David

Written By Jess Trapeni, Photos by BJ Poss VVA Vice President Scott Wilcox and Education Chair Kendra Baumgartner On June 30, 2026, approximately 160 vineyard managers, growers, winemakers, researchers, students, and industry partners gathered at Southwest Mountain Vineyards for the Virginia Vineyard Association's Summer Technical Meeting. One of Virginia's newer vineyard properties, Southwest Mountain Vineyards, proved to be an outstanding host, providing a beautiful setting, excellent hospitality, and a welcoming environment that encouraged conversation throughout the day. This year's meeting focused heavily on vineyard floor management, soil health, sustainability, and adapting to the challenges of the 2026 growing season. From practical [...]

Written By: AJ Greely, VVA President Late April Freeze Brings Crop Loss to Much of Virginia Grape Growers All, I know many of us are hurting right now.  The freeze experienced across the state from Monday night into Tuesday morning was devastating for an industry already experiencing difficulties from economic stressors. Many of us experienced significant losses, with temperatures reported in some areas of the state as low as 10f. As farmers, we always wonder what we could have done differently, but we also know that at the temperatures many of us experienced earlier in the week, there is nothing we [...]

2025 Study Tour ​Bruce Zoecklein, Enology Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech Sheep in the vineyard was at Ikano Estates in Kakheti These terrific Georgians had the fierce gaiety of the Italians and the physical energy of the Burgundians. Everything they did was done with flair…. nothing can break the individuality of their spirit. John Steinbeck, A Russian Journal, 1948 ​For several years, a French colleague and I have taken professional winegrowers from various parts of the country on technical study tours to wine regions in Europe. In December of 2025, we lead a group of 14 from Virginia and the mid-west to [...]

Conference hall at 2026 VVA Winter Technical Meeting Written By Jess Trapeni The 2026 VVA Winter Technical Meeting, held February 24–26 at the beautiful Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, brought together over 200 grape growers, winemakers, researchers, and industry partners from across the Commonwealth. Now in its second year at this venue, the event saw a significant increase in attendance, something we are always excited to see. As attendance continues to grow and conversations deepen, the VVA Winter Technical Meeting remains an exceptional gathering; one that is informative, collaborative, and uniquely reflective of the passion driving Virginia’s vineyards forward. Damien Blanchon of [...]

VVA President AJ Greely Introducing Hybrid Panel ​Written By AJ Greely VVA WTM AIDS GROWERS IN FACING CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN THE VINEYARD Once again, we gathered together for our annual Winter Technical Meeting in Harrisonburg, VA. Considering the growing challenges we all face in our vineyards, whether disease and pest pressure, more extreme weather conditions, or labor problems, sometimes it can feel like growing grapes is a daily struggle. The 2025 Winter Technical Meeting strove to help meet and manage those challenges through a packed schedule, one of our longest to date, in addition to providing the training needed for members [...]

Photography and writing by David Eiserman This year's Summer Technical Meeting was held at the Alison H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester. This facility is managed by Virginia Tech and has been in operation for roughly 100 years. This facility's mission is to support research and education on and around tree and vine fruit, making it an invaluable resource to our industry. We are all very grateful to all the AREC and VT staff who helped host the event, with a very special thanks to Dr. Nita! It was a great opportunity to see the campus and [...]