Virginia Wineries Granted Fruit Loss Waivers In Response to Spring Frost and Freeze Crop Damage

What this means

A factual summary is pending editorial review. The complete official release is reproduced below with issuer attribution and a direct link to the original publication.

Official release

Source material from Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

News Release

September 23, 2026

Virginia Wineries Granted Fruit Loss Waivers In Response to Spring Frost and Freeze Crop Damage

Exemption will help farm wineries continue production while vineyards recover

Richmond, Va. – Wineries and vineyards that suffered severe crop losses due to

multiple frost and freeze weather events this spring have received temporary waivers that allow them to

source a higher proportion of grapes from vineyards they do not own or lease in order to continue

production while the vineyards recover from damage. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority

(ABC) granted automatic waivers to 169 wineries and vineyards after the Virginia Department of Agriculture

and Consumer Services (VDACS) submitted a joint exemption request on behalf of the producers.

Farm wineries and vineyards in the Commonwealth are subject to restrictions on the percentage of

out-of-state fruit and fruit from vineyards not owned or leased by the winery. Frost and freeze this

spring resulted in extensive losses and damage in Virginia vineyards. The extent of the damage was so

great that Governor Abigail Spanberger requested a natural disaster declaration from the U.S. Department

of Agriculture (USDA), which was granted for 104 Virginia localities impacted by the frost and freeze

events that occurred between March 17 and May 4, 2026.

To aid Virginia wineries impacted by the fruit losses and streamline the waiver process, VDACS submitted

a fruit loss exemption waiver request to Virginia ABC on behalf of farm winery licensees in areas that

received the USDA natural disaster designation. The waiver granted by Virginia ABC permits Class I, Class

II, Class III, and Class IV licensees to source a greater quantity of out-of-state products than their

license class allows; and Class I, Class II, and Class IV licensees to use a lesser percentage of products

grown or produced on the licensed premises or on property in the Commonwealth that is owned or leased by

the licensee.

“The severe damage caused by frost and freeze this spring is an example of when it’s important for state

Release text attributed to Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.