Sweet Briar College has received a commitment of a $500,000 gift from Cornelia Long Matson to support the college’s viticulture activities, which are a centerpiece of the school’s agricultural enterprises.
Virginia’s rapidly growing wine industry offers a ready market for Sweet Briar’s grapes, as upwards of 75% of grapes for wines marketed from the Commonwealth must be grown within the state, and vintners periodically experience shortages.
Fields with the appropriate slopes, elevations, soils and accessibility on the schools 3,200-acre campus have been designated for the development of a wine grape production model over a three-year period. Rootstock for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc varietals—identified as most appropriate for Sweet Briar’s microclimate—were planted in spring 2019.
Matson has international experience in wine. She and her husband owned and operated a vineyard and winery in Dordogne, France, from 1998 to 2013, and they sold their wine all over the world.
In addition to the viticulture activities, the College’s agricultural operations include an apiary and a 26,000-square-foot greenhouse, scheduled to open in just a few weeks. These initiatives are part of Sweet Briar’s commitment to educating future leaders in agriculture, sustainability and conservation.
This is particularly important in the Commonwealth of Virginia. About 36% of primary farm operators in Virginia are female. Grapes and viticulture account for more than $19 million in cash receipts for Virginia farmers, and agriculture provides more than 334,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.