It's been called the birthplace of American wine, thanks to Thomas Jefferson. Like so many distinctions in American heritage, the Monticello AVA wine region in Virginia has Jefferson's fingerprints all over it and it's one of this summer's most exciting wine-tasting destinations.
"We could, in the United States, make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe," wrote Jefferson in 1808, "not exactly of the same kinds, but doubtless as good." During his time in France from 1784 to 1789 he developed a nearly obsessive taste (one he called a "pressing need" in a letter) for European wine, which, upon his return to America, he addressed with constant shipments from the old world and later, with an attempt to grow his own European grapes on his Virginia estate, Monticello.
History proves that his efforts weren't successful in his time, but in true Jefferson fashion, he's left practical inspiration for the rest of us. Virginia's first and perhaps best-known wine region, Monticello AVA, is comprised of 33 wineries—all within driving distance of Charlottesville—offering new world and old world varieties. Set in a soothing and beautiful environment on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
Each year Virginia Wine holds the esteemed Governor's Cup, a competition judged by 18 expert tasters who score the wine on a 100-point scale. In 2018, 440 wines from 100 wineries entered the ring—11 Monticello AVA wineries were awarded, including the overall winner, King Family Vineyards, for their 2014 Meritage, a Bordeaux-variety blend.
Plan a summer trip around highlights of the competition. Each of these wineries is 20 miles or less from Charlottesville, open to the public for tastings and has multiple Governor's Cup wins:
King Family Vineyards is a grand place to start. Located in rural Crozet, King Family has a superb view of the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills from their plush grounds, which encompass a wedding-photo-worthy tasting room and expansive polo fields. The Vineyard and Winery Tour is particularly robust and well-led, worth the $20/person fee. Try the Meritage, but don't forget their Merlot-based rosé, 2017 Crosé. It sells out fast because it is perfect to enjoy on the tasting patio.