From November 6-8th, the American Wine Society held its 53rd annual conference, which this year was held at the Washington Dulles Marriott conference center in Chantilly, VA.
Virginia was the sponsor wine region, and vintners from around the state poured their wines at the welcome reception, introducing many attendees to Virginia specialties like Petit Manseng and Petit Verdot.
At the annual banquet, the 2025 Award of Merit was presented to Michael Shaps, of his eponymous winery, for his contributions to Virginia wine which began when he moved to Charlottesville thirty years ago to make wine in the growing local wine scene. “When I first came to Virginia to make wine, there were only about 40 wineries operating,” he said in his his acceptance remarks; “Now, there are over 300.” Later, he told me that he had consulted or made wine for some 54 wineries across Virginia.
Shaps founded his eponymous winery in 2007, located in the old Montdomaine Cellars south of Charlottesville in Carter’s Bridge. Besides his own product line, Shaps soon began a custom crush operation with more than 20 contract wineries, including some out-of-state. He acquired Shenandoah Vineyards, the first winery in the Shenandoah Valley and the second-oldest still operating, in 2018.
Shaps’ Virginia wines range from the Wild Meadow Chardonnay, grown in northern Loudoun County, to a range of fine varietal and blended wines, to an iconic dry Petit Manseng, sparkling wines including a “Blanc de Franc”, and even dessert wines. His most original wine is the “L. Scott” Tannat-based blend; the 2015 was 60% Tannat, 30% Merlot and 10% Malbec.
Shaps’ wines have placed in the Governor’s Case a number of times over the years. His red wines tend to be rich and full-bodied, but still impressively balanced and stylish.
In 2022, Shaps acquired the former Thatch Winery close by, giving him more production capacity and an easier place to find from the highway. In addition to his work in Virginia, Shaps has established Maison Shaps in Burgundy, where he bottles a Beaune (Pinot Noir), Santenay (Chardonnay), and Bouzeron (Aligote).
Virginia Wine Seminars
The AWS conference featured several Virginia wine seminars. I presented “The Red Revolution in Virginia Wine”; which explained that since 2021 more red than white wine has been produced in Virginia for the first time, and that the quality is such that even in 2012, the late Steven Spurrier declared that “My favorite North American wine region today is Virginia.” This seminar featured six red wines representing the leading red wine varietals and blends in the Commonwealth.
Jim Law, a pioneer of the Virginia wine industry, led a seminar titled “The Ageability of Virginia Wine.” This was a tasting and discussion of two pairs of vertical tastings; Chardonnays from the Avenius vineyard next to Linden at 1600 ft. elevation, and Law’s own Hardscrabble red, a Meritage-style blend on the Medoc model, with about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, then smaller amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The Avenius Chardonnay, grown on a neighboring property at 1,300 ft. elevation, is made by blocking malolactic fermentation to enhance acidity, and Law makes all his wines in a reductive style, avoiding exposure to oxygen as much as possible. This means the wines need years in the cellar to mature, but are worth the wait in what they deliver.
The 2017 Avenius Chardonnay was still tight, closed and racy, like classic Chablis. The 2015 was only a little more open but still firm and racy; the 2013 was my favorite, showing a touch of hazelnut and almond on the nose, broad on the palate but still balanced.
The Hardscrabble red blends were from 2017, 2010 and 2008. They reflected vintage character well, and the 2010 was probably just at its peak at 15 years old. Law confides he has dialed back on the new oak and extraction of fruit since the “Parker influence” of the 2000s, and the difference shows in the quality and finesse of the wines.