chrysalis vineyards

We always have a wonderful time sampling wine and hanging out at Chrysalis Vineyards. Everyone is friendly. We usually buy a bottle of our favorite and hang out sipping wine and eating cheese!

A group of us went for an outing and had a blast. The person conducting the tasting was fun and enjoyable. Kept the atmosphere light and happy. They were able to explain everything about the wines and answered all of our questions. The tasting was also enjoyable. We got to try 12 wines, a great deal since I have been to a place or two that do like 5-6, so we were happy about that. Especially since they ranged from white to red and had everything else in between. Would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great time out!

Visited with a friend for a day of wine tasting. The grounds of this vineyard is beautiful even in the dead of winter. There were quite a few other guest but plenty of room to slide up to the tasting area. The host was friendly and very welcoming, she share the story of the vineyard and its history surrounding Sarah Pollard. The wines were very good and my favorite to were 2013 Sarah's Patio Red and 2013 Norton Schitz & Giggets. The tasting cost was reasonable and they told us about their annual Jazz Festival on the grounds in May. I hope to attend that, if I do, I will definitely share the experience. Overall a great find and a must try.

My husband and I decided to go to Chrysalis on Friday despite the weather not being too good. Just another couple was there. We were immediately welcomed with a big smile.We decide to do the full tasting. Our pourer was Laurie. She was so nice, so friendly, and just over all making you feel so welcome ! That is what we like to see from a winery!! And that is what makes us going back for years!We are sooo happy to hear that Chrysalis is having a beauriful huge new tasting room built, and we can't wait !But we will return before that because we like to be served by Laurie againWe love to meet the owner one day so we can tell how happy we were with the service.The wines are very good and we even bought a bottle of the Norton reserve to take home and to keep few more years with our collection.By the time we left it was snowing

This is the winery that rediscovered the Norton grape as the Virginia contribution to American wines so it was good to finally be there for a tasting. The process starts in a smaller area in one house and then moves to a much larger "barrel room" for the actual tasting. it was cold this weekend, which put a bit of an edge on really enjoying the wines. The menu is varied with some interesting wines to be sampled. We expected much better than we got, a signal that even at a premier vineyard, Virginia wines still have some work to do to be top of the line. The bottles for sale are pricey. A pretty good staff so the experience so Chrysalis should be on your tour. Note the lengthy and rough road to get there, however.

We've visited many wineries in VA and this one ranks in our top 10 of "not worth trying." Not because of the service, as the staff was friendly and pleasant (although it was a little odd that the guy doing our tasting was drinking right along with us and it wasn't just to taste a freshly corked bottle). But for a couple other reasons:1. The layout - You come into the "tasting room" (which is the main house or room) and pay there for the tasting experience you want. The prices are reasonable, considering the amount of wines you'll be tasting. Then you walk outside to the barrel room, where you do the tasting. Barrel room tastings are nice and can add that little "pizzazz" that impresses some folks. But this barrel room/warehouse was freezing cold! We went on a cold day in January and we may have well just had the tasting outside - not very comfy!2. They produce too many wines and don't perfect any. Just our opinions, but overall, the wines were mediocre at best. They do make way too many, including a complete tannat, which is great as a mixing grape, but powerful on its own. Even still, it didn't taste as well as others we've had of the same varietal. We actually poured a couple out, which is something we rarely ever do.We've tried their wines at a festival or two and didn't think much of them there and we've had friends who are into wine advise us not to waste our time, but we always like to try for ourselves.So, feel free to give them a try, you might like them. Just not what we seek in wine nor in a winery/tasting room experience.

This past summer, I joined the club at Chrysallis. In early December, a friend and I combined our birthday party benefit by invited 10 people to a wine tasting and birthday cake. It was great fun on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The view alone is worth the trip. And the wines are very good also

After reading the book, The Wild Vine, we just had to visit the winery and learn more about the Norton grape. It was a wonderful time. Great wines and tasting experience. Beautiful grounds although it was chilly when we were there. It is located about a mile off the main road but well worth the drive. Definitely will visit again when in area.

A lot of winery choices but this is the best and my favorite. Great tasting experience but I wish they would pave the access road. All wines, from reds to whites are great and smartly priced. Taster was a former Air Marshall and had great stories. Came away with a case of wine, great memories and plenty of snapshots of the beautiful grounds

Anyone who says they had a bad experience at this winery must be a real wine snob or in some kind of hurry. Chrysalis has a large, unique selection of wines, and hearing the stories about each of them is fun, and a part of the wine tasting process. I'm a member, so I visit often, and it's amazing that I learn something new every time I go; every single one of their staff is knowledgeable. Definitely visit! They are in the middle of building a new tasting room, not far down the road from the current one, so if you prefer indoor plumbing (right now all they have is port-o-potties), wait to visit that one.

My wife and I visited this vineyard last weekend and were completely disappointed. The disappointment started immediately when we were told the tastings are done on a precise schedule. Secondly, the weather has quite brisk though they insisted on having the tastings outside. This made no sense considering the fall/winter tasting room was available and not being used. The worst part of the entire experience is the actual tasting. You're forced to listen to long diatribes behind each wine poured. Hello!? This is why you have tours and tasting separate. The stories would have been tolerable if the tasting sizes lasted the length of the story. They do not. We were literally standing around for 5-10 minutes per pour listening to stories. Their wine was decent but nothing to write home about and the vineyard is not worth another visit if their tasting practices remain the same. If you want to spend over an hour tasting 8-10 wines, this place is for you. However, if you cherish your time, I'd recommend venturing elsewhere. One good point is that it's pet friendly.

A lot of what they make uses the Norton grape, and most of it is pretty decent. Worth a visit if you're in the area. Our tasting featured 12 wines, which was a bit much but you get a good variety. They also have a "family area" on one side of the property.

This is a very out of the way vineyard. The long dirt mostly one way road from the main road to the winery left our black car covered in dust. There are port a johns as restrooms and wine tastings available for purchase. It was worth it over all because we had a wonderful day with our friends in this beautiful countryside setting. We will visit this one again.

This winery has a lot to offer even the most discerning wine palate. The wine maker can do more with the Norton grape than any other vineyard I have ever visited. The bid surprise was that there is more than just Norton wines. They have a very nice Albarino and a Tannat that is worthwhile taking home. The place is beautiful and the staff is knowledgeable. You won't regret making the trip.

On a perfect autumn day at their Bluegrass Festival, Chrysalis Vineyards highlighted their wide selection of Norton wines. With the largest acreage of Norton grapes, the truly American grape, Chrysalis has produced a marvelous array of high quality wines that have garnered multiple awards. This last tasting included four white, one rose, two semi-sweet and five red wines. Tastings are informative, relaxed and scheduled throughout the day. Located at the end of a narrow unpaved road, the vineyard sits on a hilltop with expansive views, barbecue grills and areas to picnic. There is a designated family area and many visitors with their dogs. The fees for tasting are nominal and if you opt to join their VIP wine club, you receive complementary tastings for four people whenever you visit. Give yourself a gift, take a drive into the beautiful Virginia countryside and enjoy a special day at Chrysalis.