Have you ever wondered what it takes to transform a hillside into a world-class vineyard… or how a biochemist ends up making award-worthy sparkling wine in Virginia's emerging wine country?
Maybe you've tasted Virginia wine and been curious about what makes it so different from Californian or European wines. Or perhaps you're fascinated by the intersection of science and creativity—how chemistry, terroir, and artistic vision come together in a bottle.
You're not alone. So many wine lovers appreciate the final product but have no idea about the journey from grape to glass, or the challenges winemakers face in a region that's still defining itself.
The missing ingredient is almost always the same: understanding from someone who's actually doing the work—farming the land, making the wine, and building a sustainable winery from the ground up.
In this interview, I sit down with Theo Smith, owner and winemaker at Capstone Vineyards in Linden, Virginia, to talk about his journey from cancer research to winemaking, how he's building a premier wine destination, and the unique challenges and opportunities of Virginia viticulture.
## You'll learn:
✨ How a butterfly net changed Theo's career trajectory from veterinary medicine to winemaking
✨ Why Virginia's climate and collaborative culture make it fundamentally different from California wine country—and why that's a good thing
✨ The three methods of making sparkling wine (traditional/Champagne method, Charmat method, and forced carbonation) and why Theo focuses on the first two
✨ How Capstone's unique soil composition allows for precise varietal placement across the property
✨ The reality planting as "a very expensive game of trial and error"
✨ The philosophy behind staying 100% estate-grown and direct-to-consumer only
✨ What "bottle shock" really means and why Theo's new Blanc de Franc (white Cabernet Franc) is so exciting
✨ Why Theo would rather make sparkling and white wines than reds (but makes incredible reds anyway)
If you're a wine enthusiast curious about what really goes into winemaking, or you're dreaming of understanding Virginia wine beyond the tasting room, this episode will give you an insider's perspective on building a winery from the ground up in one of America's most exciting emerging wine regions.
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**Visit Capstone Vineyards** https://www.capstonevineyards.com/
https://www.instagram.com/capstone.vineyards/
https://www.facebook.com/capstonevineyards/
**Learn more about Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute** https://brocku.ca/ccovi/
**Join my email list for more wine country interviews and behind-the-scenes content!** https://www.gardenofmydelights.com/
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Theo and His Journey
3:47 What Makes Linden Special
7:08 Virginia Sparkling Wine
12:32 Science, Creativity, and Experience in Winemaking
15:53 The Collaborative Linden Region and Future Growth for Capstone
19:39 Wine Education
22:02 Wine Events
27:32 Champagne Method vs. Charmat Method
29:43 Blanc de Franc – White Wine from Red Grapes
32:52 Bottle Shock
33:38 Rosé
35:50 Weather and Insect Challenges
38:26 Cabernet Franc
41:59 Canadian Wines
