When consumers step into a Virginia winery, the array of options can be overwhelming. Tastings often feature around six wines, typically three white and three red, usually including a few favoured varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
However, unlike most established American wine regions, Virginia hasn’t yet settled on a flagship grape that serves as its signature.
But, maybe, it doesn’t need one.
This is because, in most of these tastings, the experience will culminate with a red blend. Many of these are ‘Meritage‘ blends, a term coined in the United States for wines made using Bordeaux’s ‘noble grapes.’
These blends have become a true calling card for Virginia, a testament to both the unique vineyard conditions and the winemaker’s ability to answer every challenge vintage to vintage.
Scroll down for the best examples of contemporary Virginia Meritage
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<h2>Why Blending Works in Virginia</h2>
<p>Virginia&#8217;s viticulture is unique in a couple of important ways. Firstly, its climate is moderate, humid, and subtropical.</p>
<p>This means it can experience warmer temperatures than classic European regions, especially during summer, and generally receives more rainfall than top US wine-growing areas along the West Coast.</p>
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<p>Vintages here can vary dramatically year-to-year. For instance, the 2023 and 2024 vintages were relatively dry and warm, yielding some of the best wines in recent history.</p>
<p>In contrast, 2022 saw significant challenges from powdery mildew, the threat of Hurricane Ian and spotted lantern flies, while 2021 contended with damaging spring frosts and downy mildew.</p>
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<p>One might assume the pandemic was the primary issue in 2020, but a remarkable 13 hurricane events made that year even more challenging for grape growers. This variability underscores the necessity of blending to achieve consistent quality.</p>
<p>Secondly, Virginia&#8217;s focus on European-style blends is deeply rooted in its history.</p>
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<div id="attachment_561071" style="width: 1310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-561071" class="lazyload blur-up wp-image-561071 size-full" data-processed src="https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wp-content/themes/simba-theme/assets/images/placeholder.png" data-src="https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362.jpg" alt="" width="1300" height="860" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362.jpg 1300w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-300x198.jpg 300w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-630x417.jpg 630w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-135x89.jpg 135w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-320x212.jpg 320w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-620x410.jpg 620w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-920x609.jpg 920w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine362-1220x807.jpg 1220w" sizes="(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-561071" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Virginia Wine</p></div>
<h2>A Bit of Wine History</h2>
<p>While Virginia has emerged as a significant player in American wine over the past 30 years, viticulture here dates back to before the country&#8217;s founding.</p>
<p>As many may know, America&#8217;s third president, <strong><a href="https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wine-news/opinion/news-blogs-anson/thomas-jefferson-bordeaux-wine-353642/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thomas Jefferson</a></strong>, harboured ambitions to establish Virginia as a premier wine-producing region after his travels in France.</p>
<p>He even enlisted Italian winemaker Philip Mazzei to cultivate European grapes and form Virginia&#8217;s first wine company.</p>
<p>Although the American Revolution literally trampled this early experiment (in 1778 many of the vines were <a href="https://www.jeffersonvineyards.com/About/History" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>reportedly destroyed by horses</strong></a> running amok), the historic site where it all began is now home to Jefferson Vineyards.</p>
<p>This early aspiration to emulate Bordeaux remains an important influence.</p>
<h2>Commitment to quality</h2>
<p>Today, these red blends are a signature of Virginia&#8217;s world-class wines. The state&#8217;s commitment to quality is evident in annual competitions like the Virginia Governor&#8217;s Cup, a statewide competition.</p>
<p>Blind-tasted by a judging panel, gold medal-winning wines are eligible for the prestigious Governor&#8217;s Cup Case, with the top-scoring wine being the overall winner.</p>
<p>This year, out of 155 gold medalists, 89 were red wines, nearly 60%. Of those, 42 were blends, with 22 formally designated as Meritage blends.</p>
<p>At <strong><a href="https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wine-news/decanter-world-wine-awards-2025-results-revealed-558898/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Decanter</em>&#8216;s most recent World Wine Awards</a></strong>, nine wines from Virginia received accolades. Seven of them were red wines, and four of those were blends.</p>
<p>While white wines are increasingly building a strong reputation in the state, these red blends consistently stand out as the category through which Virginia truly makes its name.</p>
<h2>What’s Ahead for Virginia Red Blends</h2>
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<p>Though Virginia doesn&#8217;t claim a single signature grape, it has successfully cultivated a distinct identity through the Meritage blend.</p>
<p>These wines expertly leverage the state&#8217;s warm, humid summers and its long, if sometimes challenging, winemaking history.</p>
<p>At their best, these blends demonstrate a clear path to producing consistent, world-class wines in Virginia, year after year.</p>
<div id="attachment_561072" style="width: 1310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-561072" class="lazyload blur-up wp-image-561072 size-full" data-processed src="https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wp-content/themes/simba-theme/assets/images/placeholder.png" data-src="https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476.jpg" alt="" width="1300" height="860" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476.jpg 1300w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-300x198.jpg 300w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-630x417.jpg 630w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-135x89.jpg 135w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-320x212.jpg 320w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-620x410.jpg 620w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-920x609.jpg 920w, https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2025/07/VaWine476-1220x807.jpg 1220w" sizes="(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px" /><p id="caption-attachment-561072" class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Virginia Wine</p></div>
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Virginia Meritage: 10 wines to find
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