![]() |
JUNE NEWSLETTER 2018 |
IN THIS NEWSLETTER... VIP Pickup Party... at the ADC |
VIP PICKUP PARTY…
|
Creative Mankind Painting and WineSaturday, June 9th
So... 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=404482&r=0.1191576 |
REPORT FROM THE TASTING ROOM
Our Tasting Room staff will be asked countless times over the next few weeks what is the perfect pairing for a special celebratory dish. Our answers will vary but there is one that will stand out above the rest during this month of celebrating, our Sparkling Norton, Buttorfleoge. The tickle of bubbles and the aroma of Norton make it the perfect wine to “pop” and enjoy on a special occasion. It will pair perfectly with everything from a fruit and cheese plate, fresh oysters or a berry parfait topped with the most decadent whip cream. YUM! |
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD
And it did. For 8 days straight! But we didn’t hide our heads. It certainly complicated things in the Vineyard. Shoot thinning and under-row maintenance schedules were interrupted. The potential for fungal infections, particularly Downy Mildew (Plasmopara viticola) and Black Rot (Guignardia bidwellii), increase exponentially as temperatures and degree of wetness increase. And it was wet! For days on end, which made it impossible to get into the fields and attack the fungal spores with sprays to protect the vines and eradicate burgeoning infections. We managed to get into the fields immediately after the rain ceased and stepped up our Integrated Management Program (IPM) which combines cultural, physical, chemical, and biological control measures to keep any damage to a minimum while also assuring that sustainable viticulture is taking place. Inspection as of this writing has not found any widespread outbreaks of fungal infection which could prove to be devastating, but we will maintain vigilance over the next few days to ensure that there are no latent infections ready to burst forth. Rain in spring in Virginia also portends hail, which you may all remember caused a few issues around Middleburg in June of 2016! Locksley Estate was spared from any hail this go around, but there is evidence of some hail damage at our Hollin Vineyard. At this early stage of development the vines and canopy will recover, and there doesn’t appear to be any damage to the inflorescences at this time and should cause little further issues as the season progresses. We could do with long stretch of drier weather right now, though. Mark Patterson, Winemaker |
REPORT FROM THE CELLAR
Mark Patterson, Winemaker |
REPORT FROM THE FARM
Another month, another picture! Look closely; no, we’ve not entered the giant, farm-raised marshmallow market. Almost as ground-breaking, here is an individually wrapped, high-moisture hay bale. Actually, this one is the first we have ever made on this farm. Making “baleage,” as it is called, is just one more way we are trying to bring our cows the best, and offers several advantages when used along with traditional hay making methods. |
Note from Jenni |
![]() |
Sarah Dornin, our chef/baker, and I just got back from Bread Stone Ovens, in Dallas, Texas, where we went for training on how to operate our new Four Grand-Mère oven (boy, that sounded like really cool French to me, but it turns out it just means Grandmother’s Oven… haha!). The owner, Antoine Canterel, somehow wound up in Texas, but he’s definitely French and can he make bread… and flatbreads, too! We spent three days of intensive training to learn how to load wood into and fire the oven, manage the burning, and prepare and shape the doughs into baguettes and boules (from the French for “ball”). Sarah, of course, is already way ahead on making great bread, which y’all have been enjoying over the past few weeks. So she was really focused on oven operation; fire management and breads and flatbread control in the oven. Me, I was mostly just havin’ fun. Of course, I do want to know all the details and processes involved in making our artisan food products, so that I can “think” and “create” along with our “food artisans” - winemaker, cheesemaker and baker. (BTW, I always like giving a shout out to those who have helped us along the way, and for anyone interested in their own backyard brick oven, Antoine is your go-to guy. He has ovens of all sizes, and they are of the highest quality, and accompanied by his excellent customer service.) Sometimes, in the thick of activity and work, I forget how fortunate I am... and all of us are for that matter, to live and work in such a beautiful place, creating and crafting such exciting and fulfilling projects and products. Thank you to all of our friends, supporters and customers for making it possible. We are committed to bringing you the very best artisan food products we possibly can, for you to enjoy and proudly share with your friends and families. Come on out to the countryside… it’s summer! Jennifer McCloud
|