Wine Dogs Toast the Inimitable Emma Randell

 March 28, 2025

Emma enthusiastically shares Shenandoah Vineyards' wine at Shenandoah Uncorked 2009 in the Yellow Barn

Sad news in the Virginia Wine World with the recent passing of Emma Randel, recipient of the 2024 Virginia Women in Wine Trailblazer Award.

The Wine Dogs met this charming Grande Dame of Virginia Wine in the fall of 2009 while attending the the Shenandoah Uncorked festival. Emma graciously invited the Wine Dogs to her (Red) barn, home to Shenandoah Vineyards, and Munchkin and Pomeroy jumped at the opportunity to lap up a bit of Virginia wine industry history.

Shenandoah began nearly 50 years ago, when Emma and her husband left New Jersey for Virginia's Shenandoah Valley "for health reasons" (Jim had a heart attack). Once they got to Woodstock and tasted "the local swill," Emma decided she could do better.

The Randels studied, and in April 1976 planted their first vines. The whole Randel pack got involved -- a nephew did the plowing; the children spent their Spring Break planting, with Emma dancing on each plot to make sure the vines were tucked in securely. Emma looks back fondly at those years. "The grapes were young and immature, and so were we."

The grapes matured and so did Emma, who continued running the winery into her 90s. In 2018, she sold Shenandoah Vineyards to Michael Shaps, who had been working with Emma as winemaking consultant. 

Emma Randel shows with originial Wine Dogs Pomeroy and Munchkin at the Shenandoah Vineyards award wall

Over the years, Shenandoah Vineyards wines collected a wide variety of awards for wines  produced primarily from grapes grown on the estate and entirely from grapes grown in the Valley, including a whopping four gold medals in this year’s Governor’s Cup competition. 

Drop by and raise a glass to Emma!