The Virginia Governor’s Cup is our Commonwealth’s most stringent wine competition. After 544 entries, world-class judges awarded 47 wineries, cideries and meaderies throughout Virginia with a Gold Medal. Now, it is easy for you to access the ‘best of the best’ with the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal Trail, exploring winning wines from Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads.
The Gold Medal Trail is a mobile-exclusive journey that is delivered instantly via text and email, with no apps to download. Grab your friends and follow the trail to taste the wines that embody the grace, grit and experimental spirit of Virginia and enjoy special deals and discounts. Here’s how:
Step One: Get your Pass
Register for your pass at:
Step Two: Receive Text
Your passport is instantly delivered to your phone via text and email for instant use. It can be saved to your home screen for one-tap access.
Step Three: Redeem for a Prize
When you visit a participating winery, open your pass, locate the winery’s listing, and check in via the smartphone’s GPS. Once you’ve checked into 12 wineries, you’ll receive a free Virginia Wine wine tumbler (while supplies last).
The Competition
Sixteen world-class judges samples 544 Virginia wines from more than 100 wineries. In the Preliminary Round, each wine is tasted by seven judges over the course of 10 days in a single-blind tasting. Their scores are averaged into one score after the lowest score is dropped. In the Final Round, 12 judges assess the highest-ranking wines over the course of three days. Each judge samples all the Final Round wines. The lowest score is dropped and the remaining scores are averaged. The 12 highest average score wines are identified for the Governor’s Cup Case, and the wine with the highest overall score is the Governor’s Cup Winner.
The 2021 Governor’s Cup winner is the Barboursville Vineyards 2015 Paxxito
The 2021 Governor’s Cup Case Winners
Barboursville Vineyards
2019 Vermentino Reserve, 2015 Paxxito & 2016 Octagon
Bluestone Vineyard
2019 Petit Manseng
Breaux Vineyards
2016 Nebbiolo & 2016 Meritage
Carriage House Wineworks
2019 Petit Verdot
King Family Vineyards
2017 Mountain Plains
Michael Shaps Wineworks
2015 Meritage
R.A.H. Wine Co.
2017 Series 1
Trump Winery
2015 Brut Reserve
Veritas Winery
2017 Petit Verdot
Gold Medal Wines & Participating Wineries
- Afton Mountain Vineyards – 2017 Cabernet Franc
- Albemarle Ciderworks – 2018 Harrison & 2019 Pomme Mary. Special: $1 off glasses of Gold Medal winners
- Barboursville Vineyards – 2015 Paxxito
- Barren Ridge Vineyards – 2015 Meritage. Special: Reduced price on 2015 Meritage 2 + 3 packs.
- Blue Bee Cider – 2019 Firecracker
- Bluestone Vineyard – 2014 Merlot, 2017 Chardonnay & 2019 Petit Manseng
- Breaux Vineyards – 2016 Meritage, 2016 Nebbiolo & 2019 Sauvignon Blanc. Special: BOGO Gold Medal Wine Tasting
- Carriage House Wineworks – 2019 Petit Verdot. Special: Free tasting
- Cave Ridge Vineyard – 2017 Red Silk Barrel Select Cabernet Franc
- Chestnut Oak Vineyard – 2017 Petit Manseng
- Chisholm Vineyards – 2019 Chambourcin. Special: 1 free tasting per person of Gold Medal wine
- CrossKeys Vineyards – 2017 Petit Verdot. Special: BOGO tasting
- Cunningham Creek Winery – 2017 Meritage & 2017 Estate Petit Verdot. Special: 20% off wine 3-pack
