The Blenheim Story
Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the heart of the Monticello American Viticultural Area (AVA), Blenheim Vineyards is dedicated to producing sustainably grown, 100% Virginia wines that reflect the character of our region. Led by winemaker Kirsty Harmon, our wines showcase the distinct terroir of four Virginia vineyard sites, Blenheim, Claim, Deer Ridge, and Seaview, each with unique soils and growing conditions. From vineyard to bottle, our commitment to thoughtful farming and winemaking celebrates the diversity and quality of Virginia wine country.
Our History
The history of Blenheim Farm dates back to 1730, when John Carter, Secretary of the Colony of Virginia and eldest son of Robert “King” Carter, obtained a patent for 9,350 acres northeast of present-day Carter’s Bridge in what is now Albemarle County. Here, John Carter maintained Carter’s Mill on the North Hardware River, and his son Edward built the first Blenheim house before 1799. The house, named in honor of the War of the Spanish Succession, was fought for and won by the British under command of the Duke of Marlborough.
It was at Blenheim where Thomas Jefferson and his bride, Martha, are said to have “rested and warmed themselves” after their coach stalled nearby during a snowstorm. Later, the Jeffersons continued to Monticello on horses borrowed from Edward Carter. The property was sold in 1840, and the house burned a few years later.
Andrew Stevenson (Congressman, Speaker of the House, Ambassador to Great Britain, and rector of the University of Virginia) purchased the property in 1846. He then built the current home as a one-story Gothic Revival-style cottage. The property also has an assortment of 18th and 19th-century outbuildings, including a school-chapel, smokehouse, pyramidal-roofed kitchen/laundry, and a library – all of which still stand today. The oldest house on the property – and potentially in all of Albemarle County – is the Claim House, which was built in the 1730s to secure or “claim” the original land grant.
Blenheim’s period of significance spans the 18th and 19th centuries. The property’s archaeological-historical, agricultural, and political/governmental associations are key points of relevance. The resource was nominated to the Virginia Landmarks Register on December 16, 1975, and to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 1976.
Our Winemaking Process
Our Winemaking Process
At Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia, we believe great wine begins with healthy, high-quality grapes. Our minimal-intervention approach to winemaking allows the natural character of our 100% Virginia-grown fruit to shine, producing wines that reflect the distinctive terroir of the Monticello American Viticultural Area (AVA).
Led by winemaker Kirsty Harmon, our philosophy is simple: thoughtful farming, careful winemaking, and minimal intervention. We focus on creating fruit-forward, food-friendly wines with freshness, balance, and approachability. Our wines spend no more than one year in oak barrels, allowing them to be enjoyed young while maintaining their varietal character.
White Wine Production
Our white wines begin with whole-cluster pressing to gently extract juice from the grapes. The juice is settled overnight using bentonite, a natural clay that helps clarify the wine, before being transferred to stainless steel tanks or oak barrels. The juice is then allowed to warm slightly before yeast is introduced to begin fermentation.
Fermentation typically takes about two weeks. Once complete, stainless steel-fermented wines are racked off their heavy lees (sediment) and transferred to clean tanks, where they age for approximately four to six months, depending on the grape variety and intended wine style.
Our barrel-fermented white wines spend approximately four to ten months aging in oak before being blended and prepared for bottling. This approach allows us to develop texture and complexity while preserving the vibrant fruit character of our Virginia-grown grapes.
Red Wine Production
For our red wines, most grapes are destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks or small fermentation vessels known as macrobins.
We typically avoid cold soaking and extended maceration, favoring a more restrained approach to extraction. During fermentation, the grape skins are punched down twice daily to encourage color, flavor, and tannin development.
Once fermentation is complete, the grapes are pressed, and most of our red wines are transferred to oak barrels for approximately six to ten months of aging before bottling.
The result is a collection of expressive, fruit-forward Virginia red wines with balanced tannins, freshness, and versatility at the table.
Wine That Reflects Where It’s Grown
From crisp, aromatic white wines to approachable, balanced reds, every bottle of Blenheim wine reflects our commitment to sustainable vineyard practices, minimal-intervention winemaking, and the unique growing conditions of Virginia wine country.
Our goal isn’t to make wine more complicated. It’s to let the grapes speak for themselves.
Our Team
Kirsty Harmon
General Manager & Winemaker
Manages and oversees the winery, tasting room, and vineyards, while also making the wines at Blenheim Vineyards since 2008.
Read more about Kirsty
Justin Bennett
tasting room manager
Manages and oversees the tasting room staff and operations.
Tracey Love
Marketing manager
Manages social media and marketing.
Scott Wilcox
Operations manager
Manages and oversees the daily winery, vineyard, and property operations.
Ryan Bennett
ASSISTANT TASTING ROOM MANAGER / WINE CLUB MANAGER
Assists in managing the tasting room operations and Wine Club memberships.
Sandy Robertson
Vineyard manager
Manages and oversees our estate vineyards and additional vineyard relationships. Oversees the vineyard crew and ensures quality and sustainability of the vineyards and land.
Los Jarochos
Vineyard Crew
A tight -knit group, “los Jarochos” as they call themselves, a reference to their homeland of Veracruz, Mexico, are the steadfast life-force of the vineyard, without whom none of this would be possible. The vast majority of the work of growing the grapes over the last 4 years is thanks to them.
Explore Our Vineyards
Sea View
This block contains the oldest vines in any block at Blenheim. 3 acres of Merlot, 3 acres of Pinot Noir and a small amount of Petit Verdot were planted in 2000 by the former owner of the property – Kluge Estate. Blenheim acquired this part of the property in 2011 and then expanded the vineyard to 15 acres with the addition of Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Garganega, Cabernet Franc and a little more Merlot.
Blenheim Farm
Originally planted in 1999, and re-planted in 2017, Blenheim Farm block is 5 acres and is planted with Chardonnay, Viognier, Gruner Veltliner and one single row of Pinot noir. This block is the one that you see on the left as you look out of the tasting room windows, and was theoriginal 5 acres planted at Blenheim.
Claim
Named after the Claim House that sits atop the vineyard, this block is 5 acres and was planted in 2006 with Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. This block is the one that you see on the left side of Blenheim Road as you approach the winery entrance. Five acres in total and rows run east to west.
Deer Ridge
Planted in 2015 and 2016, this block is just beyond what you can see from the tasting room window. It is 5.75 acres and is planted with Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mencia (2020) and Cabernet Franc. Some of the varieties planted here – Grenache and Mencia – are somewhat unusual for Virginia.