Charlottesville was named Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, and now you can find the best of the best by tasting the gold medal winners of the Virginia Governor's Cup. The Virginia Governor’s Cup is the premiere wine competition within Virginia, with over 620 of the best Virginia wines, ciders, and meads submitted and sampled by world-class judges. The rating system is based on a 100-point scale, also used by Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine & Spirits.
The judging is rigorous. All wines go through a preliminary round of blind tasting. Qualifying wines then move on to the final round where each is reviewed by twelve judges. A wine’s average score is used to determine its medal status. Judges comment on a wine’s appearance, aroma, flavor, overall quality, and commercial suitability.
The twelve top-scoring wines are honored with inclusion in the prestigious Governor’s Case. These wines represent the very best of the best Virginia wines. While we wait on the 2025 results to be announced, it's worth mentioning that half of the wines in the 2024 Governor's Case came from the Monticello Wine Trail!
King Family Vineyards, 2019 Meritage
Afton Mountain Vineyards, 2019 T
Barboursville Vineyards, 2019 Paxxito
Hark Vineyards, 2019 Spark
Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2020 L.Scott
Mountain and Vine Vineyards and Winery, 2022 Chardonnay
The top wine is the recipient of the Governor's Cup. In 2024, King Family Vineyards, received this top honor!