DECEMBER NEWSLETTER 2024
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
Sip, savor, and share some wine for the holidays! Christmas will be here before you know it and here at Chrysalis Vineyards, we have everything that you will need to savor and share some holiday cheer this season. From our newly released 2024 Norton Nouveau to some delicious cheese bundles from Locksley Farmstead Cheese Company we have it all.
The perfect gift for the host of your holiday festivities, the perfect gift for your friend, the perfect client appreciation, and the perfect sip and bite for you to savor the holidays.
DECEMBER EVENTS:
December 7th @ 4PM - Christmas Paint & Sip
Get in the holiday spirit at Chrysalis Vineyards with a festive Christmas-themed Paint & Sip Class! Join us on December 7th at 4 PM to paint a retired wine barrel stave with Christmas cheer while savoring a glass from our select wines. The last day to purchase your ticket(s) is December 3rd!
CLICK HERE for more information or to purchase your tickets today!
*Participants must be 21 or older. This event will not be held in a 21+ only area, allowing parents with children to attend.
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
We invite our VIP club members to come and celebrate the holiday season with us on December 13th for a Cookie & Wine pairing pick-up party! Members must RSVP no later than December 6th by emailing TR-Manager@Chrysaliswine.com. Please include your name and the number of people attending (up to 2 per membership). festivities will kick off at 6PM! 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 your holiday selection this month our VIP members will receive the 2023 Albariño and the 2019 Borboleta.
The 2023 Albariño is a 100% stainless steel-fermented wine that offers a vibrant, medium-bodied profile that highlights the classic characteristics of its varietal. Expect bright acidity and captivating tropical aromatics of orange zest, honeydew, and grapefruit with flavors of nectarine, citrus fruit, and ripe peaches on the palate.
The 2019 Borboleta is a shining example of Norton’s finesse, crafted in a traditional port style that’s perfect for the holiday season. Whether you're savoring it by the fire on a chilly winter night or pairing it with a decadent chocolate dessert, Borboleta brings warmth and joy to any festive occasion. With rich aromas of mocha and black cherry, this wine invites you into the season’s coziest moments. On the palate, its soft warmth carries notes of ripe cherry, a touch of coffee, and a creamy dark cocoa finish. Borboleta is the ideal companion for holiday gatherings or as a thoughtful gift to delight any wine lover.
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.
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
Merry Christmas! How Did That Happen Already?
Let us help make your holiday shopping stress-free! A bottle of wine is always a thoughtful and appreciated gift, and we’ve got just the thing for you. Pick up a bottle of our newly released 2024 Norton Nouveau—a delightful way to share holiday cheer. We’ll cheers to that!
VIP Club Members: Don’t forget, you enjoy a 15% discount on all bottle purchases! That’s holiday gifting made easy—and a deal everyone loves during the season. Not a member yet? Join today and take advantage of these savings for your holiday gifting!
Looking for another perfect gift? Treat someone to a VIP Club Membership—the gift that keeps on giving all year long. With exclusive benefits and special wines, it’s a present they’ll remember month after month.
Locksley Farmstead Cheese Company makes a fantastic gift, too!
Choose from:
- A gift box with three of our cheeses and a bottle of Chrysalis Vineyards Hot Sauce for just $25.
- Upgrade with a bottle of wine and Norton Jelly for $50.
When you visit to pick up your gifts or wine, don’t miss our Curated Tastings (up to 4 complimentary for members) or one of our 4 flight offerings. Exciting news: the 2024 Norton Nouveau is now featured in our curated tastings and select flights!
And don’t forget to watch for special wine deals throughout December to make your holidays even merrier. Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday Season! Enjoy time with friends, family and at your favorite winery – Chrysalis Vineyards!
- Lori Tate, Tasting Room Manager
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD
There’s a certain quietness that’s settled over the vineyard as we move into the colder months. The vines are now completely dormant and the crew has moved on to various winter projects throughout the property. Recently, Freddy and I have been talking about the 2024 growing season... more like trying to make sense of it.
If you’ve been keeping up with my vineyard reports, you’ll recall that 2024 started with weeks of bitter cold and a bit of snow. I touched on how this would reduce disease pressure and insect populations. From the winter we moved into a typical rainy Spring, where I was lamenting how Norton was “bulletproof” from most humid diseases but not neglect. As if someone was controlling the weather, we went into a full-blown drought and didn’t see a drop of rain for about two months which led to almost zero disease pressure and reliance on our 25-year-old irrigation system. (Thank you, Jenni!)
At that point, the vineyard was in top-notch health, the vines were flourishing, and yields were high enough to merit a bit of fruit dropping. The harvest kicked-off with some of the best-looking fruit Freddy has seen in his 25 years at Chrysalis, or as far as he can remember.
