Jefferson Vineyards Wine Blog

Virginia Governor's Cup Honors Jefferson Vineyards with Three Gold Medals

Jefferson Vineyards is thrilled to be awarded three gold medals in the 2021 Virginia Governor’s Cup. Our 2019 Viognier, 2019 Cabernet Franc, and our Petit Verdot based 2016 Jefferson’s Own Estate Reserve each was awarded gold medals, highlighting the quality of fruit and craftsmanship across Jefferson Vineyards' wines.

 The accolades awarded by the Virginia Governor’s Cup celebrate the craftsmanship of our winemaking team, Chris Ritzcovan and David Woodside, as well as the hard work of our vineyard team. Their combined efforts and ceaseless commitment continue our 40-year tradition of crafting high-quality wine.

Jefferson Vineyards is honored by the recognition our Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot based Estate Reserve have received. Each of these varietals defines Virginia as a growing region. To have received recognition within Virginia’s top varietals such as Viognier, the state grape, and Petit Verdot, is thus especially humbling, reaffirming both our investment and dedication to these programs.

Jefferson's Own Estate Reserve 2016 was crafted solely from the estate’s finest Petit Verdot fruit. This oak-driven red boasts a powerful spice and fig bouquet with a balanced acidity and plum on the palate. The already highly awarded Viognier 2019 opens with intricate floral notes, white peach and nectarine on the nose, the palate is delicate and balanced, before a round and floral finish with a lingering acidity. The Cabernet Franc 2019 vintage is marked by aromas of dark cherry and vanilla, with a palate of piercing cherry, blackberry, and black pepper. In the finish, one tastes candied cherry and vanilla with a balanced acidity, medium tannins and hints of oak. 

Jefferson Vineyards congratulates all of our fellow wineries, as well as the organizers of this year’s Virginia Governor’s Cup event. Together, we expand and advance the reputation of Virginia’s exceptional wines and wineries.

We will be reopening our doors to visitors on March 11, and warmly invite visitors to enjoy our award-winning red and white wines this Spring. In the meantime, you will find our Triple Gold Bundle available in our online store for a limited time. Committed to memorable wine, experiences and education, we continue in Jefferson’s own viticultural dream. 

Rodger Patzig, On Petit Verdot

"Jefferson Vineyards has been a big part of my life for over 20 years. I have seen many changes and enjoy seeing how each wine changes from vintage to vintage. One of my favorite Virginia reds has been Petit Verdot, which Jefferson Vineyards has been producing for many years now. It is a red that I like to sip on alone or with some hearty foods. After opening Petit Verdot for a while, it softens and the rich dark fruit flavors are revealed. Recently, I opened a 2017 vintage and had it with some full-flavored cheese, it was a great pairing."

- Rodger Patzig, Tasting Room Ambassador

To celebrate our 40th Anniversary and enjoy our Limited February Release, click here.

Christopher Ritzcovan, Our Winemaker

"I started working at Jefferson Vineyards in 2007. I was 24 and had just graduated from UVA the year prior. I stumbled across the Assistant Winemaker job on Craigslist and thought it would be a great experience before heading off to grad school. At the time, my wine knowledge consisted of little more than watching my Dad make wine in the garage, literally destemming individual clusters by hand, and then proudly sharing these bottles with my friends. After a year at JV, where I was able to take part in the full cycle of the winemaking/growing process, I left for architecture school. The endless days sitting through class, working in the studio, made me realize how much I missed and loved the winemaking process and the special connection it has with the land. Pruning in the freezing old, continually taming the wild growth of vines all summer, picking fruit in the fall, and then guiding its transformation into wine, these are all gifts of place... After school, I returned to the vineyard and have dedicated the last decade to the art of winemaking. I find the Estate Reserve wines that much more gratifying knowing the full effort that went into the process, from vine to bottle, and that the story unfolding in your glass will be unlike any other." 

- Christopher Ritzcovan, Our Winemaker

To celebrate our 40th Anniversary and enjoy our Limited Releases, click here.

Looking Forward - A Letter From Our Owner

Dear Friends,

What a rollercoaster year we’ve had!  Yet here we are, with an end in sight.  We look forward to 2021 with hope and, of course, some delicious wines.

The year ahead represents a special milestone for us as 2021 marks our 40th Anniversary. The early days of Virginia wine were challenging.  We learned through trial and error, we labored to determine which vine varietals would accept our land and which would not.  Today’s wineries are blessed with the knowledge of years past. Today, we can leverage satellites and soil samples to determine which grape varietals will flourish in one plot of land, versus another. Just like that! Incredible! No such luxuries existed in 1981. Those were the pioneering days of the Virginia wine movement, days we remember fondly.

My grandparents started this venture in 1981 with the goal of creating wine to share with family, friends, and guests. As diplomats setting into a new life, wine was central to the conversations they had around the dinner table. In establishing a vineyard, they sought to make a wine of their own, a wine to serve and enjoy with whoever joined them at the table. They knew and appreciated the viticultural history of this land, and with the talented Gabriele Rausse, our first winemaker, we planted our first acres of vines.

Like my grandfather, my father too was educated in France and deeply appreciative of old-world wines. In 1993, he and his French wife took the reins of Jefferson Vineyards. Over the course of their twenty-years here, they both focused on improving our wine’s quality with the help of now renowned winemakers. First, they flew North to convince Michael Shaps to relocate to Virginia.  Michael became our second winemaker and was succeeded by the French, Frantz Ventre. In my parents’ last decade, they hired the talented Andy Reagan.  Each winemaker, in his own style, improved our wines and left an indelible mark on our winery.

2013 ushered in yet another new chapter for Jefferson Vineyards. My siblings and I, the third generation of Woodward’s, stood at the helm.  We were incredibly lucky to join years after Jefferson Vineyards’ reputation had been cast but there was much work to be done.  We strove to improve and expand: a new tasting room, a new deck, new gardens, new patios, and an expanded parking space.  Our current winemaker, Chis Ritzcovan, and Assistant Winemaker, David Woodside, worked tirelessly on our Viognier wine program. Years later, it now stands as one of Virginia’s most highly awarded Viogniers, vintage after vintage. As it is the state grape of Virginia, we are deeply humbled by this honor.

In all of these endeavors, we were never alone. They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and so it is with other Virginia wineries. Together, we have vastly advanced Virginia’s reputation as an extraordinary wine region. Together, we are making wines that rival any of the best in the world.

In reflecting on how far we have come in these near forty years, I am most proud of Jefferson Vineyard’s unwavering commitment to producing quality wines, created to be shared together with friends, family, and guests.

In January, we will begin sharing a special blog each month to celebrate our rich history, wine programs, and our land. These stories will continue in our originating tradition, evoking the dinner table conversations of my grandparents and parents before me, each of whom believed wine is best enjoyed together.

As we look optimistically towards 2021, I express my immense gratitude to all of you who supported us this year. I am impressed by the talent of all our employees and our tasting room team who did their utmost to keep everyone safe with decorum and warmth.  We could not have gotten through 2020 without your help.

Thank you, and merry holidays! 

Sincerely, 
Attila Woodward