Rappahannock Cellars

An alliance of premier vineyards & wineries in the beautiful and majestic Blue Ridge Mountains under an hour from our nations capital!

www.BlueRidgeWineWay.com

VirginiaWineTour.com

Jason Burrus, Winemaker

Jason Burrus joined the winery in 2006, two weeks ahead of harvest. A native of St. Louis, Jason’s experience in the wine industry spans from California to the Republic of Moldova. 2010 marks his 14^th year in the business and he is excited to be part of an up-and-coming region which has seen tremendous growth in the last few years.

In addition to earning his MS degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis, Jason’s early training included stints at Mondavi’s Oakville winery in Napa Valley as well as Carmenet in the Sonoma Mountains. These experiences formed the foundation of Burrus’ passion for crafting fine wines. After graduation, Jason remained in California for two more years as Assistant Winemaker at Delicato Family Vineyards, focusing on premium red wine production for custom clients which included several renowned North Coast wineries. Among the accolades his wines earned—“Best of California Shiraz” in 2003.

Before joining Rappahannock Cellars, Burrus gained three years of international experience making wines in Malta, a small island country in the Mediterranean Sea. There, he worked with indigenous vinifera grapes as well as traditional Italian varieties. During this period, Jason also spent time consulting in the Republic of Moldova, in eastern Europe.

Jason’s technical training and expertise combined with his broad experience with both New World and Old World winemaking practices have allowed him to adapt quickly to the new environment he faces in Virginia. Jason's first two vintages at Rappahannock Cellars have garnered for the winery a Best of Category and Double Gold award for his 2006 Cabernet Franc and the highest scoring Viognier (2007 Viognier) at the 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Jason is excited to be making world-class Virginia wines.