Do you feel something in the air? That’s right. Harvest is upon us!
Wineries across the state are making the big decision to pull the trigger and harvest earlier-ripening varietals like Chardonnay, Viognier, Albariño, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Early Mountain Vineyards is calling it the earliest harvest in their winery's history. King Family Vineyards in Crozet is about to pick their Chardonnay.
(Merlot, Cabernet Franc and others won’t come till later.)
At the same time, the entire industry is coming together for its movie moment: On August 18, We The Wine People — a documentary following Virginia winemakers through the 2025 growing season — has its premiere in D.C..
Ahead of the screening, film director Chrisa Giorgi and nonprofit Vin Vitalité are hosting a silent auction with some truly amazing wine experiences.
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: A collaborative dinner at Bluemont, BBQ & Bluegrass at Breaux, a Virginia vs. Burgundy blind tasting, and more
🍾 Bottle of the Week: Ingleside Vineyards 2024 Albaríño
🏆 Awards: Accordia named to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year, and Davio's earns Wine Spectator recognition
🍷 New Releases: Cana releases two Albariños, Greenhill's 2024 Viognier and Chrysalis’ Norton Block 8.1 from 2019.
🌱 Behind the Scenes: Loudoun announces a three-day fall trade tasting series; veraison updates from Arterra, Afton Mountain, and Linden
💰 Deals: A silent auction and Wisdom Oak’s closing inventory sale
Events
This Week (August 5 – 12):
Magic on the Mountain: Bluemont Vineyard in Bluemont is hosting a collaborative dinner on August 7 bringing together winemakers from October One Vineyard, Walsh Family Wine, and Lost Creek Winery.
Pinot Noir vertical tasting: If any Virginia winery has figured out Pinot Noir, it's Ankida Ridge Vineyards in Amherst. Once a year they pull back the library for a five-year Pinot Noir vertical, and August 8 is that night.
BBQ & Bluegrass at Breaux: Breaux Vineyards is hosting their annual BBQ & Bluegrass on August 8 — live Virginia bluegrass, smoked barbecue, and estate wines. Free admission.
Virginia vs. Burgundy blind tasting: Michael Shaps Wineworks is hosting a seated blind tasting on August 9 — four flights of twelve wines pitting Virginia against French benchmarks.
Next Week (August 12–19):
Sauvignon Blanc vertical tasting: Revalation Vineyards is hosting a three-vintage Sauvignon Blanc vertical on August 15 alongside pours from France and New Zealand.
Jazz in the Courtyard: Ingleside Vineyards in Colonial Beach is bringing back their evening concert series with the Tina Hashemi Quartet on August 15.
Wine Library Tasting at Gray Ghost: Gray Ghost Vineyards in Amissville is hosting a Wine Library Tasting on August 16 led by founder Al Kellert — a deep dive through 2002 and 2012 Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the library.
Farm to Table Harvest Dinner: DuCard Vineyards in Etlan is hosting their annual Farm to Table Harvest Dinner on August 16, featuring a locally sourced dinner under the Blue Ridge in the winery pavilion, benefiting the Madison County 4-H and County Fair.
Bar Takeover: Walsh Family Wine in Purcellville is hosting a Bar Takeover on August 14. Four boutique producers will be pouring their small-batch wines. It’s a true evening for wine nerds.
Bottle of the Week
Ingleside Vineyards — 2024 Albaríño
Virginia • Albaríño • $32.95
Why it’s here
It’s International Albaríño Day, and Virginia keeps proving this is one of the grapes that genuinely thrives here. Ingleside Vineyards drew from three estate sites in Colonial Beach — including vines over a decade old — for this 214-case bottling, fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel. It took Double Gold at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. And if you’re heading to Ingleside’s Jazz in the Courtyard on August 15, this is exactly what you’ll want in your glass.
Tasting notes
🍑 Stone fruit • 🍊 Citrus • 🌊 Saline minerality • ✨ Bright acidity
Awards & Reviews
Accordia named to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year: Accordia Natural Wine Bar in Staunton was named to USA TODAY's Bars of the Year 2026 list, via the Staunton News Leader.
Davio's earns Wine Spectator Award of Excellence: Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse in Reston received the Wine Spectator 2026 Award of Excellence, via Patch.
New Releases
Cana Vineyards releases two Albaríños: Cana Vineyards is marking International Albariño Day with two releases from winemaker Melanie Natoli. The 2025 Albariño is the livelier of the pair and took Double Gold and 96 points at the International Women's Wine Competition. The 2023 Albariño Reserve spent 15 months sur lie.
Greenhill 2024 Viognier: Greenhill Vineyards has released their 2024 Viognier from Block 5 — stainless steel fermented, then 8 months in neutral French oak. A restrained take on a variety that Virginia can easily over-oak.
Chrysalis Norton Block 8.1 (2019) arrives in tasting room: Chrysalis Vineyards has brought their Norton Block 8.1 from the 2019 vintage into the tasting room — a single-block Norton that's had time to develop.
Behind the Scenes
Loudoun's fall trade tasting series: Thirteen Loudoun wineries are running a three-day trade program September 20–22 ahead of Virginia Wine Month.
Veraison at Afton Mountain: Afton Mountain Vineyards in Afton reports Cabernet Franc in veraison with a lighter harvest expected this season from ongoing weather pressures.
Arterra closes in on organic certification: Two years into organic operations, Arterra Wines in Delaplane is monitoring Albariño veraison and on track for full Baystate Organic certification in August 2027.
Veraison at Linden: After frost, heat, drizzle, and wildfire smoke, Linden Vineyards reports the vines look surprisingly healthy as ripening begins. Yields are down, but the team is cautiously optimistic.
Deals & Promotions
Wisdom Oak closing inventory sale: After selling the winery earlier this year, Wisdom Oak Winery in Charlottesville is clearing the cellar. Discounts of 30–80% are already applied across current and library vintages on their website, with an additional 10% off automatically applied at 12 bottles or more.
Silent auction at We The Wine People: The We The Wine People silent auction closes August 18 at 7pm. Standout lots are lunch at Barboursville's Palladio + Octagon vertical with Luca Paschina and a private tour and tasting at Lost Mountain. Proceeds benefit Vin Vitalité's scholarship fund for women in wine.