Wine is made in the vineyard

Wine is made in the vineyard

A vineyard is just another name for a farm. That’s what we are: farmers.

Planting a vineyard is a time and labor-intensive job. It takes three growing seasons, for a young grape vine to mature and bear viable fruit. Older vines are highly prized because they yield more concentrated fruit, resulting in richer wines with more sumptuous balance.

Delaplane Cellars was founded in 2007. With the help of a professional viticulturalist, planting began in 2008.

The 32-acre property features 10 acres of Bordeaux red varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, and French whites Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Manseng .

Delaplane Cellars largest single planting by variety is Cabernet Sauvignon with approximately 2.5 acres. It was planted in 2008 and 2009 with 2017 replacements. There are about 2 acres, each, of Cabernet Franc (planted in 2008, 2009 with 2017 replacements) and Merlot (planted in 2008 with 2017 replacements). There is 1 acre of Petit Verdot (planted in 2008 with 2018 replacements and 2019 expansion) and 1.5 acres, each, of Sauvignon Blanc (planted in 2013) and Petit Manseng (planted in 2008).

(Delaplane Cellars also sources other Virginia-grown grapes from our vineyard partners.)

Growing grapes that produce abundant harvests is easier if they are planted in the right spot and properly tended. Our vines are planted on a north-south access, with a south-facing aspect, so the vines get an equal distribution of light and warmth as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west every day. Our elevation is about 800-900 feet above sea level.

We also employ Vertical Shoot Positioning, or VSP. It is a widely used trellis system in which the vine shoots are trained to grow upward in a vertical, narrow curtain with the fruiting zone below it. We hand-prune and pick our vines.

These factors, and many more, play a key role in the grapes that we grow. It is a labor and time intensive effort that yields the best fruit because that is what makes a great wine.