Yes, Virginia Does Have a Wine Country

Yes, Virginia Has a Wine Country by NANCY HELLMRICH A good one, with over 300 wineries and an historically renowned native grape

When I arrive at the Chrysalis Vineyards manor house, I find Jenni McCloud reviewing plot maps in what should be her living room but has given way to the businesses at hand—an expansive vineyard, greenhouse, creamery, bakehouse, and tasting center. “This property is 412 acres; it came in two separate land acquisitions,” she says as she smooths out the map. “The first one, which we call Locksley, is right here. And then Caeli, down here, was added in 2008.”

I have traveled to Middleburg, Virginia, to interview the plucky vintner about a wine grape called Norton, which sounds decidedly un-French—and for good reason. Jenni started Chrysalis Vineyards in the mid-1990s after a series of character-building entrepreneurial efforts that culminated in the lucrative sale of a software business. “I’d heard those stories that you retire and then you die,” she recalls. Instead of retiring, she attended a viticulture conference and hired expert winemaker Alan Kinne. “Alan’s like: ‘What do you like?’ I say: I really like the fruit forwardness of Spanish reds. So he says: ‘Well, okay, let’s go to Spain.’ I’m like: All right. Let’s go to Spain.”

As Jenni powers her Jeep up a hill between blocks, she gives me the lay of the land. The varietals she and Alan planted, Albariño (ahl-bah-ree-nyoh) and Viognier (vee-aa-nyay), have already been harvested. But the Nortons are still on the vines. “So this is Norton,” Jenni says with her arm out the window, fingers outstretched as though she is tickling the wide, green leaves. “This is Virginia’s native grape, named after Daniel Norborne Norton.” Norton is a joy for Jenni to grow because, unlike imported European varietals, it is native to Virginia’s terrior.

Cultivated at a time when the newly minted United States were trying to break free of their dependence on the Old World, Norton (vitis aestivalis) is America’s contribution to the world’s fine red wines, hardy enough to withstand Virginia winters and remarkably disease resistant. Jenni experimented with the vines at first. But when the first wines came in, she quadrupled down, putting in 40 acres—the largest planting of Norton in the world.

“Hold on. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. This row right here?” She stops the Jeep and we get out. “I was doing a tour, coming up through the vines, this row was dead to the ground. I’m like, ‘What the--?!’ Row eight’s fine, ten’s fine? Lightning had struck this row and gone down the cambium of every single vine.” I scrutinize the lush, healthy, heavily fruited vines, looking for flaws. “The reason I’m pointing

it out is: we did nothing. That row was dead in 2002; one or two years later, it all came back. Norton grows on its own roots.” With thick clusters of juicy, near-black grapes supported by strong vines, “Norton is incredibly versatile,” she says. “I can make all sorts of wines—from semi-sweet, juicy, fruity, to slightly spritzy rosé, all the way up to our flagship 25-year ageable Locksley Reserve Norton.” And she does.

Inside her tasting center, the mood is brighter and more optimistic than in the contemplative tasting rooms of Europe or the U.S. west coast. Outside, kids are doing cartwheels in the grass while adults share flights of wine, pizzas, and house-made cheeses. Jenni and I sit at a table overlooking her 412 acres of blood, sweat, and tears—productive acres that exist because a fearless entrepreneur had the sheer audacity to cultivate a sizeable vineyard specific to Virginia’s terrior.

On the table in front of us are the bottled fruits of her labors. Albariño and Viognier, yes. But also Norton. Norton wines that taste of the independence, resilience, and persistence that is the core of the American spirit. They are good, not like a California Cabernet or a French Merlot. They’re good like the United States. Earthy, true to their own character, adaptable, and enduring. “Have you heard of malinchismo, the belief that things are better outside your own culture?” she asks. “That’s kind of how these wines are treated. But you know what? If it tastes good to you, it’s good wine. That’s all that matters. Remember, it’s a beverage.”

It does taste good to me. The Albariño Verde has an exciting effervescence and beachy citrus notes. The Viognier offers a creamier sensation with ripe peaches and cantaloupe. And the Nortons surprise the heck out of me. The Barrel Select delivers a bit of oomph and notes of mocha, cherry, and cloves. Sarah’s Patio Red is a refreshing strawberry and cherry semi-sweet rosé, light and playful.

As we sip, Jenni points to a spot in the distance and identifies the Bull Run Mountains, “as in the first major battle of the Civil War.” Closer to us, is a section of grassy acres where she plans to plant more vines. “Do you know what you’ll put in?” I ask. “Every once in a while,” she muses, “Nortons produce white fruit. So I’ve been after a white Norton with that acidity, you know, the fruitiness, it would be a great white wine.”

