The Virginia Governor’s Cup Awards is the state’s most prestigious wine competition. In 2024, professional judges led by Virginia wine expert Frank Morgan sampled over 750 of the best Virginia wines from among the 300-plus wineries across the state. Judges use the 100-point scale used by Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, Wine & Spirits and many others to rate wines. This year, 79 wineries received a cumulative total of 138 Gold Medals. The top 12 scoring wines from the entries make up the distinguished Virginia Governor’s Cup Case. The most honored bottle, the finest Virginia wine, is then selected from the Case to become the Virginia Governor’s Cup award winner. Below, read all about the 2024 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case winners, each defined as the best in the Commonwealth.
For more information about the best Virginia wines, the wineries, their locations and how to find them, visit our Virginia Winery Maps section.
And the Cup winner is…
King Family Vineyards
2019 Meritage
King Family Vineyards‘ 2019 Meritage is a Bordeaux-style red blend. Once the varietals are blended, the wine is returned to French barrique barrels and aged for 18 months. This Meritage has aromas of dried herbs, tobacco leaf, dark fruits and oak spice, with a lively acidity on the palate.
Composition: 48% Merlot, 28% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec
The King family founded their Charlottesville area vineyard and winery in 1998, and 2024 marks the fourth time they have won the Virginia Governor’s Cup. Longtime French-born winemaker Matthieu Finot accepted the award. Finot and the Kings work together on their passion projects, including the famous Roseland Polo grounds, a King family enterprise that hosts polo games at the vineyard every summer. Finot, who is originally from the Rhône region where the Viognier grape comes from, created a wine called “Se7en” specifically to pay homage to the sport, and they sell his popular Crosé Rosé (a pun on their homebase in Crozet) in cans to make it easily accessible for polo picnics.
Afton Mountain Vineyards
2019 T
Afton Mountain Vineyards‘ 2019 T is a well-balanced red blend with red fruit aromatics, a rich tannin structure and a long finish. It pairs well with classic red meat dishes, mushrooms and fish in cream sauce.
A native of France, winemaker Damien Blanchon has been tending vines at Afton Mountain Vineyards since 2011. His passion is experimenting with natural and sustainable resources in both the vineyard and cellar.
Composition: 42% Merlot, 29% Petit Verdot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon
Barboursville Vineyards
2019 Paxxito
Barboursville Vineyards‘ 2019 Paxxito is their beloved Passito dessert wine. This wine has won 9 out of Barboursville’s total of 38 gold medals at the Virginia Governor’s Cup since 2012. Celebrated winemaker Luca Paschina uses the traditional method to air dry the grapes, concentrating the sugars for the intense sweetness of this wine. It has a creamy texture on the palate and an intense bouquet of tropical fruits, including apricot, pineapple, pear, honey and almond.
Composition: 50% Moscato, 50% Vidal Blanc
Bluestone Vineyard
2017 Petit Verdot
Bluestone Vineyard‘s 2017 Petit Verdot underwent warm fermentation in stainless steel, then ages 22 months in 50% new American oak. It has a nose of earth and caramel, coffee and figs on the approach, leading to strawberry, gravel and smoke. Read more about Bluestone Vineyard’s winemaker Lee Hartman here in our exclusive interview with him.
Composition: 100% Petit Verdot
Breaux Vineyards
2019 The Fog Nebbiolo Reserve
This rich, balanced Nebbiolo wine from Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville was aged in 85% French and 15% American oak for 18 months. It has aromas of licorice, cassis and dried tobacco complemented by flavors of ripe fig, clove, raisins, dried cherry and truffle.
Composition: 100% Nebbiolo
Cave Ridge Vineyard
2019 Fossil Hill Reserve
The grapes in this Shenandoah Valley blend were aged separately in both French and Hungarian oak for 14 months before blending and aging for another month. Aromas of plumb and cherry marries with hints of vanilla and cedar combine with dark fruit on the palate, with the spice of the Cabernet Franc and black olive of the Petit Verdot providing a rich, balanced wine. Winemaker and owner Randy Philips and his family opened the Cave Ridge Vineyard tasting room in 2005 and have developed a loyal following in the years since.
