Virginia Wine and Country Life | Fall–Winter 2022

Linden Vineyards
The work of celebrated winegrower, Jim Law

Matt Fitzsimmons

While 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.

Law’s focus on terroir-based wines has earned him a devoted following amongst both connoisseurs of old world style wines and his fellow winemaking community. One local vintner called Law “the guru on the hill.” Law’s Hardscrabble Journal, an online write-up of his viticultural plans and musings (named after Linden’s estate vineyard) has its own avid readership.

Yet for all the attention he receives, Law prefers not to opine on the larger Virginia wine industry. When asked about his view of the overall direction of Virginia wine, he defers by saying, “I’m still trying to learn my own site.”

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