We the Wine People (2026) Movie Script

1
[instrumental music]
[music]
[soft restaurant chatter]
I think I'm going to go
with the bison steak.
That's local. Right?
Everything is. You know it.
They're going to introduce you to the cow,
that made the cream
that's on the dessert.
[laughs]
Jim-cow, cow-Jim.
Pleased to meet you.
- Jim-cow, nice to meet you.
Good to have you with us this evening.
Welcome to Field & Main. Glad to have you.
- Thank you!
As you're looking through the menu,
are there any questions
I might answer for you?
I'm just.
Everything is local. Correct?
It is. Something to accompany it.
I have a glass of wine, perhaps.
Oh, yes.
Yes, I think I would love to have,
like, a bold Napa Cab.
Something like that.
And I'll do a Italian. Elegant.
Surprise me.
Surprise you. Fantastic.
I might surprise you, if I might, with a
little something more oriented to here
We're talking about local cuisine.
How about local wine?
We have options that really will
complement the courses beautifully.
- Virginia wine?
Absolutely.
You're making it sound exciting.
I don't see Virginia
as being a wine region.
So is it new?
Not really.
Virginia is special,
one of the oldest states in the country.
It has had wine as a part of it
since its inception,
although that obviously evolved over time
as we understood what it took to grow
European style wines in the New World.
Virginia has a long history in wine.
There is no place in America
that has been wrestling
with the promise of wine
longer than Virginia.
When the English settlers
of the Virginia Company
arrived at Jamestown in 1607,
they believed they had found a miracle.
Grape vines were everywhere,
Captain John Smith, who made the long
Atlantic crossing of the colony's
first settlers, wrote of what he found
in Virginia with a sense of wonder.
Wild grape vines grew everywhere,
climbing trees stretching across the land.
Could Virginia be a wine colony?
The English crown, eager
to reduce its dependance on France
and Spain, was excited to try.
In a world
where water could not be trusted.
Alcohol was sustenance
as much as pleasure.
An Englishman of the early 16th
century, drank nearly 40 gallons a year.
Smith reported that colonists had already
made nearly 20 gallons from wild grapes
wine, he said, compared
favorably to that of France or Italy.
But the native grapes of America, musky
and wild, would not yield the wine
they dreamed of.
To the English palate,
the wines were Foxy and unwholesome.
In 1619, as the first representative
assembly met in Jamestown.
Speaker John Pori declared: Three things
would bring the colony to perfection...
The English plow, cattle and vineyards.
The first House of Burgesses,
the first legislative body in Virginia
passed,
an act called act 12 and the year 1619,
which basically, stated
that all male householders, landowners,
would be required to plant
at least ten grapevines for the purpose of
establishing a winemaking industry
here in the colonies.
That act that came
because of it, really started
what we now know as the wine industry,
not just in Virginia,
but in the United States.
A gentleman by the name of John Johnson,
who was an ancient planter.
Went above and beyond the ten grapevines
and actually ended up planting
almost 85 acres
of, of grapes here on this property.
So you can really say that
the wine industry in the United States
truly happened at the Williamsburg Winery.
The English in particular
wanted a wine industry to start
So that they wouldnt have to buy
wine from their enemies
France and Spain.
First it was all, European grapes
that were being brought over here.
French vignerons were brought in to help.
Some of them said the English treated them
more like slaves than employees.
And none got a wine business going.
They tried and tried
and they a lot of the, European
varietals did not, fare
so well in our climate.
In 1658,
the colony made one final determined offer
A reward of 10,000 pounds of tobacco
to anyone who could produce
two large casks of wine
grown from a vineyard in Virginia.
No one ever claimed it.
All these European grapes
come over, and that was fine...
except for the climate in the mid-Atlantic
was not good for those grapes.
It was too cold mostly,
so they would die of the winter
We had fungal diseases that would then
maybe wouldnt kill the vines
but they made them unproductive
Gradually attention shifted elsewhere.
Tobacco, more dependable and profitable,
replaced wine as Virginia's
agricultural future.
In 1770, the General Assembly turned
to France, commissioning a Frenchman
named Andrew Estave to become Virginia's
official winemaker and viticulturist.
He received 100 acres at Jockey's Neck,
just beyond Williamsburg.
A house and three enslaved people.
He promised to make good wine,
in four years from the seating
and planting of the vineyard.
Like others before him, he failed.
Estave thought his stocks of European grapes
were too delicate for Virginia's climate.
Later,
another Virginian would revive the vision.
Good wine is a necessity of life.
Thomas Jefferson is often remembered
as a statesman and philosopher,
but he was also America's
first great wine connoisseur.
Jefferson thought that to produce wine
in Virginia in America was very important,
Thomas Jefferson was a lover of wine,
and he thought, gosh,
in this wonderful climate we have,
we should be able to grow grapes.
Few men believed more deeply
that Virginia could become a serious wine
growing place.
Alongside fellow visionaries
George Washington,
George Mason, and more than two dozen
other influential leaders.
Jefferson helped form
the Virginia Wine Company.
Their goal: Was to establish vineyards
that could finally produce wine
as a viable cash crop for the colony.
In 1773, an Italian physician
and agricultural visionary
named Filippo Mazzei arrived in Virginia
Filippo Mazzei is the guy
who came from, Italy.
To start one of the first Virginia
wine companies in the area,
with the support of several prominent
colonists.
Washington, Jefferson and, Adams put
together some money to buy a place for him.
Walking the hills of Albemarle County
while visiting Thomas Jefferson.
He was struck by their resemblance
to Burgundy, he said.
In my opinion, when the country
is populated in proportion
to its extent, the best wine in the world
will be made here.
So Jefferson gave him the land
which now is called Colle
So Mazzei started to experiment
with, grapes.
The vines were close to fruition,
but the Revolutionary War broke out.
Mazzei went home to help secure
funding for the war effort,
when he left to raise funds
for the American Revolution, his vineyard
was destroyed.
As far as we know,
that was the end of Mazzeis effort
and ever growing vines in this area.
But Jefferson, throughout his entire
life, was trying to grow European
varietals, vinifera,
and then later in life, switching over
to native varietals up at Monticello.
At Monticello, Jefferson,
with his enslaved
individuals, carried on the effort,
Warmly Hughes as his head gardener
with his wife Ursula Granger
Hughes as farm laborer, among others.
Burwell Colbert
as his butler, James Hemings
as his cook, and his brother
Peter Hemings as a brewer.
They played indispensable roles
in shaping the food,
wine culture
and viticulture of the estate.
But the vinifera vines
proved too delicate, overwhelmed
by disease,
humidity and pests unknown at the time.
Doctor Daniel Norborne Norton
was a young fellow,
He had finished medical school.
He was a medical doctor,
enough time had passed with Thomas
Jefferson
trying to grow grapes unsuccessfully.
That Norton thought,
geez, let's try to make a fine table wine.
By doing some hybridizing experiments.
He began working with grapes
that bridged two worlds.
Virginia's native Vitis Aestivalis
and the Vitis
Vinifera varieties of Europe.
The grape that emerged was the Virginia
seedling, or Norton, as it was later named.
It's completely, phylloxera resistant.
So it grows on its own roots.
And it is the most not one of the most,
the most disease resistant bunch
grape anywhere in the world,
whether it's for table
fruit, raisins or wine.
In 1873,
a group of grape growers
created a cooperative, the Monticello Wine
Company, under the leadership of Oscar
Ryerson, a German farmer.
The Monticello Wine Company
had a fully operational winery
capable of holding
200,000 gallons of wine.
Native and hybrid grapes
filled its presses, notably Norton,
Catawba, and Delaware.
Before long, the world took notice.
In 1873, a red wine made from Norton
grapes from the Monticello Wine
Company earned international recognition
at the Vienna World's Fair.
Started winning awards,
serious awards throughout Europe.
Where Norton was acclaimed
the best red wine of all nations.
Now somebody may say, well, wasn't
that about the time that phylloxera
epidemic
was wiping out the French vineyards? Hmm.
Perhaps. Maybe.
