Virginia’s 868 Estate Vineyards Earns 2020 Governor’s Cup® with 2017 Vidal Blanc Passito

Top-ranked dessert wine joins 11 other gold medal-winning wines in the 2020 Governor’s Cup Case®

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam tonight awarded the Virginia Wineries Association’s 2020 Governor’s Cup® to 868 Estate Vineyards for their 2017 Vidal Blanc Passito. The winning wine was unveiled at the annual Governor’s Cup Celebration, which took place Tuesday evening at the Main Street Station in Richmond.

All wines in the Governor’s Cup competition must be made from 100 percent Virginia fruit, but the 868 Vidal ‘Passito’ represents the first winner made entirely from Loudoun County fruit. Produced by the Italian ‘appassimento’ technique of partially drying grapes to concentrate flavor, the winemaker halts the fermentation early to retain the natural grape sugar in the final product.

“I am thrilled to award the Governor’s Cup to Carl DiManno and congratulate the whole team at 868 Estate Vineyards on their sweet finish,” said Governor Northam. “The Vidal Blanc Passito embodies both the experimentation and artistry that has made Virginia the leading East Coast destination for wine. This year’s Governor’s Cup case is a strong reflection of our world-class wine industry and the distinctive wines being produced in our Commonwealth.”

Alongside 868 Estate Vineyards 2017 Vidal Blanc Passito, the 11 wines included in the 2020 Governor’s Cup Case are:

Afton Mountain Vineyards Tradition (2017)
Barboursville Vineyards Octagon (2014)
Barboursville Vineyards Vermentino Reserve (2018)
Delaplane Cellars Williams Gap (2017)
Lake Anna Winery Tannat (2017)
Michael Shaps Wineworks Meritage (2016)
Pippin Hill Vineyards Petit Verdot (2017)
Pollak Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve (2017)
Pollak Vineyards Smuggler (2017)
Rockbridge Vineyard Vd’Or (2017)
Shenandoah Vineyards Shenandoah Reserve Red (2017)

“I am pleased to see a team like that of 868 Estate Vineyards win with a hybrid grape—a rarity for the competition,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring. “With two dessert wines in the Governor’s Cup case alongside creative blends with grapes such as Tannat, it is clear that 2020 is another unique year for Virginia wine.”

More than 530 Virginia wines were submitted into this year’s Governor’s Cup competition. A panel of 19 judges, directed by Jay Youmans one of only 51 Masters of Wine (MW) in the United States, sampled the wines over a four-week period and awarded gold medals to those scoring 90 points or higher.

Within the case, there is wide representation from most regions of Virginia, most notably Central Virginia, with eight wines included. Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley are also represented with two wines each. The broad geographical diversity highlights Virginia winemakers’ ability to listen to their land and navigate the Commonwealth’s varied landscape and conditions.

At Tuesday’s celebration, the Virginia Wineries Association also announced its Industry Awards, which are presented to industry members who show excellence in their craft and act as advocates for Virginia Wine. This year’s winners are:

Virginia Wine Person of the Year: Justin Rose of Rosemont Winery, who helped establish and currently runs the 27-acre vineyard and its 6,000 annual case production

David King Advocate of the Year: George Hodson, CEO of Veritas Vineyards and Winery, president and principal of Flying Fox Vineyards, and president of the Monticello Wine Trail

Gordon Murchie Lifetime Achievement Award: Randy Phillips, general manager of Cave Ridge Vineyard and Winery in the Shenandoah Valley

Now in its 38th year, the Governor’s Cup competition is a result of a partnership among the Virginia Wine Board, the Virginia Vineyards Association, and the Virginia Wineries Association, which owns and manages the competition. Ciders and fruit wines have their own category and medalists.

According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, more than 2.2 million tourists visited Virginia wineries in 2015. Today, the Virginia wine industry generates $1.37 billion in economic impact and 8,218 jobs for the Commonwealth. Nationwide, Virginia is in the top six states in number of wineries and wine grape production.

A complete list of previous Governor’s Cup winners and information about the Virginia wine industry is available here.

All the information in this post is provided by a press release from the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office.

From the Press Release from The Virginia Wine Board: RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe tonight awarded the 2014 Virginia Wineries Association’s (VWA) Governor’s Cup to The Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio, a blended red wine. The Governor’s Cup was awarded Thursday evening, February 27 at the VWA’s Governor’s Cup Gala at the John Marshall Hotel.

Speaking at the Governor’s Cup awards ceremony, Governor McAuliffe said, “I am honored to award the Governor’s Cup to The Williamsburg Winery, one of Virginia’s oldest and most prolific wineries. It is no secret the Commonwealth’s wine industry has experienced tremendous growth both in quantity and quality in recent years. Such growth has an enormous impact on Virginia in terms of economic development and job creation. The Virginia Governor’s Cup, now recognized as one of the nation’s most stringent competitions, helps to raise awareness of the world class wines grown and blended right here in the Commonwealth. My congratulations to The Williamsburg Winery for their long history of success and their most recent notable contribution to the Virginia wine industry.”

