“To proudly restore Virginia wines to world renown, and celebrate the homecoming of Norton, The Real American Grape!®”
Chrysalis Vineyards is about growing Norton, along with other tested European varieties, which thrive in our soils and climate. Our mission is to produce wines of such distinction that they stand solely on their own merits as world-class wines, without any further explanation or excuse (you know, the old “Well, this is pretty good for a Virginia ___.”). And Norton is from here… it’s ours… our own native Virginia grape, Vitis aestivalis. How cool is that? We think very much so.
And “here” means this beautiful land, with its deep and long history of productive agriculture. “Here” is this place that has kept its soul and beauty throughout the centuries and is now blossoming again with new agriculture, after a painfully long decline. We take great pride in being part of this laudable effort to restore and revive the productivity of our lands, to again be known, albeit now in a modern sense, but nonetheless similar to when George Washington called Loudoun County “the breadbasket of the American Revolution”. The idea of restoring and celebrating the agricultural productivity of this land through responsible stewardship, offering its bounty to our friends and neighbors in a fun and educational way, and again growing our wonderful native “gem” Norton... Virginia’s real contribution to the world’s great red wines… is what we’re all about.
Come see for yourself, and marvel in the beauty and renewed productivity of this land.
-- Jennifer McCloud, Proprietor