On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the Virginia Wineries Association, Virginia Wine Marketing Board, and the Virginia Vineyard’s Association revealed the results of the 2021 Virginia’s Governor’s Cup competition.

When the word ‘petite’ or ‘petit’ is part of a grape variety name, it indicates the size of the berries. Size matters as the smaller the grape, the less juice it will yield. In addition, the grape will have more surface area of skin relative to the amount of juice. Red wine made from smaller berried grapes can be more pigmented and more tannic as there is less juice to dilute these characteristics.

The first vines brought to Chile came via Spanish Conquistadors as early as the 1500s. Immigrants from Europe would bring more varieties to Chile, especially from Bordeaux in the 1800s. As of 2020, 70 percent of Chilean wine production is exported.

Bordeaux is the most famous wine-growing region in the world, with a reputation for producing wines that have been the benchmark for wine makers world wide. But did you know that the area used to be a marshy swamp? Vineyards were planted in small areas, but most of the land was unusable marsh or swamp land. Enter the Dutch!