More than 130 wineries across the state submitted a total of 670 wines for a chance to win a gold medal and earn a place in the Governor’s Cup case, which features the top 12 red and white wines.

One of the 12 wines earns the distinction of the Governor’s Cup, as well as the title of “Best Wine in the Commonwealth.”

A world class panel of wine judges evaluated each wine on its merit using a 100-point scale — an industry standard — to rate the most outstanding wines Virginia has to offer.

This year’s case features a wide variety of styles and taste:

• 2023 meritage
• 2023 vermentino
• 2024 cabernet franc
• 2023 Two Springs
• 2023 vin rouge
• 2024 Humility
• 2023 cabernet franc
• 2023 merlot reserve
• 2018 blanc de noir
• 2023 cabernet franc reserve
• 2024 petit manseng
• 2024 petit manseng

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ultimately handed out the Governor’s Cup to winemaker Corry Craighill, of Valley Road Vineyards.

“Valley Road Vineyards’ 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve showcases the exceptional craftsmanship and quality on display tonight, and I look forward to supporting these incredible vineyards over the next four years,” she said.

The governor underscored that the “dedication, innovation and agricultural strength” highlighted at the event “continues to elevate Virginia as one of our nation’s premier wine regions.”

Spanberger spoke to the tradition of excellence and accolades the Virginia wine industry receives across the country and around the world. She also pointed out its place in two of the top three industries in the Commonwealth, including agriculture and tourism.

Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Katie Frazier also pointed out how “wine and cider are important agricultural products for our Commonwealth and key contributors to our rural economy.”

“Valley Road Vineyards’ Governor’s Cup win highlights the innovation and talent driving Virginia’s wine industry forward, and winemakers like Corry Craighill continue to set new standards for quality across the Commonwealth,” Frazier said.

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Khalil Brooks-Clarke, 24, was charged with first- and second-degree murder, along with first- and second-degree child abuse following the death of his infant son, Kairo Brooks, on Dec. 27, according to .

Around 12:40 a.m., police were called to the 5400 block of Morris Avenue about an unconscious infant in an apartment. The baby was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

An autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

“Tragically, in many cases like this, there is never an opportunity for intervention by police or other services before it is too late. Infants and children, like Kairo, are among the most vulnerable members of our community and rely entirely on others for their safety and care,” George Nader, chief of Prince George’s County police, said in a statement.

The initial investigation revealed that Brooks-Clarke was the only caregiver with the baby when he was injured.

“Victims of domestic violence, regardless of age, are often unable to speak for themselves,” Nader said. “When victims cannot speak, we must speak for them.”

Brooks-Clarke is being held at the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections.

Police are asking anyone with information about this case to dial 301-516-2512, or submit an anonymous tip at 1-866-411-8477.

Below is a map of the area where the incident took place:

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Brandon Lee Smith, 27, was found “safe, and unharmed,” in Silver Spring, according to a statement from Montgomery County police.

Police had asked for the public’s assistance in Smith who had been last seen on Friday evening near the intersection of McGrath Blvd and Citadel Avenue in Rockville.

On Monday, police shared an updated flyer with photos of Smith the day he left home and asked anyone who has seen him to call 911.

Police said Smith was wearing black and green pajama pants, a gray Champion hoodie, and a royal blue North Face jacket when he was last seen Friday, .

He was carrying a gray bowl with a bag of cereal in it.

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Police said officers responded to a report of gunshots being heard in the 1300 block of South Capitol Street at K Street in Southwest just before 7 p.m.

Officers said they were “flagged down” for a man with “gunshot wound injuries.” He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

The man has been identified as Marc Butler Jr., 28, of no fixed address.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact .

A map of the area where the shooting happened is below.

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Prince William County police said officers were called to the parking lot of the Oasis at Montclair Apartment complex in the 16400 block of Stedham Circle shortly before 7 p.m. for the report of a hit-and-run crash.

Jose Vasquez Galvan, 37, of Dumfries, was standing outside his gold 1999 Lexus RX 300 SUV when someone got inside the vehicle, drove into Galvan then sped off, police said.

Investigators were notified Monday that Galvan died of his injuries at a hospital.

On Tuesday, police released surveillance images of the suspect.

Police are also still looking for Galvan’s gold 1999 Lexus RX 300 SUV, with Virginia license plate “TUW8710.” The vehicle has damage to the rear-left bumper area, taillight assembly, and possibly the rear-left rim. It also has a pair of ‘Baby on board’ stickers on the rear of the vehicle.

