King Family Vineyards takes home Monticello Cup (2024)

Central Virginia is once again under the reign of a king — King Family Vineyards, that is.

Just last month, the Crozet-based winery was awarded the 2024 Governor’s Cup, Virginia’s top honor for winemakers. On Friday night, the winery took home the Monticello Cup, the region’s top honor, for its 2021 Mountains Plains red blend.

Despite the recent accolades, King’s head winemaker Matthieu Finot remains humble. “It’s just wine,” he said.

“We’re very happy to be highlighted twice, but we’ve been working very hard, like the rest of the industry, to increase the quality year after year,” Finot told The Daily Progress. “It’s great when it gets recognized, but it’s just another step to get better.”

That sentiment, to “never rest on your laurels,” is one that James King said was handed down from his father, David King, the late founder of King Family Vineyards and a longtime steward for the Central Virginia wine industry who died in 2019.

“We’re very proud of our team, our vineyard crew, our winemaking crew and all of our staff. We worked very hard for a very long time. But wine is made in the vineyard, and a real credit should go to people in the vineyard,” James King told The Daily Progress. “So we appreciate the recognition and the pat on the back, but we’re not going to stop working hard to continue to grow the best we can and provide the best customer service experience that we can.”

The Monticello Wine Cup, a 33-year-old local tradition recognizing the best of the 44 members on the Monticello Wine Trail surrounding Charlottesville, was handed out Friday night as part of a celebration kicking off this year’s Monticello Wine Week. More than 200 winemakers, vineyard owners and wine enthusiasts gathered Friday night at the Wool Factory in Charlottesville to taste and toast.

But the cup was not the only prize.

Stephen Barnard, president of the wine trail and winemaker at Faber-based Mountain & Vine Vineyards and Winery, also presented the Monticello Case, a selection of 12 wines from 11 wineries determined by a panel of judges led by Frank Morgan, director of judging for the Governor’s Cup competition.

This year’s case includes:

■ Trump Winery, New World Reserve.

■ Michael Shaps, L. Scott.

■ Loving Cup Vineyard, Loving Cup White.

■ Valley Roads Vineyards, albariño.

■ Eastwood Winery, petit manseng.

■ Veritas Vineyards and Winery, Momentarius White.

■ Veritas Vineyards and Winery, 2021 Veritas Reserve.

■ Cunningham Creek Winery, Herd Dog Red Cabernet Franc.

■ Barboursville Vineyards, Octagon.

■ Keswick Vineyards, cabernet sauvignon.

■ King Family Vineyards, 2021 Mountain Plains.

■ Pollak Vineyards, Meritage.

Like the King Family crew, Barnard said the work at wineries across the region has really raised the bar for the entire wine country, or American viticultural area.

The standard was certainly raised last year, when Wine Enthusiast magazine named the area the “Wine Region of the Year.” From there, Central Virginia wineries dominated in the 2024 Governor’s Cup competition, bringing home 49 gold medals, more than any other region, while five of its vineyards were included in the 2024 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case.

Barnard and many of the other winemakers at Friday’s gala attributed the area’s success to the spirit of collaboration between neighboring wineries.

The unity was palpable in the Wool Factory as guests mingled, laughed and sampled wines from the 21 Central Virginia wineries that received Monticello Cup gold medals.

“It’s the one night we all come together and drink each other’s wines and share stories. The whole thing about wine is just communion,” Barnard told The Daily Progress. “We make wine so we can share wine. This is just a night of sharing and celebration and tomorrow it’s ‘Roll the sleeves up and do better.’”

Virginia Agriculture Secretary Matt Lohr, who was in attendance Friday, said the wine country’s success is also benefiting adjacent industries.

“In addition, our cidery industry is growing,” Lohr told The Daily Progress. “There’s more and more meaderies and, of course, our distilleries and our spirits, they are continuing to grow. All of those businesses are a family, so it’s neat to see their successes. They all have a different story to share, so it really is one of the most fun parts of my job.”

There is talk that the 2023 wines now being made could be the best vintage the region has ever produced thanks to the incredibly dry conditions last year, but what the future holds for the entire Monticello wine country, no one, not even the best winemaker, was willing to predict with certainty Friday night. What they would say, though, is the local wine country will keep pressing to raise the bar for the whole industry; if that makes for a tougher competition, then so be it.

“The whole goal is to have more and more wineries making quality wine, expanding and growing so there’s more to offer,” said George Hodson, vice chair of the Virginia Wine Board, president of the Virginia Wineries Association and general manager of Afton-based Veritas Vineyards and Winery. “So it’s always been what Monticello has done, which is to support the growth and encourage the quality of everybody around us, and that’s the thing that’s led to the success. That’s the thing that’s led to the growth.”

Gold medal winners Friday night include:

■ Barboursville Vineyards, 2015 Octagon.

■ Chestnut Oak Vineyard, 2021 nebbiolo.

■ Cunningham Creek Winery, 2019 Herd Dog Red.

■ Eastwood Farm & Winery, 2023 petit manseng.

■ Flying Fox Vineyards, 2017 cabernet franc.

■ Glass House Winery, 2021 Twenty-First Red Wine Blend.

■ Keswick Vineyards, 2019 cabernet sauvignon.

■ King Family Vineyards, 2021 Mountain Plains Red.

■ Knight’s Gambit Vineyard, 2023 pinot grigio.

■ Knight’s Gambit Vineyard, 2021 petit verdot.

■ Loving Cup Vineyard, 2023 Loving Cup White

■ Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2021 Roussanne.

■ Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2021 L. Scott.

■ Mountain & Vine Vineyards and Winery, 2021 petit verdot.

■ Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, 2023 sauvignon blanc.

■ Pollak Vineyards, 2021 Meritage.

■ Pollak Vineyards, 2021 Merlot Reserve.

■ Reynard Florence Vineyard, 2021 Recherché.

■ Stinson Vineyards, 2019 Meritage.

■ Trump Winery, 2021 New World Reserve.

■ Valley Road Vineyards, 2023 albariño .

■ Veritas Vineyard and Winery, 2021 Momentarius.

■ Veritas Vineyard and Winery, 2021 Veritas Reserve.

■ Wisdom Oak Winery, 2021 sparkling rosé.

■ Woodbrook Farm Vineyard, 2022 cabernet franc.