Monthly Archives: April 2026

Summer Stock Up: 12 Virginia Wines Under $30

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The $20-30 price range is often cited as the ‘sweet spot’ for wine lovers. These are bottles meant to be splurged on without guilt, rather than saved for a perceived ‘special occasion’.

Naysayers may say the under $30 range puts more ‘serious’ Virginia wines out of reach. To an extent that may be true. You’re unlikely to find big bold reds (which require aging in expensive barrels) in this price range, or the flagship bottles from well-known wineries.

But don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t find great local wine for under $30. Deals can be found if you know where to look.

Here are 12 Virginia wines that strike the right balance between quality and affordability.

White Wines

Barboursville Vineyards 2024 Vermentino Reserve ($23): Barboursville’s Vermentino is so good, it’s been selected for the Virginia Governor’s Case (honoring the Top 12 wines in Virginia’s premiere wine event) 7 out the past 8 times its competed. Their 2024 Vermentino is the latest in this series of wins.

Vermentino isn’t a variety that comes to mind when thinking of Virginia wine but is very much in keeping with Barboursville’s Italian heritage. This wine has aromas of pear and lemon, followed by a surprising amount of minerality and acidity on the palate.

Chatham Vineyards 2024 Steel Chardonnay ($25): Located along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Chatham produces some of the most terroir-driven wines in Virginia. I could easily list any of their wines here (their $28 Bordeaux-blend is also a steal), but my favorite is its steel-fermented chardonnay.

Chatham’s secret weapon is its soil – a combination of sandy loam mixed with ancient shell deposits. This combination gives its chardonnays a unique minerality that makes them stand out. Make sure to pair this wine with local oysters.

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Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard 2024 Albariño ($29.99): Albariño is an up-and-coming grape for Virginia, having gone from 12 producing acres in 2019 to almost 60 in 2026. Fifty-Third produces one of my favorites.

This wine has a classic albariño profile. It’s superbly tropical with a focus on pear and apricot, and the nose perfectly matches the flavors on the palate.

Pollak Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc ($28): Pollak is another under-the-radar winery in a corner of Virginia full of great options.

Their 2023 Sauvignon Blanc won Gold at the 2026 San Francisco Chronical Wine awards, one of the most prestigious wine competitions in the US. It has just a touch of oak coupled with 7 months aging in concrete, allowing the wine to express bright acidity and ripeness, along with notes of lemon and grapefruit.

Red Wines

Barren Ridge Vineyards 2023 Merlot ($28): The Shenandoah Valley combines two major advantages. First, limestone soil and limited rainfall make the valley a great location for viticulture. Second, land prices are affordable, making it easy to produce wine at very reasonable prices. This is why Barren Ridge is the first of four Shenandoah-based vineyards to appear on this list.

Barren Ridge’s merlot hits at only 12.4% alcohol, making it very easy drinking. It has notes of raisinated fruit and caramel on the nose, with berry cobbler and forest floor on the palate.

Glen Manor Vineyards 2023 Petit Rouge ($25): Located outside Front Royal, Glen Manor Vineyards often has an affordable red wine to go alongside their lineup of top-notch Bordeaux blends. This spot is currently occupied by Petit Rouge, a cabernet franc-heavy red blend.

Petit Rouge has notes of plumb, fresh tobacco leaf, and violet. It’s also bigger on the palate than you’d expect for a wine with the name “Petit” on it.

Gabriele Rausse Winery 2023 Cabernet Franc ($23): Gabriele offers an array of wallet-friendly wines, typically made in a ‘drink now’ style. One of my current favorites is their cabernet franc.

Cabernet franc thrives in Virginia and arguably could be its signature grape. This wine shows notes of black cherry, strawberry jam, plum, and vanilla on the nose. On the palate you’ll find black raspberry, cola, and black pepper.

Noer Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Franc ($19): I added a second cabernet franc to my lineup because not only are these wines among Virginia’s most affordable reds, but very different expressions can be found across the state. Whereas Gabriele’s wine is juicy, I enjoyed Noer’s cabernet franc for its combination of bright acidity, black cherry notes, and overall approachability.

Noer is one of Virginia’s newest wineries, located not far from Staunton. The Shenandoah Valley already has plenty of budget-friendly wines, but the price point of Noer’s wines are especially ridiculous when you consider their quality.

Rosé and Sparkling

Fabbioli Cellars 2024 Rosé of Merlot ($26): The film “Sideways” did a disservice to merlot, a grape that’s a strong performer in Virginia. This merlot-based rosé is a case-in-point.

Doug Fabbioli’s 2024 rosé won Best in Class at the 2025 Loudoun Wine Awards. The judges no doubt appreciated how it nicely balances acidity with a creamy mouthfeel, with notes of strawberries, white peaches, and honeysuckle. Try this wine with a lobster salad or a fresh fruit tart.

Ox-Eye Vineyards “Daily Bubbles” ($29): Owner John Kiers doesn’t believe bubbles should be reserved for special occasions. That’s why he makes “Daily Bubbles”, a German-style sparkling wine designed not to break your budget.

This 50% Riesling/50% Grüner Veltliner blend spends under a year on the lees, making it lighter and fruitier than most other Méthode Champenoise-style wines. It has notes of pear and light citrus, with a dryness that brings out its bright acidity. This makes “Daily Bubbles” both food-friendly and great for everyday quaffing.

Rosemont Vineyards Extra Brut Sparkling ($25): My list focuses on wineries that are under-the-radar and deliver great value. Rosemont more than qualifies for both descriptions.

