Democracy Vineyards

Tucked away in the rolling hills of Nelson County, Democracy Vineyards shares a property with one of the region’s many apple orchards. With 360 degrees of protected mountain views and acres of vines that move with the land, Democracy is one of the most breathtaking vineyards in the area.

Part of the Monticello Wine Trail, Democracy is conveniently located near several of the area’s other family-run boutique wineries, making it easy to visit several in a single day. As visitors wander through the fields that surround the tasting room and meander through rows of grape vines, it is easy to see the passion and care Democracy has for winemaking.

Democracy Vineyards captures the essence of Thomas Jefferson’s dream of local farm wineries. Since Democracy is a relatively new vineyard, only some of the fruit used in the wine is grown on-site, while the rest is sourced from other high quality growers in the Monticello region.

It is easy to see that founders Susan Prokop and Jim Turpin began Democracy entirely out of their love of wine and the desire to produce approachable, food-friendly varietals that could be enjoyed by the casual wine drinker and the connoisseur alike.

Michael Shaps, an award-winning local winemaker, has teamed with Democracy Vineyards to craft truly remarkable wine. The wines crafted by Democracy include three red wines (Emancipation, Suffrage, and Velvet Revolution), two white wines (Declaration and Unum), three sweet and fruit wines (Republic, Village View Gold, and Campaign), and one dessert wine (Alabaster).

The wines have won dozens of awards in local, national, and international competitions, including two platinum medals in the 2011 Virginia Wine Lover Classic, three silver medals in the 2011 Taster’s Guild International Wine Competition and four silver medals in the 2011 Indy International Wine Competition.

Those looking to relax, enjoy some delicious wine, and look out over the Blue Ridge Mountains need only make the short drive to Democracy Vineyards. With a distinctive new tasting room located in Lovingston and tastings from Thursday to Monday, Democracy is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic with friends and family, or a romantic place to watch the sunset behind the mountains while sharing a bottle of wine.

Those looking to extend their stay can rent a condo at nearby Wintergreen for the weekend and enjoy magnificent views of the Rockfish Valley and tours and tastings at the other fantastic nearby wineries.