OCTOBER NEWSLETTER 2022
IN THIS NEWSLETTER...
VIP Wines of the Month
Report from the Tasting Room
Report from the Vineyard
Report from the Cellar
Report from Locksley Farmstead Cheese
Note from Jenni
October is always the busiest month of the year in the tasting room. With the crisp fall air and colorful fall leaves there's really no better time to visit our hilltop paradise. October also happens to be Virginia Wine Month! The Virginia wine industry has certainly grown over the last few decades and there are over 300 wineries in our state with over 50 in Loudoun County alone! With all those wineries to choose from we are thankful that our loyal customers choose Chrysalis Vineyards. We hope that the wine, cheese, pizza and customer service will keep everyone coming back and to spread the word about the good works that we are doing here at The Ag District. Be sure to stop by this month to celebrate the success of the entire Virginia wine industry this month!
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
Our VIP pickup event this month will be held on Friday, October 14th from 5:00pm until 8:00pm at the Ag District Center. This month our VIP wines will be presented by Jenni and Jake!
Members must RSVP no later than October 10th by emailing TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com. Please include your name, number attending (up to 2 per membership), and your preferred tasting time (5:00, 5:45, 6:30, or 7:15). Please arrive in time to check in at least 10 minutes prior to your tasting time. When planning your visit please remember that we close at 8:00 pm.
If you're not a member of our Chrysalis Vineyards VIP Club, remember to ask one of our associates how to join. Our members enjoy complimentary wine flights, discounts on wine and food, exclusive access to VIP events and more!
The white wine selection for our VIP Club members this month is Chrysalis Vineyards 2021 Sarah's Patio Red. This 100% Norton wine is whole-cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel to retain the delicious fruit character. You might wonder how a "red" wine becomes our "white" wine selection, well... there's an easy explanation... because it's made with Norton! While this wine is processed like a white or rosé wine, the color from the skins of Norton fruit bleeds easily and creates color in the wine even with the most minimal skin contact. This easy drinking red should be served chilled. Notes of inviting raspberries, dark fruits, and summer strawberries on the nose precede a palate of bright acidity, perfectly ripened cherries, and that classic Norton character.
Our red wine selection for September is Chrysalis Vineyards 2019 Tannat. Dark, mysterious, and full bodied it has aromatics of reserved smoke, tobacco, and spiced plums. The palate is complex, tannic, and filled with structured licorice, black currant, and spices. Enjoyed now, but it betters with cellar age and can be kept for 10 or more years before enjoying a 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 can’t make it out to pick up your wines on a monthly basis, we will hold them for you. Due to storage limitations, however, we do ask that you pick them up once you accumulate a case (6 months). We can also arrange for wine to be shipped to most locations, at your request.
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
Virginia is for Wine Lovers!!! October is Virginia Wine Month and with over 300 wineries in Virginia now, there are numerous places to celebrate. But there's no better place than Chrysalis Vineyards! Not only do we offer a beautiful selection of award winning wines to enjoy, we also offer delicious artisan cheeses made here by Locksley Farmstead Cheese Company. Come enjoy our breathtaking views, as the first hint of fall colors kiss the landscape surrounding the Ag District. We have a wine for everyone, from the sweetest of wine lovers to the boldest of pallets! All you need to bring is your appetite, and we will take care of the rest! We hope you will choose us as your Virginia Wine Month destination. We look forward to celebrating with you!
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD
While everything in the vineyard looks and tastes amazing, I’m sure you’ve heard about the looming rain from the hurricane down south. Don’t worry, it’s just a bit of rain. Our fruit quality is spot on and a little rain doesn’t scare us.At this point in harvest, all our whites have been picked and processed. Mariposa is finishing up fermentation and we’ve already moved to picking the reds from Hollin.
However, the rain will impact when we can pick, Freddy and I are confident that it won’t affect the quality. This is because our Vineyard crew has worked incredibly hard to shape the canopy allowing air flow. Freddy has worked tirelessly to ensure that all the fruit is disease free. Filiberto has ensured that all the fruit is carefully picked and sorted for quality. I’m telling you, there isn’t a single stick or leaf in any of our bins.
In other words, despite a bit of rain, everyone here at Chrysalis Vineyards is working sun up to sun down to bring the finest quality wines at Chrysalis Vineyards.
Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM THE CELLAR
After 4 vintages here at Chrysalis Vineyards I must say that I’m used to the whirlwind that is harvest here. It’s definitely been busy but this year but I must say the fruit coming from the vineyard is the best I’ve seen thus far during my tenure.
