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Top Wines in the Monticello AVA in 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.

72
Gold+ Wines
29
Wineries
10
Top Honors
17
Varietals
Jump to a Varietal 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 Ember⭐ Best in Show
Afton Mountain Vineyards2019 T🥇 Gold
Barboursville Vineyards2019 Octagon🥇 Gold
Barboursville Vineyards2020 Octagon🥇 Gold
Chestnut Oak Vineyard2023 Chestnut Two🥇 Gold
Cunningham Creek Winery and Brewery2022 Herd Dog Red🥇 Gold
Early Mountain Vineyards2021 Eluvium🥇 Gold
Early Mountain Vineyards2022 Novum🥇 Gold
Flying Fox Vineyard2021 Trio🥇 Gold
Flying Fox Vineyard2023 Trio🥇 Gold
Grace Estate Winery2021 Odo Red Wine🥇 Gold
Hark Vineyards2022 Spark🥇 Gold
Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard2022 Red Blend🥇 Gold
Michael Shaps Wineworks2023 En Hommage L Scott🥇 Gold
The Barn at 6782021 Reserve Red🥇 Gold
Trump WineryPresidential Reserve🥇 Gold
Trump Winery2021 New World Reserve🥇 Gold
Trump Winery2022 New World Reserve🥇 Gold
Veritas Winery2023 Veritas Reserve🥇 Gold
Woodbrook Farm Vineyard2023 Overnight Hero Estate Reserve Red🥇 Gold

Cabernet Franc (8)

Valley Road Vineyards2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve🏆 Cup Winner
Michael Shaps Wineworks2023 Cabernet Franc📦 Case Winner
Grace Estate Winery2022 Cabernet Franc🥇 Gold
Hark Vineyards2023 Cabernet Franc🥇 Gold
Keswick Vineyards2024 Cabernet Franc🥇 Gold
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards2021 Cabernet Franc Ridge Reserve🥇 Gold
Pollak Vineyards2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve🥇 Gold
Revalation Vineyards2023 Cabernet Franc🥇 Gold

Meritage (8)

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

Chardonnay (7)

Knight's Gambit Vineyard2023 Chardonnay⭐ Best in Show
Ankida Ridge Vineyards2024 Chardonnay🥇 Gold
Eastwood Farm and Winery2024 Chardonnay Reserve🥇 Gold
Michael Shaps Wineworks2023 Chardonnay🥇 Gold
Pollak Vineyards2023 Chardonnay Reserve🥇 Gold
Southwest Mountains Vineyards2023 Chardonnay Reserve🥇 Gold
Trump Winery2023 Chardonnay Reserve🥇 Gold

Petit Manseng (5)

Woodbrook Farm Vineyard2024 Petit Manseng📦 Case Winner
600 Vineyard and Winery2024 Petit Manseng🥇 Gold
Eastwood Farm and Winery2024 Petit Manseng🥇 Gold
Keswick Vineyards2024 Petit Manseng🥇 Gold
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards2024 Petit Manseng🥇 Gold

Merlot (4)

Pollak Vineyards2023 Merlot Reserve📦 Case Winner
Chiswell Farm and Winery2023 Merlot🥇 Gold
King Family Vineyards2023 Merlot🥇 Gold
The Barn at 6782023 Estate Merlot🥇 Gold

Sparkling (4)

Trump Winery2018 Blanc de Noir📦 Case Winner
Chestnut Oak VineyardBlanc de Blanc🥇 Gold
King Family Vineyards2023 Brut Rosé🥇 Gold
Trump Winery2019 Blanc de Blanc🥇 Gold

Viognier (3)

The Barn at 6782024 Viognier⭐ Best in Show
Jefferson Vineyards2023 Viognier🥇 Gold
Southwest Mountains Vineyards2023 Viognier🥇 Gold

White Blend (3)

600 Vineyard and Winery2023 White Blend🥇 Gold
Veritas WineryScintilla🥇 Gold
Veritas Winery2023 Monticello White🥇 Gold

Albariño (2)

Afton Mountain Vineyards2024 Albariño🥇 Gold
Valley Road Vineyards2024 Albariño🥇 Gold

Petit Verdot (2)

Fallen Tree Vineyard2022 Petit Verdot🥇 Gold
Hark Vineyards2023 Petit Verdot🥇 Gold

Mourvèdre (1)

Stinson Vineyards2023 Mourvedre🥇 Gold

Nebbiolo (1)

Pollak Vineyards2023 Nebbiolo🥇 Gold

Pinot Gris (1)

Woodbrook Farm Vineyard2024 Pinot Gris🥇 Gold

Roussanne (1)

Hark Vineyards2024 Roussanne🥇 Gold

Sauvignon Blanc (1)

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards2024 Sauvignon Blanc⭐ Best in Show

Vermentino (1)

Barboursville Vineyards2024 Vermentino📦 Case Winner

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.

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