Orange County vineyard wins 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup

Mar 14, 2025 - 20:25

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Orange County vineyard wins 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup

ORANGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Gov. Glenn Youngkin awarded the 2025 Virginia Governor's Cup to a white wine crafted at an Orange County vineyard.

The Virginia Governor's Cup is an award, given annually, that's meant to highlight exceptional wines made in the Commonwealth, according to a press release from Youngkin's office. Wines entered in the competition -- which is in its 43rd year -- are evaluated by a panel of judges, who score each wine for several characteristics: appearance, aroma, flavor, commercial stability and overall quality.

According to the release, over 140 Virginia wineries entered more than 600 wines this year. While the 12 highest-scoring wines were placed in the 2025 Virginia Governor's Cup Case, only one could take home the coveted Governor's Cup.

This year, it was Barboursville Vineyards in Orange that received this great honor. The winning wine, a 2023 Vermentino, is a white wine made with 100% Vermentino grapes that the vineyard grew itself, according to the release.

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Here's the full breakdown of all 12 wines that will make up the 2025 Virginia Governor's Cup Case, which is comprised of six white wines, five red wines and a sparkling rosé:

2023 Vermentino, Barboursville Vineyards, Orange County
2017 Octagon, Barboursville Vineyards, Orange County
2021 Mountain Plains Red, King Family Vineyards, Albemarle County
2022 Chardonnay, Michael Shaps Wineworks, Albemarle County
2018 Sparkling Rosé, Trump Winery, Albemarle County
2023 Petit Manseng, Valley Road Vineyards, Albemarle County
2023 Cabernet Franc Vintners Reserve, DuCard Vineyards, Madison County
2023 Monticello White, Veritas Winery, Nelson County
2021 Aldie Heights Cuvée, 50 West Vineyards, Loudoun County
2023 Cabernet Franc, Paradise Springs Winery & Brown Bear Vineyard, Fairfax County & Shenandoah County
2023 Albariño, Potomac Point Winery, Stafford County
2023 Petit Manseng, Winery at La Grange, Prince William County

Winemaker and general manager Luca Paschina has been a part of Barboursville Vineyards since 1990. This will be the sixth Governor's Cup he and his team have won in that time.

“Luca Paschina and his team at Barboursville Vineyards embody the passion and pioneering spirit of Virginia wines," Youngkin said in the release. "Their dedication to excellence is evident in every vintage they produce, showcasing an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. I am honored to recognize Barboursville’s achievements and the lasting impact they continue to make on Virginia’s world-class wine region."

Barboursville Vineyards in Orange County. (Photo: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

In addition to the Governor's Cup award, ciders were judged in their own category for the fifth consecutive year. According to the release, the 2025 Cider of the Year is a Crab Apple Blend crafted by the Daring Wine & Cider Company in Patrick County.

Then, for the first year ever, "standout wines" in categories that had the most submissions were honored with a "Best in Show" title. Qualifying categories were those with at least 5 wines. The highest-scoring gold medal wines in those categories were then named Best In Show.

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The 2025 Best in Show recipients are as follows: