BERRYVILLE, VA- Virginia may be the state for lovers, but it's also an international landmark for wine enthusiasts. Wine Enthusiast magazine has ranked Virginia one of the "Top 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations of 2012."

"The soil and character and climate is so unique in the Shenandoah Valley that we can make wines just as good as they can make them in Lioux, France," says James Bogaty, Owner of Veramar Vineyard in Berryville. Bogaty and his family have been making premium wines for 15 years. They say it's an industry with deep roots in their family.

"You can still go to places in Italy and see the family name on vineyards in Italy, so I have a lineage there and here," Bogaty says.

Virginia and California were the only domestic locations to make the list, which ranked wineries in countries such as: Italy, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Hungary, France, and Chile

The magazine article says: Historically significant sites, picturesque pastoral landscapes, elegant equestrians and affable winemakers set Virginia apart as an excellent wine destination on the East Coast."

Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA), praised the Commonwealth vineyards and hopes the achievement will bring more tourism to the state.

Original article from: http://your4state.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=229537