Our History is Wine®. Virginia’s wine industry dates to the early seventeenth century when the first English settlers planted vines and made wine at the Jamestown Colony around 1608. The first settlers made wine with grapes from England, but the colonists soon became determined to grow their own grapes on Virginia soil. In 1623, the Virginia House of Burgesses enacted a law that required every householder to set aside a quarter-acre of land yearly for the purpose of growing grapes and making wine. In 1762, the Carter family of Virginia produced wine at their plantation Cleve®. These wines received international acclaim and the Carter family was recognized by the Royal Society of the Arts, UK, for the “first spirited attempt at making fine wine in America.” These were the first internationally recognized wines of America. In 1763, Royal Governor Francis Fauquier certified that the Carter family was successfully growing European vines at Cleve®. This is the first recorded history of successful grape production in Virginia with European vines. In 1769, the General Assembly passed legislation called “An Act for the Encouragement of the Making of Wine.” Our country’s Founding Fathers and Sons of Virginia, Charles Carter, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, all contributed to the development of a wine industry in Virginia through their interest in viticulture and enology. In 1773, Jefferson allowed Italian winemaker Filippo Mazzei to plant vinifera grape …

A discussion with 8 Chains North Vineyards owner Ben Renshaw on real vs. synthetic corks

Blue Ridge Wine Excursions takes Travis Wilburn, from C-Ville Weekly, and some friends to Pollak Vineyards. They receive a private tasting and cellar tour. www.albemarlevintagelimousine.com

The Corkscrew Diary is a veritable cornucopia of exquisite offerings from around the globe. A bottle purchased from a purveyor of fine wine will tell its own story. The Corkscrew Diary reveals a virtual personal tour of the processes and passions that bring the life to that bottle. The Corkscrew Diary runs fingers through soil, raises stems to the storied and salutes everyday life in the finest vineyards of the world. Distributed by Tubemogul.

October is Virginia Wine Month. Find your favorite vintage.

In conjunction with the historic Vineyard hotel in Cape Town, the Warwick and Vilafonte teams are planning the creation of a new urban vineyard on this historic site.

Cardinal Point gets a visit from below and his special girl.

Art installation for Crooked Run Cellars in the barn wine tasting room. Grand Opening- Sat. July 18, 2009.

The Corkscrew Diary serves not only as a showcase for vineyards and their fine works, but as an exotic travel log as well. Embrace stories of manor homes, souls, cellars and cuisine from the West Cape of Africa to the Tuscan hills, Napa Valley to the valley of the Saar and the heights of the Chilean Andes.

One of the concerts during the summer at Fincastle Vineyard and Winery on the Wine Trail of Botetourt County, VA.