FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER 2026
IN THIS NEWSLETTER...
VIP Wines of the Month
Report from the Tasting Room
Report from the Vineyard & Winery
Report from Locksley Farmstead Cheese
Note from Jenni
Winter has truly made itself at home at The Ag District Center. After that blanket of snow, we hope everyone stayed safe, warm, and well, preferably with a mug of mulled wine in hand. If you picked up one of our mulled wine kits from the tasting room, we’re betting it made being snowed in a little cozier and a lot more delicious.
This winter season, there is still plenty happening here on the farm. Behind the scenes, the team is settling into a slower winter rhythm while continuing to bring great food and thoughtfully crafted products to the table.
Each week, The Little River Bakehouse is rolling out a new featured menu filled with comforting, seasonal favorites that make for the perfect winter escape. Each month in the Farm Market, you’ll find our new monthly bundles highlighting local goods, along with a full selection of farm staples, including local beef, chicken, pork, eggs, and our farmstead cheeses. Bundles or not, there’s always something worth discovering.
These bundles are available for purchase in the tasting room throughout the month. If you join us on the last weekend of the month, you can also enjoy a fun twist in the tasting room. Whether it’s a special tasting available for purchase with farm products to savor alongside your wine, a complimentary wine and cheese tasting, or something entirely new, we can’t wait to wrap up these goodies for you.
When you’re ready to venture out, our tasting room offers a warm, welcoming place to unwind. Sip on bold red wines from Chrysalis Vineyards, enjoy the flavors of the season, and make winter at The Ag District Center part of your cold-weather routine.
THE FARM MARKET PRESENTS - The Farmstead Breakfast Bundle
Start your morning the right way. Whether you’re planning a relaxed weekend breakfast or stocking up for easy, satisfying meals all week long, this bundle has you covered. What’s inside:
• One dozen eggs
• One 1lb pack of bacon
• One 1lb pack of ground breakfast sausage
• One 8oz tub of Friar Tuck Fromage Blanc
📍 Available at The Farm Market at The Ag District Center, home to Chrysalis Vineyards and Locksley Farmstead Cheese Company
💲 $33 (Before tax)
*Available for pickup at The Ag District Center all month long!*
JANUARY EVENTS:
February 6th at 6:30PM - Trivia Night (FREE TO ATTEND)
Join us for Trivia Night at The Ag District Center, home to Chrysalis Vineyards, on Friday, February 6th at 6:30 PM. Play solo or team up with a group of up to four people and put your knowledge to the test.
This month’s theme is All Is Fair in Love & War, featuring questions inspired by Valentine’s Day, Roman and Greek mythology, and more. Purchase a glass of your favorite Chrysalis wine to enjoy while you play, and settle into a relaxed, lively atmosphere where fun matters more than winning, though bragging rights are always on the line.
Newsletter Subscriber Freebies:
Our subscribers get two free answers to the trivia questions featured in this month’s trivia event. So, you'll already be two answers closer to winning!
1. Who invented the first Valentine’s Day candy box?
Answer: Richard Cadbury
2. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14, which coincides with which ancient Roman festival?
Answer: Lupercalia
*Free to attend. For Ages 21+. Held in our 21-and-over seating area.*
February 13th at 6PM - VIP Pick-up Party - Newlywed/Not-So-Newlywed Game (RSVP REQ)
CLUB MEMBERS ONLY - Club Members MUST RSVP to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com by February 8th. More information about this event can be found in the "Note to Our VIP Club Members" section of the newsletter. Want to join the party? Join the Club and RSVP today! To join our VIP Club CLICK HERE.
*Must be 21+ to attend. Held in our 21-and-over seating area.*
February 14th 1PM - Valentine's Day Gemdrop & Wine Paired Tasting (TICKET PURCHASE REQ)
Join us at Chrysalis Vineyards on Saturday, February 14th at 1:00 PM for a fun Valentine's Day Gemdrop & Wine Pairing experience, it's the perfect way to kick off your Valentine’s Day celebrations. This guided tasting features five wines, with four paired with Gemdrops from Candystone Caverns, highlighting how sweetness and fruit-forward flavors complement each other in the glass and concludes with our Port-style Norton paired with a chocolate-covered cherry cupcake.
PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE $50 for 2 ppl
Tickets are available for purchase until February 1st.
We are selling Couples Tickets (1 ticket purchase = admission and tasting for 2 people) which includes:
- 2 full wine tastings
- 2 candy pairings
- 2 cupcakes
*Must be 21+ to attend. Held in our 21-and-over seating area. Please bring a valid form of ID for check-in.*
February 21st 2PM - Sketch & Sip (TICKET PURCHASE REQ)
Join us at Chrysalis Vineyards on Saturday, February 21st, at 2:00 PM for a Sip & Sketch event led by Donna Merchant of Pencils and Paints LLC. Designed for beginners and casual doodlers, this guided session covers drawing basics like pencil types, shading, and blending while you sketch wine glasses and simple still life objects.
