Virginia's modern wine industry began taking root in the late 1970s and has grown from a small group of wineries to nearly 300. Viognier and Chardonnay are important white grapes. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Bordeaux-style blends are central to its reds, while Norton offers a distinctly American grape. Some wines combine earthy character with lightness, moderate alcohol, high acidity and drying tannins. Humidity, pests, heavy rain, rot and disease make growing grapes demanding.
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Elsewhere in Virginia & Southeast
- GeorgiaNo producers listed yetMuscadine is central to Georgia's wines, bringing a fruit-oriented style. European bunch grapes have also become more successful with modern fungicides.
- North CarolinaNo producers listed yetNorth Carolina includes high-elevation vineyards, Yadkin Valley, the state's first AVA, and Crest of the Blue Ridge, where warm days and cool nights suit vinifera and French-American hybrids.
- TennesseeNo producers listed yetTennessee combines European grapes, muscadine and Chambourcin in dry reds, crisp whites and fruit-forward blends. The Nine Lakes of East Tennessee AVA identifies vineyards in mountain and lake country.