The Legacy
From the moment the first settlers landed in the New World on the shores of the James River in 1607, they endeavored to produce wine. Years later, our Founding Fathers dedicated themselves to the challenge. Thomas Jefferson—scholar, statesman, third President of the United States, and native Virginian—was perhaps the most ardent believer in the potential of a Virginia wine to rival the best in the world. His first ambitious foray into viticulture began in 1773. Though his efforts were stymied by the same challenges facing earlier colonists, he spent the rest of his life devoted to the production and appreciation of fine wine, setting the stage for generations of American vignerons. From the trials of that first Virginia outpost, to Jefferson’s ambitious dream, to our own efforts at RdV, the deep legacy of winemaking in our state lives on with us as we pursue the bold vision of our forebears: a world-class wine from Virginia soil.
The RdV Terroir
LATITUDE 38° 56'15.6"N LONGITUDE 77° 55'08.8"W
Years of searching brought us here, to this plot in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Detailed soil and site analysis told us that this was a special place, but the proof came later, in the wine. A vast expanse of granite beneath the surface, a steep and craggy slope—the elements meet here in just the right amounts. Though the prevailing wisdom was that Virginia was no place to make great wine, we believed, as our predecessors did before us, that this untapped land could produce the very best. As is often the case, the most daunting challenges yield the greatest rewards.
The winery, anchored in the center by a towering silo, was designed to seamlessly inhabit the surrounding Virginia farmland.