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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 [...]

A comparative tasting of Virginia Chardonnay wines, with technical discussion from growers and winemakers.  Filmed at the Virginia Vineyard Association's 2025 Winter Technical Meeting 29 February 2025 The Hotel Madison Harrisonburg, Va. Moderator: AJ Greely, VVA President, Hark Vineyards Panelists: Benoit Pineau, Pollak Vineyards  Christine Vrooman, Ankida Ridge Vineyards Stephanie Pence, Brix & Columns Vineyard Michael Shaps, Michael Shaps Winery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2eRf3Ht1PM

Written and edited by Jess Trapeni SLF Nymph in upper canopy June 2025 As the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) continues to expand its reach in Virginia vineyards, I wanted to share insights from a Pennsylvania grower who has spent the last five years actively managing this invasive pest and pass along some valuable lessons he has learned. When the SLF first showed up at Waltz Vineyards in Pennsylvania in 2020, Zach Waltz didn’t think much of it. He’d been following Penn State’s research and hearing industry chatter so he knew the threat from the SLF was growing but he recalls still being [...]

Northern Virginia Jason Burrus, Sunset Hills Vineyard Bud Break spring 2025 Sunset Hills Vineyard Following two years of moderate to severe drought, Northern Virginia continued to experience very dry conditions into 2025. Vines were already stressed when a cold spell at the end of February made the situation worse for winter injury. Albariño vines planted in 2024 without herbicide application in Middleburg suffered an 80% loss. However, Pinot Noir vines planted in 2023 at the Purcellville vineyard, also without herbicide, suffered only minor losses. Some mature vines showed loss too, though this may just reflect their advanced age. Fortunately, May brought [...]

As we head ever faster toward Harvest 2025, I’d like to take a moment to update you on a few things. In March, the 2024 Commercial Grape Report was released to vineyards and wineries who responded to the surveys regarding last year’s plantings and harvest.  If you have not received the report, please check that you did fill out the survey(s). If you feel like you were left out in error, please contact us, and we’ll assist you with that. Meanwhile, the report will be released broadly closer to the end of July.   2024 saw a continued reduction in a loss [...]

The Virginia Wine Board confirmed its selections for a new crop of research, education, and marketing grants at its May 7 meeting at Walsh Family Wine in Purcellville.  In total, 15 new grants totaling $523,093 will advance the wine industry in Virginia through viticultural, enological, and pomological research; support for industry technical meetings; and other activities. By law, the Virginia Wine Board spends at least one third of its annual funding on research. New research projects include a comparison of legume species as under-vine cover crops, investigation of southern cider apple characteristics at harvest and after storage, preparation for Pierce’s disease, [...]