But nonetheless,
it was recognized as a great grape.
In 1890,
the state produced nearly half
a million gallons of wine,
ranking fifth among wine
producing regions of its time.
Charlottesville proudly called itself
the capital of Virginia's wine belt.
For the first time in its history.
Virginia wine was not an experiment.
It was an industry.
Just as Virginia's winemakers
began to find their footing.
A series of national upheavals intervened.
The Civil War tore through the land.
Prohibition arrived in 1916, and with it
the destruction of Virginia's vineyards.
People are interested to learn
that Virginia prohibition against alcohol
preceded national prohibition by years.
And you had crazies like,
yeah, Carrie Nation and the Anti-Saloon
League running around with axes and,
you know, burning
the wine-making records were never going
to have this abomination again.
Crazy, crazy stuff.
And of course, prohibition
fostered so much criminality.
And, you know,
people just said, now, to hell with
we're not going to let the government
tell us we can't enjoy a drink.
Who they think they are!
And so you had the speakeasies
and you had the rum runners
and everybody was drinking,
kind of an embarrassing and foolish move
on the part of the temperance minded folks
of the United States
at that period of time.
And then came the
Great Depression, draining
what little capital remained.
By the time
prohibition was repealed in 1933,
the wine industry had all but vanished.
If you think about the Jamestown
settlers, that's
probably the starting point of history.
Now, you can argue, was that
the starting point of the industry?
You know, if you base it on viability
and sustainability?
Probably not.
But the mandates of planting ten vines
for every settler,
you know, probably kickstarted maybe that
that little pebble going down the hill
and then the Monticello Company comes out
and they produce a lot of wine.
And then people go, well,
perhaps there is something here.
But for me, it really started in, what,
1975, 76, when the Zonins come out.
Here, and they get Barboursville
and they plant vineyards.
In the 70s, Gianni Zonin,
which is our founder from the Zonin family,
The family has,
several wine estates in Italy,
in the north and center and in the south,
like Sicily, Tuscany, Veneto.
His friend Mario told him
why dont you come to Virginia
that are at the moment there are five
wineries, the wines that are mediocre.
They are, they are started by amateurs.
They're very at the very beginning,
they're growing, exclusively,
American French hybrids,
Native American grapes.
Like Concord at the time.
Nobody really has yet been able
to produce, a good bottle of wine,
he decides to come and,
fells in love with Virginia.
And especially with this historic place.
And he thought, why not?
Being the first to produce
a good glass of wine in Virginia
So they buy it
and then they start, planting.
And the first person to come
and plant is Gabriele Rausse
Well, I came here in April 1976,
I came over with Gianni Zonin,
who wanted to purchase
a piece of land in America,
and we went around for three days,
and then we chose
Barboursville farm.
The president of the bank,
gave us a $2 bill
because it was April 13th,
it was Jeffersons birthday
when we purchased Barboursville Farm.
So here it is.
I still have it in my wallet.
When I planted the first five acres
of grapes in, Barboursville,
who came to see me?
It was USDA.
And they said the most stupid thing
you can do is to plant European vines
in Virginia, But I kept going.
Virginia Tech
came to tell me that I made a mistake.
The Commission Agriculture asked me
to go to Richmond, there was a round table
with 20 scientists,
and each one of them explained
why I was going to fail.
And after 6.5 hour listening
without saying a word, the Commissioner
said, did you understand what they said?
Because your English is not perfect?
And I said, my English is not perfect.
But I have a PhD on plant pathology.
They all talk about disease of the vines.
I know everything
about disease of the vines.
So what are you going to do?
Well, I said, I'm in the land of freedom.
I don't bother anybody.
I don't see why I shouldnt
be allowed to continue with my experiment.
So the plant pathologist from Virginia
Tech stood up and he said, as long as you
throw away your money or the money
the people you are working for
is its perfectly alright for us,
the moment you get a Virginia farmer
excited about something
doesn't make any sense.
We have the moral duty to stop you.
The industry first started.
It was the mom and pops was people
that had the passion for wine
and then growing grapes
and willing to do the work,
even though they didn't have, you know,
nobody had studied it.
They just were,
you know, fanatics of home winemaking.
When I came to Virginia,
there was only one winery,
they were growing only the hybrid grapes.
And then eventually, in 77, 78,
three more wineries
started, that I remember one was,
Piedmont Winery,
the other one was Meredith,
and the other one was Mountain Cove
but they were all growing only
hybrid grapes.
There were a lot of, amateurs still,
but there were already
some very committed,
serious, grape grower, winemakers.
When we started out,
it was what we call bucket and funnel,
which means you have a bucket,
a juice and a funnel,
and you put it into a big glass carboy
and you ferment it and I mean,
we didn't know what we were
doing. It was very rustic.
It started in 1970, in Fairfax
County, Great Falls, Virginia,
my parents had an experimental vineyard.
It was a time in America,
and particularly the East Coast,
when there was a big debate about
whether we could grow French vinifera
in America
and, particularly the East Coast.
And so my parents planted
an experimental vineyard,
a French American hybrid grapes.
So as a child, I spent my years,
helping them in the vineyard,
when I was small, of course,
I was really just there.
But as the years went on,
I was more helpful.
We would pick grapes and we would press
Chambourcin Vidal Blank, Seyval.
At a young age, when I would get bored,
I would sort of wander off in that corner
of the wine
cellar and I would find bottles, empty
wine bottles,
and I would look over my shoulder
and fill them up with water,
and then I would cork them.
And there were a few times that winter
when neighbors would call and say,
you know, when I open this bottle of wine,
it tastes an awful lot like water.
And it took several years for my
parents to realize what I was doing.
So I always managed to have fun.
And eventually I did graduate to corking
real wine, of course,
but I did start with bottled water.
When we initially started,
we had lots of the French
American hybrid grapes,
which we were told would do better
because they would, respond
better to, our climate.
And they did fine.
But the names weren't known.
The people didn't know
them, didn't know what to expect.
So they weren't very successful for us,
even though they grew well.
The wine, was hard to sell.
We switched over to Vinifera
you know, the traditional Chardonnays,
the Cabernet.
Overall, we really had to still understand
how to match the varietals to soil.
Here there
is a mix
of rocks which gives a bit more drainage,
that is less water retention
and and vines like that better.
So this soil is present in a vast
area of the Monticello AVA.
So it is by the late 90s
that we really start seeing
some amazing wine so from that point on,
basically there was a lot of, observation
on the condition
of the weather different varieties,
a lot of experimentation,
going in, testing...
Today, 30 years later
or so, we're still very focused on, food,
wine, and great hospitality [music]
I mean, we've got French
trained winemakers, Italian trained
winemakers, we've got South Africans.
I don't know why, but, you know,
we've got UC Davis trained winemakers
and people are coming to Virginia
looking to to experiment.
So the history.
Yeah.
I mean, I think you got to look to that,
but I think you really got to look at us
as maybe a 50 year industry, in the 1970s
where, sizable plantings were put in
and wines were made and the sustainability
aspect of sustainable business,
you know, that's when it thrived.
And look, we're we're benefiting from,
you know, the Felicia
Rogan's and the Dennis Hortons
and the David Kings and, and the folks
that that came in there
and on a whim, planted a bunch of grapes.
Treville Lawrence,
Elizabeth Furness
Archie Smith Junior,
Emma Randel,
Felicia Warburg Rogan,
Juanita Swedenburg,
Dennis Horton
David King,
Who knew?
I know who knew what dinner we get,
you know, Virginia Wines, 101 class.
Youre not complaining.
No, of course I'm not complaining.
Cabernet
Franc is a grape that does remarkably
well in Virginia and quite
well all throughout Virginia.
There's a number of different regions.
It's not one monolithic state
producing one style.
There's different profiles.
So give this a try.
You know how I like my wine?
In a glass.
Tremendous.
- She's funny.
- She is. Please.
And this is a grape
that, derives its more robust profile
thanks to two varietals that,
that are blended sometimes here
in Virginia to give structure and power
that is both Petit Verdot and Tannat.
It's beautiful.
