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Early settlers produced wine at Jamestown in 1609, and later a famous Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, became a wine advisor to several American presidents.

At George Washington’s request, the first wines to be stocked in the White House were selected by Jefferson. In 1774, he and Italian Filippo Mazzei established vineyards on land adjoining Monticello – the site of present day Jefferson Vineyards (see photo).

Today, there are a total of six officially recognized wine regions throughout the state including the Monticello wine trail, the Shenandoah Valley wine trail, Virginia's Eastern Shore, the North Fork of Roanoke, Blue Ridge region wineries, and Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace area wineries.. 

More than 20 grape varieties are grown in Virginia resulting in wines from reds to whites, dry to sweet, and produced in more than 200 wineries, and featured at over 300 Virginia wine festivals throughout the year...

More information about Virginia wineries around the Web:

Virginia Wine - Tasting tips, wine varieties in Virginia, food & wine combinations, a history of Virginia wine, fact sheets, event calendar, info on award-winners plus a complete directory of Virginia wineries and vineyards browseable in an A-Z list, by region or interactive map.

American Winery Guide - Virginia Wineries - Check out visitor-rated wineries throughout the state, by name or region, along with related story articles and listings of Virginia wine events.

Virginia Wine Country - For true Virginia wine fans and coverts offering feature story articles, a complete directory of wine tasting and wineries in Virginia with featured wineries in a separate listing, an events calendar, and more on regional restaurants, lodging, related attractions and visitor favorites.

Virginia Vineyard Page - Courtesy of Virginia Tech and asking the burning question ... What's Hot in Grapes? Along with a collection of great resources for the amateur and professional grape grower, and an extensive directory of Virginia wineries.