Rosemont’s Extra Brut is made with chardonel, a hybrid grape with chardonnay DNA. Its zippy acidity makes this grape a great choice for sparkling wine, and it delivers with notes of white peach and grapefruit. Winemaker Justin Rose made this wine in the Charmat method (the same process used for Prosecco), a cost-effective process where the secondary fermentation is done in a large tank vs inside the bottle.

Stinson Vineyards 2024 Rosé of Tannat ($25): I’m a big believer in tannat’s potential in Virginia. This high-acid, high tannin grape has a reputation for making bold red wines, but it’s less commonly found as a rosé. Stinson’s is one of the few exceptions.

I’m a sucker for its salmon color, which just screams ‘rosé’ when I see it. It’s also highly crushable, with great acidity, white peach and strawberry notes, and a bigger mouthfeel than I’m accustomed to in rosés.

Meet The Assistant Winemakers For Pollak Vineyards and Zephaniah Farm

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Winemakers are often the ‘face’ of the winery they work for. That said, they are backed by a team who help them craft the best wine possible.

One of the most important members of this team is a position that usually gets limited fanfare – their Assistant Winemaker.

Assistant winemakers typically run day-to-day operations in the cellar, focusing on tasks such as monitoring fermentation, conducting lab analyses, and ensuring the workspace is fully sanitized. These responsibilities are unglamorous but crucial to a winery’s success.

While few of Virginia’s Assistant Winemakers have name recognition outside industry circles, this can quickly change as they move to new roles.

Corry Craighill was in her first Head Winemaker position (at Sunset Hills Vineyard) for only a few years when she was recognized as Loudoun County’s Winemaker of the Year in 2019. This past March, she was awarded the top prize at the 2026 Virginia Governor’s Cup wine competition for her Valley Road Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve.

Corry’s success underscores the importance of keeping tabs on the people filling Assistant Winemaker roles. These winemakers may be “Assistants” today, but they are also tomorrow’s leaders.

Jordan Demain, Pollak Vineyards

How did you get into winemaking?

“It was my dad that planted the seed for my interest in winemaking. I just fell in love with wine, learning how it reflects a sense of place.

I was born in Philly and grew up in southern New Jersey. For years I worked in the New Jersey wine industry, learning about wine and just finding my passion.

In 2016, I applied for an internship at King Family Vineyards and got to work with their winemaker, Matthieu Finot. It wasn’t long before Matthieu recommended me for a position at Pollak. By the end of the year, I was working full time there.

I’ve been an East Coast winemaker my entire career. I think it’s more challenging here, but that makes it more rewarding. It also makes me want to elevate the game of the region I’m from.”

Describe your role as Pollak’s Assistant Winemaker

“I do all the hands-on winemaking, seeing it from grape to bottle. The cellar isn’t just my domain, it’s my home-away-from-home. I take care of the barrels, clean tanks, do bottling, and perform maintenance.

You can say that our winemaker Benoit Pineau makes the plan, and I execute the plan. But our owners Margo and David Pollak also make sure the winery has a very family-like atmosphere, where everyone has a role.

We’re also growing. Pollak’s estate vineyard has 35 acres of vines, but we now have a second vineyard with another 50 acres. That will increase our production to maybe 12,000 cases a year, so there will always be something to do.”

What’s your favorite grape to work with?

“Merlot! Our cabernet franc also does well, but merlot has been the most consistent grape for us. It was our 2023 Merlot Reserve that was selected for the 2026 Governor’s Case (recognizing the top 12 wines of the event).

But nebbiolo is climbing up that list. It has the potential for some really age worthy wines, and this year we released our first nebbiolo.

I’m thinking of doing a side-project of my own but haven’t gotten to that part yet. But I would make a riesling if I could.”

Emily Hatch, Zephaniah Farm Vineyard

How did you get into winemaking?

“I was the accidental catalyst for my family becoming involved in winemaking and winegrowing.

In 2001 I was a sophomore studying agro-archeology (the study of ancient agricultural practices) in Northern Italy when my dad visited me. His time in Alto Adige was his first real exposure to wine, and he became hooked.

Not knowing anything yet about viticulture, he asked one of my professors what it takes to plant a vineyard. The professor’s response? ‘Bill, it’s farming. Just plant the damn grapes!’

My family installed our first vineyard a year later and opened the winery in 2007.

I came back to Virginia in 2010. I didn’t return with the intent of becoming a winemaker; being a social worker is still my ‘day’ job. But one thing about my family is when it comes to working on the farm, we’re all hands-on deck.

For me, being a winemaker has been mostly on-the-job training. I’ve taken winemaking classes at Virginia Tech but have never taken a chemistry class in my life! But according to my friends, I’m a ‘super taster’; someone with an especially sensitive sense of taste and smell”.

What parts of the business are you in charge of?

“Our sparkling wine, ‘Possibilities,’ is my pet project. It uses chardonel grapes and is made in the traditional method. We’re now making its 3rd edition.

I went to my family and said ‘This is what I want to do. Are you ok with it?,’ and they were all on board. I picked chardonel because I love working with this grape, and it’s a reflection of the ‘possibilities’ that hybrid grapes offer in winemaking.

I have the title of Assistant Winemaker, but when you’re in a family business, all roles get blended since we do everything together. So being ‘Assistant’ is really a broad term.”

Tell me about your wine that took Gold in the Governor’s Cup

“Most of our reds are quite blended since I’m really picky with winemaking. Zephaniah’s top-scoring wine in the Governor’s Cup was our 2023 Cabernet Franc (which has some merlot). It was produced from our first vines, planted in 2002.

2023 was initially a tough growing season because the leaves kept dying because it was such a dry year. But that drought really pushed the vines to make amazing wine.”