Virginia Wines on the World Stage

Virginia Wines at Wine Paris
Wine Paris 2025 made it possible for over 5000 exhibitors to show their products to over 50,000 visitors over 3 days in January. Wine Paris is now ranked as the largest wine trade fair in the world. In addition, the event attracted 45% international visitors, more than other large fairs such as Vinitaly and Prowein. For a small, upcoming wine region such as Virginia Wine, this was the place to be after a successful show in 2024. I had the opportunity to interview winemakers and taste several wines, read on!

Virginia Wine Facts
As wine regions go, Virginia is tiny, about 5,000 acres under vine today; that’s about 2000 hectares (typical acreage measurement in Europe)! For reference, the Oakville AVA in Napa, Zinfandel planted in Sonoma, Texas wines, or the Basilicata region in Italy are of similar size. With over 300 wineries,
Virginia offers a wide range of conditions with vineyard altitudes from sea level to over 1800 feet, multiple soil types and variations in annual rainfall. There are 8 AVA’s which highlight the range of growing conditions in the state. As grape-growing and winemaking make progress, Virginia wines are starting to gain recognition: Wine Enthusiast’s 2023 Star Awards declared the Charlottesville area and Monticello AVA as the Wine Region of the Year.

A Mini-History of Virginia Wines
The modern Virginia wine story started in the 1990’s. AJ Greely, president of Virginia Vineyards Association and winemaker at Hark Vineyards said “we’ve moved away from what we were known as, sweet wine and southern wine”. Luca Paschina of Barboursville Vineyards explained in more detail “when you create a new wine region, there’s a lot of work to do. You do a lot of experimentation and then you observe what works… in good seasons and bad seasons, we have to wait quite a few years. Back in the 1990’s, we planted new clones, new rootstock, different spacing, pruning techniques. We finally produced a world class wine in 1997.” Matthieu Finot from King Family Vineyards has been growing grapes since 1998. He explained they are very focused in the vineyard, ensuring the quality is in the grapes. They have landed on the varieties that work well with the soil, terroir, weather. “If I have good grapes, it’s very easy to produce a quality wine”. Michael Shaps of Michael Shaps Wineworks explained that “the grape growing has improved dramatically over the last 30 years and we’re happy to have been part of that.”

Keys to Virginia Wines Success
Of note, Wineries sent owners or winemakers to Paris, so visitors could engage in deeper discussions than are typically possible with marketing staff, bravo! Here are a few of their thoughts shared at the expo:

• Virginia wineries are accessible within 3 hours to 20 million people – Washington DC, Baltimore, Richmond and Norfolk are all an easy drive away.
• Visitors can choose from more than 15 different organized wine trails with travel planning help for international visitors as well as people of color and LGBTQ visitors.
• Beyond tasting rooms, several wineries have onsite lodging, gastronomic restaurants, and creative events – Polo anyone?
• Recognition – The Monticello AVA and neighboring city of Charlottesville won the wine region of the year at Wine Enthusiast’s 24th Annual Wine Star Awards, achieving global recognition in the world of winemaking.

Why exhibit at Wine Paris?
Winemakers at Wine Paris shared reasons to present at Wine Paris:

• AJ Greely said “Recognition is important, we’re making solidly great wine…to have people come to the booth, taste, and say wow, this is beautiful! That recognition puts us not only on a national forefront, we’re stepping on an international stage”
• While not exported in large quantities, at least one winery has wines placed in several Michelin Star restaurants in Italy and England. Top restaurants have large wine lists and sophisticated customers who want something unique but also high quality; Virginia wines represent something new and different.
• Over 2 million international visitors travel to Washington DC each year. They are often looking for additional experiences for their trip. With more international visibility, Virginia Wines and wine trails offer a new visit opportunity to enhance their time in the US.

Disclosure: I attended a wine dinner sponsored by Virginia Wines. No other compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine.

Virginia Wines at the Dinner Table
A number of international writers were invited to a dinner in Paris at Bistrot du Sommelier featuring Virginia wines. Over a dinner of French classics, we found these wines to be truly ready for the international stage!

Interested? Resources to learn more about Virginia Wines