SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2018 |
IN THIS NEWSLETTER... Annual VIP Appreciation Party... at the ADC Report from the Tasting Room |
ANNUAL VIP APPRECIATION PARTY…
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Chrysalis Vineyards New Website
Please Visit Our New Web Site at www.ChrysalisWine.com ! The Chrysalis Vineyards web site is new and improved! We've added pictures, more information about our wines, and detailed info on how to become a VIP Club member. VIP members can create a website account that allows them to acess the VIP area, puchase exclusive VIP club wines, view their purchase history, and edit their account information. For instructions about creating an account Click Here . Should you be unable to visit us at the winery, we've also added an easy ordering option. Please visit http://www.ChrysalisWine.com/Our-Wines to place your order today. We're adding new pictures and content all the time - so be sure to become a frequent visitor! If you have suggestions about content or questions about the site, please contact us at Info@ChrysalisWines.com. |
First FridayFriday, September 7th Have you been looking for that fun Friday activity? First Fridays will include gallery walks of local artists in the Northern Virginia area, and will occur every first Friday of the month. "First Fridays” started as events in 1987 that provided urban professionals an opportunity to socially network and share ideas on professional, educational, political and social issues. Since then, First Fridays have evolved into social meetups focused around the community and its artists, bringing together all walks of life. Our debut First Friday event will be on September 7th, from 6pm-9pm. We will have 6 local artists, live music and food and wine available for purchase, so grab some friends and come out to enjoy an evening of great wine while supporting our local artists. |
Creative Mankind Painting and WineSaturday, September 15th Creative Mankind will be hosting a “paint and sip” event at Chrysalis Vineyards on Saturday, September 15th. (From their website: Creative Mankind is an art company that offers art classes and hosts parties and events for all ages. Our motto is “Everyone is a Creative Genius!” It's just a matter of people reconnecting with their creative self. Our mission is to enrich our community with art education and culture in a fun and accessible way.) So... come one out, enjoy the fall views, and spend a fun afternoon laughing, listening to music, creating your own masterpiece, and sipping your favorite Chrysalis Vineyards wine! This 3 hour event is just $40 and includes all art supplies, an awesome staff, and a lot of fun. No experience is necessary. For additional information please contact Creative Mankind at 571-403-1912 or go to their website listed below. [Editor's Note: cut and paste this long link if it doesn't activate by clicking on it. Thanks.]. https://sites.cimplebox.com/events/registration.aspx?s=5329&c=3146&eid=411074&r=0.4493708 |
Yin in the VinFriday, September 28th Chris Oemler, E-RYT 500 (an impressive certifiction that requires 500 hours of yoga instructor training and 2,000 of teaching) will be joining us at the Ag District Center on Friday, September 28th at 6pm for a FREE yoga practice - "Yin in the Vin". Chris will lead us in stretching and meditation practices that will be sure to sooth you soul and if that doesn't work you can always try the tried and true method - have a glass of wine! So come on out for some yoga and stay for the views as we unwind! The tasting room will stay open an extra hour (until 8pm) for those who would like to relax with a glass of your favorite Chrysalis Vineyards wine. Bring your mat and experience this awesome practice stretching and relaxing in the beautiful countryside (no previous experience necessary). |
REPORT FROM THE TASTING ROOMDo you follow us on Instagram? Facebook? Twitter? If not, what are you waiting for! We post a lot of information there so that our friends are up to date on all our recent and upcoming events and happenings! So many of you say to us “I wish I knew that you guys were doing that”. Well, now you can stay up to date and informed! Don’t miss out on anything again, just follow us! We would love to have a little social media fun with all of you this month. So, what we are asking you, our favorite friends, to do is tag us in your posts when you are enjoying our wines, visiting us or simply dreaming of the next time you can come visit us! Share your Chrysalis love with us on Social Media! Follow us, like us, share us! Chrysalis Vineyards on Facebook, #chrysalisvineyards on Instagram , and @chrysaliswine on Twitter. Cheers! Laurie Stevens, Tasting Room Manager |
