“Pinot Noir from Virginia? Wow. Love the aromatics, depth of flavor and acidity, a fantastic wine,” remarked a friend after tasting the 2010 Ankida Ridge Pinot Noir during a recent dinner in San Francisco.
The Barboursville 2007 Octagon and Breaux Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve that I also opened at dinner that evening were equally well received. “These are really well-made, delicious, some of the best Virginia wines I’ve tasted,” continued my friend, a wine professional working in California who has an interest in wines from emerging regions like Virginia.
“It’s great to see an emerging region like Virginia getting so much positive press these days. It’s amazing how far some of the wineries have come in the last few years but Virginia may suffer from a problem common to emerging regions, the perception that there are a few really good wines and then everything else, with not much in between.”
My friend was right, Virginia wineries have received much positive media coverage recently and his comment about not much in between is a subject that I think about often — the growing divide in Virginia wine.
From the perspective of this avid consumer of Virginian wines and supporter of the 
industry as a whole, the growing divide in recognition, notable media coverage, and more importantly, wine quality, is becoming clear.
The last few years have been pretty big years for the Virginia wine industry in terms of national and international press coverage with glowing profiles in publications like Decanter Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, The New York Times, and Food & Wine Magazine.
While this type of positive press does benefit the entire Virginia wine industry, it’s hard not to notice that most of these articles feature the same handful of wineries and winegrowers.
Why?
Are these select few ‘the’ premier wineries, wines, and winemakers of Virginia?
Maybe, maybe not. The premier wineries, wines, and winemakers is dependent on one’s personal tastes and preferences. Regardless, being consistently included in these article does bolster the perception of those few wineries, wines, and winemakers.
This positive media coverage and recognition is only a small component of the growing divide in the Virginia wine industry.
Much like the U.S. economy — with the middle class shrinking as the ranks of the poor grow and the rich accumulate more (this being an economic fact) — there is a growing divide of quality in the Virginia wine industry.
Just five years ago I could easily group the Virginian wines I tasted into three distinct categories: exceptional (some even world-class), ok or good, and really not good. At the time, there were a handful of exceptional wines while the number of good/ok and not good wines seemed about equal.
Today, I taste many more Virginian wines that I would classify as ‘exceptional,’ far fewer good or ok ones (reasonably-priced, enjoyable, not overly complex), and more wines that are bad or flawed (unbalanced, flabby, excessive volatile acidity, stanky sulphur smell, over-oaked, dirty etc.).
Exceptional, ok, and bad wines are not exclusive to any one region or vintage — each category is represented throughout each region of the state and across all vintages (2003 and 2011 standout as tough vintages of course).
My opinion (or, theory) that the middle of Virginia wine is shrinking (in terms of quality) is based on tasting about 300 Virginian wines each year by way of participating as a judge in a large Virginia wine competition (for the last five years), winery visits throughout the year, tasting local wines to provide recommendations for a local wine shop, organizing numerous comparative Virginia wine tastings, and even the occasional large Virginia wine festival (I know, I know, not the best place for wine ‘tasting’).
I concede that tasting ~300 Virginian wines each year may not be the basis for ‘the’ perfect theory (if there is such a thing as a perfect theory) but, this number of wines does provide a reasonable sample size to form an educated opinion.
Since wine appreciation is subjective, there is no way to prove — nor disprove for that matter — my theory of the shrinking middle, but it is clear that a handful of wineries are pulling away from the pack.
While the growing divide is clear (or becoming clearer), the reasons for the divide are not as clear.
Perhaps the growing divide between the exceptional and not-so-good wines is typical as a wine industry evolves from an ’emerging’ to a mature region. Maybe this is common in more notable and established wine regions.
Maybe my palate has changed (evolved?) to the point where I only appreciate the Virginian wines that I drink the most.
It’s tempting to try to connect tourism-focused/event-centric wineries with not-so-good wines but a couple of these wineries consistently produce exceptional wines (along with their share of bad wine). And, conversely, a number of wineries that eschew touristy events and large parties are bottling some pretty rough wines.
A more likely reason is a combination of factors including; financial constraints, winemaker turnover, inexperience, poor site selection, and a sundry of other reasons.
Understand that exploring this growing divide is not intended as a swipe at hardworking winemakers or any particular winery, just the (educated) opinion of someone that supports (a lot) this industry and is curious about why this divide is occurring.