All materials and a glass of wine are included.
Feel free to bring your own sketchbook but paper will be provided.
PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE Tickets are $25
*Must be 21+ to attend. Held in our 21-and-over seating area. Please bring a valid form of ID for check-in.*
February 26th 5 - 6PM - Book Club (FREE TO ATTEND)
Join us at The Ag District Center, home to Chrysalis Vineyards, on Thursday, February 26th, from 5 to 6 PM for Book Club! Haven't read the book yet? No Problem. Come sip, listen to the discussion, and hear about next month's read!
*Must be 21+ to attend. Held in our 21-and-over seating area.*
Interested in attending? Reach out to Jill Smedley at
Jill.Smedley@TheAgDistrict.com.
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
Join us on Friday, February 13th at 6 PM for our Newlywed / Not-So-Newlywed Game, a fun and relaxed way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, no matter who you bring. This event isn’t just for married couples. Grab your best friend, your partner, or your spouse and get ready for a few laughs as you answer playful questions and discover a few new or long-forgotten things about each other. No pressure and no real competition, just good humor, a few bad jokes, and a great excuse to toast Valentine’s Day together. As part of the club party, enjoy light appetizers and a dessert or two while you play, sip, and celebrate.
We kindly ask members to RSVP to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com no later than Sunday, February 8th to reserve your spot. RSVPs received after February 8th will be placed on a waiting list, and while we will do our best to accommodate everyone, entry to the event cannot be guaranteed. Please include your name and the number of people attending (2 per membership only). Lastly, when planning your visit, please remember that we close at 8:00 PM.
Not a VIP Club member yet?
Learn more about the benefits below and join the club today!
This February our VIP members will receive the 2023 Private Reserve White and 2020 Petit Verdot.
2023 Private Reserve White | Wine Club White Selection
Our 2023 Private Reserve White is crafted with finesse and respect for each individual varietal. Composed of 40% Albariño, 50% Petit Manseng, and 10% Viognier, this reserve-style white wine is bursting with aromas of orange blossom honey, apricot, and coconut. The palate opens with flavors of cantaloupe and nectarine, carrying a medium-plus body and finishing with light acidity. With a touch more fullness and structure, this wine stands up beautifully to winter weather, offering both richness and balance in the glass. And don’t forget, this wine is available for purchase in the tasting room as an exclusive, club-only offering.
2020 Petit Verdot | Wine Club Red Selection
Our 2020 Chrysalis Vineyards Petit Verdot is a prime example of a variety vinified to express a specific place. Grown on our mountain site, Hollin, this vineyard consistently produces vinifera driven by bright fruit while retaining elegant structure. This wine boasts classic Petit Verdot aromatics, featuring sage, violets, and cherry on the nose, while the palate offers layers of dark fruit and ripe plum. Bold yet beautifully balanced, this is a wine made for the winter season, rich, warming, and deeply satisfying. It is an ideal companion for a great steak dinner, hearty winter fare, or any evening that calls for something substantial in the glass.
As a reminder to our members, all VIP wine is available for pickup at the Ag District Center tasting room anytime during regular business hours. If you haven't been able to visit for a while and need to pick up more than 3 months of wine selections, please call at least a day in advance of your visit so we can have them ready for you.
NOTE: Please do not reply to this emailed Newsletter. Your email will not be handled in a timely manner or may even be lost.
REPORT FROM THE TASTING ROOM
Spice up your weekend with Mulled Wine!
Craving a little extra warmth this weekend? Mulled wine is the ultimate cold-weather companion, richly spiced, gently heated, and made for slow, cozy sipping on a crisp winter day.
Join us at the Ag District Center Tasting Room, home of Chrysalis Vineyards, where mulled wine is available by the glass Friday through Sunday. It’s the perfect excuse to bundle up, escape to the countryside, and savor the season while taking in the serene winter beauty of the Ag District.
Want to bring the experience home? Our Mulled Wine Bundle includes a bottle of Butterfly Rouge, mulling spices, and easy-to-follow recipe instructions. It’s an easy, delicious way to fill your home with that classic spiced aroma and share with friends. Or skip the sharing and enjoy it all yourself.
Mulled Wine Bundle – $26 (Before Tax)
See you in the tasting room!
- Lori Tate, Tasting Room Manager
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD AND WINERY
Since February is all about Valentine’s Day, it’s the perfect time to talk about how we blend wines at Chrysalis Vineyards. Just like a great couple, a great wine is all about balance and harmony.
At Chrysalis, we use winemaking techniques that emphasize low-intervention, meaning we avoid over-manipulating the wine and instead let the vineyard and varietal speak for themselves. One way we do this while still achieving consistency is by creating multiple lots of wine. These are not “lots” in the quantity sense, but rather separate batches of the same varietal made using different winemaking techniques. Those lots then become our blending components. As a result, even when you’re enjoying a single-varietal wine from Chrysalis Vineyards, you’re often tasting a blend of several expressions of that same grape, carefully combined to achieve the final flavor profile.
