Discover These Wines in the Monticello AVA

The climate is humid and a bit cooler than other wine regions around the world, so don’t expect big, fruit-forward and tannic reds like you may find in California, or light-bodied tropical whites that you may find on the coast of Portugal. Virginia is paving its own path and finding its unique voice.

Most wines in the area are dry, meaning there is no residual sugar left after fermentation. However, sweet wine drinkers can absolutely find options to suit them, like wines with deceptively sweet aromatics, wines with fruit-forward tasting notes, and dessert wines.

When you visit one of our area wineries, here are grapes you can expect to find.

A parent grape to the popular cabernet sauvignon, this variety is medium-bodied, with woodsy berry and cherry flavors. It wouldn’t be cab franc without a kick of black pepper, and often a note of pyrazines (the chemical compound found in bell peppers!).

My pick: Grace Estate Winery 2021 Slope of Grace Cabernet Franc

Expressive, tropical, and acidic, petit manseng is a unique grape that often isn’t heralded as a single-varietal anywhere else except its hometown of Southwest France. As a grape, petit manseng produces full bodied wines that are high in acid, and can range in sweetness. If you’re a fan of dessert wines, try a late harvest petit manseng, which has overripened on the vine to allow the sugars to condense.

My pick: Hark Vineyards 2021 Petit Manseng

Aromatically powerful, viognier has become one of Virginia’s signature varieties. Full bodied and often oily in texture, viognier boasts aromas of honeysuckle, orange blossom, and stone fruit. Sweet wine drinkers will appreciate the floral aromas, though most viogniers are fermented fully dry.

My pick: Jefferson Vineyards 2021 Viognier

Another obscure French variety used most often as a blending grape, petit verdot shines as a single-varietal wine here in Central Virginia. It is bold and tannic, with unmistakable notes of violet and licorice on the nose.

My pick: Blenheim Vineyards 2020 Petit Verdot

From the words “merit” and “heritage,” Meritage describes wines that are a blend of Bordeaux grapes. Meritage blends in Virginia are typically red, and use cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, and petit verdot. Blends labeled Meritage may be declining in popularity, however, as the term is proprietary, has strict criteria, and requires a fee for each wine.

My pick: Stinson Vineyards 2019 Meritage

All the previously listed wines are made using grapes of the vitis vinifera species. Vitis vinfiera is the European species of grapevine known for varieties such as chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, and most other classic European varieties.

Hybrid grapes are intentional crosses of two or more vitis species, such as vitis vinifera and vitis labrusca (the American species known for grapes like concord). The hybrid grapes produced by crossing species are high-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-tolerant. As Virginia adapts to a changing climate and resulting challenges, hybrid grapes have offered solutions. While they aren’t as esteemed as the European vitis vinifera, wines made of hybrid grapes are diverse, interesting, and often delicious. Here are a few to look out for: vidal blanc, chambourcin, traminette, seyval blanc.

My pick: Oakencroft Farm & Winery 2020 Sparkling White (vidal blanc).

With more than 40 wineries to explore, the Monticello AVA is the perfect place to sample Virginia wine. For those looking to dive in a bit more, book a private wine tour or visit one of our local wine shops that offer fun tastings and events to help grow visitors’ knowledge of the region’s wine.