Loudoun County’s modern day wine producing industry is marking its 40th anniversary with a special collaboration wine produced by 12 Virginia vineyards called Loudoun Red.
Each winemaker contributed a barrel of their estate-grown vintage. Half are from the 2022 vintage and half are from the 2023 vintage. The wine is a blend of seven different varietals, including cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit Verdot. The limited-edition wine is available at each of the 12 wineries that participated.
Deciding 2024 is the 40th anniversary of Loudoun County wine traces its roots back to 1984, when Willocroft Farm Vineyards barreled its first wine — a Riesling.
There are now more than 50 wineries in Loudoun County. The craft beverage business has grown to include a dozen distilleries, cideries and meaderies.
They are a major economic driver for the county, drawing 1 million visitors in 2023, and generating almost $49 million in revenue last year, a 60% increase since 2018, according to a new Economic Impact Study commissioned by Visit Loudoun.
Loudoun County’s burgeoning wine industry was not taken seriously by critics during those early years. Wine takes time, and eventually, growers began collaborating, honing growing techniques suitable to the region and focusing on grapes that thrived the best in Northern Virginia.
“The wines just started getting better and better, and they started to win awards. And we started getting attention and accolades from the likes of Wine Enthusiast, Travel + Leisure, and Decanter Magazine, and we started getting attention at the local, national, and then international level,” said Beth Erickson, president and CEO of Visit Loudoun.
By the mid-2000s, there were more than a dozen wineries in Loudoun County, a number that would quickly double. The potential then gained the attention of economic development organizations, tourist groups and even elected officials.
“There was a recognition of the importance of this industry and its role as both an economic generator and also a way to preserve open space and Loudoun’s agricultural history,” Erickson said.
Vineyards are labor intensive, and expensive to operate. Those winemakers also realized their vineyards themselves could be revenue generators. About 85% of wineries and distilleries in the county have private events space.
“Couples come from everywhere to get married at our wineries with those beautiful backdrops. It is also those farm-to-table dinners, and festivals and music. You can hear live music at wineries and breweries every weekend,” Erickson said.
Visit Loudoun coined the tourism campaign “DC’s Wine Country” in 2008. At this year’s Governor’s Cup competition, hosted by the Virginia Wineries Association and the Virginia Wine Board, 27 Loudoun County wines from 16 different wineries won Gold Medals, more than any other region in Virginia.
Loudoun County’s own annual Loudoun Wine Awards and gala is at Lansdowne Resort October 25.
For the commemorative 40th anniversary Loudoun Red Blend wine, 300 cases, or 3,600 bottles were produced. More information on wine and where to get it is online.