Valhalla Vineyards
Encyclopedia
Valhalla Vineyards is a vineyard
and winery
located in Roanoke County, Virginia
, founded by James and Debra Vascik in 1994.
orchard
. Construction on the winery building and 200 feet (61 m) wine cave
began in 1996.
The winery's first vintage
was in 1998 and released in 2000. Valhalla was one of two Virginia vineyards to process its grapes underground in 1998. The vineyard uses a "gravity flow" system in which grapes are pressed through holes in the roof of the winery, which is set into the hillside. The goal of this pump-free process is to prevent damage to the grapes.
Valhalla Vineyards has primarily received attention for their red wines, such as the Götterdämmerung Cabernet Franc
/Merlot
blend. Their 1999 Syrah was praised by Wine Spectator as being the best of its class from Virginia and the US South. Valhalla vineyards wines have won awards in east coast wine competitions since 2002.
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
and winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
located in Roanoke County, Virginia
Roanoke County, Virginia
Roanoke County is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area and located within the Roanoke Region of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 85,778. As of 2010, the population was 92,376...
, founded by James and Debra Vascik in 1994.
History
The Vasciks paid $1.2 million for the 200 acres (80.9 ha) property in 1993. Planting of the Valhalla vineyard began in 1994 on 21 acres (8.5 ha) of converted peachPeach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
. Construction on the winery building and 200 feet (61 m) wine cave
Wine cave
Wine caves are subterranean structures for the storage and aging of wine. They are an integral component of the wine industry world wide. The design and construction of wine caves represents a unique application of underground construction techniques....
began in 1996.
The winery's first vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
was in 1998 and released in 2000. Valhalla was one of two Virginia vineyards to process its grapes underground in 1998. The vineyard uses a "gravity flow" system in which grapes are pressed through holes in the roof of the winery, which is set into the hillside. The goal of this pump-free process is to prevent damage to the grapes.
Valhalla Vineyards has primarily received attention for their red wines, such as the Götterdämmerung Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
/Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
blend. Their 1999 Syrah was praised by Wine Spectator as being the best of its class from Virginia and the US South. Valhalla vineyards wines have won awards in east coast wine competitions since 2002.