Virginia Wine Month

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

Virginia Wine Month

WHEREAS, centuries of Virginians have cultivated their grape vines and produced matchless wines, from the founding fathers to the innovators of today; and

WHEREAS, the grace, grit and experimental spirit embodied by our wine is also reflected in our people; and

WHEREAS, a small, energetic group of pioneering Virginia winemakers chose to pursue and expand viticulture in the Commonwealth in the 1970s, despite the skepticism of the global wine community; and

WHEREAS, fifty years later, the Virginia wine industry has grown from six wineries in 1979 to more than 300 wineries today and is consistently ranked in the top ten among wine grape-producing states in the country; and

WHEREAS, Virginia harvests over 5,000 acres with over 11,000 tons of wine grapes equating to a total crop value of $27.5 million; and

WHEREAS, Virginia wine contributes more than 10,600 full-time equivalent jobs to the Commonwealth and over $111 million in tax revenue; and

WHEREAS, more than two million people visit Virginia wineries annually, and during Virginia Wine Month, guests can gather to toast the local bounty of our region, support Virginia agriculture, and discover the magic of October in Virginia Wine Country;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize October 2023, as VIRGINIA WINE MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations