Hometown: Hermann, Missouri

Item that is always in your fridge: Wine

Most challenging wine pairing: Blackened Salmon – I chose to pair a lighter fruit forward red such as our Cotes d'Orange, classic Grenache based Rhone style blend.

Best thing about the Virginia Wine Industry: It’s a growing industry with dramatic increases in the level of quality across all producers.

Worst thing about the Virginia Wine Industry: Compared with other wine producing states, Virginia has gone backwards in terms of government cooperation with the industry. Looking at California, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey each of these states has been more encouraging than Virginia in recent years.

Favorite Bumper Sticker or saying: “Drink Virginia Wine”

Comfort Food: Steak and potatoes with fresh asparagus

Most embarrassing moment: At an event once we ran out of food for the attendees.

Most over rated virtue: Wine snobbery – Horton makes a wide array of wines for a wide array of palates. Some in the wine industry look down their nose at our fruit wines; my rule of thumb is not to make only those wines I like but to make wines the customers like. I have to tell you I sell a lot of fruit wine.

Favorite Wine: In whites I really like a dry Gewürztraminer; the grape is really difficult to grow here in Virginia. In reds, I tend toward the heavy side with a Tannat or a heavy Cabernet Sauvignon

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