Gov's Trade Mission Puts Barboursville on Fast Boat to China

The Virginia Wine Dogs were first to tweet the barking news on Monday.

Barboursville Vineyards has signed an agreement with Tianjin Tewoo Group to export their wines to China. The deal is a result of Governor McDonnell's trade and marketing mission to Asia in May and is believed to be the first commercial transaction between a Virginia winery and a Chinese importer. Barboursville and other Virginia wines have also hit the London market.

Munchkin and Pomeroy were not surprised. The Wine Dogs traveled to Barbours-ville in 2009 and sampled the award-winning wines. The winery is located in Orange County, Virginia, on the farmland of James Barbour, the 18th governor of Virginia, and includes the ruins of the manor house designed by Thomas Jefferson. Barboursville is one of the oldest wineries in Virginia, founded in 1976.

At the North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, viticulturalist Gabriele Russe talked about defying expectations to found a thriving vineyard in Virginia. And the bloggers who toured Barboursville were all a-twitter about Octagon. Created only in exceptional vintage years, Barboursville's premier Bordeaux blend is proof that Virginia can make world-class wines with the structure and balance to age gracefully.

This work of art is lovingly crafted by Barboursville's winemaker and general manager, Luca Paschina, currently celebrating his 20th anniversary at Barboursville. Munchkin caught up with him at Monticello, where she was treated to a sample of the 2002 Octagon.

Mr. Jefferson would be proud!