A map of the area where the man was struck and his SUV stolen is below.

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Prince George’s County police said officers responded to the 7500 block of Walker Mill Road, at Longleaf Drive, west of Walker Mill Regional Park, for a crash involving an ATV and a pickup truck around 10 p.m.

The adult male driver of the ATV, identified as 29-year-old Ronald Hayes, of Upper Marlboro, was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.

A female passenger of the ATV was taken to the hospital with what police called critical injuries.

According to police, the pickup truck driver was not injured and remained on the scene of the crash.

Investigators are working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422.

A map of where the crash happened in below.

������Ƶapp’s Jack Moore contributed to this report. 

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D.C. police said officers responded to the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue, near Boone Elementary School, where two men suffering from gunshot wounds were found conscious and breathing just after 6 p.m.

Both victims, one from Southwest and the other from Temple Hills, Maryland, were transported to by first responders to area hospitals.

Police said four additional victims, a male adult, female teenager and two male teenagers, were later found at hospitals receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.

An officer responding to the scene of the shooting was involved in a vehicle crash, suffering non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

D.C. police said officers were searching for a dark-colored Hyundai spotted near the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department’s tip line at 202-727-9099.

A map of the area where the shooting happened is below.

������Ƶapp’s Ivy Lyons contributed to this report.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated, following the release of additional information by D.C. police.

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The roadside sign, which read “We stand with Israel,” stood in front of Temple Beth Ami on Travilah Road just south of Darnestown Road.

In a statement on its Facebook page Sunday, officials representing the synagogue said staff members found that the sign defaced with with red spray paint, crossing out “Israel” with “Palestine.”

“Free speech, by definition, must include the right to assemble for peaceful protests, and for passionate public disagreements,” the statement said. “Those who defaced our signs are not interested in dialogue or debate. If they were, they would know, that like them, we also mourn for every innocent life lost – Palestinian and Israeli.”

Montgomery County police said officers received a call about the defacing just before 9 a.m. Sunday morning. It is believed the incident happened overnight.

No suspects are in custody at this time and police are investigating the incident.

“Vandalism is not free speech, it is a crime, and an attempt to intimidate our congregation,” the statement said, adding that a new banner will be put up as soon as possible.

Below is a map of where the incident took place.

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According to a statement from the department, the crash happened just after 4 p.m. near the intersection of Gallows Road and Anderson Drive in Merrifield.

Fairfax County Police indicated that a juvenile passenger in the sedan was taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

Officers are on scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a bus and a sedan at Gallows Rd & Anderson Dr in Merrifield. A juvenile occupant in the sedan was taken to hospital w/injuries considered life threatening. (1/2)

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD)

The current condition of the juvenile is unknown at this time.

A spokesperson for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) confirmed that a Metrobus was involved in the crash, but there were no injuries onboard.

The crash remains under investigation. A map of the approximate crash location is included below.

������Ƶapp’s Ivy Lyons contributed to this report.

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Saturday morning around 1 a.m., police said a man was in the crosswalk at the intersection of 16th Street and Newton Street NW. While crossing, he was struck by a Toyota Camry traveling northbound on 16th Street.

The driver of the Toyota Camry fled the scene, according to officials.

Officers said 39-year-old Delaverlure Dunbar, of Northwest D.C., was hospitalized after the crash. He died from his injuries Sunday, according to the department.

D.C. police are investigating the crash and ask anyone with information to contact the Metropolitan Police Department. An approximate crash location is included in the map below.

������Ƶapp’s Ivy Lyons contributed to this report.

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The shooting happened in the 21000 block of Stanford Square happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Friday, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Jaylin E. O’Brien was charged with , deputies said.

When deputies arrived, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release.

That man hasn’t been publicly identified by deputies.

O’Brien was taken to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.

Deputies are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 703-777-1021.

Below is a map where the shooting took place:

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The person fell over the jersey wall after a crash on Interstate 395 and Interstate 95, .

Baltimore City fire spokesman Kevin Cartwright that paramedics were called to a crash around 9:45 p.m.

While crews were assessing a crash victim, a second multivehicle crash occurred, causing one person at the scene to fall over the ledge, WBAL-TV reports.

Crews recovered the person’s body from the water. Fire officials confirmed that person was a civilian — not a first responder.

