(Wines&Vines) - First vintner to plant Viognier, brought back Norton and established estate winery

Gordonsville, Va.—A leader in the rebirth of the Virginian wine industry, Dennis Horton, died June 19.

 He was 73.

 Horton was born on Dec. 1, 1945 and grew up in Hermann, Mo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Horton attended the University of Maryland. He and his wife Sharon moved to Virginia in 1977 and planted a small vineyard at their home in Madison County in 1983.

 In 1988, Horton and business partner Joan Bieda acquired 55 acres and the next year they planted ten acres of Viognier, eight acres of Norton, five acres of Vidal Blanc and five acres of Cabernet Franc. 

The Hortons produced their first wines in 1991 at a nearby winery, which Horton eventually began managing and where he continued to produce his wines while construction began on an estate winery. Horton Cellars winery was completed in 1993, and another vineyard planted to Bordeaux, Portuguese and Spanish varieties came into production in 1994, according to an obituary released by the Virginia Wine group and the winery’s website.