Mountainrose Vineyard
Located in Wise, Wise County, family-owned Mountainrose is Virginia’s westernmost winery. You’re as likely to run into visitors from Tennessee and Kentucky here as from Virginia. David and Brandi Lawson’s first planting of wine grapes here was in 1996, and winery opened in 2004 with David as the winemaker. The unique aspect of Mountainrose is that it sits on reclaimed coal mining land that had been in the Lawson family for decades. It is the first winery ever in Wise County. The Lawsons have since bought a second small vineyard in Russell County, Grace Vineyard, from which some of Mountainrose’s wines are sourced.
Wine. Tier III. Up to ten different choices of wine available, red, white, blush and sparkling, depending on timing, from Mountainrose’s 10 acres of grapes on the farm. Less common plantings here, taking advantage of the altitude and minerals in the mountain soil, include Chambourcin, Rkatsiteli, Niagara, Chancellor and Vidal Blanc.
Setting. One star. Beautiful grounds on the farm and views of the Appalachian Mountains. The winery is set on a hill overlooking a small blue pond which was once a settlement pond for the local coal mine. Small and quiet and one is welcome to wander, unlike some of the more crowded wineries elsewhere in the state. The family is very friendly and welcoming, and happy to discuss all aspects of the winemaking process. Cheese platter available, with cheese from a local farm.
Stories. Land Conservancy in Virginia: the Cumberland Forest Project. Between growing interest in nature and outdoor activities on the one hand, and environmental and pollution concerns on the other, many landowners have been donating and/or selling land with conservation arrangements. Hundreds of different organizations across Virginia – national, state, and local – preserve land in different ways. Of the estimated total 25 million acres of land in Virginia, about 16%, 4 million acres is currently protected under some type of conservation. In the forests just northeast of Mountainrose, The Nature Conservancy announced in late 2019 a major new initiative, the Cumberland Forest Project. Through the project TNC acquired a total land area just shy of that of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park: 100,000 acres spanning Kentucky and Tennessee, and 153,000 acres in Virginia. The conservancy looks to help preserve land in these Central Appalachian coalfields which is a biodiversity hotspot and a major North American migratory corridor, upstream of the Tennessee and Ohio River systems. Unusually this large project uses private investment – intended to demonstrate the economic benefits and “good business” of sustainable forest management. TNC’s sustainable practices aim to improve and maintain the health of these forests and generate revenues through the sale of FSC-certified timber, carbon offsets and recreational leases. The project plans to contribute royalties to third-party community organizations to support local economic and community development efforts.