Virginia

Richmond, Virginia has long had its roots in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Surprising to most, its wine industry also has roots dating back to Thomas Jefferson’s time. Richmond, the capital of the Commonwealth, is undergoing a cultural resurgence and one of the main driving factors has been the wineries near Richmond and Charlottesville.

Virginia is well known for its revolutionary and Civil War history. One of the original 13 colonies, it’s practically the birthplace of the U.S. It’s less known however for the 150 wineries which dot the landscape, turning out respectable wines since the days of the founding fathers.

Loudoun County in Virginia is roughly 5,300 miles from Istanbul, Turkey and frankly there are few similarities, if any. But Virginia is where the father and son team of Bora and Kerem Baki set up Hillsborough Winery and Vineyards in 2003. Bora, a native of Turkey, emigrated to the U.S. in 1979 and, since he had family in Virginia, he came here. “I had a cousin here, like every immigrant. I’m very happy I chose this area, because I hate earthquakes,” he says referring to several devastating earthquakes in Istanbul he went through.