In the end, every consumer has different tastes and definitions of what is an exceptional or ok or bad wine. Drink what you like.
What say you?
____________________________
Drink What YOU Like 
Good observations, Frank, but perhaps not too unusual for many wine regions worldwide. In Bordeaux there are some 8,500 chateaux with the vast majority producing everyday drinking wines or less.
Perhaps a more baffling question is with the rise in Virginia quality why do so few DC restaurants still have such paltry VA wine selections? I’m not sure what it will take to overcome the “provincial” perception of the state’s wines among so called sophisticated drinkers. Could the answer lie in those who have partaken of a flawed Old Dominion bottle and simply written the whole state off? If so, might the declining quality of our middle tier wines taking the entire state down?
John! Thanks for commenting. Appreciate your thoughts on this subject. In talking with winemakers that have worked in other more notable regions, they said the same thing – a clear gap between the great producers and all others (those everyday drinking wines, which I do appreciate). Your question about why so few Virginia and DC restaurants embrace Virginia wine while at the same time actively promoting their support of ‘local’ food. This could be the subject for another, much longer article. If consumers really demanded Virginian wine, restaurants would carry it. The demand has to be there… and demand is created (as we all know) by providing consumers excellent wines.
John – the challenge also comes in comparing Virginia with certain regions in accepting less than great wine. There is a rising tide thought that the top wines can carry the whole ship, but place like Bordeaux have centuries of building demand. On top of that those drinkable wines are not generally flawed, but uninspired which is where Frank mentions a decline in our region. The other concern is at our size we can’t support mediocrity. We have to compare favorably to well known small regions like Oregon to compete on a world stage. We are tiny so for us to be successful everything needs to impress.
This is spot on and needed to be said. What is missing is what role the grape shortage is playing in this quality divide. If anything is growing it is the shortage of quality grapes. This is getting worse believe me. In a few years there will be a bigger gap.
Thank you, Jeff! The shortage of acres under vine definitely plays a role in the growing divide in quality but it’s impossible to define the extent. I should have referenced this shortage of plantings but that is much larger subject, worthy of another article.
Stephen Ballard wrote what I consider the most thoughtful and thorough piece on the subject of grape shortages here in Virginia:
‘Some Thoughts on the Vineyard Shortage in Virginia’ — http://blog.annefieldvineyards.com/2014/04/02/some-thoughts-on-the-vineyard-shortage-in-virginia/
Supply definitely does seem to be falling behind demand. Jim Koennicke, Asst Winemaker at The Winery at La Grange said it best (on Facebook) in response this subject; “We can’t supply all the wineries we currently have with grapes from the state of Virginia, that is going to lead some less than scrupulous farmers to over crop in order to maximize profits. It also means that any grapes grown will be sold on the open market regardless of quality.”
An interesting and complex subject to be sure.
Ahhh…there’s a good idea for one of your future posts. I’d like to hear whether things have changed since I wrote on the subject awhile back. http://www.hagarty-on-wine.com/OnWineBlog/?p=4205
I think we’re going to see a shift in the next few years- the divide simply isn’t sustainable from an economic standpoint- especially as consumers become more educated about this shift. My hope is that that outer rung- the one giving Old Dominion wines a bad rap- is the one that will begin to shrink.
It is frustrating that so few wines are available at retail shops in the District (Total Wine in Alexandria has the best local wine selection that I’ve found nearby!), but there is a real pricing issue that many of the distributors have yet to work out. Hopefully this will self-rectify as well.
Who are some of your favorite shifters? I think that Stone Tower- relative newcomer with parts still under construction- is doing an outstanding job and one we can expect to see more from.
Cheers!
Alison
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Allison. One would think that this growing divide would not be sustainable from an economic standpoint but, I suspect we will see the gap widen over the next few years. Will be interesting to see how the industry shakes out (if it does) in the next few years.
Frank, Of those wines considered great, do you know the vine density of the vineyards from which these grapes were picked? I would guess that the vast majority, (especially the reds) are made from grapes whose vines are tightly spaced. This is a relatively recent phenomenon for Virginia and in my opinion accounts for a good portion of the increase in your circle of great wines. Great wines are made in the vineyard the old saying goes. I suspect the number of sub-par wines of Virginia will gradually diminish as palates become more educated and VA wines continue to improve. And yes, we definitely need more grapes, hopefully from vines that are densely planted.
