Loudoun's Award-Winning Wineries

In 2017, The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards won the prestigious Virginia Governor’s Cup for the best wine in Virginia, the first Loudoun winery to claim the award. Loudoun wine was no longer the plucky upstart on the Virginia wine scene, it had arrived.

Since then, two more Loudoun wineries - 868 Estate Vineyards in 2020 and Cana Vineyards in 2022 - have won the big prize and in the nine years since that inaugural win, multiple Loudoun wineries have gold medaled or won Best in Show. On top of that Loudoun wines continue to win medals and critical acclaim at around the world.

Governor’s Cup Winners

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards

Loudoun is famous for its historic farm barns, but few are more beautiful or atmospheric than the 109-year-old stone and wood bank barn tasting room at this Hamilton winery, winner of the 2017 Governor’s Cup for their 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon. They continue to make superb Bordeaux-style blends at the winery (try the 2017 Meritage) but you come here for the setting as much as for the wine. The eponymous barn is a rustic, custom-built structure with heavy timber beams, thick stone walls, handcrafted wood tables, a massive stone fireplace and dazzling chandelier casting an ethereal golden glow on proceedings.

868 Estate Vineyards

In 2020, scenic western Loudoun winery 868 Estate Vineyards became the second Loudoun winner of the Governor’s Cup – the first dessert wine to ever win the award. Winemaker Carl DiManno’s Vidal Blanc Passito 2017 beat out more than 530 entrants from 105 Virginia wineries, DiManno becoming the first Loudoun-based winemaker to win the award.

Cana Vineyards & Winery

In 2022 Cana winemaker Melanie Natoli became the first female winemaker in Virginia to win the Governor’s Cup. The winning wine? A perfectly balanced 2019 Unité Reserve, a deep, subtle red Bordeaux blend. Not to stop there, Natoli’s Meritage-style barrel-aged 2019 LeMariage blend made the Governor’s Cup Case alongside the Unité Reserve.

Governor’s Cup Case

After the Governor’s Cup itself, the most prestigious honor at the annual awards is being one of 12 Virginia wines to make the Governor’s Cup Case. No stranger to awards, Breaux Vineyards made the case in 2024 for their 2019 The Fog Nebbiolo Reserve while October One Vineyard made it for their 2022 Albariño. In 2025 Good Spirit Farm made the case for their 2023 Albariño while 50 West Vineyards was rewarded for its 2021 Aldie Heights Cuvée. All in all, 2025 was a good year for Loudoun white and sparkling.

Best in Show 2026

Three Loudoun wineries won Best in Show at the 2026 awards.  50 West Vineyards for their 2024 Vidal Blanc, Chrysalis Vineyards at The Ag District for a 2022 Norton and Good Spirit Farm for 2024 Albariño. On top of that, 22 Loudoun wineries won Golds (and in some cases multiple golds) at the 2026 awards. See below for full list:

Critical Acclaim

Awards are not everything. Sometimes, high points ratings from some of the most respected wine writers and wine publications in the world are even more prestigious. Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg scored an incredible 93-point rating from highly regarded wine critic, James Suckling, for its Reserve 2015 Bordeaux blend, which is available in magnums. Four other Boxwood wines scored 92 points. In 2024, four wines from The Vineyards and Winery at Lost Creek were rated as Outstanding by Suckling. Two of them – the Merlot dominant 2020 Allure Bordeaux Blend and the 2021 Petit Verdot scored 93. “Polished but powerful… super well balanced and mouthwatering” Suckling wrote of the latter.

The Loudoun Wine Awards

The annual Loudoun Wine Awards held at Lansdowne Resort each October are the most prestigious event on the Loudoun wine calendar – the Academy Awards of the industry. For a behind the scenes look at how the wines are judged read our article Bottle Shock.

For a list of the 2026 medal winners click here.

For tickets to the 2026 Loudoun Wine Awards at Lansdowne Resort & Spa on Friday, October 23 from 6-10 p.m. click here.