Wow. Okay.
Yeah, Excellent.
I think we're both ready for a full pour.
Here we go.
And if you're venturing further around
Virginia, there's really a tremendous
amount of wonderful wineries to visit
and spend your time
luxuriating actually, at the site.
The hospitality, there is spectacular.
So we should do that.
Yes. Cheers to both of you.
- I appreciate you.
- Enjoy your dinner.
This is so good.
It's like a little secret,
you know, like the guy down the hallway
who just happens to be an incredible
jazz pianist.
Hey, hey, that's my story, okay?
Smooth and better after dark.
Okay. Slow down.
I can't.
To Virginia, to Virginia, [music]
There are nights when
it's April and you're
expecting a frost and the moon is full
and you can feel the high dew point,
and it's a starry night.
And you feel the temperature dropping.
And then the wind machine alarms
go off at two in the morning
or three in the morning,
sometimes 9:30 in the evening
when you're just trying to get some rest
for a few hours, knowing that you're
going to have to be up all night
protecting the vineyard from spring frost.
[helicopter hovers in the distance]
People are, really
grinding their teeth and worrying about,
am I going to get to make wine this year?
Its pretty light,
yeah? You know, the frost didn't help.
Have a small, small cluster.
That's not going to
give me a lot of Chardonnay this year.
So we've had years
where we had helicopters up in the air,
and it gets just so cold.
There's no more warm air
and there's nothing you can do.
That was a tough morning.
I like your t-shirt.
Yeah.
Hey dad, you might help me out of here.
All right.
What can I do?
Grab the rod Keep it tight.
Yeah, I know. Oh, yeah.
Nice one.
Pretty one.
Nice, right?
Thank you.
[inaudible]
Yeah Its beautiful.
Old bay, Yeah.
Well Lets say, Grace, you should dad.
Dear father in heaven.
We thank you for this wonderful meal
and all the bounty from the Virginias
Eastern Shore.
And let's be mindful of others and
be grateful for everything we have.
Amen. Amen!
Dig in and enjoy. Right.
This looks great.
Wow. Okay, great.
Let's say Cheers.
To the bounty of the Eastern Shore.
Yes. And another.
Got another.
Hold on. Good vintage, here we go.
Cheers.
To the Eastern Shore.
Cheers.
[rustling leaves]
It's an unnatural act,
probably to grow grapes here.
Because it gets cold and frost
in the wintertime and and hot and humid
in the summer time.
And way too much rain.
In 2018,
we had a, a warm spell in February.
We were actually out here
pruning in our t-shirts in February.
And then March, We had a killer frost
that ended up,
really, really tearing the trunks apart
and destroying,
you know, all of the above ground grapes
that were over here.
The roller coaster
and the ups and downs of the
the farming and winemaking is a wonderful
representation of life itself.
Because life is not perfect life.
It cannot be planned.
Farming and winemaking is the exact same.
We are absolutely subject to the elements.
It's what Mother Nature wants
and that's what we get.
And we still make wine out of it
Life in the vines, brings
a lot of hard lessons.
Not everything is going to go your way.
In this vineyard today,
we're picking Chambourcin and, I
probably lost half of my fruit
to a small herd of deer.
Grief, it's fear.
And it's also forgiveness.
So much forgiveness.
To accept that not everything
is always going to work out in your favor.
That's grape growing.
You know, in agriculture, you know,
the with the good comes the bad.
We spend a lot of time, from
bud break to to harvest.
Checking, balancing,
making sure the crop is safe.
So when things go sideways,
that is heartbreaking.
We've put our heart and our families
and growing
these grapes, you know, day by day.
I talked to
some of the quote -unquote experts,
and I think they basically thought
we were nuts, you know, because, I mean,
the climate is much warmer, no elevation.
There are seeds in it, right?
Yeah.
You know that little sour?
The seeds should be green.
The other green
they'll solidify and become more brown.
And that's when you start to get
some of those, you want them dark brown.
Like these will be
picked in about 5 or 6 weeks.
They're still a ways away.
The most important thing I learned was,
hey, it's important to have a career,
but it's also important to have dreams
and to just slow down.
[sizzling]
Yes, yes.
My mother worked
because my father worked in the farm.
So I learned to cook
because I couldn't wait for my mother
to get home from the bank.
[pops the cork]
All right, you guys start.
God is great, God is good.
And we thank him for our food.
By his hands.
We all are fed.
Give us Lord our daily bread.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Bon appetit.
Cheers. Cheers!
[glasses clinking]
What are we drinking Justin?
The 2023 Kilravock.
Oh, good year!
Hot and dry.
What I saw back,
I don't how many years ago,
was that to me,
the industry was going
in the wrong direction,
the wrong direction,
as far as I'm concerned.
And it was going more commercial,
more events.
And I wanted people
to be more focused on the farming
and the site and making wines of terroir
that spoke of terroir.
So I decided the only way to really have
that happen, because you how are
how are you going to know
is to do a two year
apprentice program, which at the time
and now is like two years?
And I said, you,
you're going to work here for two years,
and the first year
everything's coming at you
new and you're going to
you're not going to put the pieces
together,
you're just going to react like,
well, what are we doing now?
Why are we doing this?
The second year?
You understand.
You understand why you did it.
Because you tasted the wine
from what you did,
you understand that we had especially
at that time, we had sites
that shouldn't have been planted
to that grape variety.
And then you you managed the canopy
and saw that it just wasn't balanced.
And then you tasted the wine
and said, that doesn't work.
And then you had other sites
that were balanced and were correct
and you taste the wine said, oh, I get it.
So the second year
you really saw all that,
and then after that
I said, you're out of here.
Because as much as I like you much,
I want you help.
Now you have to contribute.
And one of my secret things in deciding on
who to hire was
I wanted to hire people
that I felt would stay in the area
because I felt that that was the only way
that we were going to elevate
in the way I wanted to elevate.
I didn't want to, you know,
some people applied from the West Coast.
I said, no, no,
I don't want to go back to the West Coast.
We need people
that are going to stay here.
[inaudible] I know
we're probably about three weeks or so.
I'll grab the door. Right. Absolutely.
Hey Jeff!
Good to see you.
Hey Josh!
What did you bring Josh?
09, how about your young one? 22?
Oh, boy.
Did you tell everyone?
No, I just I just gave some suggestions
were all on the same page.
I haven't tasted the 22.
Some of us have learned how to think
like Jim.
Well, let's let's taste.
I think the vintage shows a nice balance
between the two.
Right.
And that's the that's the.
I think that's what experience gives to
Virginia vintners
who have gone through a lot of vintages
is that you don't make plans,
and then you, you ferment
and extract and pick, according to what,
Mother nature gives them.
So and this is a perfect example,
not not the easiest vintage,
but, I think it's well played.
And I was one of Jims slow learners
it took me 12 years to learn everything.
You and I both together.
Oh. But I remember. And Jeff.
And then you planted your own vineyard
which we made wine for many years.
But, Jeff, would get up
and God knows Dark 30
and work in his vineyard
for a couple hours,
then come here and work for,
you know, a full day
and then go home and run
back in his vineyard.
With, with farm,
any farming, timing is critical.
And if you get behind, that's
sort of my famous saying, which isnt
my saying is that,
a good farmer is always a day ahead.
A bad farmer is always a day behind.
So the difference is one day.
Jeff, you started here in 93.
When did you play your first vintage?
In 95,
95? Okay, yeah.
Jim walked up on my mountainside and said,
I think you can sell wine from up here.
And Joshua,
you were an apprentice of Jims?
Yeah, I joined Jim in 2006, you know, and
so I, I too was a slow learner
and I think, back in 2006, it's
it was hard to ripen Cabernet
Sauvignon at that point. So.
Yeah. No, I mean, we would
hang on to the very end and.
Yeah, well, we didn't have
it planted in the right place to those.
Those were the huge learning curves
that we went through.
Yeah. Still feels like coming home.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Not not a lot has changed.
And that's sort of by design
except for the wines that keep evolving.
There. So I was going to say there's
some change that that this table
in a good way.
