Afton Mountain Changes Hands

Wine world newcomers purchase popular Virginia operation 
 
Afton Mountain, the end of the rainbow for new owners Elizabeth and Tony Smith.
 
Afton, Va. -- Shinko and Tom Corpora, owner/operators of Afton Mountain Vineyards for nearly 20 years, have sold their 52-acre farm, winery and residence to Elizabeth and Tony Smith. The sale closed March 31, and both Smiths were working at the winery on April 1.

The Nelson County operation contains 12 acres of vineyards, including some of Virginia's oldest vinifera vines, which were planted by David Mefford in 1978 and '79. The Corporas bought the property from Mefford in 1988, made their first commercial wines in 1990 and opened the winery to the public in spring 1991. At the time, there were less than 40 wineries in the commonwealth; there are now more than 140, and the number continues to grow.

Afton Mountain produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sangiovese, among other varieties. It recently became one of a handful of Virginia wineries to produce méthode champenoise sparkling wine using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Corporas, who will stay on as consultants through the 2009 growing season, introduced the new owners to the public during a Spring Open House on March 28 and 29.

"We are starting fresh, with the help of our predecessors," Tony Smith told Wines & Vines on his first day at his new business. He and his wife are natives of neighboring Albemarle County in Central Virginia. Although both have had successful business careers, neither has farming or winemaking experience.

To get up to speed, he said, they've been taking viticulture and enology classes at nearby Piedmont Community College. "These are very hands-on," Smith said, "usually half a day of class-work and half a day in the field or the lab." Recently they spent "all day pruning somebody's Norton vines," he said.

Afton Mountain currently produces about 2,500 cases annually; this year, Smith said, he expects to increase that to about 3,000, with some vines that were interplanted in the existing vineyards coming into production. The Smiths also may purchase some Virginia-grown grapes, most sourced from within their Monticello AVA.. The bulk of the wines are sold direct-to-consumer at the tasting room and regional festivals, but as production increases, Smith said, he might become involved with the Virginia Wine Distribution Company (vwdc.org), a unique service founded last year enabling small Virginia wineries essentially to self-distribute their products.

Meanwhile, Smith said, in the near term, Afton Mountain will carry on with "business as usual." This summer, the Smiths expect that their son and his soon-to-be wife will join them in the new family project, and the vineyard and tasting room manager have agreed to stay on.

Once their contractual consulting term is complete, the Corporas will retire from the wine business. "For us," said winemaker Shinko Corpora, "it's a bittersweet occasion. But growing grapes and making wine are hard work, and we're ready to let someone younger take over."