The freeze is still the story.
Two weeks after the April 21 hard freeze swept Virginia wine country, vineyards are reporting anywhere between 30–90% shoot damage, according to one expert at Virginia Tech (see Wine News).
Thankfully, it appears that the cold weather fluctuations are coming to an end, per a forecast from Wxrisk.com.
But there's still a lot to look forward to.
Mother's Day weekend is one week out — with some nice deals to go with it — and the festival circuit is filling up. Time to mark your calendars.
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: Mother’s Day, Virginia wine history and an industry tasting
🍾 Bottle of the Week: CrossKey Vineyards’ Sauvignon Blanc
🍷 New Releases: Lost Mountain’s first vintage under a new label
📰 Wine News: The freeze fallout and bracing for spotted lanternflies
👀 Behind the Scenes: One of the region’s leading winemakers talks Mediterranean white varietals and SMV plants 4,500 Chardonnay vines
💰 Deals: Linden Vineyard’s spring 4-pack
Events
Friday, May 8:
A history of Virginia wine: Walsh Family Wine is hosting a tasting with Nate Walsh covering the history and evolution of Virginia wine — with Norton pours to taste along the way.
Saturday, May 9:
PINKO PICNIC: Lightwell Survey Winery brings the PINKO DE MAYÓ series to the vineyard with the PINKO Picnic in Waynesboro. The winery is also debuting their ELECTRIC JUICE BOX, a rosé that’s predominantly Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin.
Spring vendors at La Grange: The Winery at La Grange is hosting a Spring Vendor Market with local makers, handmade goods, and specialty boutiques. Sip wine while you shop.
Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day):
Mother’s Day plans still TBD? The options are stacked: Fine dining experiences at Barboursville and Early Mountain, mimosa slushies at Saudé Creek, buffet brunch at CrossKeys, tastings at Keswick, and more.
Rosés from around the world: DuCard Vineyards is running their Armchair Expedition: Rosé Edition — a guided global rosé tasting with wine educator, Ann Czaja.
Tuesday, May 12:
A first-of-its-kind trade event: The first Virginia Craft Beverage Trade Tasting will be held at Sweeney Barn in Manassas, featuring more than 30 Virginia producers like Barboursville, Early Mountain and Pollak.
May 16 and beyond:
Corks & Forks Festival: The Corks & Forks Wine + Food Festival comes to Tom Scott Park in Amelia on May 16, featuring local wineries like Woodbine, Muddy Paws, Elk Island and more.
Virginia Wine & Craft Festival: The Virginia Wine & Craft Festival takes over Front Royal on May 16, with Virginia wineries, cideries, and meaderies pouring alongside artisan vendors, food, and live music.
Veritas launches their Supper Series: Veritas Vineyard & Winery kicks off their fourth annual Supper Series on May 29. The first theme? A Parisian-style bistro.
Wine Country Half Marathon: The Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon & Wine Festival returns to Doukénie Winery on May 30 — a scenic race through Loudoun County wine country, capped with live music and tastings from local wineries.
Do you like this new design of the ‘Events’ section?
Bottle of the Week
CrossKeys Vineyards — Sauvignon Blanc
Shenandoah Valley • Sauvignon Blanc • $30 (2025 vintage)
Why it’s here
International Sauvignon Blanc Day was Friday. CrossKeys’ 2024 vintage earned Gold at both the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the 2025 East Meets West Wine Challenge — two of the more competitive blind-tasting circuits in the country.
Tasting notes
🍋 Citrus zest • 🫚 Ginger & star anise • 🟢 Kaffir lime finish
New Releases
Lost Mountain’s first vintage under new label: Lost Mountain Vineyards has released their 2023 Rendezvous — the first wine bottled under their new label.
868’s 2025 Rosé: 868 Estate Vineyards has debuted their 2025 Rosé, a dry blend of Cab Franc and Viognier with stylistic influences from Provence, France.
12 Ridges reopens with a new lineup: 12 Ridges Vineyard reopens for the season with a slate of new bottles — a 2024 Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and two Pinot Gris bottlings.
Gray Ghost’s Victorian Red and Gewurztraminer: Gray Ghost Vineyards has released their 2025 Victorian Red, a house-style rosé blend of Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. On Mother’s Day weekend, they are also rolling out their 2025 Gewurztraminer!
Wine News
The fallout of the freeze: Two weeks on from the freeze, Drew Harner, an assistant professor of viticulture at Virginia Tech, is putting the statewide damage at 30–90% shoot loss across Virginia's wine grape vineyards. Dave McIntyre, author of WineLine, wrote a poignant piece about the human side of the freeze.
Bracing for spotted lanternflies: Zephaniah Farm Vineyard in Leesburg lost roughly half their 2025 crop to lanternflies. A new article from The Guardian outlines how wineries in the state are combating the invasive insects.
12 Virginia wines under $30 for summer: Wine Trails and Wanderlust put together a summer stock-up list covering white, red, rosé, and sparkling across the state, including Barboursville, Pollak, Ox-Eye Vineyards and more.
Behind the Scenes
More Mediterranean white varietals? Jim Law, the winemaker at Linden Vineyards and one of the leading voices of the region, wrote about climate change. Over the past three vintages, their chardonnay harvest has shifted from late September to as early as late August. For the first time, Linden is exploring Mediterranean white varietals that hold their acidity under heat.
New Chardonnay vines at Southwest Mountains: Southwest Mountains Vineyards is planting 4,500 Chardonnay vines, a meaningful expansion of their estate program. The vineyard provided a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the planting process.
The winemaker behind this year’s Governor’s Cup: C-Ville Weekly profiles Corry Craighill, the winemaker whose 2023 Cabernet Franc Reserve earned Valley Road Vineyards the top honors at the 2026 Virginia Governor’s Cup.
Deals & Promotions
Chrysalis’s Mother’s Day picnic basket: Chrysalis Vineyards near Middleburg is offering a Mother’s Day Picnic Basket for $75, available May 9–10 or while supplies last. Includes estate wine, artisan cheese, pizza, and cupcakes — with your choice of white, rosé, or red.
Otium Cellars: Otium Cellars near Purcellville is offering a complimentary welcome pour of their 2021 Reserve Chardonnay all Mother's Day weekend, plus a buy-one-get-one-50%-off deal on select bottles.
Linden’s spring 4-pack: Linden Vineyards is offering a curated spring wine 4-pack for $137, available for order on their website.