By Matthew Fitzsimmons When people think of the Northern Neck, seafood, history, and weekend getaways usually come to mind. Few people realize it’s also one of the birthplaces of American wine, as well as one of the few American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Virginia. The Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA (or Northern Neck for short) is one of 267 locations the federal government recognizes as uniquely suitable for winemaking. Created in 1987, this tongue-twister of a name captures the AVA’s two essential features; the oceanic influence which defines its terroir, and the area’s colonial history. Flanked by the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, the Northern Neck peninsula (“Neck” in local parlance) juts into the Chesapeake Bay roughly halfway between Norfolk and D.C. According to Ingleside Vineyards owner Doug Flemer, life in the Neck is slow and local wineries tend to be smaller than their counterparts elsewhere in the state. Doug’s family founded Ingleside in 1980, making it the 4th oldest winery in the state. As the area’s longest-serving vintner, Doug explained his take on growing wine in the Northern Neck. “The region is challenging. We’ve made some great wine over the years, although we don’t get a lot of credit like some of the larger wineries in Virginia. But we’ve been growing grapes since the 1970s and with that experience we know how to tweak things to get the most out of our area. Ingleside is only at 180 feet elevation, which is actually the highest point on the peninsula. It takes time to heat the waters around us so our springs are slow but steady and the heat stays longer into the fall. That provides a longer growing season than elsewhere in the state, and we almost never get frost. Unfortunately the Northern Neck also tends to have high … Continue reading Exploring Northern Neck Wine