Going Back in Time to Know the Rich History of Norton Grape

Many people must be aware of the fact that Thomas Jefferson failed in his attempt to establish a vineyard at Monticello. However, many previous attempts from other people to plant vineyard in this new place didn’t succeed either. Virginia's wine producing history dates backs to the year 1619. In this year, Act 12 was passed by the the Virginia House of Burgesses. Under this act, each head in every household was supposed to plant ten wines and to attain the vineyard dressing experience.

After facing & recovering from a devastating period in life, Dr. Richard Norton managed to experiment in his home garden by cross-breeding a European grape vine with a wild American vine. Dr. Norton's experiment created the first grape that was able to grow successfully and also produced a tasty wine. As the news of Dr. Norton's experiment spread, people took deep interest in planting Norton grape all over the place. The extraordinary variety also bagged award at a wine competition held in Paris. 

Norton grape plantation was quite prevalent in Missouri before it got prohibited which further resulted in demolition of Norton grapes vines. In the 1990s, Dennis Horton, one of the preeminent winemakers of VA, brought Norton back from Missouri to Virginia. In an endeavor to tell the story behind Norton, we at TWABR brought the original plantings from Missouri to our property, when we opened. The people working at Monticello ate all the grapes produced at the location. 

Jefferson was told that the vines failed. However, the reason for the same is not yet clear. Quite possible that the people said so as they felt bad for consuming all the grapes or may be they produced really awful wines. Jefferson was quite similar to George Washington as he kept serving his country for a long time. Monticello is located on a large hill's top that offered him an ideal location. However, Jefferson's rootstock didn't work fine with the available soil & weather conditions. 

You will definitely like to try Norton after becoming aware of its rich history. At The Winery at Bull Run, we present to you heart-winning Norton wine that will impress you to the core. You can relish tasty wine and can also plan an event of your choice by contacting our event management team. Among the several birthday, wedding sites in VA, TWABR holds a special place due to the relaxing ambiance it offers to guests. So, you can make a booking at our winery without thinking twice.