Veritas Wines

Located 20 minutes west of Charlottesville in Nelson County, Veritas Vineyard and Winery opened for business in June 2002, and has succeeded in consistently producing a range of complex and elegant wines. The idyllic setting is easy to find but hard to leave, located just off I-64, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Veritas offers wine tastings, winery tours, lovely event venues, a charming farmhouse to enjoy, and a delicious menu of delicacies! Veritas is a family-owned and run farm winery. Andrew, Patricia, Emily, George, and Chloe Hodson share the common goal of making wines of the highest quality from the rich Virginia terroir. Sit on the sun-drenched deck and take the opportunity to relax, enjoy the beauty of Virginia and taste some wine!

The business is truly a family affair! Veritas Winery was started by Andrew and Patricia Hodson in 1999. Born out of their love of wine and commitment to producing quality wine, Veritas has grown into a 20-year-old family business that is on the leading edge of the Virginia wine industry. Since then, Patricia and Andrew have been joined by all three of their children in the running and development of the business, and they all work tirelessly to expand on their vision, bringing Veritas into the world of events and the fine hospitality at the Farmhouse.

With over 50 acres in the Monticello wine region, and producing a complex portfolio of wines ranging from sparkling to beautifully balanced wines, Veritas wine quality starts in the vineyard, and the terroir of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Winemaker Emily Pelton, daughter of Andrew and Patricia, has been the Lead Winemaker at Veritas for over 15 harvests and continues to author the beginning chapters of a young and vibrant wine region. Her philosophy is simple – she strives to give each varietal natural, balanced expression by focusing on attention to detail and cultural practices. Her old-world principles of viticulture and vinification are met with her innovative take on winemaking, using state of the art technology and principles to capture the true essence and character of each varietal.

Emily moved to Virginia in 1999 with the intention of taking a year off from school to help her parents and sister transition as they moved from Florida to Virginia. While starting a vineyard in Virginia seemed like a far-flung idea to Emily, she quickly fell in love with the beauty of the industry and the area, and decided to stay and pursue a career in wine. Emily and Andrew worked alongside each other as a team in the inception of Veritas, and Andrew held down the fort when she went to Virginia Tech to get her Masters degree in oenology (fermentation science). Now fifteen vintages in, Emily has become head winemaker and proud mother of two girls, Lydia and Charlotte, who have grown up on the farm and watched the winery and the vineyard grow. Emily is one of the few winemakers who cut her teeth in the Virginia wine industry. She feels strongly that with select varietals and true Virginia-grown fruit our industry will be unstoppable. Her philosophy involves trying to achieve natural, balanced expression of the fruit by focusing on attention to detail and cultural practices. But most of all, she just tries to stay out of the way as she allows the wine to show off the beauty of where the grapes were grown!

George Hodson, son of Andrew and Patricia,  took on the role of General Manager in the Summer of 2012 when he and his wife Tralyn relocated from Jacksonville, FL with their two daughters. George graduated from Emory University with a degree in Neuroscience before joining the family business.

Chloe is Andrew and Patricia’s youngest daughter and the winery’s Project Manager, ensuring that all new ventures are approached with Veritas’ commitment to quality. She has worked in every department at the winery, from mowing the fields, to working in the vineyard, and planning weddings and events. 

Elliott is the Assistant Winemaker at Veritas and works alongside Emily. His attention to detail and passion for good, clean wine make him a wonderful addition to the family team. Chloe and Elliott first met when they were children in Elliott’s grandparent’s backyard. They reconnected years later when Elliott came to work at Veritas during the summer holiday from his winemaking program at Plumpton College, and a year later they were married amongst the newly planted vines on Veritas’ highest vineyard. 

Veritas wines are all unique and of high quality. Their philosophy is to make wine with the classic, old-style principles of Viticulture and Vinification, at the same time using state of the art technology to capture varietal and regional character.

Although the name derives from the Roman historian Pliny the Elder’s observation: “In Vino Veritas” ~ “In Wine There Is Truth,” Veritas believes that the truth in their wine is in the grapes. Veritas remains true to the terroir and the varietal, and makes wine that is an authentic expression of the beautiful place that they are grown.