Once the blending components are ready, our winemaker develops several recommended blending ratios and heads to Jenni’s kitchen, where the real discussion begins. Everything is tasted, evaluated, and debated right there in Jenni's home. This is intentional. Jenni believes that wine should be evaluated in the same environment where most people will actually drink it. The tasting room is a controlled setting, with a mindfulness towards aromas, specific glassware used, and ideal aeration. Not everyone treats their kitchen like a tasting room, your home has its own sounds, perfumes, and setting that make it unique to you. And many of us have had the experience of loving a wine in a tasting room, then opening it later at home and wondering why it feels different. Blending in a real-world setting helps us avoid that disconnect.
Before tasting begins, Jenni sets out several clean glasses for comparison, a white sheet of paper to evaluate color, and a spittoon for each participant. Blending sessions can take time, and quality control matters. Spitting keeps palates sharp and meetings productive. This is business, after all.
Typically, there are three proposed blends made from the available components, though sometimes there are more or fewer. Occasionally, a new ratio is created on the spot if there’s a particular characteristic that we want to emphasize. Once the final blend is agreed upon, tasting notes are developed, and the wine moves one step closer to release.
And that’s what a blending session looks like at Chrysalis Vineyards. Thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in how our wines are meant to be enjoyed, right at home.
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
Hello cheese enthusiasts! This month I wanted to share a couple of fun cheese pairings to help get you through this last full month of winter! Also, HINT HINT these are great for a stay at home date night, friends/family get together or as gifts for Valentine’s Day, birthdays or anniversaries. So come see us at the Ag District and grab a couple of these pairings to try at home! Be sure to tag us in all of your posted pairing fun!
Chrysalis Vineyards Estate Bottled Norton with Nottingham Gouda – this pairing I would consider our “flagship.” This medium bodied, smooth oak aged wine, exhibits the classically unique and fruit forward character of Norton with notes of dark cherry, raspberry, and dark chocolate, finishing with an understated oak character and some vanilla and cocoa. The perfect wine to sip with the sweet notes of toasted hazelnuts and butter in our smooth, well-aged Nottingham Gouda.
Chrysalis Vineyards Sarah’s Patio White with Maid Marian Camembert – the palate is greeted with a touch of sweetness, honeysuckle and ripe peaches with a soft finish that will instantly refresh and cleanse you pairing perfectly with the silky, spreadable texture of the Maid Marian Camembert which also brings mild earthy, mushroomy aromas to the table.
Chrysalis Vineyards Petit Manseng (Iced) with King Richard Blue Cheese – this decadent, sweet dessert wine, pairs wonderfully with the earthy, salty and sweet acidic notes of the King Richard Blue, the perfect little sweet and savory touch to the end of any meal or special occasion.
IPA with Nottingham Gouda – for all of you beer lovers, grab your favorite IPA and try our Nottingham Gouda which is smooth and sweet with notes of toasted hazelnuts and butter. The bitterness from the IPA will cut the sweetness of this cheese accentuating tropical fruit characteristics of the beer that will cleanse your palate.
- Teri Scott, General Manager
I hope y’all are staying safe in the hardtop, crunchy, and slippery snow. We had a bit of sleet up here in the Bull Run Mountains, but I hear that points east and south had a LOT more. Please stay safe.
Speaking of snow, a lot of folks have asked me if the snow will hurt the grapevines. Interestingly, the answer is no, and in fact, snow can be very beneficial for vines during these very cold days and nights. Here’s why:
Snow acts as an insulator to the harshest cold air on top of the snowpack. There’s a gazillion little air pockets in snow, sort of like foam insulation. It’s a blanket protecting the truck, and in the case of V. Vinifera (European vines that have graft unions where the scion wood has been grafted to American vine rootstock), it protects that graft union, which is a most vulnerable part of a grafted vine (BTW, Norton grows on its own roots, and is cold-hardy to -25°F). Air is a great insulator, and the deeper the snow, the better (to a point, as weight can be an issue with young vines).
An important benefit of snow is keeping the roots protected from the ground freezing to the outside air temperature. And, other beneficial effects of snow cover are natural “slow irrigation” as the snow melts, plus the reduction and destruction of some vine pathogens and bugs that live in the soil surface, and even in the vine’s tissue.
Anyway, it seems that snow is better for grapevines than it is for us humans! So stay warm and stay safe.
Take care,
Jennifer McCloud
Chrysalis Vineyards at The Ag District
39025 Little River Turnpike (Tasting Room/Creamery/Kitchen)
23876 Champe Ford Road (Winery/Milking Center/Offices)
Middleburg, VA 20117
McCloud@ChrysalisWine.com
Office: 540-687-8222
www.ChrysalisWine.com
Facebook.com/ChrysalisVineyards