jgoforth

This year’s Winter Technical features: Thursday’s Workshop is sponsored by the Virginia Wine Board and will therefore have a separate registration fee of $20 to all VVA members and interested Virginia Residents.  It will feature a tasting and discourse of twelve 2012 Governor’s Cup Case Winners and will be presented by Master of Wine, Jay Youmans.  Wines will be discussed with detail on the winemaking and vineyards from where the grapes were harvested. Discussion of research and management studies for pests and diseases, such as Leafroll Virus, Pierce’s Disease, Grape Berry Moth, Grape Root Borer, Fruit Flies, and Grapevine Yellows. Back-to-Basics [...]

Februrary 21, 2013 | Richmond, Virginia We are pleased to invite you to the Virginia Wineries Association Governor's Cup® Gala supported by the Virginia Wine Board and the Virginia Vineyards Association. The Gala is the premier gathering of the Virginia wine industry.  The highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the winner of the Governor’s Cup® competition. Those invited and expected to attend this fully catered event include the Governor, First Lady, the Secretary of Agriculture, members of the Virginia Wineries Association and the Virginia Vineyards Association, highly-qualified members of the trade - restaurateurs and retailers, members of the Virginia [...]

The VVA will be holding it's biannual election for positions on the board of directors this November.  We are seeking all interested parties to submit their names or the names of people they would like to nominate to the committee for inclusion on the election ballot.   There are a couple guidelines: The nominee must be a current VVA member (current list is on our Membership page) and The nominee must be aware and accepting of the nomination. As you know, these positions are voluntary, extremely important to our industry and necessary to continue the gains that have been made to date. The involvement of our members has been the [...]

By now, many of you may have heard of the passing of our good friend and mentor Jim MacKenzie. Jim’s absence leaves a large hole in our industry and a great sadness in the hearts of those who knew him. For those of you who didn’t know Jim, I thought I’d share some of my memories of him. When I met Jim in 2004 he was introduced to me as the sales rep for Helena Chemical but I quickly came to know him as much more. Jim was a farmer, through and through. When he would stop by the vineyard as [...]

To Members:  We're getting a good response to the VVA-sponsored Bordeaux trip this coming winter, and I thank those of you who have already enrolled and sent your deposit. For the rest of you who may be interested, I know we're all in the middle of harvest, but don't forget that October 10th is a deadline for signing up for the trip to Bordeaux.  Learn about the Grand Cru classification system, tread on streets and meet with entities that Thomas Jefferson visited, learn current academic research and practical applications of this world-class region that boasts 15,000 growers, most of whom farm less than 20 acres. After [...]