The interstate closed just before 11 p.m. and reopened by 1:45 a.m., according to the Maryland Transportation Authority

Southbound/ I-395 @ I-95 Police activity. ALL LANES CLOSED

— MDTA (@TheMDTA)

It isn’t clear what led up to the crashes.

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Over the past year, I have become familiar with medical terms that I could have gone my entire life without ever knowing what they mean: coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, community spread, super-spreader and my personal favorite, efficacy.

But on Jan. 18, 2021, my wife, Kathy, and I received a text, an email and a phone call that we were eligible to register for our first vaccination for COVID-19. We’re in Phase 1b in Fairfax County because of underlying medical conditions.

It was not lost on me that it would have been my Mom’s 89th birthday if she lived to see what our world has become. Kathy also found out that we were two of 41,000 residents that registered that day. The likelihood of getting our first vaccination soon seemed unlikely, but we were happy to get started on this journey.

On Monday, March 2, I woke up around 4 p.m. — I’ve been working the overnight shift in the ������Ƶapp Traffic Center since 2013, so that’s about normal. I got up and went to check my cellphone to find a text from Kathy saying, “You should have an email link to make your vaccine appointment, do it soon!” She had already made hers.

The email from the Fairfax County government had the magic paragraph: “Your information has been reviewed and it meets the eligibility requirements for the COVID vaccination at this time. You are invited to schedule an appointment online.”

I quickly went to the website and looked for the earliest appointment and at the location closest to where I live in Fairfax. Herndon was already booked; the remaining two choices were the Mount Vernon District Police Station or Eagle Bank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax. As an alum, it was an easy choice.

I grabbed the first available appointment — 10:45 a.m. Friday, March 5. I left work at 5:30 that morning, so I knew I would lose some sleep, but I can safely say it’s totally worth it.

I arrived at the arena about 30 minutes before my scheduled appointment. (They ask that you arrive 15 minutes early, but I like being an overachiever.) You are greeted at the entrance by a very cheerful person who points you in the right direction. A second person confirms your name and appointment time. The next greeter directs you to an open portal where they ask you for your ID, check your information, ask whether this is your first or second vaccine, and send you to the vaccination center.

Happy to accompany my friend and ⁦⁩ colleague ⁦⁩ as he gets his first shot. ⁦⁩ and ⁦⁩ hold mass vaccinations twice weekly, at Eagle Bank Arena, which will increase later this month.

— Neal Augenstein (@Augenstein������Ƶapp)

I walked to the first open chair where a friendly nurse asked me a few general questions including “Right arm or left arm? I’m set up to do the left, do you mind?”

A sleeve rolled up, a quick swab of alcohol, a pinch of muscle in my upper left arm, a quick stab of the needle, and I was on my way to chill for 15 minutes to make sure I do not have any sort of a reaction.

No fear — ‘s gets his first Pfizer vaccine at Eagle Bank Arena, in mass vaccination clinic run by and

— Neal Augenstein (@Augenstein������Ƶapp)

While waiting with about 50 other folks, we were entertained by a soundtrack of bright, upbeat music, while a student volunteer checked to make sure we were OK while dancing (I am told they hope to have live musicians performing in a couple of weeks).

When my 15 minutes elapsed, I was directed through the exit doors into the bright sunshine of a brisk, late winter morning.

From start to finish, the whole process took about 20 minutes — 20 minutes to feeling safer, for myself, for my wife, her sister and her 90-year-old father and his wife, whom we have not seen in person for over a year. I am also making my friends, my co-workers and my community safer too.

It was so worth losing the sleep!

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Of the 12 wines that made it to the Governor’s Cup case, the ultimate winner Tuesday was the 868 Estate Vineyards in Purcellville, which won the top prize for its 2017 Vidal Blanc Passito.

Gov. Ralph Northam presented the winner with the Governor’s Cup at an event held at the Main Street Station in Richmond.

This is the first winner to come from Loudoun County, and the first that was made from hybrid grapes or non-vinifera.

Below are wines named in the Governor’s Case:

• Afton Mountain Vineyards Tradition (2017)
• Barboursville Vineyards Octagon (2014)
• Barboursville Vineyards Vermentino Reserve (2018)
• Delaplane Cellars Williams Gap (2017)
• Lake Anna Winery Tannat (2017)
• Michael Shaps Wineworks Meritage (2016)
• Pippin Hill Vineyards Petit Verdot (2017)
• Pollak Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve (2017)
• Pollak Vineyards Smuggler (2017)
• Rockbridge Vineyard V d’Or (2017)
• Shenandoah Vineyards Shenandoah Reserve Red (2017)

The wines in the competition were made from 100% Virginia grapes. There were 19 judges, who used a unified coding system to judge the wines over a four-week period in January and February.

