When it comes to the eclectic galaxy of winemaking stars that make up the Virginia wine industry you will find many who have relocated here to pursue thier enological fortunes. Gabrielle Rousse, Luca Paschina, Michael Shaps, Matthew Finot and Jake Busching, to name just a few, have helped shape and guide Virginia wines direction.
But make no mistake, native Virginias have had an impressive impact as well. The subject of this interview is a prime example of the old Hollywood script about the young hometown kid who made the big time. Chelsea Blevins started at the bottom and, driven by the potent combination of determination and enthusiasm, has become one of Virginias most respected winemakers. She has coupled a great work ethic with technical skills to produce exceptional wine and her passion for doing so is unmistakable.
I was impressed by the directness and conviction of her answers, traits she has obviously put to good use as she plies her trade as Head Winemaker at 53rd Winery in Louisa, Virginia. In the end Chelsea Blevins is not just a great winemaker, she is an ambassador for Virginia wine and a worthy role model for anyone interested in entering the industry.
Here is our interview:
Kenny
Thanks for taking this time Chelsea. Tell me about the journey that has brought you here. What was the first moment you thought the wine industry could be a career path for you and where did you take it from there?
Chelsea
Thank you Kenny! My winemaking journey really began right after I graduated from JMU in 2014. I was fresh out of college, unemployed and had just moved back home with my parents unsure of where life was going to take me. I was driving around Orange County after completing a job interview that summer and happened to drive by Horton vineyards. My dad helped to build their tasting room back in the 90's, so as a child when we would drive by my parents would point out the 'Castle' that my dad helped to build and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. So I decided to stop for a tasting since I didn't have anything else to do that day. Lo and behold I ended up walking out of the winery with a harvest job. I had no clue what was in store for me, but I jumped in head first. That Harvest we processed over 500 tons of grapes and during those two months I immensely fell in love with all aspects of wine production and the Virginia Wine Industry. From that harvest on I knew I had to make this my career.
After I completed my first harvest I ended up getting a job at Barboursville working in their wine library and at the same time I also signed up for the viticulture and enology courses offered at PVCC, a local community college. I was looking to further my studies and build connections with others in the industry and this was a perfect bridge into my next chapter. While I was taking these courses at PVCC I met Dave Drillock, the new owner of 53rd and he just so happened to be looking for an assistant winemaker. He approached me on joining his team and I very excitedly accepted. I've been working at 53rd ever since.
Kenny
Do you have anyone you consider a mentor? And do you currently have anyone working with you that you are a mentor to?
Chelsea
I consider myself very lucky to have had multiple highly esteemed mentors throughout my winemaking career. My first mentor was Mike Heny he was the winemaker at Horton Vineyards during my first harvest, and has since moved to make the wine at Michael Shaps. Then once I moved over to 53rd, Graham Bell became my mentor. He made wine here and at Lake Anna Winery at the time and has spent over 30 years in the industry. The funny connection is that Mike Heny was also Graham's mentee in the 90's, as Graham also worked as the winemaker at Horton vineyards in the 90's and early 2000's. I worked with Graham for 5 years and learned all aspects of winemaking, focusing more so on the art and sensory components of winemaking versus doing everything by the book based on numbers and science. In 2019 that all changed and I was asked to step into the winemaking position here at 53rd. I agreed but only if I could have a consultant to continue to work with me. It was then that I approached Joy Ting to help continue my mentorship in Virginia wine. She provided all of the science background that I felt I was lacking at the time. We focused more on paying attention to the numbers and how that correlated with the art and sensory aspects of winemaking. I felt our time together really put a lot more pieces together in the winemaking puzzle for me. I have also had the privilege of working side by side with AJ Greely (Winemaker at Hark Vineyards) and Jake Bushing (Winemaker at Eastwood and Vineyard Consultant) in 2018 as we shared our production building with them and I consider them both as mentors as well.
As far as my own mentorship goes, for the last two years I have been working with a teacher and sommelier who helps to run a WSET school in Richmond. His name is Gabe and has been a massive and wonderful help in getting through harvest and bottling. He brings a lot of worldly knowledge about wine and has a great palate. It's been cool sharing my knowledge and watching someone else grow alongside me.