Yeah.
Sam, started officially in March
of 2024, as did Alex.
And, they're the new apprentices.
[inaudible]
Virginia.
Oh. La la!
Yeah.
Claude, makes some great sparkling wine.
[water running in the background]
[cork pops]
Wow!
That wasnt supposed to happen.
Its a party now!
Cheers.
To Virginia wine. Yeah, exactly.
We've come a long way.
Old friends, teachers, students.
Cheers!
[birds are chirping]
Working with Mother
Nature's very humbling,
And at the end of the day, Mother
Nature reminds you
how really insignificant you are.
So you can do as much as you can
in the vineyard,
and all you can do
is give yourself a chance.
But you have to be blessed
by the weather gods.
And if you are, then we're in a in an area
that can produce incredible wines.
And even if the vintage is not,
you know, we've got incredible winemakers
that can still make incredible wines.
So we're blessed to be in just,
I think, a fantastic part of the world.
[thunder in distance]
Looking at the radar to see
we've got a little pop up storm.
Southwest of us that is threatening
one of my picks,
[tone calling on phone]
He's probably on the tractor.
Hey Wes. Did I call you? No I called you.
I was just checking.
I couldn't
really see anything on the radar.
Is it still feel like it's developing?
Yeah.
I noticed
there is nothing on there either.
It definitely has darkened,
cooled off a little bit.
Okay.
- Some dark clouds, but it's not
- great.
Not raining yet.
- Great. Fingers crossed.
- Yeah.
Okay. Good luck.
Yeah. Bye.
That's from the storm and all that stuff.
That's not the best grape.
But that's the problem that can happen,
you know.
Dude, that's a hell of a storm.
- Look at that freaking thing.
- I know.
But here's the thing.
Right?
That's, So we're. That's Wednesday.
Yeah.
If on Wednesday.
It decides not to take that turn.
This is Cat three coming
like it is going to crush us.
So the thing is, is that,
I mean, what were the brix this morning?
It's just 19.5.
I mean, it really just isn't isn't ready.
And, you know, most of the modeling
is taking it back out.
And I don't know,
I don't think we want to.
I don't think
we have a clear enough picture.
But if it comes in and sits on us
and does one of those stall outs,
because if it decides to make that turn on
us, we can get six 12in of rain.
We can. I mean, at that point,
we could be not just losing,
you know, the, Sauvignon blanc
and all the whites.
We could be losing our reds.
So maybe it'd be better off
to have something in then, you know,
just hedging the bet a little bit
to bring some fruit in to make sure
that this thing doesn't stop us out.
The seeds are still so green, George.
Well, what about.
Okay, so we're looking at,
like 30 or 40 tons that's at risk.
Okay. What about we just go down the middle
and we agree, and we'll we'll pick 20.
We pick half of it. Yeah.
And then we won't push the other half.
Kind of fingers crossed, you know,
it'll it'll bare east instead of west.
So that we're not.
So we don't pull in 40 tons
that are subpar.
We pull in in 20 and we risk 20.
I mean, that's that's all I'm saying is,
I'm saying we got to bring in something
so that we have something that's safe.
You know,
if we have to use it for sparkling,
if we have to use it for something else,
let's use it for something else.
But we have to be selling something
in the next year and a half.
Are you okay if I then just bring all
the Chard in specifically for sparkling?
At the end of the day,
I just feel like
we've got to get something in,
or else we could be on the other side
of this storm going geez!
Yeah,
because a big storm, thats a big storm.
I know my friends, family
and even neighbors.
Whenever they see
me getting out into my car to come up here
every single day like, oh,
you're going to go drink some wine today.
Yeah, that's.
I would love for that to be the job.
But unfortunately,
I mean, it's just fraught with,
with challenges on the daily basis,
whether that's viticultural or,
in distribution and sales,
a big rain
right before harvest to, making sure
we're securing the right partnerships
and getting those wines in front of people
so that they can start to enjoy
and see just how great Virginia is at
making these wines.
[footsteps approaching]
Michael, we have some problems.
The spinner on the bottling line
has completely stopped working.
I don't have a key to get into the cellar.
The well pump has stopped working as well.
And we have no internet
in the tasting room.
And I can't check any of these people
in for the tour.
What do you want me to do?
Oh, let's call Archer.
We should call Archer.
[harp sound]
[mischievous music]
[foot steps approaching]
Good morrow Angela!
- Welcome back. Archer.
- It's good to be back.
So there's a few problems.
One of which is the cellar key.
Oh, yes.
I actually have a spare right here.
Thanks, I knew you
would... and the well out back.
Oh, yes. I heard it was malfunctioning.
Well, I have dispatched the craftsman
who is going to repair the well.
And he is currently in route.
Until such time, we can direct our guests
and our in our staff to the events
kitchen, where the water source actually
comes from the county and not the well.
And the bottling line spinner?
Yes. Well, I've actually just been
corresponding with our distributor.
They are in need of a few of our Virginia
varietals that we actually put in screw caps.
Thus no spinner, no cork required.
Therefore, we are going to simply fill
that order and change
the components
in the bottling line from cork to cap
- and the internet?
- Oh the internet.
Yes, I'm not familiar with the internet.
If that's your carrier bird,
then I would suggest
you manually register them as they arrive.
And then once your bird gets here
and its wings are mended,
you could simply register them again.
Perfect.
Well, to a day of problem solving.
Huzzah!
[birds chirping]
[music]
There's always been something
about agriculture, farming,
and specifically, with grape
farming that has,
a much stronger tie to the land.
You grow up on the land
and it becomes part of who you are,
becomes part of your soul.
We always joke in the wine magazines
where they show the owners picking grapes.
They're always dressed immaculately
in white
with their rings, and we're like, yeah,
they've never picked grapes in their life.
[music]
We try to be as mindful as possible
about what we're doing in terms of sprays,
and we've started to incorporate teas
and other things into our sprays.
With the help of Damien Blanchon
from Afton.
Sustainability is the main thing is trying
to be more in sync with the environment,
Trying to really think about the vineyard
in a not necessarily
a whole different way,
but really trying to make big efforts
to push the sustainability forward.
When I arrived,
it was a lot of conventional
because making wine in Virginia
is very challenging.
It's very hot and humid, lots of disease
development, very high pressure. So,
at the time, like,
you know, they used lots of chemicals
because nobody was doing something else.
But that's when I for me, I had a problem
with that early on because my family
also are very prone to more sustainability
and greener way to grow things.
[birds chirping]
[music]
Didn't get it.
I hope that the
that the movement is to be more aware
of what you're spraying
so that you can spray
with better intentions.
What kind of world
Am I passing on to my seven week old son?
[laughs]
You know, I want to be able to say that
I at least try to learn
about how to farm better.
[industrial sounds]
on camera.
Am I getting a shower
in front of the camera?
Maybe.
We are very Virginian into what we do.
So I don't think in wine
we can even say like, oh, we know it all.
That would be very pretentious.
I think that we could be sometimes,
And I don't think we discovered
or uncovered
the full potential of Virginia wine yet.
Winemakers are not magicians.
They're not going to, like,
get a magic wand and, like, ting!
And then suddenly everything tastes good.
We have we have to get good fruit,
and we have to understand the fruit
that we're growing here.
And that's for me
is the major part of the last 20 years
of where we become more and more precise
is into what we do in the vineyard,
and that link directly to the quality
of the wine that we produce.
From the Appalachian Mountains
to the Atlantic coast,
the state is a mosaic of valleys, hills
and peninsulas,
each with its own climate,
soils and rhythm of seasons.
Across these landscapes,
vineyards have taken root,
and with them a growing understanding
of how place shapes the vines
Just 50 miles west of Washington,
D.C., lies the Middleburg AVA,
bordered by the Potomac River
to the north and surrounded
by the Blue Ridge,
Catoctin, and Bull Run Mountains.
The surrounding mountains create moderate
climate during the growing season.
These stable conditions
allow grapes to ripen gradually,
reaching maturity
just in time for harvest.
