When Jim Law planted his first grapevines on a rocky abandoned apple orchard at Fauquier County’s western edge four decades ago, there were fewer than a dozen wineries in all of Virginia.
Read MoreWhile owner Jim Law has had a hand in every bottle produced at Linden Vineyards since its inaugural 1987 vintage, he prefers to be called a winegrower, not a winemaker. It’s a small difference, but one that speaks volumes.
Read MoreJim Law is one of the pioneers of Virginia wine and is referenced as a mentor or legend in many of the other interviews.
Read MoreWhen Jim Law established his first few acres of vineyards in 1985 on an abandoned hillside farm at the edge of the Shenandoah Valley west of Washington, DC, he took the added precaution of planting an orchard of heirloom apples—just in case the wine business didn’t work out.
Read MoreJim Law's 4,000-case winery, whose first vintage was 1987, has been producing consistently elegant and well-made wines from Bordeaux varieties and a few other grapes in a challenging wine region from the start.
Read MoreLinden’s owner Jim Law is a local hero for his grape-growing know-how. His decades of trial and error—some of the vines that produce his signature Hardscrabble Chardonnay date to the 1980s—have led to major gains in wine quality in the region.
Read MoreJim law is a successful businessman and one of the most respected winemakers on the East Coast. One secret to his success? The man does not own a cell phone.
Read MoreJim Law founded Linden Vineyards over 30 years ago and seems like the kind of guy that has his priorities in the right place. Like most great vignerons his biggest concern is not wine marketing or scores, his priority is the health of his vineyards and the quality of his wines.
Read MoreAdmiration can be won by producing great wines, and Jim Law of Linden Vineyards qualifies in that respect. Yet he is just as respected in Virginia winemaking circles for mentoring up-and-coming winemakers as he is for his chardonnays and Bordeaux-style blends.
Read More“How many people get an opportunity to discover what the terroir is in a new region?” says Law. “Europeans have been [making wine] forever, so they can’t. But we can!”
Read MoreJim Law kicked the trunk of a chardonnay vine as if he were checking the tires on a tractor. “The old vines and the old trunks are kind of gnarly and falling apart, but these guys will go forever if you take care of them,” he said.
Read MoreVirginia’s wine industry isn’t yet on par with California’s. But wine critics everywhere are starting to pay serious attention to the state.
Read MoreAll of this suggests that Linden’s proprietor is sharply focused on what he wishes to achieve and present to the public, and that comes through clearly in conversation with Jim Law. He wants to make the best wines he can produce by coaxing his land to provide the best grapes it can grow. That’s about it.
Read MoreJim Law ... is the owner, or 'winegrower' as he styles himself, of the admired Linden Vineyards in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains 60 miles west of Washington DC.
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