Virginia’s Winemaker

In a very real way, we have VA wine because of Gabriele Rausse.

In the late 70s, Rausse was an agriculturalist living in Vicenza, Italy when a childhood friend — who now, as an adult, was looking to own wineries — asked Rausse to come to Virginia to plant European grapes. They found some land north of Charlottesville, and Barboursville Vineyards was born. In 1981, Rausse left Barboursville and started talking with the owner of Simeon Vineyards … and, hence, Jefferson Vineyards was born.

Since then, Rausse has worked with and consulted with dozens of vineyards across the state. Today, not only does Rausse have his own winery (born in 1997, using both his own grapes and others’) his children have started a second label under his banner – Vino dal Bosco (“Wine from the Woods”), focusing on more natural wines.

We love Gabriele and his wines and his kids’ wines, and are proud to feature them in our store. Please come to see us on Friday, when Rausse Wine rep Katherine will be pouring some Gabriele Rausse wines. (Katherine thinks she might even be able to bring Gabriele with her!) What better way could there be to celebrate Virginia Wine Month?

(By the way, the e’s at the ends of his names are pronounced like long a’s – gayb-bree-ell-ay rauw-say.)