Kenny
What wine professionals, either in Virginia or elsewhere, do you most admire, and why?
Chelsea
Oh this is hard. I have to say I have an immense respect and admiration for Lucie Morton. Not only is she a world renowned viticulturist and ampleographer here in Virginia but she is a truly a wonderful human being who inspires action and doesn't take any shit from any one. I hope to one day be half the woman that she is. I also have to say Jim Law and Jeff White are also two individuals that I have a lot of respect and admiration for. They simply grow exceptional grapes and make exceptional world class wines. There aren't a lot of frills, they don't have the biggest fanciest spaces or the most expensive winemaking equipment but they make the best wine in Virginia. It goes to show that great wine comes from passion, a lot of experience, trial and error and heart. I strive to be as great as they are every day and hope to be there by the end of my career.
Kenny
So to follow up on that if you were given the opportunity to work side by side with any winemaker in the world for 1 season, who would you choose?
Chelsea
So if I could choose any winemaker to work beside for one season I would say I would love to work with Maynard James Keenan of Caduceus Cellars in Arizona. He is the lead singer and producer for the bands Tool, Puscifer, and Perfect Circle. I have been listening to his work for over 20 years now and his wines are seriously amazing. Making wine in Arizona would be life changing and sooooo fun. They can grow more Italian and Spanish Varieties that would just suffer here in Virginia due to the humidity. Working alongside Maynard would be a dream come true for this fan girl lol
Kenny
Many people call you a great female winemaker. Some, more fairly, simply call you a great winemaker. While we have many incredible winemakers in Virginia that happen to be women such as Melanie Natoli, Joy Ting, Kirsty Harmon, Maya Hood White, A. J. Greely, Emily Hodson, yourself and many, many others its fair to say that women are under-represented in Virginia wine cellars. What is your opinion of the situation and of the various initiatives (eg: Virginia Women in Wine) out there attempting to rectify it?
Chelsea
So my take on the lack of women's presence in Virginia is that we most definitely need resources like the Virginia Women in Wine. There are a lot of challenges that women face in the wine industry such as sexual harassment, hazing, lack of opportunities, and lack of support especially when it comes to starting a family. There is still a Good Ole Boys club running rampant in the wine industry. Getting pregnant in this industry is a death sentence to a woman's career in most instances. To me this is outright appalling and sickening. There is not enough support for women as is to get into the industry and even less support for younger women or women who don't come from winemaking families. That's why there are so few of us and why it's so important to have an initiative to support us women. The only reason I'm still here making wine is because I happened to have the right people beside me to support me when I needed it most. It was extremely hard and there were days I wasn't sure if I was still going to have a job just because I also wanted to wear the mom title. Women shouldn't have to choose if they want to have a career or a family in this industry. We still have a lot of work to do, I see progress being made but we still have a long ways to go.
Kenny
You have produced, in my opinion, one of Virginias finest Chardonells. Do you see hybrids gaining favor with consumers, or do you think European varieties will continue to dominate the Virginia wine landscape?
Chelsea
I definitely see a shift with consumers gaining more favor of hybrid grapes. I think it all starts with us as producers though and how we talk about these grapes and how we present the subsequent wine to the public. In the past there has been a very negative bias against hybrid grapes due to French producers essentially bad mouthing them because they aren't the 'precious' 'classic' French varieties. Since climate change has become a more obvious issue I've seen a shift though to embrace hybrid grapes because they perform much more consistently for us than the classic vinifera varieties do. I think we are understanding how to take care of these varieties better as well which makes better wine. In 2020 we faced 3 different frost events that vastly changed my thinking about hybrids. That season due to the late frosts we lost 90% of our crop, the only varieties that bounced back were the hybrids. They allowed us to actually make wine that year and kept me employed. So I tell everyone you are going to want to put some sort of hybrid into your vineyard or you are potentially risking not making wine every year. So yeah I think over the next 20 years we are definitely going to see hybrids much more welcomed and celebrated as they become more well known and because of their overall better performance in the vineyard.
Kenny
What is the wine you most want to make, that you have not yet had the chance to make?