Here, growers work with Bordeaux varieties
Viognier and Chardonnay, crafting
both varietal wines and blends.
To the west stretches
the vast Shenandoah Valley, bounded
by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east
and the Allegheny Mountains to the west.
The valley sits
within a natural rain shadow.
Storms moving inland from
the Atlantic lose much of their moisture
before reaching this landscape,
making the valley warmer and significantly
drier than the rest of Virginia.
At the heart of Virginia wine lies central
Virginia, home of the Monticello AVA.
Here, vineyards climb
the rolling hills of the Piedmont
along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
The soils are granite based clay
capable of retaining moisture during dry
spells, while requiring careful vineyard
management to control vine growth.
Gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains
allow cool air to drain away
from the vineyards, reducing frost risk
and creating a longer growing season.
The result is a climate slightly warmer
than surrounding areas,
with a growing season
that could extend nearly 200 days.
This environment supports
many of Virginia's most recognized
varieties, including Viognier,
Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc.
Moving east, the land flattens
into the peninsulas of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Northern Neck George Washington
Birthplace
AVA, lies between the Potomac
and Rappahannock rivers.
Never far from the influence of water,
The Bay moderates temperatures year round,
cooling the vineyards in summer
and softening winter cold.
This maritime influence creates Virginia's
highest number of frost free days.
The soils here
are sandy loam, free
draining and naturally low in fertility
conditions that produce smaller berries
with concentrated flavor.
Across the Chesapeake Bay lies Virginia's
Eastern Shore, a narrow
peninsula bordered by the bay on one side
and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.
Constant sea breezes
cool the vineyards during summer,
while the Gulf Stream moderates
winter temperatures
Further south lies
the Virginia Peninsula AVA,
stretching between the James
and York Rivers near Williamsburg.
This narrow landscape is shaped
by estuaries and tidal waterways.
A humid subtropical climate brings
long summers and relatively mild winters,
while maritime influences help
moderate temperature extremes.
Along Virginia's southern border with
North Carolina lies southern Virginia.
A region shaped by its warmer
climate. Here, the southerly
latitude provides enough heat for grapes
that struggle farther north.
Winemakers here experiment
not only with traditional
vinifera grapes,
but also with hybrid varieties.
At the far western tip of the state lies
heart of Appalachia,
where the terrain becomes
rugged and mountainous.
The temperate climate
and mineral rich soils allow grapes
to ripen fully,
producing deeply flavored fruit.
High in the mountains,
another distinct region emerges.
The Virginia mountains.
Here, vineyards grow in alpine
like conditions
between the Appalachian Trail to the west
and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the east.
Cool temperatures and high elevations
shape a dramatically different
growing environment
than the rest of the state.
South of the Roanoke
Valley lies Rocky Knob Ava.
Cool mountain winds delay
spring bud break and help
dry the vines during the growing season.
The loam and gravel soils
limit water retention, encouraging vines
to produce smaller berries
with concentrated flavor and structure.
I personally never would have thought
that vitis vinifera would do as well as
its done in Virginia
If we didnt grow European wine grapes,
we wouldnt have an industry here
because people
Thats just what people think wine is!
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc,
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Albarino, Cabernet
Franc, Merlot, Syrah.
Roussanne
Moscato, Viogner, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot.
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris,
Sauvignon Blanc, Viogner and Chardonnay.
Riesling
Merlot, Viognier, Albarino, Pinot Noir.
Pinot Gris
Petit Verdot and Tannat, Merlot, Chardonnay
and Cabernet Franc Sauvignon blanc,
Merlot, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc.
Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache.
Albarino, Chenin Blanc, Nebbiolo
We have shown in Virginia
that yes we can grow vinifera
and frankly,
the challenges that we have
growing vinifera in Virginia,
are just the same as they are in Europe
they have downy mildew, powdery
mildew, black rot.
They need to work to control them
as sustainably as the can
but there is nothing...
really different about us
and other temperate climates
when it comes to growing vitis vinifera.
Virginia has done great
with vinifera, I am really
proud of how the Cabernet
Franc that we do here
dont tell anybody cause
I do work in California also, but
I like our Cabernet Franc
better than the California Cabernet Franc
I just do! We can do fine with
vinifera. Does that mean thats
the only thing we can do?
Absolutely not!
I think we should embrace our
success with vinifera
which weve had,
however, at the same time,
embrace the freedom that
we have. We have freedom!
Unlike Europe and their
appellation system,
Look at all the wonderful
French and Italian
winemakers whove helped
make Virginia Wine what it is...
They love the freedom to be
able to grow whatever they want here
You have a free card
and you have to try to find
what you think works the best.
And, to make it happen.
Where the challenge is.
Well, you may be wrong
and is going to take some time.
[crickets chirping]
And I am proud that in Virginia
we do have Surya Sapkota
with the USDA to breed grapes
that are good for Virginia
and he can be free to use
we like Norton Norton has its place
but can we make something better?
My peers
and I really starting to ask the hard
question of what what can we do
to be more sustainable here in Virginia?
And, you know, disease pressure
being one of our biggest issues.
That's where we started.
As an industry, we're constantly
looking at ways that we can develop
and grow grapes
that are resistant to the humidity
and the slightly higher
rainfall here in Virginia,
So we partnered with the USDA, and,
we're working as a Virginia wine industry.
To, to develop, wine grapes
that are just a little more resistant
to our environment.
[music concludes]
[footsteps]
Okay. This one looks great.
What's the parentage here?
This is advanced
European vitis vinifera cross
with American species for disease
resistance, built for resilience.
This is exactly what our growers are
looking for.
The disease resistance.
But no compromise on quality.
This is what we are doing.
We cross thousand of crosses
for downy mildew resistance.
Wine quality and flavor. It takes years.
You know,
one of the biggest challenges of grapes
that we're not either born here
or bred here or, you know, developed for
our region is they are harder to grow,
require more inputs.
Be it spray inputs,
be it hand work inputs, be it work
with mechanical implements.
All of that adds up to, you know,
certainly when you get into chemicals,
you know, that is environmentally,
less sustainable when you get into the,
the work, if you have to have
workers around those chemicals
less sustainable for the workers.
If you have the risk of
maybe 2 to 4 times in a decade
that you could have crop failure if you
if you if you mess something up, then
that is a real big, danger
to the sustainability
of not just your business,
but the industry in general.
Yeah.
What folks should know
is that we're basically just speeding up
nature's selection.
Exactly.
This type of research is so exciting
because it allows our growers
to plant confidently,
knowing that they're investing
in the future of Virginia Wine.
Would you like to see more?
Oh of course. Yes.
For a long time,
we had to, prove to the world that we can
make wine that taste like wine.
I think we're there now.
There's no question about that.
But, it is currently very, very difficult
to grow organic grape
growing with Vitis vinifera.
In Virginia.
It could be easier to do it, with hybrids.
When we started,
our belief was you're going
to need to have vinifera
Since then we've kind of changed our tune
and now we've been putting in hybrids
or experimental hybrids.
Trying to kind of predict
the target of what ripening will be like
10 or 15 years from now.
I've been working with vinifera varieties,
but have a steady,
interest towards moving forward
with hybrids from the breeding program
because they take what we're doing
conceptually and do further
that sustainability mission
that incorporates the disease resistance,
incorporates more winter hardiness,
does make a more sustainable platform
to be working from.
For me, hybrids are the future.
If I don't plant vinifera ever again,
I'd be happy with that.
I think anybody who who plants hybrids
is because they are easier to tend to.
They tend to take less work.
They produce heavily
and they produce beautiful wines.
We, we find that
if you are working with hybrids,
that doesn't mean
you have to make bad wine with it.
How do you produce a good wine,
but also how you are respectful
of what you're doing out in the fields,
in the vineyard?
What I love about the hybrids
is that you get similar wine quality
as you do with the European grapes,
but because we have the cross
of American grape,
they can handle our humidity, our weather,
where we're doing more sustainable
farming with them
through our vineyard practices.
And I think that's important.
If you're not going to make
really great wine.
What are you doing?
