(smooth jazz music) >>Well, I'm here today at Valley Road in the Monticello, AVA and I'm joined by Stan and Barbara who are a couple of the owners here.

Stan is the CEO, Barbara, what do you do here?

>>I am the Director Of Marketing.

>>I love that and we're gonna talk a little bit about why all of these things are so important and how they come together with this amazing group of owners.

(hands clap) So, thank you so much for having us here today.

>>A Pleasure.

>>And as I talked to Barbara at an event where we met, she was telling me a little bit about this place and how it came to be, with a group of friends.

So tell us that story.

>>Well, we have five couples involved here.

Barbara and I are the only ones that are actually here on the ground, but only 24/7.

The other four couples are here a lot.

>>Yes.

>>But basically it's a Richmond-based group for the most part and we had had different professional, personal and other relationships over the years.

We were not a friend group, it was just the hub in the spokes and it all just all came together around that time of life, when everybody was looking at as their next chapter or they going to retire and people call this retirement and I'm telling you, "you've never farmed if you call this retirement."

>>This is not retirement.

This is working.

(all laughing) >>This is the next book, not the chapter.

>>Right.

>>Absolutely.

Well, you've poured us a little Viognier, so why don't we chat, tell me a little bit about this Viognier.

>>Okay, well >>Oh, nice.

>>Unmistakably Viognier.

>>Oh yeah.

(smooth jazz music) >>Well, you know, it wasn't that long ago that we unofficially referred to Viognier as Virginia's signature grape.

And the only problem with that is that when you highlight one grape as the signature grape, it sort of gently implies that everything else is down a notch and that's simply not true in Virginia with Petit Verdot and Cab Franc and even Petit Manseng on the way and others.

So, but anyway, Vio does very, very well here.

And when in her early years we didn't know just a whole lot about wine and but somebody in this valley does, she's a master of French wine, so she set up a tasting of various wines for us and one of the featured wines was our 2015, which was a gold medal winner.

And we blind tasted it against Condrieu, the gold standard of French Viognier.

And ours won nine to one.

(chuckles) And that's when I learned that you tend to like what you know.

>>Yes.

>>Because no one ever tasted Condrieu before but the Viognier here, particularly in the Monticello AVA, but throughout Virginia is quite special.

>>Well, what are we gonna try next?

This is, is amazing.

>>Well, thank you.

So we are gonna go with the Cabernet Franc.

And as you, I know you know, this is such a special part of the state for Cabernet Franc.

Different styles throughout the region, this one you'll find is, I would call a light to medium bodied.

>>Okay.

>>There's some other great Cabernet Franc throughout the area that is bigger, fruity, boulder and I love those too.

>>Yes.

>>But this one's very elegant, this one just made us proud because it received gold in the Monticello Wine Cup.

So to get from this region, recognition from your peers.

Is pretty special.

>>Yes.

Where so many grow Cab Franc.

>>Yes.

>>That's fantastic.

So this beautiful Cab Franc, what a color, oh my goodness.

>>That beautiful.

>>I love that.

Blends right into your shirt, Barbara.

(all laughing) >>And it's on brand.

>>(laughing) Exactly, exactly.

Oh.

(smooth jazz music) Oh my, I love that aroma.

(smooth jazz music) (both sniffing) >>Well, we're big fans.

We've planned and planted our first vineyard back here in the spring of 2016, and it included a block of of Cabernet Franc.

>>Mm.

>>Year and a half ago or so, we acquired the meadow next door to us, which is very well suited for grapes as well.

And we planted two different similar clones of Cabernet Franc there.

>>Yeah.

>>So we're fans and we're trying to do different things with it, of course, the maritages and the single varietal.

>>Oh yeah, oh, fantastic.

Well, and I'm dying to taste your Petit Verdot.

(wine sloshing) This is gorgeous.

(both chuckle) Look at that deep purple.

>>Purple, yup.

Isn't that beautiful?

>>Oh.

>>2017 Governor's Cup was the first time we entered a competition.

Like so many things you do for the first time you have no expectations or any idea how to do any of it.

>>Yeah.

>>One of the things that happened was, that year, in the governor's case, those top 12 wines out of the 500 plus entered.

>>Yes.

>>Five of the 12 in the case were 2014 Petit Verdot.

Four of those were from this neighborhood.

>>Oh my gosh.

>>One, one of 'em was ours, of course.

>>Oh my gosh.

>>And so, anyway, that, in an industry internationally, that doesn't have a lot of new news.

It's an ancient industry.

This was buzz.

Petit Verdot, because you're not even permitted to make a single-varietal.

>>Right.

>>In France, as you know.

>>Exactly.

>>Well, the buzz goes around, the next thing we know, "Forbes" magazine has come down and is doing a story on it, on this area and Petit Verdot.

And the title of the piece is, "How Do You Market A Wine No One's Ever Heard Of?"

(all laughing) So of course the point was, >>Oh yeah.

>>The point was, (glasses clinking) (all laughing) that if California and France don't do it, you know, who's ever heard it?

>>It's, yeah, right.

>>The market's never been penetrated.

>>Yeah, it's not done.

>>Yes, "it's not worth it," everybody thinks.

and in France it's only a blending grape and pretty much in California as well.

>>For all intents and purposes, yes.

>>People say, so they can't grow PV in California, say, "no, no," but if you can grow and ripen and make a great Cabernet Souvignon, maybe the best in the world.

>>Right.

>>And a big Zinfandel.

>>Right.

>>Why would you struggle with a Petit Verdot in that, you know?

But it turns out it's our big red.

>>Yeah.

>>In Virginia.

>>Oh yeah.

When you were talking about earlier the fact that Viognier was called the Virginia grape.

>>Signature grape, yeah.

>>I really, in my mind it's Petit Verdot >>Mm hm.

>>and Cabernet Franc.

>>Mm hm.

>>Because those are such signature grapes for us and I just, this is amazing.

>>Thank you.

>>Thanks very much.

>>Well thank you so much for tasting with me.

>>Oh, thank you for joining us.

>>Absolutely.

I love it.

>>Any excuse to taste good wine (glasses clinking) with friends, you know?

(chuckles) >>Absolutely.

Any day.

(laughs) >>Yes.

>>Cheers to you.

>>Right, cheers.

>>Cheers.

(smooth jazz music) (piano music)