Chelsea
That's a hard one, I would have to say it would either be Chenin Blanc or Grillo. They are both white grape varieties that I adore drinking when I am off the job. I love high acid whites and both varieties showcase their respective terroir elegantly with a bit of herbal undertones that add to the layer of flavor. They are just lovely and stylistically you can push them in different directions which as a winemaker is fun. However neither one fairs well here, they really don't like the high humidity and rainfall that we typically see so I'm not sure I will ever get my hands on some from Virginia. But a girl can dream!
Kenny
How much input do you have with ownership when it comes to wine styles and production decisions?
Chelsea
As far as my input goes into the wine style goes, Dave lets me have a lot of creative control. However my prerogative is to make wines that sell. We talk often about his expectations and what styles of wines that our customers really vibe with so ultimately I try to make our wines for them. Whatever sells the best I tend to make more of in that specific style. Ultimately this is a business and I want to keep it running as best as I can!
Kenny
So expanding on that, we all understand the incredibly difficult economics of the wine business. Do you think the pressure to produce wines that will be top sellers has stiffled creativity and the ability of wine makers to step outside the box and try different things?
Chelsea
I think that focusing on producing top selling wine can stifle creativity if you let it. However I think what's worse is if you are constantly trying to step out of the box and are constantly trying to reinvent the wheel that you get yourself lost. There is a lot of competition in the wine industry and most producers want to set themselves apart from others so that they are seen as successful. However, I see folks doing weird things just to do weird things and I'm not sure if that is the right mentality to have either. You may create a unique product, but is it a great wine product? Most of the time I feel it's a no. I think that creativity needs to be fluid and flow from a natural place, so as a winemaker I try to flow with what my winery and vineyard give me. I think finding a balance between being creative and practical is what is necessary to be successful.
Kenny
What are you presently seeing in Virginia wine that you are excited about?
Chelsea
I am seeing a lot more Albarino being planted and produced as a Virginia wine and I am all about it! Albarino is one of my favorite varieties to drink and seeing it do so well here in Virginia makes me proud!
Kenny
What is the coolest wine you are working on right now?
Chelsea
The coolest wine that I am working on now I would have to say is our Bordeaux style blend called Romulus. It is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, and Cab Sauv is an incredibly finnicky grape to work with here in Virginia. If you don't have the right site for Cab Sauv it tends to make a herbaceous wine with a lot of holes so a lot of places simply won't grow it. Or they have grown it and ripped it out. I think it's really cool to work with because not many places in Virginia are crafting a true Cab blend. Creating blends is really fun too because I get to look at all the different attributes each of our wines are giving and I get to put them together piece by piece like a puzzle.
Kenny
While Virginia wine lovers are incredibly loyal and supportive the fact remains that the vast majority of wine consumed in Virginia is imported. As an industry what do you feel we need to do to promote Virginia wine to our own state and gain market share?
Chelsea
I think if we are going to gain market share here in Virginia we are going to need some massively large producers to come into the market. I think a California conglomerate is going to have to come in and start producing mass volumes of Virginia wine which can then be put into worldly distribution. Most of us here are boutique/micro wineries. We are limited in production which limits how much we can distribute and shrinks our shelf space. Also we need to do better to educate consumers of the value of Virginia wine. A lot of people tell me it's too expensive, well it may be a bit pricey but you get what you pay for in my opinion. If you want to drink $3 mega purple wine that's on you but you're missing out on a whole world of flavor. Also those bulk styles wines are just ick. Virginia wine tastes like Virginia and we need to be proud of that and inform the customers just how special it really is and that they are getting a lot of value for what they purchase.
Kenny
What are the last 3 wines you personally drank? Not tasted, but wines you sat down with and enjoyed with a meal or as a sipper?
Chelsea
1. 2021 Rock Ridge from 53rd Winery Virginia
2. 2021 Pinot Noir St. Innocent Winery Oregon
3. 2015 RDV Rendezvous Virginia
Kenny
As a family person with a young son how do you balance those responsibilities with the responsibility that goes with being Head winemaker at 53rd?
Chelsea
Lol I just take it one dumpster fire at a time
Kenny
Winemaking tends to be a very transitional occupation. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Chelsea
I see myself doing what I'm doing now crafting Virginia Wine and raising my son. I plan on doing this till I drop dead out on the crushpad lol, just roll me out into the vineyard and bury me in the Albarino block.