We started harvest off with beautiful Albariño for our Vinho Verde style and within just a couple weeks pulled in Albariño from our Hollin vineyard. Needless to say, it’s the finest fruit in Virginia. The ripeness and the chemistry was spot on. Fermentation is smooth and the winery definitely smells of pineapples and bananas.
Despite the drastic temperature drop and spotty rain showers, we’ve pulled in a field blend of all the varieties at Hollin to make your favorite Spanish style rosé, Mariposa. I think we’ve finally cracked the code because that is one juicy fruity rosé! Presently, we are working through the last of the Viognier. I must say that while the fruit is golden and slightly shriveled, its tastes exactly like a cantaloupe. Another box checked!
The first week of October we will have pulled in the last of the vinifera at Hollin and will turn our attention to the Norton. This year, the Norton looks impeccable and flawless I really can’t wait to start working with it!
Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
If you've ever ventured downstairs to view the cheese production area at The Ag District you may have noticed some bags hanging from the press that look like laundry. I can assure you that it's not that.... it's our Friar Tuck Fromage Blanc! Our fromage blanc is made in batches that use about 300 pounds of milk that yields about 60 pounds of cheese. The milk is pasteurized and then cultures and rennet are added to produce the flavor profile that we want and to coagulate the curds (milk solids) and separate the whey (liquid). Once the curd has formed we drain off most of the whey and then put the soft curds into these sanitzed bags. This helps to drain off more of the whey and produce the spreadable consistency that we are aiming for. The result is a cheese that has a slight tang to it similar to a chevre (goat's milk cheese). Our Friar Tuck is delicious on crackers or bagels, used in cooking, or as a finishing butter on a grilled steak. We also offer a version that has garlic and herbs added to it. It's a versatile cheese that really goes well with almost everything... try adding a little vanilla and confectioners sugar to fill strawberries! Pick some up the next time you're at The Ag District and let us know your favorite way to use it!
On October 28th, I'm doing a Zoom tasting of our 2020 Viognier and 2020 Estate Bottled Norton with celebrity Master Sommolier and actor, Peter Neptune. All of our friends and customers here at Chrysalis Vineyards are invited to join Peter and me while we taste and discuss these wines. Here is Peter's invitation to his readers.
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ANNOUNCING AN EXCITING ZOOM TASTING WITH PETER NEPTUNE MS and JENNI McCLOUD of CHRYSALIS VINEYARDS!
Friday, October 28th at 6 pm Pacific Time (9 pm Eastern).
When Jenni McCloud made her decision in 1997 to plant a vineyard in Virginia, she purchased what today is a 412-acre farm located in Loudoun County in Northern Virginia. Her mission was to reestablish the intrigue, brilliance, and prominence for the Norton grape varietal wines. Norton traces its heritage back to the early 1820s when Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton propagated it on his property in Richmond, Virginia.
In 1873 a wine produced from Norton grapes was proclaimed the best red wine of all nations at the Vienna Universal Exposition world’s fair. Norton has a long history, and Chrysalis now has the largest vineyard planting of Norton in the world. Chrysalis also produces one of the finest Viogniers in the country alongside her world-quality Norton.
Additionally, Jenni went to great lengths to have her farm declared an official Agricultural District in Virginia to ensure the land was preserved for Agriculture into the future. She has 28 Dairy Cows and produces first-class cheeses. Also, she offers artisan breads and flatbreads at her on-site Bakery.
Jenni is also featured in the fantastic book “The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine” by Todd Kliman.
Here’s the deal: go to this Chrysalis Website Page:
https://chrysaliswine.com/product/Peter-Neptune-Package
Wine bundle: 1 bottle each of 2020 Viognier and 2020 Norton Estate. Cost for the bundle is only $70.
At checkout, enter the code NEPTUNEWINE for free shipping. Please be sure to purchase your package by no later than October 17th to ensure that you will receive the wines on time. You will also receive from the winery the ZOOM login information.
Chill the Viognier and have both wines opened and ready to taste when you join me as I have the great pleasure of interviewing Jenni via ZOOM while we all taste the wines together. Jenni suggests you decant the Norton ahead of time to open up its full aromas and flavors.
This is a great opportunity to learn about the great American grape NORTON and learn about Virginia wines.
I look forward to seeing you on October 28th!
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Click on the link above and join us on the 28th. I'm sure you'll find this informative and entertaining, and we'll have some fun, as well!
Take care,
Jennifer McCloud
Chrysalis Vineyards at The Ag District
39025 John Mosby Highway (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