The Williamsburg Winery’s Adagio is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 28% Petit Verdot. Aged in French, American and Hungarian Oak, the ratio is 43% new oak, 14% one year old oak; 29% two year old oak; and 14% three year old oak. The winemaker’s tasting notes are as follows: The 2010 Adagio is a very bold upfront wine with loads of jammy fruit. The blackberries and blueberry notes are accentuated with some elegant mature darker fruit such as figs, dates and prunes. There is a hint of spice (warm cinnamon) with molasses and soy. The earthy notes come across with a touch of nuttiness. The oak is very integrated into the weight of the wine and the tannins are smooth and graceful. The wine has a wonderful finish that lasts for quite awhile.
“It is very satisfying and very humbling to be with my peers and the others who have won the Governor’s Cup. The 2010 Adagio was unbelievable, exceeding all expectations for quality, and it was nice for Adagio to get that recognition,” said Matthew Meyer, vice president and winemaker of The Williamsburg Winery. “Adagio, from the Italian ad agio, or ‘at ease’, is a musical term indicating the tempo of a composition that is meant to be slow and stately, so named in honor of the extraordinary depth, elegance and grace of this wine.”
The 2014 Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition was conducted over three weeks of preliminary tastings, held at the Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C. The final round of tastings was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond in early February. The Governor’s Cup award winner was selected from the 2014 Governor’s Cup Case. The top 12 scoring wines of the competition, The Governor’s Cup Case, were selected from 410 entries of both red and white wines, from 96 wineries.

In addition to The Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio, the other 11 wines in the Governor’s Cup Case are:

Barboursville Vineyard – 2008 Malvaxia Passito
Barboursville Vineyard – 2010 Nebbiolo Reserve
Barboursville Vineyard – 2010 Octagon
Barren Ridge Vineyard – 2009 Meritage
Fabbioli Cellars – 2011 Tannat
Horton Vineyards – 2010 Tannat
King Family Vineyards – 2011 Meritage
North Gate Vineyard – 2011 Meritage
Rockbridge Vineyard – 2008 Meritage, DeChiel Reserve, unfiltered
Sunset Hills Vineyard – 2010 Mosaic
Two Twisted Post Winery – 2012 Chardonnay

The Governor’s Cup competition, revamped in 2011, is a result of a partnership among the gubernatorial-appointed Virginia Wine Board (VWB), the Virginia Vineyards Association (VVA), and the VWA, which owns and manages the competition. Any wine made from 100% Virginia fruit was eligible for the competition, while ciders and fruit wines had their own category and medalists. All entries included an affidavit with a certification of 100% Virginia fruit and vineyard particulars, including grower names and location, as well as information on alcohol, acidity or basicity (pH), and residual sugar.

Wine included in the Governor’s Cup Case will be used by the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office for marketing purposes in Virginia, across the country, and around the world. A number of cases will be shipped to select wine media, promoting Virginia wines to a larger national and international audience. The award winning wines will be used for education purposes at Virginia winemaker roundtable discussions to improve overall quality of Virginia wines. Governor’s Cup Case wines will also be used by Governor McAuliffe on select domestic and international marketing missions and other events designed to promote Virginia wine and winery tourism.

Jay Youmans, one of only of 31 Masters of Wine (MW) in the U.S., directed the competition. Youmans, who is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and the owner and educational director of the Capital Wine School in Washington, DC, recruited wine judges from the professional wine buying and wine media community. The judges were compensated for their time for a rigorous schedule of judging to ensure the competition maintained the highest level of professional evaluation. There were 30 judges in the preliminary round and 15 judges in the final round. A list of the judges along with their bios can be found at http://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup

One of the most important aspects of the revised competition is the educational component of the judging. After the competition, regional forums for the winemakers will be held with the judging director. Notes with the judges’ blind comments will be shared with individual winemakers, so that they will get direct feedback on how their wines were received.
The Williamsburg Winery is located on Wessex Hundred, a 300-acre farm located in Virginia’s Historic Triangle. The winery has experienced continuous growth through an expanding portfolio of wines. The introduction of the 2007 Adagio was the culmination of a single-minded goal to produce the highest quality wines in the world. This is the second Governor’s Cup for Williamsburg Winery. The winery won in 1989 for its 1988 Chardonnay.

“Winning the Governor’s Cup is a testament to Matthew’s talent and to the dedication of our entire team, whose focus is on excellence in wines made 100% from Virginia grapes. Our goal is to grow as a leader in the industry, developing wines that reflect the character of our Commonwealth, neither Californian or European, but displaying elegance and interesting flavors,” said Patrick Duffeler, president and CEO, The Williamsburg Winery.

In addition to awarding Williamsburg Winery’s 2010 Adagio the 2014 Governor’s Cup, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore was named Wine Person of the Year for his contributions to this rapidly growing sector of the Commonwealth’s economy.

As Secretary, Haymore works closely with the Governor, General Assembly, and key stakeholders on numerous legislative and budgetary initiatives to integrate agriculture and forestry fully into Virginia’s overall economic development and jobs creation platform. A dedicated proponent of the Virginia wine industry, Secretary Haymore has worked in partnership with Virginia’s wineries and vineyards to proudly showcase Virginia wines during domestic and international trade missions. During his time as Secretary, Haymore has facilitated the first commercial shipment of Virginia Wine to China; helped to launch the Virginia Wine Summit, bringing national and international attention to Virginia wine; helped to almost triple the amount of funds placed in the Virginia Wine Promotion Fund for research, education and marketing; and worked with the General Assembly to establish a reimbursable tax credit program for the establishment or expansion of vineyards and wineries. His strategic focus has led to new sales and opportunities for Virginia wineries that will continue the industry’s growth in the years to come.

Sales of Virginia wine reached a record high in fiscal year 2013 with more than 511,000 cases, or more than 6.1 million bottles, sold. Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation with 250 wineries. Virginia is also tied with Texas as the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producing state. According to a recently released economic impact study, the Virginia wine industry employs more than 4,700 people and contributes almost $750 million to the Commonwealth’s economy on an annual basis.

For a complete list of previous Governor’s Cup winners and information about the Virginia wine industry, please visit the Virginia Wine Marketing Office http://www.virginiawine.org/governors-cup/awards/ or call 804-344-8200.