Linden, VA Winery Optimistic about Albariño, Petit Manseng, and Cabernet Sauvignon
September 16, 2025 (Linden, VA) — Crimson Lane Vineyards, located 65 miles from Washington, DC in Linden, VA has begun its harvest.The vineyard grows an extensive number of varietals including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, and Albariño. Typically, the season starts in late August and runs through early October.
Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Crimson Lane Vineyards has 26.3 acres nestled in the Shenandoah Valley amidst rolling hills, limestone-rich soils, and a moderate climate. The combination of slope and soil provide a unique terroir for wine production, yielding very complex wines with balanced acidity and aging potential.
Oldest American Wine Region
Winemaking in Virginia was first recorded in 1609 when the earliest settlers of Jamestown planted vines to create a cash crop utilizing the vital soils of the New World. But it wasn’t until the late 1970s when the industry began to take root and by the mid 1990’s there were 50 wineries. Now the region boasts over 300 wineries.
The state has unique growing conditions compared to the West Coast and Old World regions.
- Weather: Compared to the West where more stable conditions make it easier to predict and produce consistent vintages, Virginia has more rainfall and humidity that can pose farming challenges like increased disease pressure.
- Canopy Management: West coast canopy management is more focused on sun exposure and heat management for phenolic ripeness. Whereas Virginia is focused on controlling vigor from excess rainfall, enhancing airflow, and maximizing sun exposure.
- Old Word Similarities: Crimson Lane’s location has similar growing conditions to certain Old World regions, such as Bordeaux. But Virginia is still defining terroir identity.
“Our vineyard has come a long way since we planted our first grapes nine years ago, ” says Crimson Lane Vineyards Owner Tom Herrity. “We are excited to see what this vintage has in-store for us and looking forward to continuing to discover our terroir footprint.”
Vineyard Variety
Crimson Lane is home to diverse soil types including:
- Higher Power Vineyard: Pignut Silt Loam soils are deep, well drained soils formed from a greenstone schist that is specific to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Clay Ground Vineyard: Pignut-Alanthus soils are comprised of a silty clay loam with moderate permeability, formed from metabasalt and greenstone schist.
- Rocky Road Vineyard: Land that is made up of Pigeonroost-Ednytown soil series with gravelly loam that is characterized as extremely rocky and well-draining. There is also coarse quartz sand and granite bedrock with moderate to high rock content.
Challenges
Thirty percent of the hillside farming occurs on slopes, which means hand harvesting is essential and cannot be mechanized. Canopy management and vineyard floor practices are critical, particularly when weather and environmental factors increase the occurrence of pests and diseases.
“We encounter challenges from vintage to vintage due to Mother Nature”, says Winemaker Dominick Fioresi. “This year, we had an early bloom then a cool spell, which contributed to lower yields. Our rainfall this year was 37 inches, compared to the last two years where we experienced a drought that produced very bold complex wines.”
2025 Vintage
This year is expected to produce wines with greater balance and structure, featuring more subtle and refined characteristics rather than power and concentration. The vineyard conditions suggest the potential for notable wines in this vintage.
“Overall, this has been a challenging vintage,” says Fioresi. “We are still getting to know our vineyards and adapting best practices, but we are very optimistic about our Albariño, Petit Manseng, and Cabernet Sauvignon.”
