APRIL 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
April brings an awakening in the vineyard that marks the beginning of our vintage cycle. The dormant vines come alive with bud break which is followed by about five months of growth, fruit set, fruit development, and ripening. This all culminates with harvest, which usually starts in late August. The growing season largely determines the quality of the wines that will be produced for the 2026 vintage. While winemakers can use their magic to create fine wines even in difficult growing seasons, the best wines start with a great season in the vineyard. Let's hope for that perfect combination of temperature, precipitation, and sunshine to make 2026 a memorable vintage.
We've got some great events coming up this month. Be sure to mark your calendar and come out to get some fresh air, award winning wines, delicious foods, and local meats, cheeses, eggs, and more!
THE FARM MARKET PRESENTS - April NY Strip Special!
This month we're offering a 10% discount on our NY Strip Steaks when you purchase 2 or more! Come on out and pick up some delicious steaks for the grill, add some King Richard Blue from Locksley Farmstead Cheese, and your favorite bottle of Chrysalis Vineyards wine to create the perfect meal for a spring evening on the patio!
*Available for pickup at The Ag District Center while supplies last!*
APRIL EVENTS:
April 3rd at 6:30 - 7:30 PM - Trivia (FREE TO ATTEND)
Join us on Friday, April 3rd, from 6:30–7:30 PM at Chrysalis Vineyards for Trivia Night—an evening of friendly competition, great wine, and plenty of laughs. Play solo or team up with a group of up to six people and put your knowledge to the test across a variety of trivia categories. This month's theme is Fact or Fool!
*Must be 21+ to attend. Held in our 21-and-over seating area.*
April 10th at 6PM - VIP Pick-up Party (RSVP REQ)
CLUB MEMBERS ONLY - Club Members MUST RSVP to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com by April 5th. 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.*
April 25th 12 - 4PM - Flights & Flowers - $55 per person - Tickets must be purchased in advance
Guests will enjoy a flight of their choice from our current offerings while creating a charming teacup floral arrangement—a sweet spring keepsake perfect for your table or gifting to someone special. We’re thrilled to welcome Angela of Blooms2U, who will be leading the class and bringing all the fresh floral goodness. She’ll guide you step-by-step through designing your own beautiful arrangement while you sip and savor your favorite wines. Sip, arrange, and toast to the season with us! Space is limited, so reserve your seat soon. To puchase your tickets CLICK HERE.
*Must be 21+ to attend. Held in our 21-and-over seating area.*
April 30th 5 - 6PM - Book Club (FREE TO ATTEND)
Join us at The Ag District Center, home to Chrysalis Vineyards, on Thursday, April 30th, 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.*
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
We kindly ask members to RSVP to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com no later than Sunday, April 5th to reserve your spot. RSVPs received after April 5th 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 March our VIP members will receive the 2024 Albariño and 2020 Papillon.
2023 Viognier | Wine Club White Selection Our 2023 Viognier is thoughtfully crafted to highlight both aromatic expression and layered texture. Fermented using 100% wild yeast, this wine opens with vibrant aromatics of tropical fruit, tangerine, and delicate white flowers, offering an immediate sense of freshness and lift. Fermentation takes place in 100% neutral oak, enhancing mouthfeel and aromatic complexity without imparting any oak character. Throughout fermentation, bâtonnage is performed twice weekly on each individual barrel, gently stirring the lees to build richness and structure. After fermentation, the wine is carefully racked, and bâtonnage continues once per week, further enhancing depth and complexity. On the palate, the wine unfolds with flavors of ripe peach, dried apricot, and cantaloupe. The extensive bâtonnage lends a soft, creamy finish that lingers gracefully, creating a Viognier that is both expressive and elegantly balanced.
2022 Norton | Wine Club Red Selection Our 2022 Norton recently won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Virginia Governor's Cup competition! This wine is a classic example of an approachable Norton wine for a large audience. With the classic Norton aromatics of blue berries and purple flowers, and an inviting French oak nose, this wine is sure to draw in anyone. The palate is smooth, structured, and filled with ripe blue berries, wild raspberries, and a finish that is reminiscent of black tea. Buy a case and enjoy over the years.
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
Happy Spring! Warm weather is gradually sneaking in, spring flowers are blooming and the trees are beginning to show signs of new life. It's the perfect time to spend an afternoon at The Ag District! This month we will be celebrating the three wines that won gold in the 2026 Virginia Governor's Cup by featuring them in our special Gold Medal Tasting. Our 2024 Albariño, 2024 Albariño Verde, and 2022 Norton will be joined by two previous gold medal winners to showcase the fine wines produced by Chrysalis Vineyards. Be sure to show us your Virginia Gold Medal Trail app for your special discount!
