Over the weekend, Hark Vineyards, a family-owned winery in Earlysville, won the Monticello Cup.
Their 2023 Cabernet Franc was named the Monticello Cup winner at the 34th annual Gold Medal Celebration at Boar's Head. It's the highest honor awarded among the 44 wineries of the Monticello Wine Trail.
But here’s another story you may have missed …
Last month, eight Virginia producers showed at the London Wine Fair — one of the biggest wine trade events in the world — and the reception from top UK buyers was strong. More on that in “Wine News” below.
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: July 4th celebrations, SummerSupperSomm charity dinners, and more
🍾 Bottle of the Week: Hark Vineyards — 2023 Cabernet Franc
🏆 Awards: Hark wins the Monticello Cup, Potomac Point takes gold, and 52 Virginia restaurants earn Wine Spectator recognition
🍷 New Releases: Southwest Mountains Vineyards uncorks a summer Viognier
📰 Wine News: Virginia wine impresses UK buyers and a blind tasting in Paris
💰 Deals: Walsh’s community appreciation series, July 4th packs at Bull Run, and group tastings at Boxwood
Events
This Weekend (July 3–5):
Independence Day Concert: Rosemont of Virginia is hosting an Independence Day concert and fireworks on July 3 from 5–9pm, featuring a band on the vineyard lawn and fireworks over the vines.
Crozet's 106th Independence Day Celebration: King Family Vineyards co-hosts the Crozet Independence Day Celebration on July 4. The Crozet Volunteer Fire Department leads a parade down Crozet Avenue at 5pm; gates open at 6pm with live music, food, local beer, and King Family wines on the polo field.
Fireworks in the Valley: Bluemont Vineyard is hosting Fireworks in the Valley on July 4 from 5–10pm — a ticketed mountaintop evening with golden-hour views, light fare, and wine before panoramic fireworks light up the Loudoun Valley.
Next Weekend+ (July 10–15):
23 dinners across Virginia: Now in its sixth year, SummerSupperSomm runs 23 multi-course heirloom tomato and Virginia wine dinners across the Commonwealth from July 8 through August 23. Every dinner features rare heirloom tomatoes from Village Garden RVA paired with Virginia wines.
Five dates fall within the next two weeks:
July 8 — Daisy's, Richmond
July 10 — DuCard, Etlan
July 11 — Early Mountain, Madison
July 13 — Shagbark, Richmond
July 15 — Penny's Wine Shop, Richmond
Casino Royale at SMV: Southwest Mountains Vineyards is hosting a casino night benefiting Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville on July 10, featuring casino games, wine cocktails, live music, and Vegas-style prizes.
SOMMinar: Stone Tower Winery is hosting a guided SOMMinar on July 11. The event is a structured tasting exploring celebrated wine regions around the world, with each flight set against Stone Tower's estate wines for direct comparison.
Key West Festival: Breaux Vineyards is hosting their annual Key West Fest on July 11, featuring Caribbean music all day, island-themed food and craft vendors
Bottle of the Week
Hark Vineyards — Cabernet Franc 2023
Monticello AVA • Cabernet Franc • $38
Why it’s here
The 2023 Cabernet Franc is made to let the fruit speak — aged 10 months in equal parts concrete and neutral oak, so there's nowhere to hide and no wood to lean on. What comes through is the grape itself: white pepper, dark cherry, anise. 13.7% alcohol and only 525 cases produced.
Tasting notes
🌶️ White pepper • 🍒 Dark cherry • 🌿 Anise • 🪨 Clean mineral finish
Wine News
Virginia wine lands in London
Virginia Wine organized a dedicated tasting and buyer debate at the London Wine Fair bringing together eight top buyers and importers alongside producers including King Family Vineyards, Southwest Mountains Vineyards, Lightwell Survey Winery, Paradise Springs Winery, Rosemont of Virginia, The Williamsburg Winery, and Commonwealth Crush.
Ten years ago, a similar event in the UK drew mixed feedback on both style and pricing. This time, the wines have caught up with the market.
Their consensus? The wines have matured, the prices make sense, and Petit Manseng in particular has genuine potential to find a UK audience. Petit Verdot and hybrid grapes also stood out.
"There is not a bad wine in the room," said one buyer, who admitted she'd arrived with "low expectations."
The Buyer’s full account of the event is worth reading.
In other news
Virginia faces off against France in Paris: 50 years after the Judgment of Paris put California on the map, Virginia wines headed to a Paris blind tasting this week against French benchmarks, The Daily Progress reports. Frank Morgan, the wine critic for the Virginian-Pilot who has led the judging for the Virginia Governor's Cup, will join the eight judges participating in the tasting.
Walsh Family Wine names new Head Winemaker: Walsh Family Wine has promoted Baley Loy to Head Winemaker, looking ahead to the 2026 harvest. Loy steps into the role following Kent Arendt’s departure announced last week.
Spinning Jenny to close: Spinning Jenny Vineyard in Draper has announced it's closing after founders Curtis and Jennifer Spinning decided it was time to step away. "What began as a dream became so much more than a business," they wrote on Facebook.
Awards & Reviews
AJ Greely, winemaker at Hark Vineyards, holding the top prize from the Monticello Cup. (@benevolent_photographer)
Hark Vineyards wins the Monticello Cup: Hark Vineyards' 2023 Cabernet Franc won the top prize at the 34th annual Monticello Cup Wine Competition. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Katie Frazier presented the silver cup to winemaker AJ Greely, head winemaker at Hark and president of the Virginia Vineyards Association.
Potomac Point takes gold and silver: Potomac Point Winery in Stafford earned a Gold Medal for its Albarino at the 2026 Great American International Wine Competition, with Silver Medals for their Petit Manseng and Tannat.
52 Virginia restaurants earn Wine Spectator honors: Wine Spectator’s 2026 Restaurant Awards recognized 52 Virginia restaurants for their wine programs. The Inn at Little Washington was the only Virginia restaurant to receive the Grand Award — the competition’s highest tier, given to just 99 restaurants worldwide.
James Charles earns Wine Enthusiast recognition: James Charles Winery & Vineyard in Winchester received 89 points from Wine Enthusiast for their 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon.
New Releases
Southwest Mountains Vineyards’ Canter Viognier: Southwest Mountains Vineyards has released their Canter Viognier — now available in the tasting room. Described as bright, refreshing, and built for summer afternoons.
Deals & Promotions
Walsh’s Community Appreciation Series: Walsh Family Wine is running a Community Appreciation Series from June 29 through August 13, offering 20% off bottle purchases each week to a different group — teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, military, and more. From now to July 5, “Educators & School Staff” are being honored.
July 4th Weekend Specials at Bull Run: On July 4 and 5 only, The Winery at Bull Run is offering Independence Day bundles: a Red, White & Blue 3-Bottle Pack and an Independence & Reconciliation 2-Bottle Pack.
Group tasting promo at Boxwood: Boxwood Estate Winery is offering complimentary cheese and charcuterie boards for groups of 8 or more with a booked tasting.
Teacher and Military Appreciation at La Grange: The Winery at La Grange is offering half-price tastings and 20% off bottle purchases for teachers through July, with Military Appreciation deals starting July 1.
Used barrels for sale at Pollak: Pollak Vineyards has 16 red wine barrels (225L) and 3 white wine barrels (228L) of used French oak available — all still suitable for wine production.