SEPTEMBER 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
Fall is here... well it's about to be, kids are back in school, summer vacations are behind us, and everyone is settling back into a routine. Make sure visits to The Ag District are part of that routine! A weekend family visit for some pizza, a stop on the way home to pick up some farm products for dinner, or some relaxing time with a glass of wine and a good friend... they're all great reasons to make The Ag District part of your regular schedule!
If you're a fan of our Tximeleta rosé or our new dry Petit Manseng make sure you stop by soon to replenish your supply. These wines are disappearing quickly and it won't be long before they're off the shelves until next year!
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
Friday Night Flights - Every Friday 5:00pm to close
Join us on Friday evenings to enjoy a $5 discount on all flights! A great way to start your weekend!
September 11th at 6PM - VIP Pick-up Party - The Amazing Race - (RSVP REQ)
Email TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com by September 6th to attend. 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.*
September 19th 2:00 - 5:00 - Barrel Head Paint-n-Sip - (advance ticket purchase required)
Show off those hidden artistic skills and join us as Shawn leads a fall Paint-n-Sip! We'll be painting on oak barrel heads that were used to age your favorite Chrysalis Vineyards wines! See the Report from the Tasting Room below for further details.
*Must be 21+ to attend.*
September 24th 5:00 - 6:00pm - Book Club (Sponsored by the Middleburg Library - Free to Attend)
Join us at The Ag District Center, home to Chrysalis Vineyards, on Thursday, September 24th, from 5 to 6 PM for Book Club! This month we'll select our readings for the next few months, so be sure to attend!
September 26th 2:00 - 5:00 - Music by California Bob
Join us as Bob Hale, "California Bob", performs his unique, original compositions. Grab a seat on the lawn, pour a glass of wine, and relax!
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
Join us on Friday, September 11th at 6 PM! Enjoy a bit of friendly competition with your fellow VIP members as teams participate in our own version of The Amazing Race! As always, you'll be quenching your thirst with our wines of the month and refueling with delicious treats from the kitchen!
We kindly ask members to RSVP to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com no later than Sunday, September 6th to reserve your spot. RSVPs received after September 6th 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 September our VIP members will receive our 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
We've got some great events this month! A fun evening for our VIP Club members, an afternoon of music by California Bob, and another great paint-n-sip event lead by our resident artist, Shawn!
Mark your calendar for September 19th and make sure you don't miss the opportunity to create the work of art shown in the picture to the left! We'll provide you with a barrel head, painting supplies, and Shawn's professional instruction to bring out the artist in you. We'll even provide a glass of wine to sip as you work! Tickets for this event must be purchased in advance ($55/person, must be 21+) and are limited, so get them while you can!
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
See you in the tasting room!
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD AND WINERY
In our June newsletter we talked about the damaging effects of the April freeze in the vineyard. Since the freeze occurred after buds had developed, the majority of the primary buds that were destined to become fruit for the 2026 harvest were destroyed. At the beginning of June we were watching the vines come back to life, pushing secondary and tertiary shoots and developing foliage that would produce life sustaining energy through photosynthesis.
As the summer progressed secondary fruit developed. Secondary clusters are smaller, reducing the yield at harvest, and struggle to ripen due to their shortened growing season. Not exactly a great outlook, but the vineyard was doing its best to push forward and survive. In more recent weeks we’ve observed another survival mechanism for the vines. While some vines were able to continue their attempt to produce fruit, others were more severely affected by the freeze. These vines needed to redirect the energy being used to grow fruit back to the trunk, cordons, and roots to protect these vital components. To accomplish this, the vine naturally restricts the flow of sugars and nutrients to the fruit clusters, reserving it for the structure of the plant. The berries shrivel, dry, and frequently drop off the vine – not the best outcome for our 2026 harvest, but a short-term sacrifice for the long-term health of the vine.
The vineyard’s cycle of life is nothing less than amazing – birth, growth, struggle, sacrifice, bounty, and renewal. Mother Nature certainly sets a fine example for us if we take the time to observe.
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
As we transition from the long, hot days of summer to the cool, breezy days of fall, our hard working ladies are looking forward to the much more favorable weather ahead. Did you know the comfort zone of dairy cattle is between 41 and 68 F°? This means that at any temperature above this range a cow experiences what is known as “heat stress.” In Virginia, it is uncommon during the summer months that the nights cool off much below 68 F° or at all! These hot days are very tough on cattle as they never get a break to completely cool off and relax like you and I can each night in our air conditioned homes. This stress causes their milk production and butterfat, to decrease as they aren’t eating as much, and instead are drinking more water. Additionally, for every 1 day a cow is heat stressed, it takes 3 days to completely rebound from this stress. .
Our dairy manager, Steven, has done an awesome job in making sure our ladies are kept comfortable! During the summer months, the cows go out on pasture at night when it is coolest and are kept up close to our “pack” barn during the day. They have free access to walk under the sprinklers, giant fans with misters, or to lay under the shade of the barn. These are all things we have implemented to reduce heat stress over the summer months in our cattle. Making sure our ladies are happy and healthy is the most important thing to us. After all we believe that happy cows make the best milk, which in turn makes the best cheese!
Stop by The Ag District to explore all of our delicious farmstead cheeses!
Hola… greetings from the beautiful land just a bit west of most of you! I hope you’re enjoying the end of the summer season as the heat retreats, and the days and nights become cooler and fresher. Autumn is around the corner! Lovely!
Autumn musings! Teri and I were discussing our September, 2026 Newsletter, when she blurted out, “Huh… what do you think it is that the fall colors and fresh air does to bring out folks to the countryside this time of year? And come out to drink wine!... (in all candidness, were also thinking about our marketing!)” Huh!.
Autumn musings! I wonder. Is it the relief of the heat of summer? Is it that you’ve been somewhat cooped up in your cool homes by the heat? Is it that the kids and activities have kept you so busy, that’s there’s just no time left? Is it that you’re away on vacation? Or do you just need a break to chill out? Maybe’s it somewhat an amalgam of all these things. That got me thinking.
I wonder… is there something primordial that urges people to go into the fields this time of year. Go bring in the harvest. Bring our winter’s food into safe storage. Is this maybe some sort of dangling evolutionary thing? Does the autumn call us out… to collect the harvest? Are we drawn into the countryside... pulled, not pushed, for our very survival? Huh… autumn musings.
One thing is crystal clear to me. You have, in your very own backyard, some of the most beautiful land in the world.. truly. And, historically, some of the most productive agricultural land in America. Come revel in it with us.
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