother plant.  Since grapevines naturally mutate over time, such an agency, or the Foundation Plant Services (FPS) at U.C. Davis (for the California industry), is useful to authenticate and accredit plant material so growers know what they are buying an planting.  Boxwood Winery, for example shows it is planting Merlot 181 and Malbec 595 ENTAV clones.  These designations indicate that the French agency stands behind those varietal designations.   

Besides Vitis vinifera grapes, Virginia vintners also grow hybrids, which are grapes bred from two or more grape species, typically to take advantage of disease or pest resistance or weather extremes.  Thus, the most widely planted hybrid in Virginia, Chambourcin, is bred from Vitis labrusca, V. riparia, V. rupestris, and other Vitis species including vinifera.  Chambourcin was released in 1963 and is resistant to fungal disease.  It makes a floral, sometimes jammy wine.

Part II  AVA’s.   October 21, 2021

AVAs.  The American Viticultural Area, or AVA is a specific type of appellation of origin used on wine labels in the U.S.  An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. 27 CFR §4.25(e).  Using an AVA designation on a wine label allows vintners to describe more accurately the origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers identify wines they may purchase.  AVA’s are established after a formal rulemaking procedure by TTB.  Unlike appellations in Europe, AVA’s describe a geographic area but do not further regulate what kind of grapes may be grown, or the viticultural or winemaking techniques that are authorized. 

As of October, 2021, Virginia has been granted nine AVA’s, of which two straddle other states. 

 - Middleburg Virginia AVA

- Monticello AVA

- North Fork of Roanoke AVA

- Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA

- Rocky Knob AVA

- Virginia's Eastern Shore AVA

- Virginia Peninsula AVA

- Shenandoah Valley AVA (shared with West Virginia)

- Appalachian High Country AVA (shared with North Carolina and Tennessee)

The newest AVA is Virginia Peninsula, proposed by Williamsburg Winery for the Williamsburg and New Kent County area. It was granted by the TTB in August 2021.

Some of these AVAs are large – like Shenandoah and some are tiny like Rocky Knob.  TTB has an interactive AVA map showing AVAs nationally, including in Virginia.  The Regional Guides from the Virginia Wine Marketing Board conveniently show the AVAs superimposed on the winery locations for each.  By my count, the Monticello AVA has the most vineyards and wineries at over 40, followed by Shenandoah with over 30, and Middleburg with around 30.

Here is a list of the Virginia AVA’s and their official sources.  The Federal Register (FR) references contain detail descriptions of soil and climate as well as the official boundaries of the geographic areas.

 

AVA	Year Est.	Fed Register	Final Meets and Bounds 27 CFR	Sponsor Winery
Shenandoah Valley (shared with West Virginia)	1982	47 FR 57696 (12/28/82)	9.60	Shenandoah
Rocky Knob	1983	48 FR 1291 (1/12/83) 52 FR 5957 (2/27/87 76 FR 5477 (2/1/2011)	9.43	Woolwine (Cht Morrissette)
North Fork of the Roanoke	1983	48 FR 16248 (4/15/83) 52 FR 5958 (2/27/87)	9.65	MJC Vineyard
Monticello	1984	49 FR 2757 (1/23/84) 83 FR 64274 (12/14/2018)	9.48	Group Petition
Northern Neck Washington’s  Birthplace	1987	52 FR 13079 (4/21/1987)	9.109	Ingleside
Virginia’s Eastern Shore	1991	56 FR 23 (1/2/91)	9.135	Accomack
Middleburg	2012	77 FR 56548 (9/13/2012)	9.225	Boxwood
Appalachian High Country (Shared with Tennessee and North Carolina)	2016	81 FR 74677 (10/27/2016)	9.260	Bethel Valley (NC)
Virginia Peninsula	2021	86 FR 47380 (8/25/2021)	9.279	Williamsburg

