Crimson Lane Vineyards Begins 2025 Harvest With Optimism for Key Varietals in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley

Crimson Lane Vineyards in Linden, Virginia, has started its 2025 harvest season, reporting optimism for its Albariño, Petit Manseng, and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals. The vineyard, located about 65 miles from Washington, D.C., covers 26.3 acres in the Shenandoah Valley. The property is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and features limestone-rich soils and a moderate climate. These conditions contribute to the complexity and aging potential of the wines produced at Crimson Lane.

The harvest at Crimson Lane typically begins in late August and continues through early October. The vineyard grows a range of grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, and Albariño. Owner Tom Herrity noted that the vineyard has developed significantly since its first plantings nine years ago and expressed enthusiasm for the current vintage.

Virginia’s wine industry has a long history dating back to 1609 when settlers in Jamestown first planted vines. However, it was not until the late 1970s that commercial winemaking began to take hold in the state. By the mid-1990s, there were about 50 wineries in Virginia; today there are more than 300. The region’s climate presents unique challenges compared to West Coast wine regions. Virginia experiences more rainfall and humidity, which can increase disease pressure on vines. Canopy management practices in Virginia focus on controlling vine vigor from excess rainfall and maximizing sun exposure to improve airflow and reduce disease risk.

Crimson Lane’s vineyards are divided into several blocks with distinct soil types. The Higher Power Vineyard features Pignut Silt Loam soils formed from greenstone schist specific to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Clay Ground Vineyard contains Pignut-Alanthus soils with silty clay loam derived from metabasalt and greenstone schist. Rocky Road Vineyard is characterized by gravelly loam from the Pigeonroost-Ednytown soil series, with high rock content and good drainage.

About 30 percent of Crimson Lane’s vineyards are planted on slopes that require hand harvesting rather than mechanized picking. This terrain makes canopy management and vineyard floor practices especially important to control pests and diseases that can be exacerbated by weather conditions.

Winemaker Dominick Fioresi described this year as challenging due to an early bloom followed by a cool spell, which led to lower yields. Rainfall for the year reached 37 inches, a significant change from the previous two years of drought that produced more concentrated wines. Fioresi said that while adapting best practices remains an ongoing process as they learn more about their vineyards, he is optimistic about the quality of Albariño, Petit Manseng, and Cabernet Sauvignon from this vintage.

The 2025 vintage at Crimson Lane is expected to yield wines with greater balance and structure, showing more subtlety and refinement compared to previous years marked by drought conditions. The combination of unique soils, careful vineyard management, and adaptation to local weather patterns continues to shape the character of Crimson Lane’s wines as they further define their place within Virginia’s evolving wine landscape.