Horton Vineyards
- Located in Gordonsville, Orange County, 20-30 minutes northeast of Charlottesville. Denis Horton, the founder and owner of Horton vineyards who passed away in June 2018, was a major figure in the rebirth of the Virginia wine industry. Having started a small vineyard back in 1983, and then Horton Vineyards in 1988, he was one of the earliest in the business in Virginia. Horton’s essential contribution was his early investigations into what grape varieties would work best in Virginia’s climate, especially in dealing with the high humidity of mid-Atlantic summers. In that research, Dennis identified the potential for a then-relatively obscure grape from France’s mid-Rhome area, which he brought back to plant here. The grape he identified has gone on to become so phenomenally successful that it has become the state grape of Virginia – Viognier. Since his passing, Dennis’ wife and daughter have taken over and continue the family tradition.
- Wine: Among the Top 100 wineries in Virginia. Some excellent wines, albeit among a very large and mixed quality production range, perhaps trying to find their footing after the passing of founder (and Virginia wine-making legend) Dennis Horton. At the 2022 Virginia Governor’s Cup state-wide tasting event, all six Horton wines entered into the competition were awarded silver medals: the 2020 Barrel Select Viognier, 2019 Black Cat Chardonnay, 2017 Cabernet Franc, and their “Route 33 Red,” “Suil” (a sparkling Viognier) and “Erotes,” another sparkling wine made 100% from Touriga grapes. At the 2023 Governor’s Cup, Horton only presented one wine, their 2017 vintage Stonecastle Red, and it came away with a bronze medal. The Horton 2019 vintage Petit Verdot and 2021 Viognier were awarded silver medals at the prestigious country-wide San Francisco Chronicler 2023 wine competition. Back at the 2021 Governor’s Cup, the Horton Tannat and Petit Verdot Private Reserve both were awarded gold medals. The Horton Petit Manseng was selected for inclusion in the Governor’s Case, as one of the top 12 wines in Virginia in 2019, and the Viognier also in 2017, and the Petit Manseng in 2016. Unusually Horton also produces a large range of wines based on other fruits, generally blended with Viognier or other grapes: Pear, raspberry, peach, strawberry. The fruit wines go under a “Chateau le Cabin” label, harking back to Horton’s log cabin where he first began winemaking. Prices are lower than for many other Virginia wineries. The large range and low prices are a positive on one hand, on the other hand one can read multiple reviews of people unimpressed by the wines they selected to taste at the winery. So best to go with a clear target in mind of what one wants to sample.
- Setting: Nice underground cellars for tastings, a castle tower for variety, and good views of the Blue Ridge. Tastings offer a sample of the winery’s unusually large range of forty-plus different wine types. Some reviewers note the interior as in need of renovation.
- Stories: One star. A Virginia wine pioneer. Dennis Horton identified the potential of Viognier and brought it to Virginia, becoming the first to commercially plant it here. In addition, Dennis was also the one responsible for reintroducing another iconic Virginia grape, the Norton. Norton, a native North American grape species, was widely planted in the 1800s, and for a period was very popular as a Virginia red wine grape. After Prohibition, the grape essentially disappeared from Virginia and the East Coast. One place it did not disappear from was Missouri, Dennis’ home state. And it so happened that he grew up a block away from a Missouri vineyard, Stone Hill, which went into producing wine from Norton well before anything was stirring in the Virginia wine industry. As he looked to France for grapes that would make good wine in Virginia, Dennis did not forget the Norton, and he successfully brought it back to its native grounds. Aside from his own bottling of Norton, Dennis also sells the grape to other producers in the state.