Virginia Wines: In the Old Dominion, a New Terroir

(NYTimes) - ON a humid afternoon in late May, Luca Paschina, a winemaker born in northern Italy, made his pitch to the owner of a wine shop on Long Island. Pouring a cabernet franc reserve and a Bordeaux-style blend, he described how the red wines were aged for more than a year in French oak. And he recounted the history of Barboursville Vineyards, the 870-acre property in central Virginia where the wines were made.

During the 30-minute tasting, the owner peppered Mr. Paschina with questions. Why did he move to Virginia? What grapes does he grow?

But Mr. Paschina recognized the signs around him. The shelves filled with wines from established regions. The focus on brand names. He wasn’t going to make a sale. Outside of his own state, even Mr. Paschina’s lilting Italian accent can’t quite compensate for the bewildering idea of “Virginia wine.”

“Most shops need a certain selection of wines that are very well known, that are good money makers,” he said. “With the rest, they either take the time to dig through the pile and find the gems that are hidden, or fill their shelves with things that are a given. We’re more of a hidden gem.”

For more than two decades, Mr. Paschina has been trying to make the case that Virginia wine deserves a place at the table with Barolo and Bordeaux. While his goal is to make Barboursville a world-class vineyard, he recognizes that it will have more success if Virginia is recognized as a world-class wine district. So he spends weekends pouring samples at wine festivals. He attends technical tastings to share ideas with winemakers. And he works with state officials to develop local marketing efforts and international trade missions.