Kenny
Thanks for taking the time to do this Chelsea. Emily and I can't wait for our next visit to 53rd.
In an industry that is full of big egos Jake Blodinger is a breath of fresh air. Self confident but humble, Jake is just as comfortable working on a totally innovative wine project as he is cleaning a tank. Now the Head Winemaker at iconic Chrysallis Vineyards, Jakes journey to the top was driven by hard work, a blue collar mentality and a dedication to learn a craft the right way. Working his way thru school at Surry Community College he graduated with an Associates in Viticulture and Enology. During that time, he was working for Sweet Home Carolina and, as he puts it, "every winery in North Carolina that would let me play in their cellar".
Since he graduated Jake has completed 10 harvests, bottled roughly 100,000 cases and still finds that "I don’t know enough about wine". That determination to always learn more has been instrumental in the quality of wines he has produced over the course of his career. He strives to be as technique focused as possible, only making chemical adjustments when it produces the finest bottle of wine possible. He still practices this “less is more” philosophy in the cellar every day at Chrysalis Vineyards.
Accomplished with all varieties Jake has become a leading expert on the production of Norton, making him the perfect foil for winery owner Jenni McCloud. And now, with the advent of the "Norton Network" he assumes the role as one of Nortons biggest advocates.
When asked about life away from work he gives an answer that speaks volumes about what's important to him. "Outside of work I’m spending my time with the wife chasing a toddler, hanging with the border collie, or just sipping on bourbon".
Here is our conversation:
Kenny
As the founder of, and the driving force behind, the Norton Network, what do you think the future of Virginias grape is, both from the point of market demand and for its perception with consumers?
Jake
I would love to take all the credit for the Norton Network but I have to give Jill Smedley, our Marketing Manager, almost 90% of the credit. She's a marketing genius, a hard worker, dedicated, and a very silly person. She's created and manages the logistics of this crazy idea. Also, Jennifer McCloud is a big inspiration for this. She's spent the past 25 years keeping Norton on the radar and without her coaching, support, and passion, we could have never got this off the ground.
We've noticed that in the recent years, more of our guests are trying Norton and, in turn, becoming a fan. It seems to have piqued the interest of the new wine consumer as well as the seasoned wine lover. People are interested in a grape with an origin story that's wrapped mysteriously in American history. Norton was in the background of the American wine industry and was on track to be recognized as a world renown variety. In the recent months, producers and consumers alike are interested in the sustainability of farming Norton, the fantastic age worthy wines it produces, and the "underdog" vibe, it's truly "our" wine in America.
Kenny
What prompted you to start the Norton Network?
Jake
A joke. Jill and I were discussing how there's a holiday for everything nowadays...everything except for Norton. That lead to a discussion on how to start a national holiday. Turns out it's pretty easy, you send in an application, if there's enough general public interest then BAM! Holiday. From there, we started asking ourselves, "who actually makes Norton wine here in Virginia?" At the end of the day, there are around 26 growers in Virginia now, when at one time there were over 50 producers in NOVA alone. With that in mind, it became about representing the current producers, creating the outreach to consumers, and connecting all the producers together so we can represent this variety as a "network".
Kenny
With its distinctive flavor profile do existing styles of Norton offer a path to Vinifera drinkers or do new styles or blends need to be developed?
Jake
Chrysalis Vineyards has always conducted an experiment in the cellar on Norton during the harvest. It's ranged from double salt adjustments, exploring yeast strains, modified delestage techniques to remove seeds, to letting the fruit raisin on the vine. Those experiments have created a range of products for Chrysalis. Since starting the Norton Network, we've discovered that a lot of producers are doing different things ranging from extended barrel aging to blending with some of their best vinifera blocks. I personally believe that’s what makes Norton so special and provides the most relatable path for vinifera drinkers because it showcases terroir in Virginia. Every producer's Norton wine is so different, you've got more fruit forward Norton wines coming out of NOVA, classic rustic styles out of central, and bright acidity on the east coast. It does express the versatility of the grape but also the origin of the grower.
Kenny
As climatological challenges increase, do you see Norton as an answer for those wine regions heavily impacted?
