Harvest is continuing to unfold and the story being told is consistent:
Variable weather patterns and that devastating April frost have forced winemakers to make creative calls about what to do with their early-ripening, aromatic whites.
At Bluemont Vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley, winemaker James Lovasz is combining frost-reduced lots of Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay into a single white blend rather than bottle three undersized wines separately.
After harvesting their Sauvignon Blanc, Jim Law of Linden Vineyards offered a glimpse of what the 2026 vintage could look like. In his words: “mineral, tension, refreshing and cleansing” with lower alcohol and high acidity.
As the saying goes, “pressure builds diamonds.”
Perhaps some truly exciting white wines will emerge?
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: Chef Patrick O'Connell at Early Mountain, Cab Franc tasting at Revalation, vintage cars at Merrie Mill and more.
🍾 Bottle of the Week: Fifty-Third Winery 2023 Two Springs
🍷 New Releases: DuCard’s 2023 Norton, Keswick's first carbonic Cab Franc and Revalation’s 2024 Hera.
📰 News: Virginia's ownership shift and ‘We the Wine People’ on Apple TV.
🌱 Behind the Scenes: More harvest dispatches from the field.
💰 Deals: Friday Night Out at DuCard Vineyards
Events
This Week (September 9-16):
Local Table Wine Dinner: Southwest Mountains Vineyards in Keswick is hosting a local table wine dinner on September 11. A chef-crafted dinner using local ingredients, paired with estate wines, with a cocktail hour to meet local purveyors.
Harvest and Crush tour at Linden: Linden Vineyards is opening their crush pad and cellars for guided Harvest and Crush tours every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from September 11 through October 11.
Norton MiniFest at DuCard: DuCard Vineyards in Etlan is hosting a Norton Network Mini Fest on September 12. Taste America’s oldest wine grape with pours from DuCard, Nokesville Winery, and Fifty-Third Winery.
Celebrate Cab Franc tasting: Revalation Vineyards is hosting a Virginia Cabernet Franc showcase on September 13 with six wineries pouring many different expressions of the grape across vintages.
Top Gun at Paradise Springs: Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton is bringing back their outdoor movie night on September 12. After an online vote, the movie will be… Top Gun!
Vintage British Car Show: Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard in Keswick hosts their 6th Annual Vintage British Car Show on September 13, noon to 5:30pm.
An Evening with Chef Patrick O'Connell: Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison is hosting an evening with Chef Patrick O'Connell — chef-owner of The Inn at Little Washington — on September 13. A fireside interview and reception runs from 4-6pm, followed by a five-course chef's dinner at 6:30pm.
Next Week (September 17-23):
Sangiovese Master Series: What makes Chianti so lovable? Join 50 West Vineyards in Middleburg for a deep dive into one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions on September 18 and 19.
End of Summer BBQ: Pearmund Cellars in Broad Run is hosting an End of Summer BBQ Lunch with Roger Sherman and The District Pit on September 20 at noon.
Bottle of the Week
Fifty-Third Winery — 2023 Two Springs
Monticello AVA • Red blend • $37.95
Why it’s here
Theb 2023 Two Springs is one of the top 12 wines in this year’s Governor's Cup. It’s a stunning Cabernet Franc-led blend (72.8% Cab Franc, 22.2% Merlot, 3.3% Cab Sauv, 1.7% Petit Verdot) with “suede-like tannins and a fresh acidity.” Winemaker Chelsey Blevins breaks it down here.
Tasting notes
🍑 Black plum & black raspberry • 🍓 Strawberry jam • 🌸 Dried violets • 🪵 Vanilla & earth
New Releases
DuCard 2023 Norton: DuCard Vineyards has released their 2023 Norton. Aged 10 months in French oak, it won Gold at the American Heritage Wine Competition. Available at the Norton MiniFest on September 12.
A carbonic Cab Franc: Keswick Vineyards has released their first-ever carbonic Cabernet Franc — a 2024 vintage made with the whole-cluster technique almost always reserved for lighter reds like Gamay. A genuinely interesting experiment from the Monticello AVA.
Revalation 2024 Hera: Revalation Vineyards' 2024 Hera (57% Vidal Blanc, 43% Albariño) is now available by the glass in the tasting room.
Gray Ghost 2025 Chardonnay: Gray Ghost Vineyards near Amissville has released their 2025 Chardonnay, which was fermented and aged six months in oak barrels. It’s showing tropical fruit, ripe pear, and a hint of vanilla.
Wine News
Virginia wine's ownership is shifting: Wine Trails and Wanderlust has a long read on the generational handoff underway in the state. In 2025, Virginia had more winery closings (10) than openings (3) for the first time in the modern era. A real estate agent specializing in winery sales puts it plainly: "It's a shifting of the guard, not the doomsday everyone makes it out to be."
Coming to AppleTV: ‘We the Wine People,‘ the documentary about Virginia’s wine industry by filmmaker Chris Giogi, is coming to AppleTV on September 15. Some of the biggest figures in the industry have wholeheartedly endorsed it. (I can’t wait to watch!)
Remembering Krista Foster: The current owners of North Mountain Vineyard & Winery in the Shenandoah Valley shared the news this week that Krista Foster — former owner and the person who built much of what the winery is today — has passed away.
Behind the Scenes
More updates from the field
In Loudoun County, Cana Vineyards, one of Virginia’s most-lauded producers of Albariño, started picking their grapes from Greenstone Vineyard. Like everyone else, they reported a reduced crop, but are optimistic about the quality of what remains.
Also, Ashton Creek brought in their Sauvignon Rytos, a rare hybrid between Sauvignon Blanc and Bianca.
Boxwood Estate reports only 25% of a normal crop remain after the April frost. They will only produce their crémant this vintage.
Meanwhile, the late reds are still on the vine.
In Northern Virginia, Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg is targeting their Cabernet Sauvignon for about three weeks out. Cab Sauv and Petit Verdot typically trail the early whites by six to eight weeks, meaning the fall weather window will shape how this vintage ends.
In other news:
Wound Tight on stems and texture: Corry Craighill of Wound Tight Wine explains how dried stems are used to add texture to her Sauvignon Blanc.
Deals & Promotions
Friday Night Out: DuCard Vineyards is open seven days a week through harvest month, with Friday Night Out every week, including half-price wine flights starting at 4pm.