For someone who grew up in a state with just nine wineries, it might come as a surprise that Fargo, North Dakota, native Carolyn Covington is now a certified level three wine educator with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and a WSET Diploma candidate. Better known to her 117,000 Instagram followers as American Wine Girl at @CarolynCoving, Covington has carved out a space for herself in the world of wine—one curated tasting, travel itinerary, and educational post at a time.
Her roots, though firmly planted today in the rolling hills of Keswick, began in agriculture of a different kind. Her father worked in land sales, helping farmers buy and sell property in the Midwest, but vineyards were far from her radar. It wasn’t until college that Covington first began to see wine not just as a beverage, but as a lens into culture and connection. While earning her business and marketing degree at the University of Minnesota, she spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy—an experience that would reshape her future.
It was there, among Tuscan hills and candlelit trattorias, that she had what she calls her “aha” wine moment. “I realized wine was more than just what’s in the glass,” Covington says. “It was history, geography, tradition. It was art.”
After returning to the U.S., she graduated and began her career in Los Angeles, where she worked in event design and marketing while navigating a long-distance relationship with her now-husband, who was living in Charlottesville. Each visit to see him pulled her further into the rhythms of central Virginia life—and deeper into its budding wine scene.
“I could see myself living here and working at a winery and pursuing my wine blog,” she says. “So that’s what I ended up doing.”
In 2018, Covington launched The American Wine Girl blog as a creative outlet to share wine picks with friends. She worked at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards from 2019–2023, where she helped develop and lead the estate tours and tastings, host wine tasting classes, and train the staff on wine education. What began as casual recommendations soon evolved into something more serious: she completed levels 1 through 3 of WSET’s wine education program in just a year, and then she began leaning into social media, sensing the platform’s power to connect and educate fellow wine lovers.
Pippin Hill’s Chardonnay. Photo by Sera Petras
Today, Covington splits her time between creating digital wine tutorials and pairing guides, leading in-person tasting events, and designing immersive travel experiences to celebrated wine regions around the world—from South Africa to the picturesque rolling hills of her new hometown in Virginia’s Monticello wine region. There, her guide recommends Merrie Mill Farm and Vineyard for its unique vibe, Southwest Mountain Vineyards for its Grüner Veltliner, and Barboursville Vineyards for their Bordeaux-style sips like “Octagon” that show off the terroir’s full potential. From the Old World charm of France to the groundbreakers right around her corner of Virginia, she’s become a trusted guide for oenophiles seeking both expertise and inspiration.
And even with her global reach, it’s Virginia wine that holds her heart.
“We’re still a young wine region,” she says. “And with our climate—high humidity, fungal pressures, persistent pests—growing grapes here isn’t easy. It takes innovation and a willingness to experiment.”
In conversations with local winemakers, Covington has observed an ongoing effort to define what Virginia wine can—and should—be. “Napa has its bold Cabernets. Oregon is known for Pinot Noir. But Virginia? We’re still figuring that out,” she says. “Viognier had a moment, and there was a push for Meritage-style blends. Lately, I’ve seen more interest in Petit Manseng and even lesser-known Italian whites. Every year, people are trying something new. It’s exciting to watch it evolve.
She lets her online audience in on her latest finds in Virginia’s evolution, sharing gems like Early Mountain Vineyards’ Novum, a red blend she commends for its smoothness and full body.
The region’s sense of growth extends to her own journey. While she’s now a professional in the wine space, she’s also dipped her toes into the grower side of things. A few years ago, she and her husband, Maurice, planted 4 acres of vines on a parcel of land in Virginia, intending to grow grapes and possibly create a hospitality-focused retreat. “We were thinking about Airbnb cabins or a small event space,” she says. “We never intended to go full winery.”
Plans shifted, and the couple sold the land to another aspiring vintner, an experience she says only deepened her appreciation for what goes into every bottle. “It gave me a better understanding of just how hard vineyard work really is.”
When she’s not championing Virginia wine, you’ll likely find Covington traveling with her husband, chasing new terroirs, and sipping her way through the world.
Whether she’s leading a bachelorette party through a curated Charlottesville tasting, teaching her followers how to properly open a bottle of sparkling wine, or sharing behind-the-scenes vineyard content, Covington’s message is the same: Wine should be approachable, exciting, and never dictated by trends.
“Just because you’re in Argentina doesn’t mean you have to drink Malbec,” she says with a smile. “There’s always more to explore—and that’s what keeps it fun.”
Covington explores vineyards in South Africa. Photos courtesy of Carolyn Covington
This article originally appeared in the October 2025 issue.