Most consumers in Virginia have had some
experience with hybrids, which is great
because hybrids have been around here
in Virginia for decades.
Hybrids are kind of our saving grace
as far as, Virginia elements go,
whether it's the rain, the wind, the cold,
all of those things
will annihilate vinifera
if you're not careful.
But hybrids. They're resilient.
They're tough.
Their skins are thick.
But how do I translate that
to the consumer?
I think sometimes people are afraid
to try new things
and things that they haven't heard of.
But you have to get around those biases
and, you know, preconceived notions that
if it's not something
that they've heard of on a grocery store
shelf, then it's not going to be any good.
I don't really care what they think.
Because in a way,
The wine should sell itself.
Let them taste it.
If they like it, great.
If they don't. Great.
If they like it,
what do they want to know more about it.
And I'm happy to share.
Being able to communicate
the reason that we've planted
a certain varietal, what the varietal is,
we've had a lot less pushback about people
wanting to try different things
and then see what grows well, here
and what we can make from something
that's just a little bit different
than maybe that they've had before.
Since we were, quote unquote,
one big experiment.
You don't put all your grapes
in one basket.
So we
we decided to plant 15 different varieties
so we could see what would do the best.
We would love to grow Chardonnay.
But we were concerned about bunch rot
because of the humidity
and the temperatures.
So Lucy said, hey, there's a grape called
Chardonel that's coming out a hybrid.
Hi. How are you guys today?
Great.
How can I help you?
I'd like to start with a nice, crisp,
Chardonnay please.
All right. I don't have a
Chardonnay, cause we dont grow that.
Can I interest you in a glass Chardonel?
And what's that?
Let's get you a taste.
- Justin, can I have the Chardonel, please?
- Yeah.
Alright So this is our Chardonel
so Chardonel is a French-American hybrid.
And it's a cross between Chardonnay
and Seyval Blanc.
What we like about Chardonel here.
Is that since it's a cross
between a French-American grape.
You get the really nice wine quality
you get with the French grapes
but then the ability to grow it here
really nicely.
That you get with American grapes.
So it's a nice kind of balance of the two.
And have a taste see what you think.
[swirling glass on counter]
It should be pretty similar.
Oh that's nice!
Thats good!
Yeah. It's one of the grapes here.
We can do really well.
And so I think it can stand up to what you
would have expected with a nice Chardonnay.
- This is awesome!
- Awesome, enjoy, guys.
[music]
I like this.
So far there hasn't
been a wine that we haven't like.
Just for the record.
[music]
I have been in the industry for
I mean, I've been at Blenheim since 2012.
And it has never been
a very diverse industry.
Our thing is trying to create access and
opportunity in and through Virginia wine.
Oenoverse gave me the hubris
to open a wine and tea bar.
While I've always had a heart
to open a community spot
and a place that people can gather,
I would have never, honestly,
in a million years
thought wine would be a part of it.
Truthfully,
because I didn't see people like me.
Virginia wine was very inclusive,
very open,
very like welcoming to me in a way
that I didn't expect wine at all to be.
You can go in the door
of most tasting rooms in Virginia
and have,
you know, a pretty comfortable experience.
And so we wanted to basically
try to open that door for more people.
And, I mean, we have seen,
I think, a pretty substantial, difference
in feel like creating more of,
like a wine culture and community.
When I realized how cool of a space
it could be, and when I say cool,
I don't mean like trendy, I just mean like
welcoming, warming, inviting, etc.
I was like, whatever I can do to make sure
that people know that
this is really what it is, let's do it.
So shout out to Virginia Wine
for always being awesome
and shout out to us
for helping people see that.
[music]
In 5 words or
less how I would describe Virginia Wine
is...
Community.
Unique, Diversity.
Exciting, Human-centered and experimental
adventurous,
a true expression of time and place.
And fun.
A beautiful mix of nuance and heritage,
Old world
charm and grace meets southern grit.
Let me tell you something.
Virginia Wine is beautiful.
I think this is a unique place
that almost anything is attainable.
It's a new frontier.
Virginia wine to me is community, family
and so much love.
Virginia wine to me
is home, family and pure
excellence darling, cheers!
It's just completely different
than all the other wine
regions in the States.
And just the way that it's surrounded
by community really allows you
to immerse yourself
into the winemaking techniques and styles
and overall just understand
as a better wine consumer.
Come and try some Virginia Wine.
Winemaking can
be a pretty capital intensive business.
Even if you are able to purchase fruit.
I mean, the tanks that are around us,
they're not cheap.
[laughs]
So, I mean,
I think being able to share space
and really makes it an accessible
opportunity.
Yeah.
There's a joke.
How do you make, million dollars in wine?
Start with 2 million. Right.
Like, you have to have the resources
to do all of this.
My daughters and I were always
really intrigued by kitchen incubators
and that whole concept
and how amazing it is to see how people
can take a small business and then use
an incubator as a launching pad.
And there's some really great success
stories around them.
So we thought if that could work
in other industries, it must.
There must be a way to do it in the wine
industry.
At a time in the industry
where we're pivoting from big estate
winery development
into small niche winery development.
It allows those smaller businesses
and concepts to get started
without without all that front loaded cost
And so it's a huge it's a huge advantage
to changing the industry
for the better and allowing a more diverse
and interesting group of people.
Challenges to entry.
The cost of entry, is a big hurdle.
But, I feel like we've been very lucky
to find Commonwealth Crush.
Lance and I make wine together.
We call it the Parallax Project.
And so the way that we got
there was a lot through the efforts of Ben
and Tim Jordan, Lee Campbell,
when they told us
that they were going to launch
an incubator program
at Commonwealth Crush, where they wanted
that, that their core premise was,
we don't believe that we've seen
the best of Virginia wine yet,
and we don't believe that we'll see it
if the same people keep
making Virginia wine.
I can't express enough gratitude
to the whole Commonwealth Crush team.
And I guess especially we're part of this
incubator program that's intended to
bring, more voices to wine.
Kirsty!
Welcome!
Oh! Oh, my.
Virginias
wine industry, is build on
something rare in the world of wine.
Collaboration. Here
winemakers dont work in isolation.
They work together.
I don't know if you guys are done
with Sauvignon Blanc.
You know, by
now we're never done with Sauvignon
This is the Blanc the Sauvignon blanc
fermenting Sauvignon blanc.
So we pulled out of the tank this morning
and we're making risotto.
Okay, so.
Youre
the reason I'm still in the wine industry.
You told me after I realized that
I wanted to make wine, you said, okay,
this is Virginia and you're a woman
you said you need to get some a degree,
some credentials,
some way that people will
respect you and recognize that
you can make wine...
Cin-cin, cheers!
[glasses clinking]
[Gabriele singing]
A few years ago,
we worked with the Winemakers
Research Exchange
and we did an experiment on Merlot.
And what we did was
we did three different canopy heights.
Tall, medium, short.
And we wanted to see
which gave us the best ripening.
And what we found
was that the lower canopy on the Merlot
actually worked the best.
It helps us with flavor development
and, gives us the best quality Merlot
that we can have.
So it was a really interesting experiment.
We did it over three years.
So we were able to get a really good,
indication
of of how it would do in our vineyard.
The Research Exchange is a nonprofit
organization.
It was founded by winemakers, and
it's funded by the Virginia Wine Board.
Our purpose is to work with winemakers
all over Virginia,
to do practical experiments
in their wineries,
to learn which winemaking techniques
and which approaches
help us to make the best quality wine
that we can from Virginia Fruit.
So we do that
with our practical experiments,
and then we also share the results
with with all the other winemakers.
And so if somebody figures
out of an approach that really works,
part of the research exchange is to help
share that information
with other winemakers,
so people can decide if they want to start
to employ that winemaking technique
for themselves.
Experimentation that I do,
I can share it with my peers, and then
they can, make their own opinion about it.
It's such a beautiful way
to learn something from a group of people
who are just as passionate
about as you are,
and they're being kind and helpful,
and everybody's working together.
This year,
I have two experiments,
but the one we were speaking about
is to reduce
the use of herbicide
or eliminate it altogether.
