Is Virginia Wine Country Poised To Be The East Coast Napa?

(Forbes) - Ask any veteran winemaker in Virginia what tempted him (or her) to make wine in such a challenging climate and the answer is almost always something like this: I wanted to make wine in a place where good wine was on its way to becoming world-class wine. That same answer is typically followed by remarks such as “My first vintage was brutal,” “I almost quit,” or “I was afraid of the mosquitos.” Virginia wine country is a beguiling mistress to be sure, a pastoral beauty covered in long sinuous curves that fan out from the stately Blue Ridge Mountain chain. Any visitor to this fair state will be seduced within the span of an hour, so it’s easy to appreciate why many winemakers come and never leave. Climate challenges and scenery aside, the winemakers are right, Virginia terroir is fertile with potential.

It’s this same delicious potential that inspired AOL co-founder Steve Case and his wife Jean Case, CEO of The Case Foundation, to purchase Early Mountain Vineyards near Charlottesville, VA last year. “The decision wasn’t born of, ‘I like wine, let’s go and plant some vines,’” Jean Case explained to me during my recent visit to the region. “Rather, it was born of a passion for all things Virginia.” She also shares that she and her husband have a soft spot for tipping points. “We’ve seen a few tipping points. We’ve seen them in technology; we’ve seen them in philanthropy. But it’s never one thing that gets you there,” admits Case. “We might have a slog here in Virginia, but we’re prepared for that.”