7 minute read
Exploring Virginia Wines
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Winemaking takes a lot of science, a good bit of artistic creativity and, although many don’t like to talk about it, a fair amount of challenging business sense. And it’s all based on the fruit that the winery grows or can buy and turning that into wines that the customers will buy. In an ideal winemaking world customers would buy all the wine the winemaker makes, and the winemaker would be able to grow and use all of the grapes they need. But that’s not realistic. Many times, more grapes grow of a certain variety than the customers are buying, so the winemaker needs to find a home for the grapes they don’t need. Buying and selling grapes at harvest time is an important part of the business of a winemaker. Later in the process, they can sell off excess wine after their own blends are made, or purchase someone else’s excess to use.
Sometimes, a winemaker tries to get creative with the extra grapes, making new styles of wines or blends in order to utilize that fruit: what can I make from what I have extra of and can I repeat that style of wine in the future? Chambourcin, for example, is a grape that grows very well in our region and I usually have more grapes than I need for our dry Chambourcin. We sell a fair amount of the grapes to another local winery for their Rosé, I started making our Paco Rojo, a Chambourcinbased blend, about 10 years ago and it is now one of our best selling wines, and recently I started making a sparkling wine out of this grape as well. Having some extra wine in the cellar can add to my creative abilities as a consulting winemaker for other wineries, too. Many wineries start up without an established vineyard to produce enough for their market—having a little extra to play with helps me help them.
Some wines are true expressions of the place where the grapes were grown, actually showing the unique soil conditions and climate through the wine characteristics in the glass. Other wines are made to fill a market from the grapes available in a region. They are both important products, but clearly different. Some wineries may sell off anything that does not fit the upper tier for their label. In many cases, though, wineries need both in order to make their business sustainable, and create more approachable wines to utilize all the grapes in a positive way. You might refer to these wines as “Tuesday wines” while winemakers may think of them as “Chateau de Cashflow.” That’s not a bad thing: if a wine is balanced in taste, stable in its science, and fills a place with the consumer, we are glad to see it being made. Hopefully, understanding the winemaker’s goals will help you connect better with the wine, whether it’s one of those beautiful special occasion wines or an easy, any day of the week wine. Remember, your patronage is what makes it possible for wineries to continue making the best they can from their land, so be sure to savor and enjoy each wine you purchase.
since 1983 when she and her husband Dennis founded Horton Vineyards. Sharon also realizes winemaking is a group effort, which is why when Horton won the Virginia’s Governor’s Cup in 2019 she had her team join her on stage to accept the award.
Horton’s history tells the story of Virginia wine. There were only a handful of wineries in the entire state when they started. But four decades later, Virginia has almost 4,000 acres of vines planted, making it the 8th largest wine producer in the US.
Yet Horton’s impact on Virginia wine isn’t about how much they’ve planted, but rather what they’ve planted. When the Hortons first started, most vineyards were planting popular but fragile vines because that was what the market wanted – despite these grapes often not holding up to Virginia’s climate. Alternatively, many vineyards turned to hybrid grapes that were hardy but lacked the same market appeal. It was Dennis who pioneered a 3rd option.
His solution was to experiment in the vineyard until he discovered what varieties worked best and explored new farming practices to improve their longevity. The Hortons were the first to plant Albariño, Norton, Pinotage and Viognier, some of which now rank among the most widely planted grapes in the state.
Horton and Chrysalis Vineyards were also the first to plant Petit Manseng, which many experts now herald as one of Virginia’s most promising wines. If that wasn’t enough, the Hortons planted Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Malbec, Marsanne, and a host of other grapes rarely seen here, to the point where they manage one of the most diverse groups of vineyards in Virginia.
Although she grew up on a farm, Sharon got into winegrowing the traditional Virginia way... by accident. While she is a trained nurse by profession, operating her vineyard became a full time job once things got rolling. Top: Horton Vineyards grapes in bin Right: Sharon Horton of Horton Vineyards. Left: Horton Vineyards red grapes.
Q: How did you get involved in viticulture?
A: Although we had a vineyard manager when Dennis and I started, we were having trouble with the vineyard so Dennis asked me to step in. It wasn’t planned! We first started planting in 1983 and went commercial in 1989. I’ve been in the vineyard since almost the very beginning.
Q: What is planted at Horton Vineyards?
A: We have 67 acres and 18 varieties planted in three locations. Except for Norton and Vidal, all are vinifera (European-style grapes). The Mourvèdre and Syrah are struggling, but I love my Touriga and Viognier!
A: Weather is the biggest challenge. But also there’s lack of wine education in the state. There are a lot of customers who want wines like what’s made in California, so we have to explain that Virginia is different.
I’ve learned you need to pay attention to your plants and see what they give you. Growing grapes is like raising children – they’re all different!
Maya Hood White, Associate Winemaker and Viticulturist at Early Mountain Vineyard
pioneer who shaped Virginia wine to what it is today, I expect Maya Hood White of Early Mountain Vineyard (EMV) will raise the bar for Virginia wine in the future.
Maya first came to EMV to assist with the 2014 harvest and joined the team a year later. While her titles include ‘Associate Winemaker” and “Viticulturist”, she actually wears many hats. During our chat she emphasized the collaboration between herself, winemaker Ben Jordan, and vineyard manager Dustin Wade as a single wine growing/wine making team.
Her path to the vineyard was indirect; Maya started in the wine cellar and only gradually worked her way into viticulture. She initially laughed when asked how she got that job, claiming she previously “couldn’t keep a basil plant alive”.
Given Maya now overseas over 50 acres of vines I’m sure that was an exaggeration. That seemed especially true given how excited she was when discussing correct vineyard placement and the introduction of new varieties. Those discussions have been ongoing for decades, but climate change is giving them new importance.
Q: How did you get involved in viticulture?
A: What I love about this industry is everyone ended up here in a less traditional way. I came from Southern California; I never thought I’d stay in Virginia. But Virginia is so interesting and dynamic I ended up staying. Because Virginia is so young we’re like pioneers - always learning.
Q: What is planted at Early Mountain Vineyards?
A: I oversee around 50 acres and about a dozen varieties. We do blend some grapes from separate sites, but I try to keep each vineyard separately bottled, including our vineyard at Quaker Run and the fruit we purchase from Capstone Vineyards (near Linden).
A: It all ties back to weather. We’re also looking more closely at the plant material we use, specifically the rootstock and the scion which we use for grafting. It’s primarily the weather but other items which are interconnected, like climate and site.
Global warming is also having an impact. The earlier that people can conceptualize things are changing, the easier it will be to get on top of this now and thoughtfully plan ahead. We’re already looking at what is going to fit us 20 years down the road, including planting grapes like Petit Manseng.
Author: Matthew Fitzsimmons is a wine blogger well on his way to visiting every one of Virginia’s nearly 300 wineries. Track his progress on https:// winetrailsandwanderlust.com/.