Great piece.
Thank you, Christine. I’m not sure about density of vineyards of the wineries I consider great. I suspect there is a mix. I will check in with a few winegrowers to see if I can add to this piece with that information.
Frank,
Your perspective may have to more to do with the sheer number of new wineries in Virginia in those 5 or so years you mention. You can assume some 5-6 year old (and older) wineries are making better wines today than before and a larger number of newer wineries are making not so good/flawed wines. That would fit with your observations. Have you noticed many well established wineries heading “downhill?” That would be worth knowing.
Kurt. Thanks for commenting. More than just the ‘sheer number of new wineries,’ I believe the fact that many of these new operations are ‘making wine’ (or having someone do it for them) and *not* growing grapes for their wine could be playing a larger role. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) it’s impossible to prove/disprove the widening gap in quality (but, it is there!). Cheers!
I think that some of the newer wineries are also ones coming in with new thoughts and can therefore push the quality envelope. I really don’t see a correlation. I have tasted a lot of bad wines from wineries that have been around a longtime. Often they simply say well it always sells out at festivals so why fix it? New wineries open everywhere and do a great job. No reason that can’t happen here. Wineries opening without a vineyard, vineyard management or knowledgable winemaker (or winemaker at all) could be a different subject.
Your post raises issues not unique to VA wine, all issues worth of discussion. Regarding a small point made early in your post—most national media outlets are interested in writing about alcoholic beverages that have distribution outside the region in which they are produced. Many VA wineries don’t focus on distribution in significant media markets, such as NY or Chicago, which means many national publications have the same few VA wineries to review.
Ingredients are always an issue for any farm based product—and winery expansion often outstrips the availability of quality fruit. This is certainly true on the VA cider front. With very few true cider apples available in the state, many cideries turn to culinary apples which often produce less that stellar cider, which then leads to flavoring the finished cider with oak, additives or other juices to, in a sense, “make something of not much”. But on the positive side, many (including the VA Wine Board) are focusing on ways to encourage growing good quality grapes in VA, and also cider apples, so we can raise the level of wine (and cider) in the Commonwealth.
Diane! Good morning. Thank you for commenting. Agree that this issue is not unique to Virginia but, since I am much closer to this industry (which I noted in the article) the widening quality gap seems magnified. At least to me.
I do disagree with your point about most national media outlets being interested in writing alcoholic beverages that have distro outside of their region. I’ve found many of these outlets seem to take the opposite view – they (some) want to write about largely unknown regions and wines. Take Eric Asimov’s much talked about piece on the wines of Irouléguy that appeared in the NYT last week. None of the three shops I checked have wines from Irouléguy and not all that widely distributed (relatively speaking of course) for such a big spotlight in the Times.
Since I tend to limit my cider consumption to only the best in Virginia (and beyond) — Foggy Ridge, Albemarle, and Blue Bee — I have no experience with the quality gap. It’s all great! 🙂
And, I agree that there are many focusing on ways to ‘encourage growing good quality grapes in VA.’ I’m just not sure how far that encouragement will go beyond the surface. Thanks for joining the conversation.
First a quick aside to Diane: we’re pouring your Serious Cider at a garden-to-table dinner tonight, cheers.
But having also served as a Governor’s Cup judge the last three years, I find my impressions differ. Most of the wines I tasted this year were clean and correct, if unexciting, with far fewer I would describe as “not good” than before. The chardonnays as a group were less flabby, for example.
My feeling is that continued improvement will need to come from the vineyard more than the winery.
Alex! Hi. Appreciate you joining the discussion and sharing your perspective from three years of judging the Governor’s Cup. I suspect wineries are sending their best (those exceptional wines) to the ‘Cup.
Have you spent much time visiting wineries to taste through their entire line up of current releases? For me, this is where the quality divide is most pronounced (but also evident anytime I taste a few Virginian wines side-by-side).
A garden-to-table dinner sounds great! All the best.
