greenhill winery

Exploring D.C.’s Wine Country

Barbara Noe Kennedy

The winery business has long been tricky in Virginia, despite the fact that colonial explorers discovered masses of grapes fostering huge hopes for a prosperous industry. Ask Mr. Renaissance Man himself, Thomas Jefferson, who first encouraged Americans to drink wine with meals back in the 1700s. For 30 years he attempted to cultivate European wine grapes on his Monticello estate, but failed to produce even a single bottle. In the 1800s, the wine gauge shifted slightly as Virginia winemakers using native grapes began garnering attention. 

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