What’s so Great about Virginia wines?

Northern Virginia Chrysalis Vineyard (June, 2017):

School’s out.  And summer fun is ramping up at Chrysalis Vineyards. The June Pickup Party features a few new twists.

On the sunny upper deck, VIP members are shaded beneath broad umbrellas.  They casually graze on crisp veggies and sweet local strawberries, great counterpoints to the monthly selects.  Chilled  2016 Mariposa is just right for the warm day.  It is colorful, clear and vibrantly fruity.  The 2016 Private Reserve Red is a bold Norton blend, subtly enhanced with grapes grown on the grounds, but  native to France and Portugal.

Indoors, the Tasting Room staff conducts a Trivia contest.  But a true highlight of this evening is a personal tour of the nearly complete commercial kitchen below.

Jenni’s eyes sparkle as she points out features and paints a flavorful picture of delicacies soon to be prepared from all Ag District products.  These will be enjoyed by VIP Members and guests only.

Northern Virginia Chrysalis Vineyard (May 2017):

It’s like being in your own backyard, only better. You step out on the patio and look up to see the Bull Run Mountains in the distance. You hear the herd of heritage dairy cattle lowing and swooshing in long, green grass. Grape leaves rustle in the wind. Kabobs sizzle on the grill. And you are surrounded by friends you haven’t met yet.

The original Chrysalis Vineyards Tasting Room, a simple converted farmhouse, has been transformed once again. Now it’s the exclusive VIP members clubhouse reserved for monthly subscribers to enjoy on weekends, pickup parties and other members-only events. It’s a familiar venue for those like us who have been hanging out here before the Ag District was opened.

We check out emerging Norton grapes on the vine, watch kids race around the family area and chat with fellow members. The hearty, lip smacking 2015 Petit Verdot is a particular favorite of ours, so we grab another bottle to take home. But the crisp, vibrant 2016 Albarino Verde, still not publicly released, is too inviting to resist.

We settle in the shade on this warm, windy evening and enjoy a picnic, content, and prefectly relaxed. We sense the approval of Sarah Girtrude Lynn, lying in quiet repose nearby, and feel like we are right at home.

Northern Virginia Chrysalis Vineyard (April 2017):

Early April in northern Virginia, so Winter and Spring continue their confused courtship. My travel companion Peggy and and I have taken twisty back roads to Chrysalis Vineyards’ monthly VIP wine pickup party. Today it’s a brunch event, a first for us.

In the spacious tasting room we are greeted like family by Manager Laurie and her staff. Soon we are enjoying a large brunch buffet: smoked salmon with cream cheese on bagels, hot sausage links, bite size quiche, fruit, yogurt and more.  Then we take advantage of our complimentary tasting. Chrysalis VIP members are offered 4 free rounds of tastings, not just 2, with any visit. The Albarinos are fresh and invigorating, as is the Viognier. But the four distinctive varieties of Norton remind us why we keep coming back.

Our monthly pickups include a 2015 Sarah’s Patio Red which is just right for this sunny afternoon. It’s all Norton, but fermented in steel emphasizing a native fruitiness. Served chilled, it’s a congenial semi-sweet rose that’s deceptively dark in color.  There’s also a 2013 Hollin Reserve Tannat which is hearty and complex and will warm us tonight by a late seasonal fire at home.  There seems to be no better way to shake off the winter chill and celebrate the coming Spring than with Chrysalis wines at the Ag District.