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MARCH NEWSLETTER 2019 |
IN THIS NEWSLETTER... VIP Pickup Party... at the ADC Report from the Tasting Room Note from Jenni |
VIP PICKUP PARTY…
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTAs you probably already know, Chef Chris has been producing delicious pizzas and other gourmet menu items for several months now. In addition, Kelly and Erin have been doing their magic in the Locksley Farmstead Cheese creamery and we now have five different types of farm-fresh artisan cheese available for sale in the tasting room! Now that we have a large (and growing!) variety of delicious snacks available for purchase we will be adjusting our outside food policy. As of April 1st we will no longer allow outside food or beverages at the Ag District. We hope that you will support all the hard work that we have been doing to bring our customers the highest quality wine, artisan cheese and gourmet food. So... next time you visit, pair your favorite Chrysalis Vineyards wine with a wedge of Locksley Farmstead Cheese and a loaf of bread from The Little River Bakehouse... or any of our other delicious treats! |
Creative Mankind Painting and WineSaturday, March 23rd
So... come on out, escape the cold, and spend a fun afternoon laughing, 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=455059&r=0.0540295 |
REPORT FROM THE TASTING ROOM
We have seen many exciting changes in the tasting room this fall and winter. We added wine flights to our tasting options alongside our traditional tastings. We will also be offering a Locksley Farmstead Cheese Company cheese pairing available for purchase for guests and members to enjoy along with their flights or tastings. Here at the Ag District Little River Bakehouse is also producing some delicious pizzas, cheese and charcuterie platters. All made with products from our farm! No other way to sum this up but as some AMAZING food and the best pizza you will find in Middleburg! Our Chef, Chris Vincenzi, is truly outdoing himself. Please come join us for a relaxing time, grab a bottle (or two), some fresh made cheese and some delicious pizza!! Cheers! Laurie Stevens, Tasting Room Manager |
REPORT FROM THE CELLAR
In March we will evaluate the 2018 red wines. This involves racking (decanting) wine from barrel and assembling component wines into blends. Minor adjustments to the chemistry of the wine (acidity) will be made and the wine will be pumped back to barrel. We’ll evaluate the character of the new barrels Mark bought last year and portion them out based on the blends we make. There are new French, Hungarian, and Virginia oak barrels that impart tannin and subtle oak character to the wine. We are particularly fond of Virginia oak barrels. The Norton Barrel Select bottling is made with wine aged in new Virginia oak barrels. As for the white wines, we’re now at a point where we can wrap our heads around the character of the new vintage wines. The 2018 Albariño is showing particularly well. Abariño ripens early, meaning that in a wet, and rot-prone vintage it will be less affected than later ripening varieties. The 2018 vintage Albariño is showing well defined varietal character with crisp acidity. It’s one of my favorite varieties to grow and make wine with. It responds well to various cellar techniques (Vino Verde style or barrel aging), its fruit-forward character is popular with customers, and it goes well with a wide range of food. Jason Burrus, Consulting Winemaker |
REPORT FROM THE FARM
This short story, written by Baxter Black, is for some cowboy comic relief while we power through the last of this muddy winter! As Noah said when he went out on the deck to check the windshield wipers, “I should’a brought a raincoat.” Paul’s day started out with a drum roll. Every morning for months, as he went into the machine shed, he noticed the rusty gate hinge on the door jamb. It was shoulder-high and stuck out like a rhino horn. “Could be dangerous,” he often thought. That morning, he was in a hurry and listed just enough to starboard to catch his shirt sleeve on the hinge. It jerked him hard to the right. As he swung around, he stepped on the weed hoe. It stood smartly to attention and saluted him across the eyebrow. He stumbled across the grain room holding his eye and stepped into the cat’s dish. It slid out from under him. He did the splits and straddled the door jamb into the big shed. Looking up from the floor, he noticed his tractor leaning like it had its foot off the curb. On closer inspection, he found the lean was the result of a flat tire. Back at the house to get a Band-Aid, he discovered they had no water. The well pump was out. Well houses in this part of Iowa are usually circular, concrete, 12 feet in the ground and have a lip not much above ground level. Paul loaded up the dog and went to town for parts. Backing out in front of the hardware store, he stuck his elbow out the open window. The protruding door lock slipped up under his sleeve. When he leaned out, looking back, he mashed the door lock down and pinched a thumbful of skin. He reacted by stomping the gas and nearly blindsiding poor ol’ Bud who was on his way to the sale barn in Moville. When Paul finally got home, he saw his cows were out. Probably in search of water. With the dog’s help, he managed to get the migrating cattle back into the barn lot. He headed for the well. “At least I’ll get it fixed before lunch,” he thought as he lifted the plywood cover and descended the ladder into the well. There was just room enough for one man to stand up, what with the pressure tank, the pump and pipes. He knelt down to check the points and leaned a little to let the noonday sun shine light on the subject. Then he felt a stream of water cascading over his head and down the side of his face. It was warm. Paul considered turning and shouting up at the dog, who was apparently marking the well as his territory, but thought better of it. He leaned as far as he could to avoid the shower, which just allowed the stream to soak his shirt and pant leg. “Yup,” he said, wiping the side of his face, “I should’a brought a raincoat.” - Baxter Black Warm Wishes! |
REPORT FROM THE LITTLE RIVER BAKEHOUSE
Chris Vincenzi, Chef |
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
Erin Saacke, Assistant Cheesemaker |
Note from Jenni |
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Well, winter is on its last legs, and spring will soon be here. Thank goodness. Although this has been a relatively mild winter (and I know that because we didn’t lose power this time around!), it sure was WET! With the new calves in the field behind my house tromping around in the grassless pasture, it was one slimy, muddy mess. One day, while closing up the chickens in their chicken tractor, I slipped and went right into it. Yuck! But, soon the daffodils will start blooming, and not long after that, green will burst forth from everywhere. If you’ve been reading my notes over the years, you know my favorite season is spring. And just for this reason; from the apparent dreary lifelessness of winter, green life springs forth. New babies join us in the pastures, and the chickens start laying eggs to beat the band. Beautiful! I can’t wait! :-) Speaking of chickens, did you notice the theme for this month’s Paint and Sip Event? Chickens! I’m going to give away a dozen eggs and a bottle of wine for the best chicken painting (well, it’s against the ABC rules to give wine away, so you’ll have to pay a buck!). So come out and express the creative artist that’s in you, and take home a couple delicious freebies (almost). The catch? I get to keep the painting for my collection of chicken stuff! Deal? Enjoy your last days of winter, and come share with us the wondrous beginning of spring here at The Ag District. And, as always, take care, ![]() Jennifer McCloud
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