Virginia wine country centers on the Monticello area around Charlottesville, where Thomas Jefferson first dreamed of rivaling Old World wines and where more than 300 wineries now make Virginia one of the top wine-producing states in the country. Base yourself in Charlottesville for Blue Ridge foothill tasting rooms an easy two hours from Washington, D.C.
The Monticello AVA, established in 1984 and named for Jefferson’s estate, is the heart of it — a Piedmont landscape of granite-based clay-loam soils where Viognier (designated Virginia’s signature grape in 2011), Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Petit Manseng thrive.
Desert Rose Ranch and Winery
Desert Rose Ranch and Winery is a pleasant little western-themed outpost farther out in Hume, Virginia. A quaint tasting room is decorated with foreign currency and tokens from the owner’s many travels abroad. Enjoy a ...
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Wineries to visit
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Pair tastings with a visit to Jefferson’s Monticello — the historic heart of the AVA — and follow the Monticello Wine Trail, whose wineries all lie within 25 miles of Charlottesville in the Blue Ridge foothills. Fall, during harvest, brings crush-season activity and Blue Ridge foliage.
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Wineries to Visit in Virginia
- Barboursville Vineyards (Barboursville) — established 1976 by Italy’s Zonin family, a catalyst for the modern industry, known for its flagship Octagon Bordeaux blend amid Jefferson-designed mansion ruins.
- King Family Vineyards (Crozet) — family-owned since 1998, known for its Meritage program and Sunday polo matches near Charlottesville.
- Early Mountain Vineyards (Madison) — premium reds and an award-winning tasting room with a local-produce culinary program.
- Veritas Vineyard & Winery (Afton) — a long-established estate with The Farmhouse restaurant on the Nelson 151 trail.