WASHINGTON — For the first time, a Virginia winery is a finalist for Wine Enthusiast’s annual Best American Winery Award.
Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison County, Virginia, north of Charlottesville, was founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case and his wife, Jean in 2012.
Wine Enthusiast says Early Mountain Vineyards has received notable recognition for wines that show the state’s terroir in its best light. Early Mountain is headed by winemaker Ben Jordan.
Early Mountain Vineyards was one of 12 Virginia wineries chosen for the 2018 Governor’s Cup Case, a case of wine assembled each year to showcase Virginia’s best wines at state dinners and other official Governor’s functions.
Early Mountain is up against four other vineyards for the Wine Enthusiast American Winery of the Year award.
They include Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, California, Leonetti Cellar in Walla Walla, Washington, Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles, and Wolffer Estate Vineyard on Long Island, New York.
The winner in American Winery of the Year and several other categories will be announced in Wine Enthusiast’s “Best of Year’ issue in February 2019.
Virginia now has more than 300 wineries and vineyards statewide and has become the nation’s sixth largest American wine grape producer.
