Orange County, Virginia is home to only a few wineries but it is beginning to make its mark on the American wine map. A minor obstacle it must overcome first, however, is being routinely mistaken for an entirely different Orange County, on the south coast of California.
Orange County is located in the north-east of Virginia, just beyond the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It lies about 60 miles (100km) south-west of Washington D.C., and about the same distance north-west of the Virginian state capital, Richmond. It overlaps slightly with the famous Monticello viticultural area, where President Thomas Jefferson planted the United States' very first French vines. Orange County's best vineyard sites lie on the undulating slopes of the farmland in the south-west corner of the county, around the towns of Barboursville and Gordonsville.
© Barboursville Vineyards
The wine styles produced here in Orange County have changed steadily since winemaking began to develop in earnest here in the 1970s. The finest modern-day Orange County wines are made from Cabernet Franc (red) and Viognier (white) – a pair of varieties which have proved better suited than others to the local terroir.
The climate in Orange County, as is the case for much of Virginia, poses significant challenges to viticulture. Summers are warm and humid, which brings the threat of fungal diseases, while the cold winters pose a significant risk of frost damage. This somewhat schizophrenic climate makes careful site selection a necessity for winegrowers not just in Orange County but all over Virginia. Gently sloping, loose-soiled sites are preferred for their ability to drain away rainwater. A sunny southern aspect is preferred, to make the most of morning sunshine (mitigating the risk of spring frosts).
Beyond careful vineyard site selection and management, grape variety selection is also key. Viognier provides a good example of how winegrowers have sought out varieties which can withstand both humidity and temperature fluctuations (although see the hybrids mentioned below). Viognier's relatively thick skins provide a certain degree of protection from fungal diseases, while its loose bunches encourage airflow around the grapes, reducing the risk of fungal spores settling on the grapes. A key proponent of Virginia Viognier was Dennis Horton of Horton Vineyards, the largest producer of Orange County wines.
The county's early wines were made from America's native varieties, rather than those of the European vinifera species from which almost all quality wine is made. By the early 20th Century, however, vineyards all over Virginia had shifted convincingly in favor of the vinifera species. The shift to vinifera varieties has not been absolute, however. The America's native Vitis species are represented here, in the form of Concord (Vitis labrusca) and Virginia's very own Norton (Vitis aestivalis). Also present are Niagara and Vidal, a pair of custom-bred, cold-hardy hybrids valued for their ability to withstand Virginia's cold winters. Both are found in various parts of the north-eastern United States and Canada; Virginia is about as far south as the pair are found growing in any significant quantity.
Less common, but worthy of a mention purely for its unexpected appearance here, is Rkatsiteli. This white-wine grape, which hails from Georgia (not the state, but the eastern European Republic of Georgia) is grown only in a tiny handful of US vineyards, the other of note being those of Dr. Konstantin Frank in New York's Finger Lakes region.