Maybe we could use, woodchips to as a weed
control option in the vineyard.
Okay, so we are at 96.5in.
We're harvesting the fruit to look to see
if there's any variation of weight
how much like tons per acre
would it change?
In terms of, like,
if there's more competition with,
with the weeds under the vines,
but we can look at does it change the,
the weight of the fruit on this one vine
and use that as kind of a proxy
for the, that larger number,
- Zero percent!
- Looks zero to me!
Look at that.
- Thats what we want to see
- Exactly that is
That looks good.
Start stockpiling those wood chips Corry.
Okay, so we say yeah.
So then yeah this is where we, we have to
dig down in to get the soil temperature.
Because that's not real soil.
So we have to get to where
the roots would consider it
to be soil.
[engine running]
I think the fundamental principle
that that makes the research exchange work
is that idea of of collaboration
with one another, even when that overrides
competitive drive.
So, you know,
I think people are always competitive.
Passionate people are competitive.
They're making things because
they want to make the best when they can.
And that's a good thing.
But here in Virginia, I think we also know
that we we're still learning.
We're still figuring out
what what needs to happen.
And we're genuinely friends
with our neighbors.
I'm continually amazed
that winemakers are willing
to do so much work to experiment.
It's always respectful.
It's always constructive.
People really do
treat one another with trust and respect,
and I think that's a real hallmark
of our industry.
And it's one of the reasons
that Virginia wine
has gotten so much better so quickly.
[music]
For us, we are a new wine region.
And so the only way we can
in some way catch up,
with the rest of the world is by,
sharing our experiences.
We are going to try everything.
Virginia wine industry definitely grew
because of the different diversity
of people coming from Italy,
France, South Africa,
but different origins
that brought this culture
and we were so entangled
together that we learn
and our knowledge got better fast.
And I think we now have quantity of wine,
and our vineyard practices
can be equal
to a lot of the best region in the world.
We just have to keep on finding
to keep on trying to get better, at it.
And that's not easy
every year, but [inaudible]
We're comparing a Jefferson vineyard,
a Pinot Gris with a Ukrainian Pinot Gris.
And they're both really good. Yeah.
[Laughing and cheering]
That's what
that was part of
what really kept me in the industry.
When it was a struggle,
I could call anyone
in the Rolodex of winemakers
locally and say help!
And I would get it.
Hey Stephen
James! Hey, buddy. Doing all right? It's
good to see you brother.
Every time we come to Kings,
I'm always reminded of,
of your
your mom and dad, God bless your dad.
But how how your mom kind of saved us
out of the fire that one day, remember?
The story she told me was she remembers
seeing something on social media
saying you all needed help that year.
And,
we were working in the vineyard picking,
and she had helped here
and we were wrapping up.
But she said, you know, I'm
going to go over and help out
because that's what was needed.
So she came over there and helped out
and remembers grabbing lugs,
going to work on a row.
And up you came and said, Ellen,
what are you doing here?
And she said, you said you needed help.
Yeah.
And, when I hear that story,
it feels really good because it reminds me
of just the collaboration
and the work we do together as, as peers
in the industry to help each other out.
Yeah, I think that's
that's a microcosm of the collaboration
across the industry up and down.
That's
I think helped get us to this point.
You know, I think that's a prime example
of when help is needed.
Help is coming and
and it can come from familiar faces
and neighbors and,
you know, people who are still harvesting
and doing their own thing
can take the time and come and help and
And I, for that will always be grateful.
It's, it's a fond memory and like you say,
it's just indicative of the industry
today. So cheers.
And, heres to a very successful harvest.
And God bless you and your family.
Thanks, buddy. Cheers, James.
The collaboration that
we have in this industry is really
what helps propel it forward.
And because we have so many different
winemaking styles
and so many different grape varieties
to talk about it, to share it
with our industry colleagues
and our counterparts is very essential.
It's what helps us grow as an industry.
As the rising tide raises all boats
That high tide floats all boats.
We are in this together.
And as is commonly said,
the rising tide lifts all boats.
And so our tide is rising.
And it's just a, a beautiful place to enjoy
views such as this taste incredible wines.
It's just a magical place to visit.
Because we're not just building
one business.
We're building a wine region.
It's a mishmash of people
making it all beautiful.
I think that's what makes it special.
And if you leave Virginia, there's
there's regions where they don't
have the camaraderie and where
they're not sharing ideas
and they're not growing together.
Virginia is all about that.
And that's what's made it special for me,
for when I was really starting
to understand winemaking, I'd grown grapes
for a long time before that.
But when I really took the reins
as a winemaker, you're scared to death
because of all these factors
that you're dealing with.
And as a young winemaker, you need help.
One thing that I discover in here
in Virginia, a bit different
from what I come from, I found a deep
sense of collaboration already,
which we don't have as much in Italy
theres a bit more competition.
You know, you respect your, competitor,
but you don't help them
Here instead in Virginia.
It was a small community, that was very,
connected and, helpful with each other.
So if I fit right in, because that's
kind of my attitude as well in general.
And so throughout the year, it's
been really great
to be able to help other people share,
all the findings from our experimentation,
very clearly declare
where we failed and why and not, try
to avoid other people to go through that.
I, I met a younger person
much younger than me.
His name is John Noer,
and I really thought, you know, I,
I like to help this this younger person,
he is making a big commitment
into farming,
which is what I think ultimately
is the winning point for Virginia
It's great
to have someone who's been at it
for decades
in Virginia and can answer your questions.
Those are the people we need,
and we need them young
because we need another generation, to
to really,
take care of of growing Virginia.
Good to see you, John. Likewise.
Thank you so much.
You have a good season. Yep.
When we were looking for this site,
we were talking to a lot of different
consultants to test our soil.
See what it was for grape
growing. I ran into this one person,
Jason Murray,
He has a horticulture background,
and he was advising all the farms
in the county on how to proceed.
At one point,
Jason decided to get into winemaking, and
I believe that's when our collaboration
really started.
Ready? You want to go try some wine?
Yeah. Let's go. All right.
All right.
Right. Have a seat.
I have something really special
for you to try. Cool.
I'd like to get your feedback on it.
Tannat, Petit Verdot, Fer Servadou.
And Cabernet Sauvignon.
So you're familiar with our Ruby.
Yeah.
But everything it needs is there balance.
It's it's super awesome.
So I think great job.
Cheers. Cheers, buddy.
Thank you.
Having somebody
to talk to to run things by
has been very beneficial.
And this way we can really think
about ideas without judgment.
This is a much more complex
and complete wine.
That's what I was thinking.
All right cool.
We're on the same page I love it.
Do it [laughing]
Sweetheart, how are you?
All right.
My future little winemakers?
Food is always a big part of my family.
My mother taught me how to cook,
she taught me how to be creative
with flavor.
And thats kinda what did it
for me with wine
Adds flavor to my life. Like food does,
like special relationships, like my family.
It's a component that creates the whole.
And they say some of the best
winemakers were chefs,
But honestly, my winemaking improved.
My cooking improved because my winemaking.
Is this okay? Yes.
Here, girls.
Here you go, Ella.
Oh, grab a seat.
Okay.
All right.
I love my family. I love my friends.
Without any of you, I wouldn't
be able to do what I can do today.
So thank you very much for inspiring me
and keeping me going.
Right to our future!
Thank you. Cheers.
Cheers.
[tractor in distance]
First day of harvest.
It's my favorite day.
It really is.
[music]
Bill, why don't you just go ahead
and tell us about
how harvest went this morning?
I like the pictures you took. I will.
I know what I like about
it is a slow warm up.
Yeah.
And what I like about it.
Especially
we have the cellar crew there to help. So,
Which always makes it, I know
will be the first get things going.
Yeah. And, then we'll settle down
as they get busy with the crush,
and we'll have our regular team
just there.
But it's it's great.
Overall a good first day, so.
Cheers you guys.
Cheers. Great.
First day.
To 2025 cheers.
Thank you.
That was good.
[laughing]
I still run into people
who are like, oh,
my gosh, Virginia makes wines.