Part III   Virginia Vintages  December 19 2022

I have not tried to analyze past growing seasons and harvests to categorize whether a vintage year was great, good, average, or bad in Virginia.  Contemporaneous anecdotal news reports may say that conditions were favorable or not favorable and attribute qualities at that early point.  It is always good to hear assessments from specific wineries, but you have to keep in mind that wine does change over time and may shift from those initial pronouncements.  For example, reports indicate that 2019 was a great weather year in Virginia.  See, Kevin Ambrose, “’The Best Vintage I have Experienced in Virginia’: Weather in 2019 Made for Wonderful Wine,” January 23, 2020, Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/01/23/virginia-wine-weather-2019/  accessed June 3, 2021.  By contrast, 2018 featured excessive rain, in some places from flowering through harvest.  One might expect that grapes harvested amidst heavy rainfall would produce thin and flat wines.  Grayson Poats of Valley Road Vineyards, writing in Grape Press, Winter 2021, accessed at https://virginiavineyardsassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GrapePress_Winter2021.pdf, observes that between 2015 and 2021, the growing seasons in Virginia have had a pattern of odd-numbered years producing above average to excellent vintages with the even-numbered years being less than stellar.  This is not a hard rule, of course, as I understand that for most the 2022 harvest was good.  “Virginia does not enjoy the kind of cookie-cutter weather of some regions, where one year differs very little from others. The quality of our wines has always been very vintage driven.”  This may translate into poor wine selection.  For example, the 2022 Virginia Governor's Cup competition shows 556 wines receiving gold, silver, or bronze medals. Deleting entries for cideries or meaderies, only 25 of these wines came from the 2018 vintage, compared to 69 from 2017 and 299 from 2019.  Mr. Poats agrees, however, that to some extent bad weather might be offset by the application of winemaking technologies, such as the use of specific yeasts to change the palate, use of additives to adjust the color, or even reverse osmosis to control alcohol levels.  Thus, blanket statements about a particular vintage year have limited usefulness.  For instance saying that the 2019 Virginia vintage was "like California" or that the 2020 was "like Bordeaux" are quite misleading, especially considering all of Virginia's microclimates and inconsistent weather.  Better to keep your mind open to surprise as surprise will generally be on the welcome side rather than a disappointment.  (Question whether much could be done with the horrible 2011 season, which began with freezing temperatures, and in August, first Hurricane Irene, then Tropical Storm Lee, then five days of low-pressure rain in September or the 2018 season for that matter.)    In this, I am following the discussion of vintage in Karen MacNeil’s Wine Bible, 3rd Edition (2022).  If you want to delve into an objective expert treatment of harvest conditions, consider reading the Virginia Commercial Grape Report, released each spring for the preceding harvest year, or Grape Press magazine produced quarterly by the Virginia Vineyards Association.    You can find the Commercial Grape Reports under Virginiawine.org.  https://www.virginiawine.org/resources?category=1 

Vintages are good for determining whether your wine may have passed its drinkability window.  Most wines in the U.S. are designed to be consumed within three to five years of production.  Except for wines that are meant to  be aged or laid-down, drinking wines more than five years old increases the chance that they have lost something of their character.

Part IV  Climate Change. July 15, 2023

I would be remiss if I did not mention the treat to Virginia viticulture from climate change.  We have to remember that wine is an agricultural product and the end result we taste in tasting rooms and at dinner tables is won by hard work in the vineyards.  While grapes for lower quality “table wine” or “jug wine” can be grown across nearly all climate ranges, premium wine grapes can only be grown in places that support a delicate balance of heat and precipitation. Globally, wine grapes are grown in areas where the average growing season temperature (spring through fall) occurs within a narrow range of 18°F. For some grapes, such as pinot noir, the average temperature range is a much narrower 3.6°F.

Since 1970, the United States has seen the average temperature increase by two degrees Fahrenheit during the typical grape growing season of April through October.  In Virginia, the increase is slightly more – between two and three degrees.

On the one hand this could lead growers to change the kind of grapes they grow, from Chardonnay, for instance, to Merlot, which is capable of growing in a warmer range. Mike Canny at 50 West Vineyards says that climate change favors red wine production.  The Virginia wine industry is researching different kinds of grapes that may grow better in the changing environment.  The Virginia Wine Board is researching development of new grape varieties that will ripen well in the changing climate and be ore disease resistant.  Virginia Tech is also experimenting with new grape varieties at its experimental vineyard.  It may be a positive that Virginia wine drinkers are used to the introduction of less familiar grape varieties and will be more accepting of change than more hidebound regions. 

