RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ State officials say a good growing season and new plantings boosted Virginia’s wine grape harvest in 2014 Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Wednesday that growers produced 8,039 tons of wine grapes last year. That’s a 17 percent increase from 2013 and the wine industry’s second-largest harvest. The largest harvest, about 8,600 tons, was in 2009. The Virginia Wine Board’s 2014 commercial grape report says the number of bearing acres increased by 56, while newly planted acres rose by 67. Several grape varieties saw strong growth, including Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. Virginia is the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producer.