- Delaplane Cellars – 2017 Tannat
- Delfosse Vineyards & Winery – 2017 Petit Verdot Reserve & 2017 Screaming Hawk Meritage
- DuCard Vineyards – 2017 Triskele. Special: Bonus pour of Gold Medal winner with purchase of wine flight
- Early Mountain Vineyards – 2017 Eluvium, 2019 Capstone Vineyard Cabernet Franc, 2019 Five Forks & 2019 Cabernet Franc. Special: 20% off 3-bottle retail purchase in Tasting Room
- Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard – 2019 Vidal Blanc
- Gadino Cellars – 2017 Petit Verdot. Special: Free tasting of 2017 Petit Verdot & 15% off wine 3-pack
- Greenhill Vineyards – 2019 Chardonnay Reserve
- Honah Lee Vineyard – 2017 Petit Verdot. Special: BOGO tasting
- Horton Vineyards – 2015 Tannat & 2016 Petit Verdot Private Reserve. Special: 10% off 6 bottles of Governor’s Cup Silver or Gold winners
- Ingleside Vineyards – 2018 Chardonnay Reserve & 2019 Albarino. Special: 5% off 6+ bottles; 15% off case purchases
- Jefferson Vineyards – 2016 Jefferson’s Own Estate Reserve, 2019 Viognier & 2019 Cabernet Franc
- Keswick Vineyards – 2017 Heritage Estate Reserve & 2019 Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc
- King Family Vineyards – 2017 Mountain Plains, 2017 Loreley
- Lake Anna Winery – 2017 Petit Verdot. Special: Free tasting of Gold Medal winner & 20% off 3-pack
- Lost Boy Cider – Best in Show Cider Award for 2020 Comeback Kid
- Michael Shaps Wineworks – 2015 Raisin d’Etre White, 2015 Meritage, 2016 Tannat, 2016 Chardonnay, 2017 Cabernet Franc, 2017 Chardonnay, 2017 Meritage, 2018 Chardonnay, 2019 Roussanne & 2019 Petit Manseng.
- Muse Vineyards – 2017 Clio
- Narmada Winery – 2016 Yash-Vir & 2017 Melange. Special: 10% off Gold Medal wines 2-pack
- October One Vineyard – 2019 Cabernet Franc (not eligible for trail check-in). Special: Half off shipping on 4 or more bottles
- Paradise Springs Winery – 2018 Apres Rose. Special: 10% off purchase of Gold Medal winning wine, 10% off food truck item
- Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – 2015 Easton Blue, 2017 Easton Blue & 2019 Zero White
- Pollack Vineyards – 2015 Meritage, 2017 Mille Fleurs & 2017 Meritage
- Rockbridge Vineyard – 2018 DeChiel Chardonnay. Special: BOGO 50% off wine or beer flight OR receive a logo Truetap Waiter Opener.
- Shenandoah Vineyards – 2017 Reserve Red
- Silvery Hand Meadery – 2020 Dream by the Fire, 2020 Black Velvet, 2020 Raspberry Passion, 2020 Strawberry Swing, 2020 Soak up the Sun & 2020 All Blues. Special: Club pricing: 15% off all available Gold Medal winners
- Stinson Vineyards – 2017 Tannat
- Thatch Winery – 2017 Block 8 Tannat & 2019 Mount Juliet Farm Vineyard Merlot
- The Williamsburg Winery – 2017 Petit Verdot Reserve
- The Winery at Bull Run – 2019 Barrel Select Viognier, 2019 Cabernet Franc Reserve, 2019 Reconciliation & 2019 Petit Manseng
- Trump Winery – 2014 Brut Reserve. Special: $10 off purchase of 2014 Sparkling Reserve
- Upper Shirley Vineyards – 2016 Tannat & 2016 Zachariah
- Veritas Winery – 2019 The Momentarius Collection Monticello White Blend, 2015 Scintilla, 2017 Petit Verdot, 2017 Cabernet Franc Reserve & 2019 Sauvignon Blanc. Special Flight Offering: Taste all 5 Gold Medal Wines, 20% off purchase of the 5 winning wines together
- Walsh Family Wine – 2019 Dutchman’s Creek Cabernet Franc