Consistently higher temperatures could also force growers to move to cooler climates or higher elevations.  Researchers found that extreme heat in the growing season due to climate change could reduce areas that are currently capable of producing premium grapes by 50%. Another study found that areas suitable for viticulture globally will decrease by 19% to 62% in major wine producing regions by 2050.  Virginia vineyards could be forced to move to cooler parts of the Commonwealth and higher elevations or out of Virginia altogether.

Another aspect of climate change is a wetter environment in the mid-Atlantic region.  According to the 2020 Harvest Report, the Atlantic produced 30 named tropical storms in 2020, 13 of which
reached hurricane strength, and 10 of which brought rain and, in some cases, tornadoes to Virginia. Most of this precipitation fell in the southern Piedmont and southeast Virginia. Richmond saw over 14 inches of rain from Isaiah in early August 2020 (while the far southwest and northern Shenandoah Valley remained relatively dry).  There was also flooding in Virginia from Hurricane Ida in 2021.

Warmer temperatures and wetter environments increase the likelihood of grape insect pests.  They might live longer and range further north if colder winters do not control them.  There is also a higher incidence of rot.  Extreme weather events like unexpected frosts, hail, heat waves, flooding, and drought can destroy crops.  Another impact of climate change is the presence of “smoke taint” from wildfires in the western United States.  This has been detected in Virginia wines.  Unfortunately, no food pairs well with smoke tainted wine.

These disturbing trends need to be watched closely.  It would be sad to drive to a favorite winery only to find it has relocated to Vermont!

Reacting to climate change awareness, the winery industry is increasingly using organic and sustainable practices to protect the environment, preserve the soil and reduce its carbon footprint.  The National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture promotes such practices by certifying wines as "USDA Organic." 7 CFR Part 205.  Grapes are grown without synthetic fertilizers. Yeast must be organic,  No added sulfates; restrictions on introduction of non-organic articles.  [I wonder if use of lighter wine bottles may also be promoted as lighter bottles means less carbon in transportation.] Separately, wine labeled as "made from organic grapes" must be 100% made from grapes grown using organic practices.  An Organic label or a label supported by third party groups (e.g., "B Corporation" (social responsibility) or "Regenerative Organic Certified" (net positive goal for carbon emissions)) is a valuable marketing asset in today's socially conscious world.  Unfortunately, these certifications come with added expense and paperwork which may be difficult for many smaller operations to afford.  Further, growing grapes in a higher risk area like Virginia may lead some growers and producers to keep non-organic methods available to combat pests, mold, and other threats to the harvest.  It is a positive development, however, that most growing grapes and producing wine is trending toward more sustainable, environmentally friendly practices, even if the wines are not so labeled. 

[Material for this segment was taken from Climate Central, “Climate Change and Wine,” September 29, 2021, accessed at https://medialibrary.climatecentral.org/resources/climate-change-wine; Justin McKee, “How Climate Change Could Afffect Virginia’s Wineries,” October 4, 2021, accessed at https://www.wsls.com/weather/2021/10/04/heres-something-to-wine-about-climate-change-could-affect-virginias-wineries/;  and the 2020 Harvest Report, April 2021, accessed at https://vaw-public-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cc2925d2f4a9baba214d2ab8588097d9.pdf; B. Zoecklein, “What to Know About Climate Change,”  33 Grape Press (Virginia Vineyards Association)(Winter 2017) page 8 ff, https://virginiavineyardsassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/WINTERGRAPEPRESS2017.pdf   Actually, the Virginia Vineyards Association has posted a number of articles on handling climate change and extreme weather over the years.  Also used was Organic 101:Organic Wine, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/01/08/organic-101-organic-wine,accessed April 20, 2022. Also, consider the podcast from WTOP-News on Virginia Wine Board efforts at (October 14, 2022) https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/10/climate-change-pushes-virginia-wine-makers-to-experiment-with-heartier-grapes/ accessed on July 15, 2023.