Jake
Interestingly enough, yes. Norton was specifically designed to grow in Virginia by Dr. Norton because of Thomas Jefferson. We often overlook that putting this grape in the worst part of the vineyard has proven that this variety is capable of carrying the Virginia wine industry forward into the sustainability consideration coming from most consumers. It has always been sidelined to the bottom of the valley where the cold collects and the frost attacks, but has continued to grow, ripen, and make great wines in tough vintages. You will hear the long standing producers refer to Norton as "bullet proof" or free of disease in the vineyard, I don't think these folks realize they're proving that Norton is best suited for the climatological challenges.
Kenny
You are currently the head winemaker at Chrysalis, an iconic Virginia winery, working for a legend of the Virginia wine industry, Jenni McCloud. Do you feel pressure to perform to a higher than normal standard because of that?
Jake
I remember driving back after my interview with Jenni McCloud and my wife asked what I would get out of working at Chrysalis that I couldn't get out of working somewhere in NC, which was where we lived at the time. I told her that the only way I could ever be successful as a winemaker in this world was to work for someone who is more passionate about wine and more critical about what goes into the bottle then I am. I can sling wine all day long but creating good wine, that people want, that requires passion and dedication to the art and that's Jennifer McCloud.
Kenny
Besides Norton, what is your favorite variety to work with?
Jake
Viognier. I've fallen head over heels for Virginia Viognier. It's got so much depth and really humbles a winemaker because if it's made properly it's amazing but if your heart isn't in it, it won't be in the glass either.
Kenny
What do you see as Virginia's greatest strengths and weaknesses as a wine making region?
Jake
Virginia has such a foundational history in the American wine industry, for instance, the first planting of Albariño in America, the first commercial planting of Petit Manseng in America, Alan Kinne teaching America how to make Viognier, Dennis Horton bringing Norton back to Virginia. Virginia has always acted like an incubator for important mile stones in the wine industry. The weakness lies in the lack of spotlight for Virginia. Until recently, Virginia was in the background as an "up and coming wine region" well, now we are here and people are talking. Let's get loud with our accomplishments!
Kenny
What new winemaking trends and styles are you seeing? And are there any that you particularly welcome or dread?
Jake
I think there's a heavy exploration in skin contact for whites to add depth or complexity. Specifically with growers that aren't ripening their whites long enough on the vine. Rain is a scary thing and Virginia has a rough hurricane season, so, I get it. It's definitely not hurting the wines but it's been an adjustment for consumers. In the red category, I think consumers are realizing that Petit Verdot heavy blends are kind of one note, so I definitely dread the decidedly PV blends coming out right now. PV has huge viability in the vineyard but I think it's boring, personally.
Kenny
The Virginia wine industry is currently facing competition from cheap imported bulk wine, the destructive invasion of Spotted Lantern Fly, stagnant national wine sales and a worldwide glut of wine. What do you see as the single biggest threat to our industry?
Jake
Lack of connection. Right now, the industry seems to be wrapped up in the tried and true tasting room model. Come in, taste some wines, check out the venue, buy a bottle or have a glass, and then off to the next producer. In just the past 4 years, it's become difficult to connect with the consumer because we've forgot how to connect. The elephant in the room was COVID, it disconnected us, kept us home, and forced us all to find new hobbies before we were let out again. Consumers are back to exploring the world from different lenses, they've really become interested in "how is it made" and seem to be striving for a connection through that question. People really want to pull back the curtain and see the nitty gritty of the industry, they want to hear about how the wine is grown, what goes on in the cellar, and who is doing it.
Kenny
Other than yourself, who is your favorite Virginia winemaker, and why?
Jake
I have so many. I love everything that Dustin Miner is doing at Nokesville because it's this humble journey of winemaking that I have got the opportunity to be a part of. I'm a huge fan of Theo at Capstone because he's putting everything he's got into his wines and it shows. I adore Chelsey Blevins at 53d because her wines are sincere and honest expressions of her experience. To be honest, my favorite winemakers are the ones that express their passion in their wine, it's fun, it's honest, it creates a connection, and helps me improve.
Kenny
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Jake
Managing a teenager, convincing my wife I'm funny, and continuing to work with great producers such as yourself...and hopefully continuing to make wine.
