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Virginia sparkling wine movement gains momentum

02 January 2025 By L.M. Archer

The home of Thomas Jefferson is making a name for itself in traditional method sparkling wine, reports L.M. Archer.

Colonists in Jamestown, Virginia, planted America’s first wine grapes in the early 1600’s. Later, Thomas Jefferson established vineyards on his estate in Monticello.

Despite its noble past, victors did not write the true history of Virginia wine until the 1970’s, when a band of winemakers set about reviving it.

Today, this pioneering spirit also informs Virginia’s sparkling wine movement.

Southern grit

Located halfway between Europe and California, Virginia is home to 10 regions, eight AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas), and 300 wineries. Virginia Wine Board touts its “Old World Grace, and Southern Grit.”

Appellations include The North Fork of Roanoke AVA, The Rocky Knob AVA, Shenandoah Valley AVA, Monticello AVA, The Middleburg Virginia AVA, Virginia Peninsula AVA, Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA, and Eastern Shore AVA.

Vineyards total about 4,000 acres, with elevations rising between zero to 5,729 feet above sea level. Soils range from granite slopes and red clay valleys, to sandy shores. Rain falls year-round, averaging around 43 inches. Humidity proves another constant, rising to over 70% in some areas.

Diverse microclimates

Such diverse microclimates favour a broad array of grape varieties. This includes Norton, an American grape developed in 1820. Notably, grafting Norton root stock onto European vines helped mitigate the19th century phylloxera outbreak.

Additionally, hybrids such as Vidal Blanc also flourish. But since the 1970’s, predominate cultivars include Viognier, Petit Manseng, and ‘Left Bank’ blends like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot.

Sweet spot

Moreover, traditional sparkling wine varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier find favour, particularly in Monticello and the Shenandoah Valley.

“Monticello AVA has had a head start with producing sparkling wines,” says Annette Boyd, marketing director of Virginia Wine Board. “But most regions in Virginia are very capable of producing lovely sparklings.”

“The Monticello AVA where we are located is a great place to grow Chardonnay for traditional method wines,” agrees Elliott Watkins, associate winemaker and sparkling wine programme director at Veritas Vineyard and Winery. “We are able to harvest at lower brix (sugar levels) and higher acids, which mean the fruit is exceptionally clean, as the summer heat and humidity has not yet arrived. The brightness and tightness of the wines seem to be more reminiscent of a cooler climate.”

Located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Veritas benefits from strong air airflow down the mountains. In early spring, air drainage mitigates potential frost damage. During the growing season, it dries canopies and fruit, protecting both from humidity-related disease pressure.

Other sparkling makers prefer the Shenandoah Valley.

“We have beautiful Pinot Noir that retains bright fruit and crisp acidity,” says Andrew Bilenkij, winemaker and vineyard manager for CrossKeys Vineyards in Mt. Crawford.

“We have a low potassium level in [the] soil, compared to most Virginia producers” notes Bilenkij, “[Which] leads to retention of natural acidity, and very fresh wines qualities that lend themselves to sparkling over still.”

Lonely start

Today, 52 wineries produce sparkling wine in Virginia. Of those, few specialise in sparkling wine only.

“To be honest, I didn’t know they made wine in Virginia,” admits Claude Thibault, who moved to Charlottesville in 2003 to work for the former Kluge Estate (now Trump Winery). Prior to Virginia, Thibault worked for prestigious producers in Champagne, Australia, and California.

“Kluge was committed to make sparkling wine, but there were not many serious sparkling wine makers in 2003 when I arrived,” he reports.

Eventually, Thibault and fellow Champenois Manuel Janisson established Virginia’s first sparkling-only house, Thibault-Janisson, in 2005. Both grew up in a Grand cru village in Champagne. Thibault’s own pedigree includes an oenology degree from Reims, a grandfather who managed vineyards for Moet & Chandon, and a father who ushered in the first wave of grower Champagne winemakers in the 1950’s.

Savoir faire

Lean and mean, Thibault-Janisson bought fruit, eschewed a tasting room, and leased winemaking space at Veritas Vineyard and Winemaking in Charlottesville. His line includes a NV Blanc de Chardonnay, and a crémant-style first-tier wine, Virginia Fizz.

“It’s amazing what’s been going on, and how creative some winemakers can be,” marvels Thibault, who considers himself a traditionalist.

Others, like Burgundy-trained Michael Shaps of Michael Shaps Wineworks, also in Charlottesville, serendipitously joined the Virginia fizz fray.

“I knew the climate and location, and thought it was kind of more of a European style area,” says Shaps, who moved to the area in 2007. “I had opportunities to do stuff in the West Coast, but I really wanted to do something a little more challenging, and decided I wanted to make wine in Virginia.”

In 2008, an oversupply of Cabernet Franc induced Shaps to experiment with sparkling wine, which he christened “Blanc de Franc”. Clients loved it. Further experiments led to a sparkling Méthode Riesling, and sparkling Malbec rosé.

Currently, Shaps makes about 300 cases of his own bubbles annually, plus private label wines for approximately 15 to 18 clients. He also still has roots in Bourgogne, where he crafts Crémant de Bourgogne. “So it just keeps growing, more because I like the flavours, and the customers like it, and I have fun with it.”

Further amping things up, Veritas Vineyard and Winery established The Virginia Sparkling Company in 2019. “This has allowed many Virginia wineries to expand into sparkling wines without the expense and additional needed equipment,” says Boyd.

Veritas’ custom crush model provides tirage, aging, riddling and disgorging services for other Virginia wineries seeking their own sparkling skus.

“We, as a winery, saw the potential for this style of wine in this area,” says Watkins, “Which is what drove us to invest heavily in the specialized equipment that is required for producing these wines.”

Currently, Veritas assists approximately 25 wineries. Over the past 13 years, Watkins notes a definite increase in sparkling wine production statewide.

“We have all seen a big increase in the demand for sparkling wines,” says British-trained Watkins, who joined Veritas in 2012. “Not only for special occasions, but as a serious wine style that can be enjoyed in a number of different settings.”

Compelling competitor

According to Boyd, the US remains Virginia’s strongest market. “There are no exact stats that I can draw from,” she says, “though anecdotally, most Virginia wines are consumer-bought in the US.”

Asked what makes Virginia sparkling wine different, Boyd says, “I think Virginia sparkling wines have a crispness and citrusy component that is festive and light, while at the same time many producers leave the wines with skin contact for several years, adding a richness to the wines that is amazing. The dichotomy between the light citrus and the yeast flavours is lovely.”

Ultimately, Virginia sparkling wine proves a compelling competitor on the market today. The secret? “I think it’s part Virginia’s storied wine history, and part fierce tenacity of Virginia winemakers to continuously evolve with market, climate and consumer changes,” sums up Tina Morey, Certified Sommelier and Special Events Consultant for Crystal Palate wine boutique and education centre in Norfolk, Virginia.

“And on that note, I think we’re going to see a lot more traditional method sparkling wines hailing from Virginia.”

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