© Wikimedia/Jan van der Crabben
Rocky Knob is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) covering just 9000 acres (3640ha) on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The AVA was approved in 1987, following an application from the now-defunct Woolwine Winery, but is hardly used by the area's remaining wineries. The region's rather awkward name has had no effect on the quality of wines made here, however, with Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Italian varieties such as Aglianico doing well in Rocky Knob's terroir.
The AVA covers a mountain ridge straddling the counties of Patrick and Floyd in southern Virginia, some 40 miles (65km) from the city of Roanoke. Rocky Knob, named for a state park in the AVA, is a part of the Piedmont region of the Appalachian mountain range (piedmont meaning 'foot of the hills' in Italian). Vineyards in this rugged, hilly area sit at altitudes reaching as high as 3500ft above sea level, on slopes selected to take advantage of sun and wind exposure.
Rocky Knob was approved as an AVA on the basis of its climate. The cool winds that blow through the vineyards during the year delay the onset of spring, and budburst can happen up to a week later in than the surrounding countryside. These winds also serve to bring drying influences to the wine sites, helping to stave off fungal vine diseases caused by the relatively high rainfall in the area.
Rocky Knob's soils have proved well suited to wine production. Made up of gravel and loam, they are free-draining, an important quality given the rainfall in the region. By limiting water intake, the soils cause the vines to produce smaller, more-concentrated berries instead of leafy vegetation. The resultant wines benefit from more-intense flavors and better tannic structure.
The first vineyards in Rocky Knob were planted in the 1970s, and as of 2010, there were only two wineries operating here: Chateau Morrisette and Villa Appalaccia.