There are many things that drive an industry to success. Most are obvious, the hard work and perseverance of the various business owners, the availability and competence of the support businesses and, of course, the loyalty and patronage of the customer base. What isn't so obvious are the advocates. People who are more than customers. People whose only dog in the fight is the industry itself. Sometimes they are writers, sometimes bloggers/social media, sometimes just people who immerse themselves in everything that is that particular industry. Nancy Bauer is all three. There is no better friend to the Virginia Wine Industry. In the summer and fall of 2010, Nancy Bauer and her husband, Rick Collier, visited 150 Virginia wineries in 150 days and then launched Virginia Wine in My Pocket, one of the country's first travel apps. Nancy’s articles about Virginia wine country have appeared in many travel and lifestyle magazines, and she wrote and published two editions of the book, Virginia Wine Travel Journal. She’s the founder of the 18k-member Facebook group and website, Virginia Wine Love, and also the founder of the nonprofit Virginia Women in Wine. She was honored to receive the Atlantic Seaboard Winery Association's Birchenall Award for Wine Media. Here is our conversation.
Kenny White
Kenny
Having shown years of expertise on the subject my first question is do you have any formal wine training or education?
Nancy
The tiniest bit – I eked out my WSET level 2 from Capital Wine School. I was busy and a little cocky and didn’t bother to read the book before the big exam. One should definitely read the book.
Kenny
What wines, and styles of wine, are your personal favorites?
Nancy
I am an equal opportunity wine drinker. I tend to drink whatever someone talked about last. Last week I presented the Virginia Women in Wine Trailblazer award to Felicia Rogan and she said she never drank reds, and her favorite was Chardonnay. I drank Chardonnay for week. Oaked, steel, it doesn’t matter, I love it all. The week before that I was interviewing Melanie Natoli (the rose’ queen of Cana Vineyards) and she of course mentioned rose’ so that kicked off rose’ week.
Kenny
What was your first experience with Virginia wine and at what point did you realize you wanted to be an advocate for it?
Nancy
I got into wine when I was a server in college, and the guy at the liquor store told me to put down the Black Cat and buy a
Pouilly-Fuissé instead. It was all the rage at the time and it was fabulous – it completely changed how I viewed wine. My first Virginia wine was Horton Vineyards. I was blown away to see a wine made in Virginia in my Safeway. I used to buy their Viognier, Cab Franc, and even their Norton. I was vaguely aware there were wineries in Northern Virginia, too, but didn’t know how it worked – I don’t think I realized you could just go visit them. Then my employer bused our group out to Naked Mountain Winery for a private tasting one night and that kindled my interest. And then the flame was fully lit when my then boyfriend/now husband and I used to drive out to the old Piedmont Winery, sit in their Adirondack chairs, and split a bottle of Hunt Country Chardonnay. That’s when I decided I needed to be part of this.
Kenny
With your involvement as a writer, advocate and friend to all in Virginia wine I believe most industry insiders look at you as part of the industry. How do you feel about your place and would you want to change it?
Nancy
I’ve always felt a little guilty that I never worked at a winery. I feel like I haven’t really paid my dues, but I am (still) so enthralled with the industry and really love being around it, and that’s what drives me to contribute. The things I’ve done, many with my husband’s help, to promote Virginia wine were done to earn my place in the room.
Kenny
Can you tell us about the creation of the Virginia Wine Love Group, and how it has changed over time?
Nancy
My husband and I created the first travel app and consumer website for Virginia wine country, way back when, called Virginia Wine in My Pocket. A few years ago, I got rid of the app and rebranded the website Virginia Wine Love. Almost immediately, COVID happened. It was insane, with rules changing constantly for the wineries, and customers really wanting to know how to help. So I set up a Facebook group – which I had considered before but never ever wanted to do - with the highly elegant name of Support Virginia Wineries During Covid. The purpose was to help wineries communicate to all these customers. It really took off – who knew there were so many really ardent Virginia wine fans out there? And of course, we were in COVID, so there was plenty of time to drink. And after awhile, it just made sense to change the name to what it really represented – Virginia Wine Love.
Kenny
One of the hallmarks of the Virginia Wine Love Group is your insistence that things be kept positive. With thousands of members how do you balance that mandate of positivity while still allowing members to fully express their opinions?