Frank,
I feel like I’m late for the party, but I’m prompted by an email we received yesterday from a marketing company offering us “to be promoted on board United Airlines on our L365 travel series as we showcase the best wineries found along the East Coast as a top travel destination!” A ninety-second spot could be had for “bargain” introductory rate of $29,500. This offer was probably sent to every winery on the East coast, but it drives home the point that marketing is very expensive. The joy of the gratis mentions in the press – whether mainstream newspapers, periodicals like Decanter or wine blogs – it feels like free publicity. Ergo, those that get mentioned by the press become better known among those who read such things – in the case of this market, those who pay attention to Virginia wine, but not necessarily the broader public within or outside of the Commonwealth. Being a “new” region, we are a curiosity to most wine drinkers, rather than a “force” – but thankfully that is changing. Though I remember being told by my sister about telling friends about Virginia wine (my family hails from California) and their incredulous reaction: “Virginia wine? Really??” followed by riotous laughter.
Part of it, I think, is proximity – the journalists are, more likely than not, if not based in Washington, DC, they arrive there to reach the wineries and they end up visiting those situated between DC and Charlottesville.
Another problem (in my mind) is the seeming lack of interest by growers and wineries to establish more American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Virginia. The stories I’ve seen in the British press use them to organize their reports, which makes sense given their experience with the European equivalent – but as a consequence this leaves the majority of wineries “rudderless.” Even stories in Wine Enthusiast have done the same, looking first at AVAs, then everyone else. It makes sense, but in the absence of these designations, what are they to hang their hat on?
But when you look at California and how they slice and dice existing AVAs, knowledgeable commentators invariably ask if having yet another one benefits the consumer. Perhaps not, but at least being able to encapsulate a region and explain how it differs from others gives Sommeliers something to talk about when they present a wine. What makes us special? What makes us unique? What makes it Virginia rather than some other place?
I suppose that’s an “Old World” approach focusing on the dirt, rather than the New World’s focus on the grape. And I think part of the gaining that credibility on the world stage is organizing and defining more AVAs. Kudos to Boxwood Winery for organizing the Middleburg AVA. I’ve got a very large file of data for one for our region, but it isn’t nearly ready to present to TTB. Getting others in the region behind such an effort can be a struggle; some might object to the name, others to the boundary, some may want to be left out of it, etc etc.
But this diverges from the issue of why the same wines, wineries, growers, winemakers keep getting mentioned in the press. We relish it, but what gets their attention? Usually whatever is new and different.
Mention was made of the dreaded wine festival. Since advertising and publicity are expensive, reaching the public though paid sources must be done judiciously, so festivals can take the place of advertising because it’s a way of getting product in front of a dedicated public..We do them not expecting to make money. Those who do them to make money must be delusional; even when we do “well” at one, when you factor in the cost of the wine poured for nothing, the profit is minimal. We’ve collected a fair number of wine club members who first tried us at one.
Social media is good for reinforcing branding among those who already know you. But the mainstream press? I hate to say it, but I suspect its just human nature and a lack of time. I don’t want to call it laziness, but it is to find the wineries that are close by and have names you already know.
It’s a mind-boggling prospect, really – journalists who focus on wine have an entire world of wine to choose from, so they have the luxury of exploring obscure regions or producers. But coming to Virginia, the most accessible and the easiest to reach are those that have already been “vetted” by the press. I have a friend who is a lobbyist on energy issues in DC who you often hear on the radio (and sometimes on television) commenting on his specialty, but I think its primarily because he’s in the Rolodex of every journalist who covers that field. Same goes for wine – these producers are already known to the journalists, they are reliable and accessible, so they get the attention. Its up to “the rest of us” to change that by getting their attention and giving them something to write about – hopefully, in this instance, by producing exceptional wine.
Hi! I’m way late to the conversation, but a couple thoughts: The wineries that keep getting mentioned probably have a well-developed pr plan that involves getting fresh story ideas out to the media on a regular basis. It can easily take 2-3 years to get a journalist to pay attention to you.
As to why more VA wineries don’t get written up, or why more media doesn’t cover VA wines, one reason is that the readers of the publications don’t have easy access to buying the wines. (Ask Dave McIntyre, as he’s shared stories about his regular readers who “can’t find the wine in DC.”) No editor wants to get these kinds of calls/angry letters.
For VA to be taken seriously, we need to get into stores and restaus and this takes place after getting a certain amount of consumer demand which comes from getting written up by the media. Yeah, catch 22…
Pair that with the fact that most winery business plans are written on a retail model, not a wholesale model, so the winery “loses” 25% or more on each wholesale sale. And most wineries are not producing quantities sufficient for servicing more than a handful of accounts.
And I agree with all the comments above as well.
Best,
Mary Ann
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