ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The King Family Vineyards in Albemarle County has been awarded the 2024 Virginia Governor’s Cup by Gov. Glenn Youngkin for one of its stunning wines.
The vineyard, located in the Crozet area of the county, received this award during the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gala on March 7, which was held at Richmond’s Main Street Station.
The 2019 Meritage — described as a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec — beat out 752 other entries from over 135 total Virginia wineries, cideries and meaderies, according to a press release from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Above all of the rest, the 2019 Meritage received the highest average score from the panel of judges in categories like appearance, aroma, flavor, commercial suitability and overall quality.
King Family Vineyards has been operating in Virginia and producing its wines for more than 20 years.
According to the release, this is the fourth time King Family Vineyards has received the Virginia Governor’s Cup. During this competition’s 42 years of operations, King Family Vineyards previously took home this honor in 2004, 2010 and 2018.
“It is an honor to present this year’s Virginia Governor’s Cup to the team at King Family Vineyards,” Youngkin said in the release. “They’re a well-respected example of the quality of wines being produced in the Commonwealth and I look forward to seeing the ongoing success and growth of this family-owned winery in the future.”
According to Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr, 138 Virginia wines, ciders and meads received a score of 90 or higher — breaking previous records for total amount of high-scoring entries.
“As this industry flourishes, it plays a pivotal role in supporting and enhancing both the agricultural community and Virginia’s economy,” Lohr said in the release.
The 2019 Meritage and the 11 other highest-scoring wines will be featured in the Virginia Governor’s Cup Case. According to the release, that case features seven red wines, five white wines and one sparkling wine.
Vineyards and wines included in this 2024 case include:
- King Family Vineyards, Albermarle County: 2019 Meritage
- Afton Mountain Vineyards, Nelson County: 2019 T
- Barboursville Vineyards, Orange County: 2019 Paxxito
- Bluestone Vineyard, Rockingham County: 2017 Petit Verdot
- Breaux Vineyards, Loudoun County: 2019 The Fog Nebbiolo Reserve
- Cave Ridge Vineyard, Shenandoah County: 2019 Fossil Hill Reserve
- CrossKeys Vineyards, Rockingham County: Blanc De Noir
- Hark Vineyards, Albemarle County: 2019 Spark
- Michael Shaps Wineworks, Albemarle County: 2020 L.Scott
- Mountain and Vine Vineyards and Winery, Nelson County: 2022 Chardonnay
- October One Vineyard, Loudoun County: 2022 Albariño
- Paradise Springs Winery, Fairfax County: 2022 Petit Manseng
Additionally, the release notes this was the fourth year Virginia cider was judged in its own category. The Best in Show award for cider went to Buskey Cider, located in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition, for the cidery’s 2022 Ruby Red Crab Apple Cider.
For more information on this award and those honored with it, read the full release on the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s website.
