Middleburg Virginia AVA

Middleburg Virginia
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established2012
Years of wine industry54
CountryUnited States
Part ofVirginia
Other regions in VirginiaMonticello AVA, North Fork of Roanoke AVA, Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA, Rocky Knob AVA, Shenandoah Valley AVA, Virginia's Eastern Shore AVA, Virginia Peninsula AVA
Growing season177 days
Climate regionRegion IV
Heat units3,568 GDD
Precipitation (annual average)25.55 in (649 mm)
Soil conditionsPurcellville-Tankerville-Middleburg and Tankerville-Philomont soil associations upon bedrock of granite and gneiss
Total area123,520 acres (193 sq mi)
Size of planted vineyards251 acres (102 ha)
No. of vineyards12
Varietals producedMerlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling
No. of wineries24

Middleburg Virginia is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the northern Piedmont region of Virginia within Fauquier and Loudoun Counties about 50 miles (80 km) west of Washington, D.C. It is named for the town of Middleburg, Virginia centered in the viticultural area outlined by the Potomac River to the north and mountainous landforms, specifically, the Catoctin and Bull Run Mountains to the east, Watery, Swains, Little Cobbler, and Hardscrabble Mountains to the south, and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. The area was established on September 12, 2012, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury, as the state's 7th AVA, after reviewing the petition submitted by Rachel E. Martin, executive vice president of Boxwood Winery in Middleburg, on behalf of herself and local vintners, proposing the viticultural area to be known as "Middleburg Virginia." The hardiness zone in the AVA is 7a. The distinguishing features of the Middleburg Virginia viticultural area are its climate, topography, geology, and soils.