Virginia is poised to create something truly unique — a wine scene that values innovation, collaboration, and diversity. While the state’s wine roots stretch back to 1619, Virginia is only just beginning to carve out its own identity, unburdened by the expectations that weigh on more established regions. Alexya Brown, a digital marketing specialist for Virginia wineries, captures this moment perfectly: “If you want to get to know living wine, as in, get to understand a wine region that’s actively being shaped and defined today, then Virginia is a great place to start.”
One of the leaders in this movement is Oenoverse, a community and platform focused on making the Virginia wine industry more diverse and inclusive. Together with its partner, The Verasion Project, Oenoverse is not just participating in the development of the Virginia wine scene — it’s shaping it. On Nov. 2, 2024, Oenoverse and The Verasion Project will bring back their collaborative wine festival Two Up Wine Down, created to showcase Virginia’s dynamic wines and the community that makes the region so exciting.
Finding Diversity in Grapes and Community
For centuries, attempts to plant grapevines from Europe in Virginia were met with failure. Since the earliest settlers, and famously Thomas Jefferson, each attempt at planting them was thwarted by disease or simply didn’t take to the soils of the New World. It wasn’t until the introduction of French-American hybrid grapes in the 1960s that Virginia wine truly began to flourish.
One of the most distinctive features of Virginia as a wine region is its diverse grape varieties. Spanning 3,800 acres of vineyards, Virginia grows everything from Cabernet Franc and Viognier to hybrid varieties like Norton and Chambourcin. Notably, the state boasts the largest planting of Petit Manseng outside its original home in France’s Jurançon region. Reggie Leonard II, co-founder of Oenoverse, highlights the potential of Virginia wines as the region continues to define its identity, “What I appreciate most about our region is the exponential opportunity that we’re currently in position to take advantage of. Think about some of the marks of the world’s most lauded wine regions, in comparison to where we are: Our vines aren’t even old yet. We’re on our first set of second-generation winemakers. We haven’t figured out ‘our grape’ yet.” This ongoing exploration is driven by the passionate winemakers and enthusiasts dedicated to shaping Virginia’s wine scene.
Another compelling aspect of the Virginia wine industry is its strong sense of community. There is less focus on individual success. Virginia winemakers, growers, sommeliers, and enthusiasts are united by a shared commitment to the growth of the entire region. Leonard mentions that when he first started attending wine tastings around Virginia, he knew nothing about wine. “Seeing how quickly I was accepted into the fold of the Virginia wine community, given where I came from, I knew that anyone who wanted in could have a spot,” he says, which is exactly what inspired him to get involved.
Two Up Wine Down: A Festival With Purpose
Leonard and Tracey Love (head of sales and marketing at Blenheim Vineyards) co-founded Oenoverse with the goal of building a more equitable Virginia wine industry. They created the Oenoverse Wine Club at Blenheim Vineyards and launched Oeno Camp, a three-day immersive education program in partnership with The Verasion Project. The idea for the Two Up Wine Down Festival emerged from their desire to create a more inclusive wine festival, one that would showcase Virginia wine and reflect the dynamic spirit of the community. “Being told that anyone is allowed to be a part of something versus being invited to something that was designed with you in mind are two completely different encounters; I wanted to help create the latter for more people,” says Leonard.
As Leonard and Love looked for a partner to bring this vision to life, they connected with Carly Seward Maher from The Verasion Project, an organization dedicated to making the wine and beverage industry more welcoming to a broader audience of enthusiasts. Their shared mission led to the birth of the Two Up Wine Down Festival in the fall of 2022. Seward Maher highlights the essence of their collaboration: “What I love about our work with Oenoverse is that we are bringing back the communal aspect to wine. We are creating welcoming, accessible events, both in price point and in vibes, that encourage folks at all stages of their wine journey to feel like they are truly part of ‘wine’ — as an idea, as an industry, and as a communal experience.” Leonard adds, “Our hopes with the festival are to shine a beacon on Virginia Wine as a product category, as a region, and as a model for what building an inclusive, diverse, and thereby sustainable wine industry can look like.”
Adding to the excitement this year, Jermaine Stone, host of the popular Wine and Hip Hop Terroir Tapes Listening Sessions, will be collaborating with Oenoverse and The Verasion Project to host the Act II event on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. Stone will dive into the distinct characteristics of classic hip-hop regions, pairing them with Virginia wines that embody the region’s terroir and exploring how these worlds intersect. He’ll also be signing copies of his brand-new book and soundtrack, “Wine Barz Volume 1: For the Love,” where he breaks down wine terms through a hip-hop lens. Signed copies will be available for purchase at the Terroir Tapes event and throughout the Two Up Wine Down festival. You can get your tickets to Wine and Hip Hop Terroir Tapes at Two Up Wine Down Wine Festival at the link here!
What makes Virginia so compelling isn’t just the wine itself; it’s the potential to produce exceptional wines with a focus on a future that includes hybrid grapes, sustainable vineyard practices, collaborative energy, and a commitment to building an inclusive and diverse community from the ground up. With Oenoverse and The Verasion Project returning with the Two Up Wine Down festival on Nov. 2, 2024, it’s clear that Virginia is poised to redefine what the American wine industry can become.
This article is sponsored by Oenoverse and The Veraison Project.
