The Birthplace of American Wine: The Untold Story behind Virginia’s Vines

Virginia is rich with history, and the story of wine in the Commonwealth is no different. The practice of winemaking in Virginia dates back to 1609, when the earliest settlers of Jamestown planted vines in an attempt to produce a cash crop utilizing the vital soils of the New World.

But the journey to great vino didn’t happen overnight, and like a true American success story, Virginia wines overcame several disheartening failures over a 400 year span to become one of America’s leading wine producers.

Today, the Commonwealth’s quality wines earn the respect of great winemakers and sommeliers all around the world. But Virginia's first vintages and the ensuing three centuries of wines encountered many difficulties, forcing producers in the wine industry to innovate and adapt.

Fun Fact: With over 300 wineries, Virginia comes in 6th for the most wineries per state.

Attempts by Colonial Cultivators

The early colonists came from England with a goal of finding new lands to plant cash crops, especially vines. Captain John Smith wrote about native vines in Virginia, saying that the plants were “in great abundance in many parts that climbe the toppes of the highest trees.” However, the colonists soon discovered that these unfamiliar grapes created poor quality wine with an unpleasant taste compared to their European counterparts.

After giving up on utilizing Virginia’s native vines, the colonists decided to import French varieties. In 1619, during the meeting of the first legislative assembly of the New World, the House of Burgesses passed Acte 12, which required every male household in Virginia to plant ten vines of the imported vinifera grapes for the purpose of growing and making wine. Several laws over the following 50 years attempted to coerce settlers into the cultivation of vineyards, but none were successful in the long run.

Go Deeper: One of the first settlers to follow, and even surpass, the requirements of Acte 12 was named John Johnson. He planted 85 acres on the land that is currently occupied by Williamsburg Winery. Today, the vineyard recognizes the history of the region with their Acte 12 Chardonnay. 

European Winemakers Try Their Hand at Virginia Soil

After a century of failed attempts by colonists to produce quality wine from native grapes, the General Assembly made a point to solve the problem. In 1770, it commissioned Frenchman Andrew Estave, naming him the official winemaker and viticulturist for Virginia.

Estave studied the soil in Virginia for two years before he began planting 100 acres of the European vine vitus vinifera at Jockey’s Neck outside of Williamsburg. Like the colonists before him, Estave’s efforts failed. He concluded that the vines were too fragile for the Virginia climate.

Instead of producing, Virginians wound up importing more wine during this period—the opposite of what England had intended when settling the colonies.

Fun Fact: The land where Estave planted his vines would become the Williamsburg Winery in 1983, when it was purchased by the Duffeler family. 

Thomas Jefferson’s Lifetime Pursuit of the Perfect Wines

Thomas Jefferson, noted as America’s first wine connoisseur, was passionate about making Virginia a great wine-growing state. Along with George Washington, George Mason, and approximately 25 other early influential leaders, Jefferson started the Virginia Wine Company. The aim was to finally establish vineyards as producers of a cash crop. But while Andrew Estave dealt with the vine crop failures on the eastern side of the state, Jefferson began experiencing his own frustrations with viticulture.

In 1773, Jefferson gave 2,000 acres of land adjacent to his home at Monticello to Italian viticulturist Filippo Mazzei. Jefferson worked with Mazzei to plant the European vitis vinifera. They found some early success in their cultivation efforts, but this positive turn was unfortunately short-lived. Although there is some disagreement in the Virginia history community whether it was the start of the American Revolution or an infestation of pests, the vines were wiped out once again by misfortune.

Go Deeper: Today, you can still visit the grounds where Jefferson and Mazzei attempted to grow the vines, which are now home to the aptly named Jefferson Vineyards.

Jefferson’s failure to establish a successful vineyard did not discourage his passion for wine. In 1801, he was elected president. During his administration, he is said to have spent $10,000 on wine—considered a vast fortune in that time. While his own personal crops did not find success, the influence and tenacity he brought to Virginia viticulture helped the winemaking industry gain momentum and recognition.

Norton’s Hope for the Virginia Wine Industry

In 1817, Dr. Daniel N. Norton of Richmond began developing his own grape that joined the Virginia-native vitis aestivalis vine with common European grape varieties. Although there is a lot of mystery surrounding the process and origin of his vines, the resulting hybrid grape was resilient against common North American pests, survived Virginia’s climate zone, and produced high-quality, dry table wine with intense flavors.

The wine gained recognition within the 19th century. In fact, a Norton red wine bottled by the Monticello Wine Company received an international award at the Vienna World’s Fair in 1873. By 1890, Virginia was producing 461,000 gallons of wine, making us the fifth-largest wine producer of the period.

But just as winemakers were finding success, several pivotal and successive events in American history halted the progress of the Virginia wine industry: The Civil War, Prohibition, and then the Great Depression. By the end of the 1930s, all of Norton’s vines had been destroyed to comply with Prohibition laws, and the lack of funding during Great Depression halted any progress made.

From Italy, With LOVE: How Wine Entrepreneurs Persevere

It wasn’t until the 1960s that Virginia saw a renewed interest in winemaking. In 1976, Italian winemaker Gianni Zonin decided to expand his wine business internationally, purchasing a parcel of land near Charlottesville. The Zonin family has been making wine since 1821 and is famous in Europe for their winemaking ability, owning the largest private vine growing company in Italy.

Gianni Zonin sent his family’s vineyard manager, Gabriele Rausse, to Virginia to grow European grapes, just as many had attempted before him. But unlike the early colonists, 18th century European winemakers, and Thomas Jefferson, Rausse found great success. He became the first to successfully cultivate vitis vinifera in Virginia, creating what is now known as Barboursville Vineyards.

Instead of keeping his newfound industry secrets on establishing vines in Virginia to himself, Rausse consulted with many other winery start-ups to share his knowledge and expertise, allowing for the continued growth and success of Virginia viticulture.

In 1980, the number of wineries in Virginia grew to six, then 26 in 1995, 107 in 2005, and today, over 280 total wineries throughout the state. Rausse's achievements have earned him the title of “The Father of the Modern Virginia Wine Industry.”

The widespread presence of wineries around the Commonwealth is an ode to the many Virginians before who dreamt of the success the industry has found today. Discover a few of the 300+ wineries in Virginia on your next vacation and learn why Virginia is for Wine Lovers!