Written By Jennifer Reichert
At the start of April, the Virginia Wine Board awarded approximately $400,000 in grants for research, education, and marketing initiatives to address Virginia’s challenges in winegrape growing, build technical understanding of Virginia wine and cider characteristics, and educate Virginia’s wine industry. Funded projects are listed here and include continuation of research on spotted lanternfly’s impact on Cabernet Franc, downy mildew management, under-vine cover crops, fungicide resistance, as well as assessing Virginia red wine phenolics. The VWB also continued support for a sustainability certification pilot program, the Commercial Grape Report, and projects that keep Virginia’s wine industry informed.
The awarded grant period of performance runs from June 1 through May 31. The FY27-28 grant cycle is anticipated to open for pre-proposals in October 2026 for project ideas that support the Virginia Wine Vision.
Contact Jennifer Reichert, VWB Grant and Budget Manager (contractor), at VWBGrants@stonywater.com with questions about this grant program.
Created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1984 as part of Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Wine Board promotes the interests of vineyards and wineries in the Commonwealth through research, education and marketing.