The Brief
- A new law in Virginia changes how wineries are classified by creating a tiered system for farm winery licenses.
- It’s based on the winery’s size and how much fruit must be grown on the property and in Virginia.
- It’s designed to protect the integrity of Virginia wine, but it’s negatively impacting some of the smaller wineries that don’t have the land and have leased property to grow grapes.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – By the end of the year, some of Virginia’s smallest wineries may be shutting down as a law passed in 2023 comes into full effect at the end of the year.
In Virginia, wineries mean big business. In Loudoun County alone, there are 50 wineries producing more grapes than any other region in Virginia, and that translates into tourism dollars to the tune of $4.9 billion just last year.
This new law will have a direct impact on those wineries, and depending on the size of your property, not in a good way.…