Early Mountain Vineyards

Maya Hood White

Virginia

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Early Mountain Vineyards was born out of a vision to produce wines in Virginia that could stand side-by-side with the best wines in the world. Since 2012, owners Jean Case and her husband, Steve, have brought that vision to life, leading the effort to catapult America’s first wine region onto the global fine wine map by committing to quality in everything they do and proudly proclaiming that Early Mountain is “Virginia through and through.” The winery’s success has played a key role in the growth of this burgeoning region and brought many accolades and awards.  

From the beginning, we recognized that focusing on specific sites in Virginia would be the key to unlocking the true potential of our winegrowing region. Led by our talented winemaker, Maya White Hood, we’ve dedicated ourselves to identifying the ideal vineyard sites for each grape variety. This commitment to place shines through in every bottle we produce. 

Born in California, as a Virginia transplant, Maya Hood White found a new passion for wine in central Virginia. With a background in mathematics and engineering, she later earned an M.S. in Viticulture and Enology from U.C. Davis, where her research focused on wine sensory. She gained hands-on experience at several boutique wineries across the state before joining Early Mountain, where she now leads both grape growing and winemaking. Known for her low-impact winemaking practices and site-driven wines, Maya was nominated for Wine Enthusiast’s and VinePair’s Winemaker of the Year in 2024.