Caihailian Vineyard
October 26, 2025. Wine Philosophy Question #5 asks whether the grape chooses you. We are all familiar with us choosing a wine or grape that we like – for instance choosing white over red wine, or more specifically choosing Chardonnay over Sauvignon Blanc, or even more particularly, a Chardonnay from Winery A over Chardonnay from Winery B. Most of us are not familiar with a grape choosing us, but that is what happened to Bob Ramsey, the owner of Caihailian Vineyard in Roseland, Nelson County. When Bob established Caihailian (pronounced “kay-Hay-lian” and named after his three children) in 2006, he took over a vineyard already planted with Vidal Blanc, the white hybrid which is the most planted hybrid in Virginia.+ Although initially disappointed that he did not have a Chardonnay vineyard, Bob has learned to love Vidal Blanc and has managed to make a surprisingly wide spectrum of wines using only that grape. He says that the grape chose him. ...