Shenandoah Vineyards
July 10, 2025. Our first stop on this year’s trip to Shenandoah Valley is to the winery that started it all back in 1976, the first winery in the Valley – Shenandoah Vineyards in Edinburg. This is also the second oldest active winery in the Commonwealth. Jim and Emma Randel started the winery after relocating from New Jersey to Emma’s family property in Shenandoah County in 1974 so that Jim could recuperate from a heart attack. They began with seven and a half acres of vines in 1976. They repurposed the ground floor of an old Civil War-era barn as their production plant; its stone foundation kept a stable coolness. Upstairs they opened their tasting room to the public in 1979. The barn is still in use today although the front staircase from the main parking area is, fittingly, densely overgrown in twined grape vines. Jim Randel passed away in 1985 and left Emma to run the property on her own, which she did with great success. ...