Cork & Medal
Find award-winning wines before you visit

Top Wines in the Monticello AVA in 2026

1 Governor's Cup Winner · 5 Case selections · 4 Best in Show · 62 Gold Medals · 29 wineries · 2026

The Monticello American Viticultural Area, established in 1984 and centered on Charlottesville, is Virginia's oldest and most acclaimed wine region. At the 2026 Virginia Governor's Cup Competition, wineries from this AVA captured the top honor of the year — Valley Road Vineyards' 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve, crowned Governor's Cup Winner — along with five Case selections and four Best in Show awards. Below is a complete list of every Monticello AVA wine earning a Gold Medal or higher in the 2026 competition, organized by grape varietal.

Monticello AVA wineries producing 2026 Gold-medal wines include Barboursville Vineyards, King Family Vineyards, Michael Shaps Wineworks, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, Pollak Vineyards, Trump Winery, Veritas Winery, Valley Road Vineyards, Hark Vineyards, Jefferson Vineyards, Early Mountain Vineyards, and nearly twenty more. The AVA covers parts of Albemarle, Nelson, Greene, Orange, and Fluvanna counties.

Red Blend (20) · Cabernet Franc (8) · Meritage (8) · Chardonnay (7) · Petit Manseng (5) · Merlot (4) · Sparkling (4) · Viognier (3) · White Blend (3) · Albariño (2) · Petit Verdot (2) · Mourvèdre (1) · Nebbiolo (1) · Pinot Gris (1) · Roussanne (1) · Sauvignon Blanc (1) · Vermentino (1)

2026 Governor's Cup Winners by Varietal

Red Blend (20)

Hark Vineyards2022 EmberBest in Show
Afton Mountain Vineyards2019 TGold
Barboursville Vineyards2019 OctagonGold
Barboursville Vineyards2020 OctagonGold
Chestnut Oak Vineyard2023 Chestnut TwoGold
Cunningham Creek Winery and Brewery2022 Herd Dog RedGold
Early Mountain Vineyards2021 EluviumGold
Early Mountain Vineyards2022 NovumGold
Flying Fox Vineyard2021 TrioGold
Flying Fox Vineyard2023 TrioGold
Grace Estate Winery2021 Odo Red WineGold
Hark Vineyards2022 SparkGold
Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard2022 Red BlendGold
Michael Shaps Wineworks2023 En Hommage L ScottGold
The Barn at 6782021 Reserve RedGold
Trump Winery2021 New World ReserveGold
Trump Winery2022 New World ReserveGold
Trump WineryPresidential ReserveGold
Veritas Winery2023 Veritas ReserveGold
Woodbrook Farm Vineyard2023 Overnight Hero Estate Reserve RedGold

Cabernet Franc (8)

Valley Road Vineyards2023 Cabernet Franc ReserveGovernor's Cup Winner
Michael Shaps Wineworks2023 Cabernet FrancGovernor's Cup Case
Grace Estate Winery2022 Cabernet FrancGold
Hark Vineyards2023 Cabernet FrancGold
Keswick Vineyards2024 Cabernet FrancGold
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards2021 Cabernet Franc Ridge ReserveGold
Pollak Vineyards2023 Cabernet Franc ReserveGold
Revalation Vineyards2023 Cabernet FrancGold

Meritage (8)

Chiswell Farm and Winery2023 MeritageGold
Cunningham Creek Winery and Brewery2021 MeritageGold
Eastwood Farm and Winery2023 Meritage ReserveGold
Fallen Tree Vineyard2021 MeritageGold
Jefferson Vineyards2022 MeritageGold
Jefferson Vineyards2023 MeritageGold
Stinson Vineyards2021 MeritageGold
Valley Road Vineyards2021 MeritageGold

Chardonnay (7)

Knight's Gambit Vineyard2023 ChardonnayBest in Show
Ankida Ridge Vineyards2024 ChardonnayGold
Eastwood Farm and Winery2024 Chardonnay ReserveGold
Michael Shaps Wineworks2023 ChardonnayGold
Pollak Vineyards2023 Chardonnay ReserveGold
Southwest Mountains Vineyards2023 Chardonnay ReserveGold
Trump Winery2023 Chardonnay ReserveGold

Petit Manseng (5)

Woodbrook Farm Vineyard2024 Petit MansengGovernor's Cup Case
600 Vineyard and Winery2024 Petit MansengGold
Eastwood Farm and Winery2024 Petit MansengGold
Keswick Vineyards2024 Petit MansengGold
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards2024 Petit MansengGold

Merlot (4)

Pollak Vineyards2023 Merlot ReserveGovernor's Cup Case
Chiswell Farm and Winery2023 MerlotGold
King Family Vineyards2023 MerlotGold
The Barn at 6782023 Estate MerlotGold

Sparkling (4)

Trump Winery2018 Blanc de NoirGovernor's Cup Case
Chestnut Oak VineyardBlanc de BlancGold
King Family Vineyards2023 Brut RoséGold
Trump Winery2019 Blanc de BlancGold

Viognier (3)

The Barn at 6782024 ViognierBest in Show
Jefferson Vineyards2023 ViognierGold
Southwest Mountains Vineyards2023 ViognierGold

White Blend (3)

600 Vineyard and Winery2023 White BlendGold
Veritas Winery2023 Monticello WhiteGold
Veritas WineryScintillaGold

Albariño (2)

Afton Mountain Vineyards2024 AlbariñoGold
Valley Road Vineyards2024 AlbariñoGold

Petit Verdot (2)

Fallen Tree Vineyard2022 Petit VerdotGold
Hark Vineyards2023 Petit VerdotGold

Mourvèdre (1)

Stinson Vineyards2023 MourvedreGold

Nebbiolo (1)

Pollak Vineyards2023 NebbioloGold

Pinot Gris (1)

Woodbrook Farm Vineyard2024 Pinot GrisGold

Roussanne (1)

Hark Vineyards2024 RoussanneGold

Sauvignon Blanc (1)

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards2024 Sauvignon BlancBest in Show

Vermentino (1)

Barboursville Vineyards2024 VermentinoGovernor's Cup Case

About the Virginia Governor's Cup

Now in its 44th year, the Virginia Governor's Cup is widely regarded as one of the nation's most rigorous state wine competitions. All entries are made from 100 percent Virginia-grown fruit and evaluated blind over preliminary and final rounds using a 100-point scoring system. Panels include Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, and leading wine writers. Wines scoring 90 points or higher earn Gold Medals; the twelve highest-scoring wines form the Governor's Cup Case; the single top-scoring wine wins the Governor's Cup itself. Best in Show (introduced in 2025) recognizes the top wine in each varietal category with at least five entries.

The 2026 competition received a record 677 entries from 156 producers across Virginia, with 224 Gold Medals awarded to 113 wineries and cideries. This page shows only the Gold-and-above results from the Monticello AVA portion of the competition.

VINTELLIGENCE
Smart monitoring for Virginia's finest wineries
Vintelligence eInk display on wine barrel in cellar