Ask your travel advisor to put together a wine tasting tour in Loudoun County, Virginia.

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Norwegian Epic

9-Day Mediterranean: Italy, France & Spain May – August 2023

Ports of Call: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Naples, Italy Cagliari, Sardinia Palma, Majorca Ibiza, Spain Barcelona, Spain Cannes, France Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Irresistible Italy

by MARY LUZ MEJIA AND MARIO STOJANAC

Searching for Northern Italy’s best chocolate, wine, cheese, and bread

For most, Milan conjures images of high fashion, high finance, and the white, sculpted spires of the city’s duomo. Nearby Turin is known for Fiats, the shroud, and the fevered frenzy of rivaling soccer teams. But for me, a certified chocolate connoisseur, and Mario, a sommelier in training, these cities and their surrounding countryside offer much more than designer clothes and cars. They offer a taste of terroir in the form of the world’s best chocolate, exquisite Italian bubbly (spoiler alert, it’s not Prosecco), historic cheeses, and the working man’s bread.

Chocolate Fit for Nobility

In the 17th century, European nobility developed a sweet tooth for chocolate. In Northern Italy, drops of the stuff were melted into water and enjoyed as a drink. In Piedmont, cacao became such an expensive commodity during the Napoleonic wars, that local hazelnuts were combined with chocolate to cut costs. By melding the two, gianduia was born. And, while the spread has been made internationally famous by Nutella®, it was a former pastry chef outside of Torino who elevated the combination to near cult-following status.

Guido Castagna’s gianduia is of the highest quality. He says his secret is respect—for the cacao, for the farmers who grow the raw ingredients, and for the processes he employs to achieve exceptional results. His award-winning Giuinott takes a 150-year-old gianduiotto recipe and modernizes it to create a velvety combination of Venezuelan Chuao cacao and PGI Piedmont hazelnuts. I can never resist buying these triangular-shaped, bronze foil-wrapped, chocolate hazelnut bites of bliss, a jar of his 55+ chocolate hazelnut spread, and his bean-to-bar fine chocolate tablets.

Bottling Alchemy

Along a narrow, 12.4 mile strip south of Lake Iseo, only 40 minutes from bustling Milan, lies Franciacorta. Here, a mere 127 wineries produce some of Europe’s most intriguing and delicious metodo classico (sparkling wines). The first producer to bottle this grape juice, yeast, and sugar alchemic reaction in this region was Berlucchi Winery. Beginning 1955, Guido Berlucchi and Franco Ziliani worked together to improve the quality of the region’s white wine. Ziliani, a lover of Champagne, suggested they try to create their own sparkling wine. Six years of trial and error later, the first 3,000 bottle vintage was released.

On a tour of the cellar and estate, Mario and I learned the nuances of this family-run vineyard, and eventually made our way to the old Palazzo Lana kitchen, where we had the opportunity to try the 1961 Berlucchi Brut and Berlucchi Nature Blanc de Blancs. The former is a 90/10 blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, whose aroma reminded Mario of bread crust, followed by a hit of citrus. The 100% Chardonnay Nature is a zero-dosage wine, and understandably drier, though it stood up very well to our accompanying snacks. We walked away with a bottle of each.

Formidable Formaggio

On our way back from Franciacorta, we made a slight detour past Brignano to visit a small producer of awardwinning goat and sheep’s milk cheeses. Caseificio Lavialattea is located in an unassuming residential area that had us checking our GPS. Once inside, with their many medals in full view, it was clear we had found the right place. Cheesemaker Lorenzo Facchetti initially seemed shy but, once he started talking cheese, there was no stopping him. While many of the cheeses were absolutely superb, the Piramide del Pastore had us exchanging knowing looks. A soft cheese rolled in vegetable ash, this blend of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk has an earthy, umami layer of truffles—making it irresistible.

Traveling Bread

Accompanying our cheese and wine, we found some impossibly fragrant local strawberries and now only needed to find a bread to round out our feast. Lucky for us Milan’s Mercato Centrale, is adjacent to the Milano Centrale, the train station from which we are departing. We find Master baker Davide Longoni’s Pane Terra stall in the market. The staff takes time to explain the various loaves regional origins. We choose a Pan Tramvai (Tram Bread), a pleasantly sweet sourdough studded with raisins. It’s traditionally eaten in the Lombardy region and is so-called in honor of the tram travelers connecting Monza to Milan.

With loaf in hand, like those who traveled before us, we jump on a train to our next destination with our northern Italian picnic and enjoy every bite of terroir that brought these edible masterpieces to being.

Call us today to plan your own Northern Italian culinary adventure.

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