Don''t forget to join us this Saturday, March 28th from Noon - 4pmfor our Farm Market Launch! We'll be featuring our farm products on our menu specials, wine and cheese tastings, and free samples (while supplies last)!
- Lori Tate, Tasting Room Manager
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD AND WINERY
As winter turns to spring, our vineyard undergoes a quiet but dramatic transformation known as bud break. This stage marks the official start of the growing season, where the vine wakes up and pushes out the first signs of green life. The process begins underground. Once soil temperatures consistently hit about 50°F, the vine’s roots reactivate. They begin absorbing water and nutrients, creating internal osmotic pressure. Before you see any leaves, you’ll see "tears." Because of the root pressure, sap is pushed up through the trunk and out of the pruning cuts made during the winter. This bleeding is a vital sign that the vine’s vascular system is rehydrating and clearing out air bubbles that formed during the freeze. The vineyard is currently at this stage of bud break, as you can see in the picture above.
As the sap carries hormones and stored carbohydrates to the nodes, the dormant buds begin to swell. They lose their hard, protective scales and take on a "woolly" appearance, often referred to as the cotton stage. This fuzzy coating protects the delicate embryonic tissue inside from late-season frost. Eventually, the pressure from the growing tissue inside becomes too much for the bud scales to hold. The bud bursts open, revealing the first tiny, bronze or bright green leaf tips.
We’re expecting to reach bud break in about 2-3 weeks from now (mid-April). At this moment, the vine is no longer reliant solely on stored energy; it’s ready to begin photosynthesis. Once the first leaves unfold, the vine enters a period of explosive growth. Shoots can grow several inches in a matter of days if the weather stays warm. However, this is also the vine's most vulnerable stage, as a single spring frost can freeze the water-heavy new growth and damage or destroy the crop for the year. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that we have a pleasant, warm spring!
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
Hello there, from Locksley Farmstead Cheese! This month we're featuring our Fromage Blanc - a delicious, spreadable, fresh cheese that is perfect for every occasion.
In cheese terminology "fresh" simply means "not aged". This versatile cheese goes from pasteurization to ready to enjoy in about 5 days. Unlike our harder, aged cheeses this cheese is not pressed. The curd is placed in bags and hung overnight to drain excess whey, but retain as much moisture as possible. When it's removed from the bags, salt is added and it's refrigerated for a couple of days to allow the salt to integrate and then it's ready to eat. The result is a creamy, spreadable cheese with a slight tang.
Our fromage blanc is offered in two varieties, Friar Tuck Fromage Blanc and Garlic & Herb. Both are delicious spread crackers or bagels, stirred into scambled eggs, stuffed into chicken breasts, used to create a pasta sauces, and on and on. Watch our cheese case at The Ag District for new varieties coming soon!
Don't forget - April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day! Be sure to have plenty of Locksley Farmstead Cheese on hand to celebrate!
- Teri Scott, General Manager
When wearing my vineyardist hat, and from our farming perspective, in general, we enter April with great trepidation. The SLF (already having become a known initialism in the vineyard community for the Spotted Lanternfly) is a ticking time bomb. The “authorities” say, “If you see it, squish it.” and “…look for egg masses... and scrape them off with a plastic card or putty knife.” Hah! There’s literally tens of thousands of the flies when they hatch from the tens of thousands of egg masses! No possible way to address them all.
Our high Hollin Vineyard site is most at risk, since half of it butts up against the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area, where the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) has been allowed to indiscriminately spread. This is the invasive native Chinese tree that is the preferred host for the SLF. But… the bug also loves grapevines, and readily attacks the vines with its piercing mouthpart (stylet), sucking the phloem sap from the vine. Last year, we saw literally a thousand bugs on each vine near the forest. They literally suck the vines dead.
Many fingers have pointed at the Virginia Dept. of Transportation, and the Dept of Agriculture for not addressing both of these invasive species as they spread south along our highways from Maryland over the last multiple years. The seeds and now the bugs hitch a ride, jump off, and take over. You can see the Ailanthus along all our roadways, and as we’ve experienced, into our forests. Frankly, though, I’m not sure what the government could have done about it, anyway. Nature is powerful, and there are just so many of them.
Anyway, we keep on keepin’ on, and we ask for and appreciate your continued support of local agriculture.
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