"the best day ever."

chrysalis vineyards

10th annual norton bluegrass & wine festival

october 2nd & 3rd, 2010

middleburg, virginia

"I used to think northern Virginians were cold.  Then I figured out how to get them talking: take them to a vineyard and get 'em drunk."  -- Jeff, from Pennsylvania

The day passed too quickly; it was already six o'clock, and a disgruntled vineyard employee asked us to please stop petting the cattle and leave the property.  The gates were closing and all patrons needed to vacate the premises immediately.  Stumbling barefoot through knee-high grass (where were my shoes? and why was I not wearing them?) I waved goodbye to the grazing cows and wandered back to the parking lot, seriously considering taking a nap before driving home.  My wallet was empty, my head was light, and my stomach was full of wine and cheese and crackers and fruit.  The scratchy sound of the washboard from the bluegrass band was in my head.  My lips and teeth were tinged violet.

It really was the best day ever.

The wine tasting

Thinking it a dangerous idea to drink wine at 10am, I arrived at the festival at 1230pm only to realize that we were late. Lauren, Jeff and I had already purchased our $15 tickets online ($20 at the door) so it was easy for us to saunter in, get our yellow wristbands and our complimentary Chrysalis wine glasses and make a reservation for a tasting.  It was crowded, but not overwhelmingly so; one employee said this was the busiest its been in the ten years she had been working the Norton events.

For those of you not familiar with the wonder of the Norton grape, let me provide you with a short history.  The Norton grape is native to Virginia, especially in the Piedmont region, where Middleburg is located.  Because of its growth solely in North America, it is often referred to as "The Real American Grape."  The Norton grapes' taste can be described as age-worthy, acidic and tannic, as well as "jammy."  I'm not much of a wine connoisseur--basically, my ratings go from "tastes like wine" to "tastes like crap."  Chrysalis' Nortons all tasted delicious to me, especially their 2009 Barrel Select ($29/bottle), the release of which was saved for today to kick off the festival.  We sampled nine wines and loved all of them.  The wine tasting, scheduled for about 30 people and beginning every half hour, lasted about twenty-five minutes.

Enticed? Want to visit the 71 acres of vineyards at Chrysalis Vineyards?  See

http://www.chrysaliswine.com/ for directions and hours of operation.

Sampling the merchandise

Olive oils.  Tapenades.  Dark chocolates.  Cheeses.  More wine.  

Yes, it's true: you are in heaven.

After being traumatized last weekend by the Bluemont Fair's buy-buy-buy atmosphere, I cringed when I saw the all-too-familiar white tent on the Chrysalis property.  Here we go again, I thought.  However, the vendors were small in number and their merchandise was actually quite unique.  Paintings, photographs, handmade jewelry and crocheted goods, and, of course, my favorite section: the food area.  We tried a variety of different olive oils, some with hints of lemon and orange, as well as an aged basalmic vinegar that literally put a smile on my face, going for a pricey $25 a bottle.  Tapenades were $10 a jar, and the chocolates were $25 for a box containing about twenty pieces.  I didn't buy anything, although the cinnamon and forest berry chocolates are still on my mind.  I hovered around the sample table for awhile and filled up on free goods.

Bluegrass on the hill

Ah, bluegrass music: Old Crow Medicine Show, Chris Thile, The Everybodyfields...the list goes on.  I love it all.  It's unfortunate that I don't get to see much of it performed live in Loudoun, especially in such a naturally beautiful venue.  The festival showcased three bands playing throughout the day beginning with The Jackass Flats in the morning, A Good Natured Riot in the afternoon and finishing up with Hickory Ridge.  Families pulled out their coolers and picnic blankets and sat in the sunshine enjoying the wine, the music, and the atmosphere.  Occasionally people would leave the grassy knoll and head down to the road where the hayride made its departure every thirty minutes.  Without a reservation, it was hopeless to get a spot on the wagon; I inquired politely on three occasions if I could sneak on ("But I write a blog! And it's about Loudoun County! And I deserve a spot on that hay bale next to that screaming child!") but my efforts were futile.  Oh, well.  Guess I'll just have to sit on my blanket and drink more wine then.

A Good Natured Riot

Rural Middleburg

At the start of this blog I mentioned how easily I could become lost while running in my neighborhood.  Take a turn down an unknown street and one can be frustratingly disoriented for hours amongst the sameness that characterizes suburban "NoVa."  As soon as I stepped out of my car and onto the Chrysalis property, however, I didn't care so much about getting lost.  In fact, I welcomed the opportunity.  The openness, the trees, the rolling hills, cattle grazing in a grassy field, dirt paths winding alongside wooden fences--I felt like Maria in the beginning scenes of The Sound of Music.  "So, this is Loudoun," I overheard an out-of-town patron say to his local friends, nodding with approval at the agrarian landscape before him.  "No, this is what Loudoun was, and won't be for too much longer," his friend replied.  I gave this local a dirty look and looked back at the map of Loudoun that I now carry in my purse at all times, seeing for the first time a divide between the developed East and the rural West.  East is where the little boxes spring up, where a Harris Teeter can be found every ten miles.  But West--West, I'm learning, is different.  The thought that the Loudoun I experienced at the festival could disappear riled me.  

In writing this blog I wanted to understand what Loudoun really is at its roots, all it has to offer its residents and tourists alike, what beauty and community and tradition lies in its vineyards and restaurants and festivals.  Jennie McCloud, proprietor of Chrysalis Vineyards, thanked us wine tasters for supporting the local agriculture amidst all the other choices and opportunities we have for entertainment today.  Like what? I wondered.  Outlet mall shopping?  Another Jersey Shore marathon?  As I looked out over the bucolic scenery that surrounded me, I felt like I was beginning to possess a sense of place and pride in where I come from.  I haven't quite put my finger on it yet: the words natural, wholesome, and American come to mind.  Annie Dillard, celebrated nature writer of The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, wrote about understanding Virginia: "We must somehow take a wider view, look at the whole landscape, really see it, and describe what's going on here."  Each week that I venture out West and away from the humdrum hurried subdivisions, the closer I come to understanding what's really going on in Loudoun County.

The new face of Loudoun?

The best day ever?  I'll toast to that.

Cheers to Lauren, Jeff, Joanna and Corinne for fest-ing with me!