SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2025
IN THIS NEWSLETTER...
VIP Wines of the Month
Report from the Tasting Room
Report from the Cellar
Report from the Vineyard
Report from Locksley Farmstead Cheese
Note from Jenni
The vineyard is buzzing, the winery is alive with activity, and the flavors of the season are coming to life in every barrel and bottle. September is the perfect time to celebrate the hard work behind the wines you love. Kick off the month with Red Wine Weekend from September 5th–7th, put your knowledge to the test at Trivia Night on September 13th, explore stories at our Book Club on September 25th, and enjoy live music every Saturday from 2–5 PM. Harvest is here, and there’s no better way to experience it than at Chrysalis—where great wine, good company, and the beauty of Virginia’s wine country come together.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS:
Join us for music at Chrysalis Vineyards Saturdays from 2 - 5PM!
SEPTEMBER 6th - Caleb Nei
SEPTEMBER 13th - Melanie Pearl
SEPTEMBER 20th - Joe Martin
SEPTEMBER 27th - Alex Barnett
September 5th - 7th - Red Wine Weekend
Join us at Chrysalis Vineyards September 5th–7th for a guided tasting of this year’s featured red wines. When you participate in the tasting, you’ll receive a one-time coupon for 10% off same-day bottle purchases of the wines featured on the Red Wine Weekend guided tasting. Whether you love our bold red blends, elegant Petit Verdot, famous Nortons, or something unexpectedly delightful—this is your perfect chance to sip, savor, and stock up for the season.
*Guided tastings offered all weekend*
September 13th @ 3 - 4PM - Trivia: The Golden Girls 40th Anniversary Edition
Test your knowledge of one of TV’s most iconic shows while enjoying the beautiful rolling hills, delicious food, and great company at Chrysalis Vineyards. Compete for a chance to win a prize basket and bragging rights! This special trivia event will be facilitated by our friends at the Middleburg Library right here at Chrysalis Vineyards and is free to attend and participate.
*For ages 21+.*
September 25th @ 5PM - Book Club
Join us for our next Book Club gathering on Thursday, September 25th, from 5–6 PM for our quarterly book tasting! Sip on one of your favorite wines from Chrysalis Vineyards and enjoy a lively discussion with fellow book lovers where we explore the books we will be reading for October-December. This book club is led by our wonderful friends at the Middleburg Library, making each gathering a fun and thoughtful evening of stories, sips, and great company. Whether you're a devoted reader or just here for the wine and conversation, everyone is welcome!
Interested in attending? Reach out to Jill Smedley at
Jill.Smedley@TheAgDistrict.com.
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
Join us for a Duck Hunt! Well not real ducks, just a scavenger hunt at the Ag District center. While here, enjoy some delicious bites from the Little River Bakehouse, great wine, and, of course, a bit of friendly competition. Mark your calendar for Friday, September 12th at 6 PM.
Members must RSVP to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com no later than Sunday, September 7th to reserve your spot. RSVPs received after September 7th 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). 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!
For September, our VIP members will receive the 2023 Viognier and 2022 Barrel Select Norton.
The 2023 Viognier is 100% Viognier. It opens with aromas of tropical fruit, tangerine, and white flowers, leading to a palate of ripe peaches, sweet kumquat, and juicy mango.
The 2022 Barrel Select Norton offers aromas of purple flowers, cigar box, and blackberries, followed by a palate of baking spice, wild berries, and fig.
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
Cooler days and crisp nights hint at the approaching autumn season—and with it, thoughts turn to cozy red wines. To celebrate the shift in the season, our Wine of the Month is a warm, smooth favorite: the 2020 Petit Verdot. This vintage offers delightful aromas of blackberry, sage, and violet, followed by rich flavors of chocolate-covered cherry, ripe plum, and mocha on the palate. Beginning the first weekend of September, it will be featured on our Curated Tasting.
Our White Wine Weekend Tasting in August was so well received that we will be offering a strictly Red Wine Tasting the weekend of September 5 – 7th for Red Wine Weekend. Enjoy five lush reds and an extra pour of Private Reserve Red – a wine exclusive for VIP Club Members - but you get to try it as part of the Red Wine Tasting. You also have the opportunity to purchase all the red wines on the Red Wine Tasting, including the club-exclusive Private Reserve Red, at a one-time 10% discount on the day of your tasting only.
As a reminder to our lovely VIP members both old and new, VIP Wine Club members receive four complimentary tastings for up to 4 people, 30% off glasses and bottles of wine every visit, plus 15% off food from the Little River Bakehouse (Discounts do not apply towards Locksley Farmstead Cheese products). Not a member yet? Now is the time to join. CLICK HERE to join today or ask a member of our staff during your next visit!
Look forward to seeing you in the Tasting Room. Cheers!
- Lori Tate, Tasting Room Manager
We're hiring! - APPLY HERE or EmailResumes to TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com
Wine Ambassador
We are seeking friendly, ambitious, and customer-focused individuals to share the story of Chrysalis Vineyards and the quality wines we craft. Wine knowledge is a plus but not required—what matters most is a willingness to learn, maintain a positive attitude, and provide exceptional hospitality. Teamwork, professionalism, and strong communication skills are essential as you engage with guests, support tasting room operations, and represent our brand.
Runner/Bar Back
We are looking for energetic and reliable Runners/Bar Backs to support our Wine Ambassadors and help create an exceptional guest experience at Chrysalis Vineyards. Applicants must be 18 years or older, enthusiastic, and ready to assist with tasks like restocking, cleaning, and ensuring smooth tasting room operations. Teamwork, a positive attitude, and strong communication skills are key as you help bring our wines and story to life for every guest.
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD
Every year in Virginia is an interesting year. The last three years, much of NOVA experienced drought conditions, followed by very cold winters. 2025 has decided to be the year of ‘who knows what?'
