Barboursville Vineyards wins record sixth Governor’s Cup trophy for their 2023 Vermentino. 

At a ceremony this evening at the historic train station in downtown Richmond, Governor Glen Youngkin, awarded the 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup to head winemaker Luca Paschina, Daniele Tessaro, Fernando Franco and team for their 2023 Vermentino. 

This is the sixth Governor’s Cup win for Barboursville since the competition began in 1982 and the fifth for a wine made by Luca Paschina since he came to Virginia in 1990 from his native Alba, Italy.  

Vermentino bested 589 other wines entered in this year’s competition to claim the Governor’s Cup.  

Paschina says this wine is validation in his belief about the quality of white wine in Virginia.  “This win is also validation or our accumulated knowledge as a team and our approach to white winemaking, focusing on freshness and drinkability.”

Virginia wine’s roots grow deep at Barboursville. Established in 1976 on a 870-acre historic property in the foothills of the Southwest Mountains in Orange County, about 20 miles northeast of Charlottesville, Barboursville was the fifth winery in the state.

The Barboursville team has as much accumulated knowledge as any in Virginia.  Viticulturist Fernando Franco has worked with Paschina at Barboursville since 1998 and winemaker Daniel since 2008.  

Barboursville last won the Governor’s Cup in 2021 for their 2015 Paxxito dessert wine and has previously won the Cup with Octgaon, their flagship red Bordeaux-style blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Paxxito dessert wine, so it’s only fitting they win with a white wine.

Cultivated throughout Italy, most notably in Sardinia, where it has been grown for centuries, and southern France (where it’s known as Rolle), Vermentino has also found a home at Barboursville.  The grape is celebrated for its aromatic charm, vibrant acidity and citrus and mineral notes.

Luca, Daniele, and Fernando cultivate about 5 acres of Vermentino planted in 2009 with plans to devote additional vineyard space to the grape. 

Paschina says they produce 1,300 to 1,900 cases of Vermentino each year depending on the vintage.

“I planted Vermentino because I grew up drinking it and always found it an amazing wine to drink,” says Paschina. “It has very expressive aromatics, lively flavors and a great finish. It has everything I want from a glass of white wine.”

Barboursville’s Vermentino is a perennial contender for the Governor’s Cup, the wine has earned one of the coveted spots in the Governor’s Case six prior years (in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), more than any other wine.

This marks the 43rd year for the state’s premier wine competition managed by the Virginia Wineries Association.. Christina Sandridge, Executive Director of the Virginia Wineries Association, says, “each year we look forward to seeing the advancement in the caliber of wines, ciders, and meads entered in the competition and highlighting the rich diversity and breadth of wines grown & produced in the Commonwealth. We strive to continue to produce one of the nation’s most stringent wine competitions and showcase the industry’s continued growth and excellence.”

The 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case showcases the diversity viticulture across the state:

• 50 West Vineyards, 2021 Aldie Heights Cuvée
• Barboursville Vineyards, 2023 Vermentino 
• Barboursville Vineyards, 2017 Octagon
• DuCard Vineyards, 2023 Cabernet Franc Vintners Reserve
• King Family Vineyards, 2021 Mountain Plains Red
• Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2022 Chardonnay
• Paradise Springs Winery, 2023 Cabernet Franc, Brown Bear Vineyard
• Potomac Point Winery, 2023 Albariño
• Trump Winery, 2018 Sparkling Rosé
• Valley Road Vineyards, 2023 Petit Manseng
• Veritas Winery, 2023 Monticello White
• Winery at La Grange, 2023 Petit Manseng

“This year’s Governor’s Cup case was such a welcome surprise. Not only did the Barboursville Vermentino win the Governor’s Cup but five other white wines and a sparkling rosé earned spots in the case,” says Annette Boyd, Director of the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office.

“Virginia makes outstanding fresh and lively white wines and it’s good to see them get their recognition. This year’s case reflects the overall diversity of grapes and winemaking in Virginia; Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Albariño, Cabernet Francs and of course our Meritage blends all shined in this year’s case. This is what makes each year’s competition fun.”

For the fifth year, Virginia cider was judged in its own category with a separate group of judges. The Crab Apple Blend from newcomer Daring Wine & Cider Company was the highest scoring cider this year, earning the Cider of the Year award.

Friends turned business partners, Jocelyn Kuzelka and Megan Hereford founded Daring Wine and Cider Company in 2021.  Kuzelka is a classically trained winemaker who has also made cider since 2008 and Hereford is a food scientist.

Together they farm three acres of fruit orchards and also source grapes and apples from local wineries like Stanburn Winery in Patrick County and Foggy Ridge Cider in Carroll County.

Kuzelka credits early cider pioneers with paving the way for Daring’s success.

“It feels as if we are standing on the shoulders of giants, we would not be here today if it wasn’t for the foresight of Virginia cider historians like Tom Burford and Charlotte Shelton, cider evangelists like Diane Flynt, growers and makers like Chuck Shelton, John Saunders, and David Glaize around the state, after all they are the biggest risk takers who believed cider had a place alongside wine.  They took a chance 10-15 years ago and we are seeing the fruits of that labor right here in the glass, my whole job is to not mess it up.”

Beginning this year, the top scoring wine in select categories were named Best in Show. 

This year’s winners include: 

• Cabernet Sauvignon:  Breaux Vineyards’ 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Dessert Wine:  7 Lady Vineyards’ 2017 Petit Manseng
• Merlot:  Pollak Vineyards’ 2022 Merlot Reserve
• Petit Verdot:  Carriage House Wineworks’ 2022 Petit Verdot Reserve
• Viognier:  Jefferson Vineyards’ 2023 Viognier.

Congratulations to all of the medalists in this year’s competition.

For more about the 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup competition:
— Grape Collective: Tasting the Wines of Virginia, by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher
— 2025 Virginia Governor’s Cup by the Numbers, Frank Morgan
— Alexandria Living Magazine, Which Wine will Earn Virginia’s Top Prize?, by Jane Lemons

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