Situated on the broad, rolling plateau and foothills of the Southwest Mountains in the Virginia Piedmont, running parallel with the Blue Ridge to the west, our 900 acres occupy soils of varying mixes of clay and alluvial calcareous deposits, with sloping exposures of even greater variety. In the temperate mid-Atlantic weather of our growing region, this estate presents the viticulturist with a dynamic mosaic of growing conditions. Some years favor one planting site for a given varietal, such as Cabernet Franc, and other years favor another in the same varietal. The resulting engagement with the vines is exceptionally active and verifies the truism that the human hand, learned, seasoned, and schooled by many previous vintages, must be incorporated in any conception of “terroir.”
Founded in 1976 by Gianni Zonin on the historic property of Governor James Barbour, Barboursville Vineyards fulfills Thomas Jefferson’s vision of European wine growing in Virginia. As the region’s first modern wine estate, Barboursville spent close to two decades learning what varietals the environment would support. The result is an award-winning wine list that stays true to the adage: ‘a wine is made in the vineyard.’