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARDWell, it’s upon us! By the time you read this the first load of grapes will have been harvested from our estate and will be allocated to our perennial favorite - Albariño Verde. This year’s Verde crop was clean and abundant and a major portion of the pick will go towards expanding production of this well-loved offering. The last two years have seen reduced volumes of the Verde, first due to the 5 hailstorms we encountered in June of 2016, and last year due to the wet spring which reduced crop loads. This year, although rainier than anything I’ve experienced in recent memory, was moderately dry during the crucial flowering and fruit set period for this grape. Although not made yet, we are looking forward to this being the first wine from the 2018 vintage and will be bottled and released in the spring of 2019. The rest of the varieties are holding up well, so far, despite the multiple deluges we’ve experienced this summer. Kudos to the efforts of Fredy and his crew for their work under sometimes trying circumstances to get the crop to this stage without any significant issues. Despite the rain, it appears that for most of the varieties grown at the Locksley Estate and the Hollin Vineyard near Markham, the vital flowering and fruit set period which helped our Albariño development was also favorably dry when most needed. The main concern going into the final period of ripening is whether the high temperatures and humidity we’ve experienced this summer will have an impact on sugar accumulation, the reduction of malic acid, particularly in our Norton, and color and tannin development across all grape cultivars. Much like ourselves, grapevines don’t like to do a lot when temperatures get above 90-92˚F and we’ve had many days like that this summer. Mark Patterson, Winemaker |
REPORT FROM THE CELLARWell, we’re on our last push for our final bottling before harvest begins, which means many barrels have been emptied and cleaned, blends are being finalized, and finishing touches are made to the wines being prepared. Wines that are getting a further period of aging in barrels have been topped to eliminate any headspace that might support the growth of spoilage microbes and they are put to rest for the next three months. As mentioned above, the first grapes are in, so we now have the added concern of shepherding our first wine of 2018 towards bottling. Soon we will be receiving Vidal Blanc for Sarah’s Patio White, with our Estate Viognier coming in sometime after that. It will be awhile before the reds come in, so we haven’t yet got around to preparing for them, particularly since we’re still preparing for the plethora of white grapes that we are waiting for. In general, most white grapes in Virginia are fully-developed before all but a few of the red grapes, with maybe a small portion of some varieties left to hang if they are to become a late harvest or dessert wine. This is a huge departure from my beginnings in the wine industry further north in Canada and the Finger Lakes, where Vidal Blanc was usually the last grape I picked, both as a regular table wine or, in a decidedly less comfortable scenario sometime in late December or January, as ice wine. Since I don’t foresee a late fall or early winter drop to below 17˚F in Northern Virginia, I’ll take the fully-ripe Vidal in September, thank you very much! Mark Patterson, Winemaker |
REPORT FROM THE FARMHi Friends ! -- As the grapes sweeten on the vine for harvest, we here in the pastures are hurriedly making preparations for winter. A small portion of our pastures are in the midst of their second cutting of hay while the vast majority have yet to see a first cutting due to this year’s inordinate amount of moisture. The remainder of the grass acreage is bushhogged for fall regrowth and stockpiled for utilization by the beef cows all winter. Our summer annuals will be soon followed by winter wheat, and rye or triticale that will be no-tilled into pasture intentionally grazed tight a few weeks before the first frost. Hopefully this yields the dairy cows nutrient-dense vegetation during days when quality forage would be otherwise unavailable. Depending on the severity of the winter, these practices can add up to quite a cost savings versus feeding every day that grass isn’t growing. Fingers crossed for an enjoyable, cool fall season of work outside! Eric Hilgartner, Estate Manager |
Note from Jenni |
Well I’m gunna say it again, because it’s crucial and absolutely valid: our VIP Club members make the difference between a sustainable, value-added, artisan-products farm and no farm at all. Our club members are that important. They purchase the lion’s share of our wines, and other farm products, they’re our ambassadors of goodwill to their associates, friends and families. And they’re just the doggoned nicest people in the world to have as friends and customers. So when September rolls around each year (it’s our VIP Club month), we’re excited to put on a helluva bash for these folks. We try hard to mark their membership a real value, and our Annual VIP Club Appreciation Party is the pinnacle of our efforts. So… thank you again all you wonderful VIP Club members. Your importance is not lost on us. And for those of you who have yet to join, do it now… and we’ll see you on September 15th. Take care and enjoy the rest of your summer. Jennifer McCloud
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