It’s surely Harvest time here at Chrysalis and the workload has been nonstop. Starting at the first of last month, we pulled in around 5.5 tons of Albariño for our Albariño Verde wine. The fermentation went smoothly and the wine really personifies that Vinho Verde style. The rest of the Albariño followed just a couple of weeks later and proved to be just as delicious.
Read MoreNormally September is the time when we invite parents to celebrate the kiddos going back to school by taking an afternoon off to enjoy a glass of wine, some great food and a little peace and quiet at the Ag District
Read MoreAs 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.”
Read MoreHello, from The Little River Bakehouse. This summer has been a hectic one to say the least and we have been firing on all cylinders the whole time. Over the last year I have been building this kitchen up to be a place where good comforting food is produced with an emphasis on fresh locally sourced ingredients.
Read MoreHarvest is here and the vineyard crew has begun the race to pick the fruit in a timely fashion. I’m happy to report that the vineyard is in outstanding health and we will have a bountiful harvest proceeded by terrific wine. The mornings are beginning to cool down, making it perfect for picking fruit.
Read MoreThe moment we have been working toward all year is here–harvest! We begin our harvest by picking the Albariño for everyone’s favorite Albariño Verde. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we start picking the fruit for the Verde at 19 brix and a pH of 3.3; giving us the perfect chemistry for the racy white wine that our Albariño Verde is. After the Verde harvest, we will begin to turn our attention to one of the trickier wine styles, a rosé.
Read MoreHave you heard?! Our blue cheese is finally here! King Richard Blue, aptly named for its English origin, has a mild, earthy, blue flavor, with a creamy, melt in your mouth texture and salty finish. This cheese sure will add both another flavor profile and a touch of color to any cheese or charcuterie board with its abundance of BLUE.
Read MoreNow that we have our routines in place and safety measures at full swing I have found the time to start introducing new specials to my pizza menu every weekend so be sure to check what we have coming up, they will hit the menu every Friday and will go through the weekend or until we run out whichever comes first. Just another way of showing the creativity and quality that our customers are getting to know.
Read MoreWhen I asked for less rain, I didn’t mean any rain! July has seen just a few thunderstorms and a little bit of rain. This creates concern for our vineyard because of drought stress. Even Norton needs a little rain to produce that delicious fruit. Freddi was quick to act and our drip irrigation is already at work keeping the vines watered.
Read MoreWith harvest prep complete Jason and I are focused on the vineyard. Veraison, the color change in grapes marks the start of looking for ripeness, will begin soon and it won't be long before we start harvesting our first fruit of the season. Determining a proper pick date is based on the style of wine. For our Albariño Verde, we focus on the slight green flavors, a lower Brix, and a tinge of acid that will leave your mouth watering. For Viognier we look more at a physiological ripeness. Meaning, we focus on the flavors and colors of the juice. Remember, we look for cantaloupe, honeydew, and a bit of mango character in our Viognier to determine ripeness.
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