Jefferson Vineyards is a historic winery located in Charlottesville, situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains just steps from Monticello. In 1773, Thomas Jefferson convinced Italian vintner Philip Mazzei to settle in Albemarle County, gifting him a 193-acre tract of land to pursue that shared dream. More than 200 years later, their vision became a reality at Jefferson Vineyards. Today, the winery carries on that legacy with a deep commitment to quality and a profound sense of place, earning consistent recognition at some of the country's most prestigious competitions, including the Virginia Governor's Cup, the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Jefferson Vineyards
Tasting Room Experience
Tasting Room Hours
Sunday - Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday & Saturday 11am - 8pm
Walk In Limit
Refrigerated Nibbles
Amenities & Features
Wine Shop
Food Available: Light Fare
Souvenirs
Picnic Area
Dogs Welcome
Children Welcome
Vineyard Views
Mountain Views
Countryside Views
Shade Available
Lawn Available
Flower Garden
Vegetable Garden
Outside Food Welcome
Events & Activities
Dinner Events
Farm & Production
Wine Tours Available
Winemaking Details
Winemaker
Chris Ritzcovan
Cases Annually
7,000
Year Established
1981
Contact Information
Location & Geography
Acres Under Vine
23 acres
Nearest Town
Charlottesville
Tasting Room In Vineyard
Wine Sales & Membership
Wines Sold Online
Wine Club
Competition Awards 39 Gold
Top Wines
- Viognier 10
- Meritage 8
- Petit Manseng 4
- Petit Verdot 3
- Chardonnay Reserve 2
Wins by Year
- 2026 8
- 2025 3
- 2024 4
- 2023 6
- 2022 4
- 2021 5
- 2020 4
- 2018 3
- 2017 2
Wins by Competition
- VGC 19
- SFC 14
- ASWA 6
Gold Medals (39)
| Wine | Vintage | Competition | Year | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meritage | 2023 | VGC | 2026 | Gold | |
| Meritage | 2022 | VGC | 2026 | Gold | |
| Petit Manseng | 2024 | SFC | 2026 | Gold | |
| Petit Manseng | 2023 | SFC | 2026 | Double Gold | |
| Tannat | 2024 | ASWA | 2026 | Gold | |
| Viognier | 2025 | ASWA | 2026 | Gold | |
| Viognier | 2024 | ASWA | 2026 | Multiple Golds | |
| Viognier | 2023 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Meritage | 2021 | VGC | 2025 | Gold | |
| Petit Manseng | 2022 | SFC | 2025 | Gold | |
| Petit Verdot | 2022 | VGC | 2025 | Gold | |
| Cabernet Franc Reserve | 2021 | VGC | 2024 | Gold | |
| Chardonnay Reserve | 2022 | VGC | 2024 | Gold | |
| Viognier | 2022 | SFC | 2024 | Best in Class | |
| Viognier | 2021 | Multiple | 2024 | Multiple Golds | |
| Jefferson's Own Estate Viognier | 2019 | SFC | 2023 | Gold | |
| Meritage | 2019 | VGC | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Petit Manseng | 2021 | VGC | 2023 | Gold | |
| Petit Verdot Reserve | 2019 | VGC | 2023 | Gold | |
| Petit Verdot Reserve Upper Vineyard | 2019 | VGC | 2023 | Gold | |
| Viognier | 2019 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Meritage | 2016 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Meritage | 2014 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Merlot Reserve | 2019 | VGC | 2022 | Gold | |
| Viognier | 2020 | SFC | 2022 | Double Gold | |
| Cabernet Franc | 2019 | VGC | 2021 | Gold | |
| Cabernet Franc | 2017 | ASWA | 2021 | Multiple Golds | |
| Chardonnay Reserve | 2019 | ASWA | 2021 | Gold | |
| Jefferson's Own Estate Reserve | 2016 | VGC | 2021 | Gold | |
| Jefferson's Own Estate Reserve Viognier | 2019 | SFC | 2021 | Gold | |
| Jefferson's Own Estate Reserve Red Wine | 2017 | VGC | 2020 | Gold | |
| Meritage | 2017 | VGC | 2020 | Gold | |
| Petit Verdot | 2017 | SFC | 2020 | Gold | |
| Viognier | 2018 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Petit Verdot | 2014 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Viognier | 2016 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Viognier | 2015 | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple Golds | |
| Meritage | 2012 | VGC | 2017 | Gold | |
| Petit Manseng Reserve | 2016 | ASWA | 2017 | Gold |
Honors (3) - These do not count toward gold medal totals
| Wine | Vintage | Competition | Year | Honor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Manseng | 2021 | VGC | 2023 | Case Winner |
| Meritage | 2019 | VGC | 2023 | Case Winner |
| Petit Verdot | 2014 | VGC | 2017 | Case Winner |