And my response is,
oh my God, where have you been?
So many people even tasting wine.
If they know what the wine is,
they already know
what what they think it tastes like.
I, I suggest that they do a blind
tasting with other wines.
To explore
how Virginia wines stand alongside
some of the world's
most established regions.
We invited a group of wine professionals
from prominent restaurants
in Washington, D.C.
In a blind tasting,
they sampled wines from Virginia alongside
comparable wines from France.
The sommeliers knew the grape variety
in each glass,
but not where the wine came from.
I mean, I think
I think they definitely both taste
like Chardonnay.
Maybe. Maybe we're dealing with
a cooler climate on wine four maybe
dealing with a lesser wine making,
you know, hand.
I hear what you're saying,
and I mostly agree with that.
But for, especially if we're talking
about Virginia wine.
Like wine three, screams like
crab cakes in the summertime.
As you said here, the profile is more
sharp more crisp, maybe more Chablis.
Our friend Linden.
All right. Wine number three
is. Oh, yes, one of my favorites.
Linden Avenius Chardonnay.
A white Burgundy, yeah, it makes sense.
Yeah, this is one of the best things
that we can do as wine
professionals is to really taste
these wines blind,
to really understand the quality
of winemaking, but to really assess them
with no judgment going in.
I think that's such a testament
to what they're doing over at Linden.
Yeah. One by one,
the bottles were revealed.
Some of the wines the sommeliers admired,
most were not from France.
They were from Virginia.
Virginia was no longer
simply an emerging wine region.
In the glass, it could stand beside
some of the most celebrated wines
in the world and hold its ground.
Im being wrong all the time.
So I'm going to say
this is one that I like.
They feel about equal in quality to me.
One of these times,
if they're both Cabernet Franc
one comes from an extremely old
winemaking region like the Loire Valley
or Bordeaux, potentially.
But either one of those
have such long histories.
And for Virginia a Virginia wine to be,
you know,
in this close of a conversation with it in
such a short time was really impressive.
Definitely. It's really cool.
All right. Let's find out.
So we think five is Virginia.
We think five is Virginia. Yes.
You know.
Oh okay 5 is
Afton Mountain Cabernet
Franc from Monticello.
Nice. I'm not familiar with this one.
We like we go like
yeah probably should check them out.
And?
And Saumur Champigny. So a Loire
Valley Cabernet Franc. Wow. Impressed with
Wow. Impressed with Virginia.
Okay,
I know, need to add more on the menu.
Well, I mean, when you're the
the steakhouse master.
[laughs]
So what, how does how did these ones
play in the restaurant there? How?
You know, when you're cruising
through a list of 100 plus
Cabernet or Bordeaux style blends,
how would you differentiate this one?
I think
either would definitely have their place.
I would assume a approachable price,
one on either of these wines.
So when we have guests come in and say
they don't want something that's too dry
but not a sweet wine, it's just something
that I think a lot of people would enjoy.
There's not a lot of producers
that can do Bordeaux
style, blend at this high quality
and use that much new oak.
Either of you care to guess at a producer?
Because I know who I think it is.
No. Not really.
Oh come on.
We have the RdV example
that was bought from a Bordeaux Chateau.
I think it's my friends over at RdV. Yeah.
I do.
Just with the amount of new oak,
the ripeness of the fruit.
They, they have the,
you know, the unique granite hill site
that allows them to get this depth
of concentration.
I, I'm and in fairness,
we already had Linden.
Yeah. Yeah.
For sure.
But that kind of distinctive dried herb
and graphite
reminds me a little bit more of Bordeaux.
Shes right all the time.
So, you know, definitely I think
number one here on the left is kind of
has that more international profile.
Well see because I
love also to be proven wrong.
All right.
All right.
Do the honors for number eight.
What we're looking at?
Oh, you know what?
Like I said, I love been proven wrong.
That's awesome.
I love seeing that we are seeing some
amazing stuff coming out of Monticello.
That's the one you told me
the Pollak, wow.
I'm definitely going to up
my game on Monticello.
I think it shows how a wonderful Virginia
wines can be
and how they stand up against,
you know, [inaudible]
typical French wines and what people think
of the French style and quality.
One of the things that us, somms
at the table, can speak to and try
to like, differentiate between Virginia
and France is because we study winemaking
and taste a lot of different wines.
But for the guests that come to
restaurants and want to drink something,
having them drink these side by side,
I would imagine
that they would be very pleased
with both of them, not knowing
whether which one is French
or Virginia wine.
Having been in a sommelier
for a bit of time now in Washington DC
ten years ago,
this tasting would have gone much
more poorly
for the Virginia side for sure,
and not be super obvious
just on a quality level.
Which one is from Virginia
in which one is not so.
That was a really cool takeaway here.
Especially for us
who who work in restaurants like this is,
it's very important
for us to represent these wines
and be proud to show these wines.
I work in the restaurant.
That's all Italian,
but we have Napa and we have Bordeaux,
and we have Champagne,
and we have all these other things.
Why not include, you know,
great wines, for my next door also.
Another winery.
There's going to be on the wine list.
I love it.
Taste this, but definitely,
did you know, it's from Virginia? No.
Definitely Virginia,
I think it's a destination.
Its a wine destination,
and it's been proven
that the quality of the wines are
and the next level.
Yeah. Super impressed.
Im really impressed too.
The biggest thing that I'm most proud of
and the secret
is, you know, if the wine is bad,
it doesn't matter
how good your marketing is.
The big secret is the wines are really,
really good and then the marketing
is easy.
And that is what I am
most proud of, is how good the wines are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Looks pretty.
So that's our second course tonight.
Here comes the salmon mi cuit.
With the watercress puree.
All right. Horseradish cream
and pickled onions.
Always enjoyed coming here.
- You've been a long supporter of Virginia.
- It's always been great, working together
with these wine dinners and
and being able to serve your wine.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Hey, Spike.
Good to see you.
Jon, what's going on?
Welcome back to the Woodberry kitchen.
Thanks for having me.
Brought you some wine from Virginias
Eastern Shore.
Excellent. We're going to need that. Yes.
So Spike. Thanks.
Thanks for carrying my wine.
You're a real supporter of local
everything.
We love it when it comes from around here.
And, this is, you know,
your wine and Tom's oysters are really
my favorite pairings in the whole world.
Well, it's great
that we're having this dinner together
and supporting all local food.
It's been too long.
Is very tropical, a great aromatic.
The oyster pie is one of the first
documented, items from the,
you know, foodways of the,
of the southern Eastern Shore. Good.
Well that's exciting.
A lot of thought went into that.
We're just fired up,
and now I'm really fired up.
Cheers. really integrates the wine nicely.
So I hope you enjoy, this, this dish.
And thanks so much for having us here
this evening.
Cheers.
[music]
[soft restaurant chatter]
Without all the winemakers being here,
there would be nothing happening.
We are a very good, industry.
We love to work together.
We love to party together.
And so if we can get us in the same room
to drink wine and have good food.
I think that should be fun.
Will, encourage everybody to, share wines.
I mean, you can drink your own bottle,
but I think it's better if you like,
make it and make it circulate
around the tables and, like.
So I expect to see people
going from the table and stealing bottles.
Especially if there's some good bottles.
Let me know.
And, the last thing
I'd like all the winemakers
to stand up [applause]
To Virginia Wine!
Virginia.
This land is often called
the birthplace of American wine.
Across Virginia, generations
have come to this land
with a simple belief
that great wine can be made here.
Wine, after all, is not only a drink, it's
a memory of the place,
of a season, of the hands
that tend the vine.
And perhaps
that is the true essence of wine.
Not perfection,
but connection between land and people,
between neighbors and friends,
between generations who may never meet,
yet share the same hope for what
this land can produce.
So when a bottle of Virginia wine
is opened somewhere in the world,
what fills the glass is more than wine.
It's the story of a community.
Across mountains, valleys and rivers.
Their voices continue.
We, the wine people of Virginia.
[chorus We the wine people]
We believed in it and we stuck with it.
And here we are.
[music]