Composition: 60% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot
CrossKeys Vineyards
Blanc de Noir
This is the second gold medal win for CrossKeys Vineyards‘ Blanc de Noir. This sparkling wine was fermented in neutral barrels and stirred weekly after fermentation for 7 months. Once bottled, it was aged 14 months before being disgorged. The wine has bright acidity and fruity flavors including orange peel and apple. CrossKeys Vineyard rests in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and is family owned and run by the Bakhtiar family. Read more about their journey to creating their award-winning vineyard and winery here.
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Hark Vineyards
2019 Spark
Hark Vineyards’ winemaker AJ Greely fermented this red blend in small lots. Each barrel was hand-picked through strenuous trialing to create the perfect blend. This is a dry wine with aromas of dark berries and black pepper and clove on the palate. Greely, who joined the Virginia wine industry in 2012, has been mentored by many of the respected winemakers and viticulturists in the state and aims to create wines that showcase her passion for the craft.
Composition: 46% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 24% Petit Verdot
Michael Shaps Wineworks
2020 L Scott
The 2020 L. Scott is one of 68 gold medals the Michael Shaps Wineworks label has won in the Virginia Governor’s Cup since 2012. Shaps is one of the premiere—and certainly one of the most prolific—winemakers in the state and even has a winemaking business in France. This red blend was fermented in stainless steel fermenters using native yeast and then ages for 22 months in oak barrels. The Tannat is heavily tannic, while the Merlot provides a softness and depth and the Malbec adds bright red fruit and fresh acidity. This is a wine that will age well over the next 7-10 years.
Composition: 50% Tannat, 33% Merlot, 17% Malbec
Mountain & Vine Vineyards & Winery
2022 Chardonnay
Mountain & Vine Vineyards and Winery (formerly Delfosse Vineyards) was the Governor’s Cup winner in 2023 for their Screaming Hawk Meritage. Their current winemaker is Stephen Barnard, an award winning winemaker from South Africa and the president of the Monticello Wine Trail. This year, their award-winning 2022 Chardonnay was fermented in neutral French Oak barrels. Initial notes of citrus fruit and green apple turn to stone fruit with a floral undertone. The palate has vibrant acidity and the wine is expected to age well.
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
October One Vineyard
2022 Albariño
Leesburg winery October One Vineyard’s 2022 Albariño was aged in stainless steel. Its exotic aromatics are proounced and include white flower, peach, lychee and honey. This wine is sweet on the palate and maintains a clean, crisp and refreshing finish. October One Vineyards has collaborated with Walsh Family Wine’s owner Nate Walsh since 2017 to make their award-winning wines.
Composition: 100% Albariño
Paradise Springs Winery
2022 Petit Manseng
Paradise Springs Winery, a well-known Virginia winery—and the only bicoastal vineyard with a sister winery in California—fermented their 2022 Petit Manseng in an egg-shaped concrete fermenting tank before aging for 7 months. The wine is fresh and fruity but also full-bodied. Aromatic notes of dried apricot and lemon curd are followed by a note of candied pineapple.
Composition: 100% Petit Manseng
And the
Best in Show Cider is…
Buskey Cider
2022 Ruby Red Crabapple
Buskey Cider from Richmond won their first Best in Show Cider award for their 2022 Ruby Red Crab Apple hard cider. This zesty cider has notes of grapefruit zest and red berry. Cidermaker Allen Crump and his team specialize in terroir-driven ciders and fruit wines. This particular vintage was fermented in stainless steel and aged for a total of 11 months, resulting in a soft, complex cider.
Composition: 100% Ruby Red Crab apples
The Governor’s Cup Case holds the twelve highest-ranking gold medal winning wines of the renowned Governor’s Cup Competition. The 2023 competition was won by Mountain & Vine Vineyards and Winery with an impressive lineup in the 2023 Cup Case. For previous Cup Case winners, read about the 2022 competition won by Cana Vineyards & Winery in Middleburg, the 2021 competition won by Barboursville Vineyards, the 2020 competition won by 868 Estate Vineyards, and the 2019 competition won by Horton Vineyards. To shop this year’s award winning wines and many more, visit the Virginia Wine & Country Gold Shop. ~