Nancy
I thought it would be awful. Honestly. I had no desire to be the kindergarten teacher, or the enforcer. So I set the ground rules and tried to keep it light and take the time when people were rude to explain what the group was about, that our ethos was to support the wineries, and that Yelp was where to take the negativity. (One woman left the group because I used the word ethos. Which I don’t blame her for.) It was pretty Pollyannish, but I’m pretty Pollyannish. But very quickly the group members became the enforcers - I think everyone was tired and nervous and really needed a safe, positive place, so they took on the burden. I do work hard to not be ridiculous about the negativity – balanced discussion is good, but it can devolve pretty quickly.
Kenny
You are also the founder and the driving force behind Virginia Women in Wine. What is the mission of VWW and where do you hope to take it?
Nancy
VWW started as wine dinners that I put on once or twice a year to get together with women I really liked or wanted to get to know, to help build the community of women in the industry. Just for fun. But as the groups grew and – women being women – got loud, the energy in the room was just incredible, and people started telling me that it needed to become something more. That we needed to find a way to capture that energy. So I invited a bunch of them in to serve on the board and in six months we’d defined our purpose, got the thing launched, raised $50,000 in start-up funds (thank you, Founders and Patrons!), scheduled a bunch of networking events, and started work on several more big projects. We’re working to help the industry overall as well as women in the industry. It’s been busy, and we’re still finding our way, but it’s becoming clear that we can do big things quickly, and I think that will be what distinguishes us in the future.
Kenny
Virginia has some incredible women winery owners and winemakers. Do you feel the Virginia Wine industry has been properly inclusive to both women and other protected classes?
Nancy
In many ways, yes. I can really only speak to the women side of the question. Most wineries are co-owned by married couples, so women are very represented at the top levels. And tasting room staff is predominantly women. I do hear about pay inequities among male and female winemakers. One of Virginia Women in Wine’s projects is a white paper called Closing the Gender Gap in Winemaking, and that’s one of things we’re talking to people about – that only 17% of winemakers in Virginia are female. That’s about the same as the national average, but we want to understand it better. Why wouldn’t there be more? We’ll be publishing that paper in January.
Kenny
If you had to select three Virginia wineries that, as a group, would represent everything good about Virginia wine, what three would you choose?
Nancy
That’s an impossible question! But I love it. Let’s see. First would be Granite Heights in Fauquier County – I love them so much. Toni and Luke Kilyk. Very nice wines, and the two of them do it all, all the vineyard and winemaking work, and in the tasting room all weekend, while they both hold down full time jobs outside the winery. On the other end of the spectrum is Veritas Vineyards, owned by the Hodson family. Highly polished, diversified into hospitality with lodging and fine dining, a growing sparkling wine operation. They’re a tourism magnet – top notch. And for the third, I’ll say Bluestone Vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley because their winemaker, Lee Hartman, is a wild man. Incredibly enthusiastic and curious. He does wine in cans, wine in kegs. He currently has 27 wines for sale, including wines he partnered on and some that are very experimental. And the winery itself, which is run by the Hartman family, never stops growing.
Kenny
Can you describe a time you may have had to convince a wine snob of the quality of Virginia wine?
Nancy
Oh lord, how about last week, on a cruise in Portugal? I happened to be sitting with people from Virginia, who made the sniffy “Virginia wine has gotten better but it still has a long way to go” commentary. So of course then you have to start the drill-down – what’s the last wine you had? What else have you tried? What didn’t you like about it? And of course it’s been ten years since they tried one. It’s nice that the Monticello region received that wine region of the year honor from Wine Enthusiast this year – that’s good ammunition.
Kenny
What do you find most rewarding about being one of the leading advocates of the Virgia wine industry?
Nancy
I think the correct answer here is to say that the continued success of the Virginia wine industry is reward enough. But I really love the free wine! And I love being in the room. Wine people are smart and quirky and funny and hard working and they have the best dogs, and none of them talk about spreadsheets or mission statements. But yes, seriously, talking Virginia wine now is very different than twenty years ago – now you’re very likely to get a highly positive response and lots of sharing stories about favorites wines and wineries. That feels really good. It makes me happy.
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