Just how well the vintage stacks up against years past may be a matter of opinion, but according to the numbers, 2015 looks to be a very good year for the Virginia wine industry.
In time for this weekend’s rescheduled 25th annual Fredericksburg Area Wine Festival, and in celebration of October as Virginia Wine Month, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced last week that Virginia wine sales set another record for the last fiscal year, which ended June 30. Consumers took more than 524,000 cases of wine—or more than 6.5 million bottles — off the rack.
The list of benefits derived from the success of Virginia’s wine industry might be even longer than the number of different varieties produced.
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It is a clean industry that takes advantage of fertile Virginia soil, the patience of Virginia vintners and Virginia’s ideal grape-growing climate. And, like buying local farm-produced vegetables, buying Virginia wines means less trucking of wines from other states.
According to Elin McCoy, writing for Bloomberg Business, Virginia is one of the world’s “next big wine regions.” She points out that among eight white wines produced in Virginia, the most promising is viognier, “but the best wines so far are the Bordeaux-style red blends made from cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, and petit verdot.” Some varieties are winning accolades from critics accustomed to tasting France’s finest Bordeauxs.
It is also the rare industry that gets high marks from economists as well as environmentalists.
The governor’s report says the industry contributes 4,700 jobs and adds $750 million to Virginia’s economy — not to mention nearly $2 million in tax revenues — as it attracts some 1.6 million tourists who spend money on food, lodging and gasoline across the state.
As a public relations and marketing tool, it might be time to update the state’s cherished slogan. How about: Virginia is for Wine Lovers?
While Virginia wines are showing steady growth in sales and critical reputation, Virginia's hard cider industry is enjoying unprecedented expansion. Annette Boyd of the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, which is now tracking cider sales separately, said those receipts could actually surpass Virginia wine sales next year.
Cider sales were up more than 200 percent from a year earlier at 469,000 cases sold.
Boyd notes that cider has a longer historic connection to Virginia because it was easier and quicker for settlers to produce than wine. Because the cleanliness of water was often in doubt, cider, with its bacteria-killing alcoholic content, became an early beverage of choice.
Once again, cider production is an environmentally sound pursuit and an industry that Virginia and Virginians should be happy to nurture.
So if you’re not acquainted with hard cider, no need to wait until Virginia Cider Week in November. Add it to your shopping list now, alongside your favorite Virginia wines.
Promoters of the Fredericksburg Area Wine Festival are hoping for better weather this weekend. They expect 10 wineries to be on hand with more than 100 varieties of Virginia wines for sampling and purchase this Saturday and Sunday at Celebrate Virginia’s concert venue. Food vendors, artisans and musicians will also be on hand. And since wine does not suit everyone, the festival also offers a beer garden.