UVA roots, Virginia wine: Expert alumni share their picks for Valentine’s Day

Business & Government

UVA roots, Virginia wine: Expert alumni share their picks for Valentine’s Day

Each day, Chris Ritzcovan leaves his home up the mountain from Monticello and walks across Thomas Jefferson Parkway to , where he makes the wine.

Portrait of Chris Ritzcovan carrying a basket of grapes

Chris Ritzcovan is a 2006 UVA graduate. Petit manseng, in his basket, is rare in the United States. It thrives in Virginia’s hot, humid summer climate. (Photo by Ian Atkins)

Ritzcovan started as assistant winemaker at the Charlottesville area estate soon after graduating from the University of Virginia in 2006 with degrees in urban and environmental planning, environmental thought and practice and environmental science. He has been the head winemaker since 2013.

Ritzcovan is one of the many Wahoos connected with local vineyards in the Monticello American viticultural area. It’s a place Wine Enthusiast named , beating Italy’s Lambrusco region, France’s Provence and Prosecco, South Africa’s Swartland and Australia’s Victoria.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, UVA Today turned to Ritzcovan and fellow alumnus James King of King Family Vineyards for their suggestions for the best way to toast your sweetheart – in time to give readers an opportunity to pick up their recommendations.

Jefferson Vineyards – Viognier 2023

You can’t go wrong with a bottle of viognier, named Virginia’s state grape by the Virginia Vineyards Association in 2011. “We have been making viogniers at Jefferson, I want to say, since the 1990s,” Ritzcovan said. As of 2024, the 2023 vintage has become Jefferson Vineyards’ winningest wine.

Close of three bottles Jefferson Vineyards’ wine

Jefferson Vineyards’ 2023 Viognier has netted multiple awards, including a double gold at North America’s largest wine competition, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. (Photo by Will Snyder)

“We have had a very solid track record with our viognier,” he said. “We’re constantly winning gold, double gold, best-of-class awards almost every year at pretty prominent competitions, so I will always talk about viognier.”

Family portrait of Vintner Ritzcovan, Allison Scott and children, Gus and Gigi

Vintner Ritzcovan is pictured with his wife, Allison Scott, who has worked at Jefferson Vineyards for 15 years. Their children are Gus and Gigi. (Photo by Tom Daly)

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation purchased Jefferson Vineyards in 2023, the same year the was born. It captured a double gold, meaning a unanimous decision by the judges, in 2024 at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, North America’s largest contest.

“It has a nose of honeysuckle and peach, which are very stereotypical characteristics of this varietal. The finish is long and bright and dry, meaning there’s no residual sugar,” Ritzcovan said.

The 2023 Viognier goes nicely with spicy Asian dishes, white fish and curries.

King Family Vineyards – “7”

James King is part of , which has had a presence in Albemarle County since the King family mater and paterfamilias, Ellen and David, bought their 327-acre farm in 1996.

James, one of three sons, is a humble guy who played lacrosse at UVA (“I didn’t play much,” he said) and graduated in 2007 with a degree in history.

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“When I graduated, I actually commissioned in the United States Marine Corps and served active duty for four years, from 2007 to 2011,” he said. Part of his inspiration came from an undergraduate memory watching happy students walking on Grounds and wondering, “Man, what did I do to deserve any of this? Nothing really,” he answered himself. “And I thought about all the freedom, and I thought I needed to do something to ... I don’t know, to serve and give back.”

Close up of a bottle of King Family Vineyards “7”

King Family Vineyards “7” is a fortified red dessert wine. On Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Saturday, the estate is hosting two wine and chocolate pairing events. Space is limited, so James King encourages people to sign up early. (Photo by Outshinery)

With the passage of 30 years, King Family Vineyards is more ingrained in the community than ever. Its free Sunday polo matches are renowned, something the late David King insisted upon.

“My dad always wanted polo to be free and open to the public, which I think is very rare,” James King said. “You know, most places on the planet – the few that have polo – it’s nickel-and-dime you at the door, and there’s a wine minimum or a beverage minimum. It’s called ‘The Sport of Kings’ for a reason. It’s expensive and generally inaccessible,” James King explained. “And here you can come and watch it for free.”

Family portrait of the King family, James, Kelly and their heir children, Charlotte Lucille, Connor and Nate

James King is captured here with his family. His wife, Kelly, is also a UVA graduate, from the School of Nursing, who later served in the U.S Navy. Their children are, from left to right, Charlotte Lucille, David “Connor” and Carrington Nathaniel “Nate” King. (Photo by Meredith Coe)

In 2025, King Family Vineyards began hosting a free Fourth of July fireworks display, inviting the community to come with picnics and blankets to watch the show framed by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

James King’s Valentine’s Day pick is

“It’s a fortified red dessert wine made in the port style,” he said. “We harvest petit verdot, and we put it into bourbon barrels – predominantly Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels – for two years.”

King Family is partnering with local chocolatier Gearharts Fine Chocolates for . The popular Charlottesville chocolatier offers a called Pod and Vine, using wines from Jefferson Vineyards, King Family Vineyards and Barboursville Vineyards in Orange County.

“It’s super silky and smooth on the mouthfeel, that’s just a great sipping wine to pair with chocolate,” James said. “Anyone that wants a sweet treat and some chocolate should come out.”

The King family owns more than 300 acres in Crozet, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The materfamilias, Ellen King, is seated second from left. She and her late husband, David, bought the land in 1996. He died of cancer in 2019. (Photo by Meredith Coe)