The Virginia Wineries Association Announced the 2020 Governor’s Cup® Gold Medalists yesterday! Over 530 
wines were sampled by 19 world class judges, and only 64 wines from 40 different wineries were awarded gold medals. We are honored to announce that Potomac Point Winery’s Petit Verdot 2017 was awarded a prestigious gold medal!
Gold medal-winning wines scored a 90 or higher on a 100-point score range and come from across the commonwealth’s winegrowing regions. Representation from a diverse range of terroirs, vintages and varietals, demonstrates the the grace, grit and experimental spirit of Virginia wines.
Similar to years past, blended varieties received the greatest number of gold medals, speaking to Virginia’s legacy of producing acclaimed Bordeaux-style blends. Results from the 2020 competition also showed an increase in hybrid varietals, a nod to sustainable practices in Virginia vineyards, as hybrid grapes require less intervention in the vineyards.
Today, over 300 wineries in Virginia cultivate over 3,800 acres of grapes, making it the sixth-largest wine region in the US. Grape varieties like Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Manseng and Petit Verdot—relative obscurities in Old World wine traditions—are taking center stage in Virginia.
See a complete list of the 2020 Governor’s Cup Gold Medalists in alphabetical order:
- 868 Estate Vineyards – Vidal Blanc 2017
- Afton Mountain Vineyards – Tradition 2017
- Barboursville Vineyards – Octagon 2014
- Barboursville Vineyards – Vermentino Reserve 2018
- Barboursville Vineyards – Octagon 2017
- Bluestone Vineyard – Blue Ice 2015
- Breaux Vineyards – Nebbiolo 2015
- Breaux Vineyards – Merlot 2016
- Cardinal Point Winery – Clay Hill Cabernet Franc 2017
- Chester Gap Cellars – Cabernet Franc 2017
- Chisholm Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
- Chestnut Oak Vineyard – Chestnut One 2017
- CrossKeys Vineyards – Ali d’Oro 2016
- Cunningham Creek Winery – Herd Dog Red 2017
- Delaplane Cellars – Williams Gap 2017
- Delaplane Cellars – Rusticity 2017
- DuCard Vineyards – Petit Verdot 2017
- DuCard Vineyards – C’est Trop 2017
- Early Mountain – Petit Manseng 2018
- Early Mountain – Shenandoah Springs Cabernet Franc 2017
- Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard – Viognier, Monticello AVA 2018
- Glen Manor Vineyards – Hodder Hill 2015
- Greenhill Vineyards – Mythology 2016
- Hamlet Vineyards – Eltham 2017
- Hark Vineyards – Merlot 2017
- Honah Lee Vineyard – Petit Manseng 2017
- Jefferson Vineyards – Meritage 2017
- Jefferson Vineyards – Jefferson’s Own Estate Reserve Red Wine 2017
- Keswick Vineyards – Les Vents d’Anges 2018
- Keswick Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve 2016
- King Family Vineyards – Loreley 2017
- King Family Vineyards – Mountain Plains Red 2017
- Lake Anna Winery – Tannat 2017
- Lake Anna Winery – Chardonnay 2018
- Lake Anna Winery – Petit Verdot 2017
- Lost Creek Winery – Cabernet Franc 2017
- Michael Shaps – Meritage 2016
- Michael Shaps – L. Scott 2017
- Michael Shaps – Petit Verdot 2017
- Michael Shaps – Cabernet Franc 2017
- Michael Shaps – Raisin d’Etre Blanc 2016
- Michael Shaps – Meritage 2017
- Michael Shaps – Petit Manseng 2018
- Muse Vineyards – Cabernet Franc 2015
- Narmada Winery – Chardonel Reserve 2017
- Paradise Springs Winery – The Moment 2016
- Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – Petit Verdot 2017
- Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – Wild Common Reserve 2017
- Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – Easton Blue 2016
- Pollak Vineyards – Cabernet Franc Reserve 2017
- Pollak Vineyards – Smuggler 2017
- Pollak Vineyards – Cabernet Franc 2017
- Pollak Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
- Pollak Vineyards – Meritage 2017
- Potomac Point winery – Petit Verdot 2017
- Rockbridge Vineyard – V d’Or 2017
- Rosemont Vineyards – Cabernet Franc 2017
- Shenandoah Vineyards – Shenandoah Reserve Red 2017
- Sunset Hills Vineyard – Mosaic 2017
- The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards – Meritage 2017
- Trump Winery – Blanc de Blanc 2014
- Trump Winery – Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
- Winery 32 – Thoroughbred Blend 2016
- Zephaniah Farm Vineyard – Friendship 2017