Then out of nowhere came the hurricane season…which was rough. Many know, that a bit of rain doesn’t bother me but this was three weeks of rain! As always, we played it cool and let the fruit hang through the rough weather. When it came time to pick, Freddy worked with the crew to field sort, resulting in some of the finest quality Petit Verdot and Tannat. Seriously, it’s going to be great! Freddy’s high demands for fruit quality did result in a lower yield then anticipated, but I think it’s paid off.
The 2024 vintage was my first true experience with Virginia's challenging weather, as it's the first time I've had to navigate such unpredictable conditions. However, with Freddy's expertise and the hard work of our incredible vineyard crew, we've successfully crafted another outstanding vintage.
- Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM THE CELLAR
At the last VIP event and Norton Nouveau release party, a few folks asked me what’s next on the horizon for our wines. It was a tough question to answer because our focus is improving on what we already do. We do this by taking careful notice of what we are doing and then asking the most obvious questions. What’s the biggest difference between the two blocks? What is the difference in processing methods? What technique is going to better emphasize that lovely aromatic?
This vintage, we’ve separated out our blocks of Albariño into Locksley and Hollin growing sites. Though harvested about a week apart with similar chemistry, the fruit from each site is remarkably distinct. The Locksley fruit has more of the traditional acidity found in Spanish Albariño and the Hollin fruit has more of the stone fruit character that ultra ripe Albariño gets in the New World. We will look to utilize both to make a more “true to its origin Albariño” that captures one of Jenni’s favorite wines.
On the Norton front, we also added one more processing method to our ever-growing list of “What happens if we do this to Norton?” list. Some of you may have noticed that “foot treading” or foot stomping has been making a comeback in winemaking. The idea is that the gentle pads of your foot provide a softer press on the fruit teasing out only the best flavors and aromatics of it.
Now, I’m not itching to climb into a bin, and I definitely don’t have time for the cleanup afterward, but we did a modified version of this by de-stemming Norton berries into a few bins without breaking the skins. Obviously, this was almost impossible to punch down, so we used a larger punch-down tool with holes throughout to apply gentle consistent pressure across the cap. This took about 21 days to ferment and by the end of it, most of the berries were still unbroken. We pressed off the fruit and did malolactic fermentation in tank. The resulting wine is a deep bright purple, with lots plum notes and soft tannin. Yes, there’s actually a bit of tannin on the finish. It’s a very lovely wine and is now aging in French oak, Jenni and I will be tasting this over the next few months to see how it ages. Don’t worry you’ll get the opportunity soon too!
- Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
‘Tis the season for holiday celebrations which always includes festive parties, gatherings, and meals. Whether you’re entertaining or an invited guest, you can’t go wrong by including some Locksley Farmstead Cheese in your plans. A charcuterie board featuring a variety of Locksley Farmstead Cheese is the perfect beginning to any event. An appetizing arrangement of Nottingham Gouda, Little John Cheddar, Merry Men Manchego, and Maid Marian Camembert will impress your guest and get the evening started in fashion! For the main meal a side of delicious, rich macaroni and cheese featuring Nottingham Gouda and Little John Cheddar will leave everyone asking where you did your culinary training! For some extra pizazz add some Chrysalis Vineyards hot sauce!
If you’re skipping all the hosting duties make sure you bring a gift box of Locksley cheeses to make sure you’re invited back next year. We have a variety of cheeses and cheese boxes available in the tasting room. There’s no better gift than some fine, locally produced artisan cheeses. And don’t forget to include some Chrysalis Vineyards wine! Our wine and cheese combo gift boxes are an easy way to impress your host!
- Teri Scott, General Manager
With all the ups and downs of life this past year and the stresses we’ve all been sometimes subject to, please allow me to remind everyone of the joy and harmony that should always be part of the December holidays, regardless of what and how we’re celebrating. Sharing time with our families and friends should be one of the highlights of our year, bringing warmth and happiness into our homes. I do so hope this is the case with everyone this year.
Being that time of year when generosity and warm hospitality are the order of the day, giving a gift of fine food and wine is perfectly appropriate, especially local foods produced by your neighbors who put in the hard work on the land to make delicious artisan products. Giving a simple gift of wine when visiting others is always appreciated, and even more so when it’s unique and from the land of your neighbors. And accompanying that wine with some delicious artisan cheese just adds to the pleasure, warmth, and gratitude.
I’ve done a gazillion wine tastings over the years and I always end by saying that we’re keenly aware of the fact that you have a broad choice of places to visit and products to buy of the type we produce, especially in the DC area. And it’s not lost on us that you’ve decided to visit us here in Middleburg and buy our fine artisan wines and foods. And, that’s as it should be. Yes, this is self-serving, but we’re your local agriculture, and everyone in the area should be supporting their local ag, if they want to see it thrive and grow.
So please think about picking up some extra bottles to share, and consider getting a couple of the simple, yet attractive, gift boxes that Teri Scott and her crew have assembled for you and your friends and family this year.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
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