They sampled over 532 wines submitted by 102 wineries, in one of the most stringent and thorough competitions in the country.

Sixty-four of the wines submitted were awarded the prestigious gold medal with scores of 90 or above in the 100-point system.

The 64 gold-medal recipients represented 40 wineries from across the state.

Virginia’s wine history dates to 1570, but modern Virginia wine only hit its stride in the past four decades. In 1979, there were only six commercial wineries. Currently, there are over 300 wineries in Virginia, More than 50 are within an hour of D.C.

“I feel like we are just beginning to see the potential of what we can do in the soil and in this climate,” said Annette Ringwood Boyd, Virginia Wine’s board marketing director.

Her office handles the board’s education and marketing efforts on behalf of all Virginia wineries.

“I feel like it has taken us a little bit of time to figure out what grape varieties will grow here and to coax the best wines out of those vines,” Boyd said.

Early on in the 1970s and 1980s, Virginia was considered a cold-weather wine region, and everybody was planting riesling and thinking that was going to be the grape that was going to take off, Boyd said.

“But that didn’t really happen, and Virginia is now considered a warm-weather region,” Boyd said, pointing out that many types of grapes can grow in this climate.

Winning people over on Virginia wines has been a long battle. Unlike wines from Argentina and New Zealand that have hundreds of thousands of acres to plant grapes and can flood the market at low prices, Virginia growers have small family-owned farms that grow 20 to 30 acres of grapes at a time, similar to growers in Oregon and Burgundy.

“We’ve got a long battle. We’ve got to win people over one bottle at a time,” Boyd said.

And with the state’s climate and soil, “It’s expensive to grow grapes in Virginia,” Boyd said.

But the style of wine that comes out of the state is reminiscent of the Old World.

“If you love Old-World style wines, if you like the wines of Spain, Italy, France, you are going to find wines here that you not only like but love, and you should come check it out,” Boyd said.

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However, I have been a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals for most of my life, and I believe that the Redbirds will not only return to the World Series this year, but will win the title for the 12th time, second only to the hated New York Yankees.

The Cards’ offense has not been nearly as good as it was last year, but their pitching has been very solid. Led by ace Adam Wainwright (a 20-game winner), the staff finished in the top half of the league in most pitching stats. Young arms such as Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha round out the staff nicely.

Despite down years for several key hitters, the team finished in the top half of most of the hitting stats as well. Veteran players such as Yadier Molina, and Matt Holliday who have postseason experience set the tone for the team.

They also have emerging young talents such as third baseman Matt Carpenter, second baseman Kolten Wong and first baseman Matt Adams, who are solid contributors. I also think manager Mike Metheny, who is in his third season as the Cards skipper, has the experience to bring it all together now and give St. Louis another world title.

National League

• 
  ������Ƶapp Sports’ Jonathan Warner discusses how the Washington Nationals have all the ingredients to win: pitching, defense, hitting, power and speed.
• It’s time for Dodger Baseball
  ������Ƶapp Reporter Andrew Mollenbeck shares how he accidentally fell in love with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Buctober
  ������Ƶapp Sports’ J. Brooks says the Pittsburgh Pirates have promise and how a with a win in the Wild Card Game, they would give the Nationals a run for their money.
• Together, we can be Giant again
  ������Ƶapp Assistant Editor Joey Kahn looks at how the San Francisco Giants will win in 2014 after World Series victories in 2012 in 2010.

American League

• 
  ������Ƶapp Assistant Editor Samantha Loss, a lifelong Baltimore Orioles fan shares her thoughts on why the team will come out on top.
• 
  ������Ƶapp News Director Mitch Miller shares why the Detroit Tigers will motor through the tournament and eliminate the competition.
• 
  Adrian Spinelli, special to ������Ƶapp, states that Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Mike Trout, the offense and the bullpen can help the team.
• 
  ������Ƶapp Reporter Megan Cloherty shares why the Kansas City Royals deserve to make it to the World Series.
• 
  ������Ƶapp Sports Editor Noah Frank discusses the history of the Oakland A’s and what makes them a team competitors shouldn’t discount.

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