Wine lover and entrepreneur Dennis Horton began his winemaking venture with a small home vineyard in Madison County, Virginia in 1983. It did not take him long to realize that, although the Virginia summers were warm enough to ripen almost any grape variety, the humid conditions favored growing grapes with thicker skins and loose clusters. The search was on for varieties that would flourish in the Virginia growing region and had the capacity to make some of the finest wines in the world.
Dennis' search concentrated on the warm growing regions of southern France, and before planting any additional grapes, Dennis traveled to the Rhone valley in France. There he was struck by wines he felt had beautiful texture, grace, and finesse. In his research, one grape in particular seemed to keep coming up as perfect - Viognier. It was a grape of wonderful potential - it was a thick skinned, loose clustered grape, perfect for the Virginia climate, as it loved warm weather. And most importantly, it made some of the worlds finest wines - those of Condrieu and Chateau Grillet.
In California he learned only a few producers had Viognier, in small quantities, but new plantings were going in all over the state and enthusiasm was high. So the decision was made to plant Viognier, along with smaller amounts of Marsanne, Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and several other grape varieties.
Another major variety is the native grape Norton, which enjoyed so much success in the 19th century in nearby Charlottesville. In the late 1800's, central Virginia was declared the "Capital of the Eastern Wine Belt." Some of the Norton had survived prohibition in Dennis' home state of Missouri, and he was intrigued by the idea of reviving this historic grape with its fruity flavor, soft tannins and inky color.
In 1988, Dennis and longtime business partner Joan Bieda acquired 55 acres for the beginning of Horton Vineyards. The task of establishing the vineyard was given to Dennis' wife Sharon, a nurse by trade, whose meticulous nature was reflected in the manicuring of the East Coasts most unique vineyard.
Utilizing the "open lyre" training system, which promotes ideal ripening, and drip irrigation for ideal soil moisture conditions, the vineyard was established with quality in mind. In 1991 the first small crop was harvested, and made into wine at Montdomaine Cellars, a noted Cabernet producer.
With his wine ageing in the cellars, it was a natural transition for Dennis to take over the management of Montdomaine Cellars, and produce Chardonnay and Cabernet under that label, in addition to his own line of Rhone Varieties.
The 1992 wines were very well received in national competitions and construction was begun on a new underground winery. Stunning stone underground cellars, views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a wonderful vaulted ceiling tasting room are the highlights of this beautiful winery.
1993 saw the first crush at the new Horton Cellars. In 1994 additional acreage came into production, making Horton Cellars America's foremost producer of Viognier and other Rhone varieties. Gold Medals in Dallas, San Diego, and Atlanta demonstrated the commitment Horton has made to producing first-rate wines.
The national success of these wines has shown that if the right grapes are planted in the right climate, the result can be stunning, world class wines. In the future, Horton will lead the way with Viognier, Marsanne, Mourvedre and Touriga, and continue to explore new grapes and wines to discover the best that Virginia viticulture can produce.
E-Mail
us at vawinee@aol.com or
call the winery at 1-800-VAWINEE
(800-829-4633)
