Virginia Wine Month officially begins tomorrow!
It’s a time for the industry showcase the best it has to offer. Wineries pull out their vintage bottles, restaurants build menus focusing on local wine, and the calendar fills with events designed to put Virginia wine front and center.
Translation: harvest parties. Lots of them.
The Virginia Wine website has 56 harvest events across the state, but there are plenty more offerings that are worth seeking out.
This week alone there's a kickoff tasting at Paradise Springs (Clifton) on, an oyster riot at Boxwood Estate (Middleburg), and if you're ready for a full weekend, the Virginia Wine Detour.
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: Harvest events from NoVa to the Blue Ridge.
🍾 Bottle of the Week: 7 Lady Vineyards’ 2023 Meritage
🏆 Awards: Wolf Gap Vineyard wins Winery of the Year, Chateau Morrisette wins Best Winery in the Blue Ridge
🍷 New Releases: Early Mountain's 2024 Cabernet Franc and Saudé Creek’s new Chardonnay
📰 News: The state issues waivers for frost-hit wineries
🌱 Behind the Scenes: Harvest is wrapping up across Virginia
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Events
This Week (Sept. 30-Oct. 6):
A kickoff tasting! Paradise Springs Winery (Clifton) is opening October with a Virginia Wine Month Kickoff Tasting on October 1 — six wines with small-bite artisan food pairings.
Cellar Tour & Tasting with Michael Shaps: Michael Shaps Wineworks (Charlottesville) is offering an intimate cellar tour led by winemaker Michael Shaps himself on October 3. Walk through harvest to élevage with tastings along the way.
Rock the Grapes at Veramar: Veramar Vineyard (Berryville) is hosting its annual Rock the Grapes Harvest Festival on October 3 with wines from Veramar, James Charles Winery & Vineyard, and Bogati Bodega.
Harvest Lunch: Walsh Family Wine (Purcellville) is hosting a Harvest Lunch on October 4. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the vineyard and cellar during the height of crush, paired with a sit-down lunch among the vines.
Next Week (Oct. 7-14):
Virginia Wine Detour at Colony House: The Virginia Wine Detour returns to Colony House Motor Lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains, October 9–11. It’s a full weekend of wine, food, and music built in partnership with Lightwell Survey Wines, bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar, and the Monticello Wine Trail.
Annual Harvest Festival at Cana: Cana Vineyards (Middleburg) is hosting its Annual Harvest Festival on October 10, including a local fall market pumpkin art for the kids, and firepits on the lawn.
Fall Festival at La Grange: The Winery at La Grange (Haymarket) is celebrating two decades with a Fall Festival on October 10 — live music, BBQ from Smokes BBQ, local artisans, and a special tasting with the winemaker.
Boxwood's 6th Annual Oyster Riot: Boxwood Estate Winery (Middleburg) is hosting its annual Oyster Riot on October 11. Raw bar with Saltwater Cowboys from Chincoteague and Aristocrats from Cape Charles. First glass of wine is included.
Bottle of the Week
7 Lady Vineyards — 2023 Meritage
Central Virginia • "Right Bank" style Bordeaux blend • $65
Why it’s here
Seven Lady's 2023 Meritage is a genuinely complete Virginia red that appear in the 2026 Governor’s Cup Case. It is Merlot-dominant, with Cabernet Franc for lift and Petit Verdot for structure. The result is a rich, opulent wine with a velvety texture that is perfect for the first days of autumn.
Tasting notes
🍒 Crushed raspberry & black cherry • 🌸 Wild violets & dried sage • 🪵Sandalwood • 🍫Cocoa-dusted finish
New Releases
Early Mountain's 2024 Cabernet Franc: Early Mountain Vineyards (Madison) has released their 2024 Virginia Cabernet Franc. Tasting notes are red fruits up front (strawberry, brambleberry, cranberry), framed by savory notes of black pepper, oregano, and bay leaf.
Charlie's Chardonnay at Saudé Creek: Saudé Creek Vineyards (Lancaster) is releasing Charlie's Chardonnay on October 3 as part of their Virginia Wine Month calendar.
Wine News
169 Virginia wineries receive frost waivers
In response to the spring frost and freeze events that ran from March through May, 169 Virginia wineries have received automatic waivers allowing them to source grapes from outside their own vineyards this year.
The waivers, approved by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, allow producers to source a higher proportion of grapes from outside their own vineyards while their vines recover.
It is a temporary exception to the rules that normally govern how much outside fruit a Virginia farm winery can use.
In other news:
Tranquility declares no 2026 vintage: Otium & Draksha, the winemaking program at Tranquility Farm (Purcellville), has announced there will be no 2026 vintage after a difficult growing season.
Awards & Reviews
Wolf Gap wins Winery of the Year: Wolf Gap Vineyard & Winery (Edinburg) was named Winery of the Year at the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association's annual Ordinary Awards earlier this month.
Pippin Hill's Chef Victoria Cosner named Chef of the Year: Chef Victoria Cosner of Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards (North Garden) has been named Chef of the Year at the 2026 Ordinary Awards.
Chateau Morrisette wins Best Winery in the Blue Ridge: Chateau Morrisette Winery (Floyd) has been named Best Winery in Blue Ridge Country magazine's 2026 Best of the Mountains Readers' Choice Awards. Afton Mountain Vineyards (Afton) took silver for Best Food & Drink: Winery.
Behind the Scenes
Harvest updates
The 2026 harvest is coming to a close, and the dispatches from the field reporting measured optimism despite reduced grape volumes. Here are some highlights…
At King Family Vineyards (Crozet), vineyard manager Eric Clouse offered a candid harvest update via email this week, writing that the spring frost significantly reduced yields, but the fruit that made it through looked exceptional.
"We feel fortunate to have what we harvested," he wrote.
Pollak Vineyards (Waynesboro) has finished picking. Crimson Lane Vineyards (Linden) shared that their whites are harvested while reds remain on the vine.
CrossKeys Vineyards (Mount Crawford) harvested their Chardonnay across three distinct vineyard blocks, with plans to produce three separate wines. And at Breaux Vineyards (Purcellville), the reds are coming in.
In other news:
Chatham's Petit Verdot ambitions: Chatham Vineyards (Machipongo) is planning their first varietal Petit Verdot since 2012 — 8 tons of the grape headed into the program. A varietal Petit Verdot from the Eastern Shore is worth watching.
Early Mountain goes Magnum Mondays: Early Mountain Vineyards (Madison) is offering complimentary tastes of exceptional vintage wines from magnum format every Monday this fall.