The growing season was progressing nicely with hot days and cooler nights, giving many finding a reprieve in the evenings from the grueling sunshine. As the season went on, we were greeted by heavy rains for days on end. As mentioned last month, this caused some setbacks for our spray plans. Now that rain has finally passed, we’ve seen cooler and cooler temperatures every day. Nice right? Well, not for vineyards.
Hot weather, results in higher sugars, lower acids. The inverse is true in cooler weather. Photosynthesis tends to slow down, leaving higher acids and brix development to stall. The longer this happens during the growing season the less likely you are to get high alcohols or even proper physiological ripeness. This is all to say that the resulting wines this year will most likely be lower in alcohol and slightly brighter on the palette.
I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to our incredible vineyard crew. Even with all the crazy Virginia weather, the they have done an exceptional job caring for the vineyard and we are so grateful for their hard work and dedication to our vines.
- Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM THE CELLAR
Ready? Set! Harvest! That’s right, it’s that time of the year finally. We are off to the races picking grapes and making wine. While this is generally the busiest time of the year for us, it’s also the most fun.
The growing season has been an interesting one to say the least, but the fruit is looking good. Yields are down but that seems to be the general trend across the entire wine industry. As we begin processing Albariño, the acids are down from the cooler climate this year which is also going to result in lower alcohols. However, this is perfect for the white wines you all have come to enjoy at Chrysalis Vineyards.
This harvest, we’ve got a couple of exciting projects coming down the pike! Once the Albariño harvest wraps up, we’ll roll right into picking Petit Manseng—which we have a special plan for (wink, wink). I’ve also hinted at another project, and we’re thrilled to share that we’re experimenting with a new style of Norton: a native ferment. Think of it as a bold new spice for the rack!
Happy harvest season all!
- Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
It seems that these days every month (and day actually) has been designated to celebrate or observe some special occasion, interest, hobby, or cause. January is American Heart Month which seems like a worthy cause to get attention for a whole month – heart health is certainly important to everyone. Some of my favorite months are July – National Ice Cream Month, October – National Pizza Month, and of course, May – National Zombie Awareness Month (too ridiculous to make that one up). Well, September is National Italian Cheese Month (also National Bourbon Heritage Month, but I digress)! Here at Locksley Farmstead Cheese we have a truly international collection of cheeses – Gouda originates in The Netherlands, cheddar hails from England, Manchego is a Spanish style, camembert is French and of course our Monk Mozzarella is Italian!
Our mozzarella goes largely unnoticed since we don’t sell it in our retail cheese area, but it is on our delicious pizzas and sandwiches. The rich, fresh flavor from our farmstead pizza mozzarella really does make a difference and we have to work extra hard to make this particular cheese. While the initial process is similar to many of our other cheeses, the finishing process is where the really hard work comes in. After we pasteurize the milk and make the curd for this cheese it is formed into slabs and refrigerated overnight. Then comes the fun part! The next morning the slabs are hand cut into strips and then the strips are portioned out into bowls. VERY hot water (around 150-160˚F) is then poured into the bowls to soften the curd. Once the curd has softened we have to knead and stretch the cheese by hand until it forms a ball of smooth, delicious cheese. While we use gloves to avoid burns, this is a very hot, exhausting process. The balls are then formed into logs, cooled and brined before they are packaged waiting to go to the kitchen. Our mozzarella is definitely the most labor intensive of our cheeses, but it’s well worth the effort! So, stop by The Ag District Center and enjoy some pizza to celebrate National Italian Cheese month and remember to make a follow up visit in October to celebrate National Pizza Month!
- Teri Scott, General Manager
Looking back on all the harvests we’ve gone through over the past 27 years, I am reminded of all the emotions and reactions, like nervousness, exhaustion, and fear that come with them. But those feelings of anxiousnous also bring forth the mememories of the fun, camaraderie, excitement, and exhilaration that comes from a fruitful harvest. And we most certainly can't forget the immense sense of accomplishment and grateful relief that one feels when the grapes are sent to tank after the final crush. These memories made me wonder about a life analogy I could reference to help you good readers better understand this most critical time at a winery.
We go through the spring, summer and early fall with a sense of anticipation, sometimes happy, sometimes stressful, but it comes to a head when it’s time to pick. And then “it’s ON!”
Jake’s line. “We’re off to the races…” in his Report from the Cellar did the trick. I think a suitable analogy is an auto race… a LONG auto race, like the 24 Hours at Le Mans. I’ve done a little amateur racing in the past, and yep, I think this works.
Think about all the steps that lead up to, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” The cars are being built, tuned, and tested until the clock runs out (just like in the vineyard)… hoping for good weather when the race starts. Stress builds as the race day comes. And “it’s ON!” fear, excitement, exhaustion, anger… you name it. It’s all of those things in the vineyards, crushpad, and winery, as well. I took a look at what we were writing in our newsletter 20 years ago, and I came across a Report from the Winery written by Mark Bunter:
“Harvest. You won't find me waxing poetic about harvest. Euphoria and giddy anticipation of the beautiful wines to come? Fear, despair, neurosis, anxiety, and irritability are more like it. The only people who are justifiably giddy right now are barrel salesmen and pesticide suppliers. Romantic? Maybe, if you are either a pervert or a psychoanalyst. Enough about me, though. How about all those luscious clusters of grapes ripening perfectly in the September sunshine?”
(Hah! Mark was a bit of a curmudgeon, but mostly it was just for fun! I’ve kept up with him multiple times every year, checking in on this Bunter Spring Winery in Napa Valley.)
And along the way there’s the accidents, the caution flags and slow downs… and then, finally, the Checkered Flag. “It’s OVER.” And now we’re makin’ wine!
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