Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:23:04 -0700
Subject: [PV-Friends] June newsletter

	Perennial Vintners	In this issue:
		▪ Open Bastille Day July 11-12
		▪ Sold out of several wines
		▪ Vineyard - flowering
Newsletter -- June-2009		▪ Winery - racking
(Click here to view in HTML on website)		▪ Schedule changes
http://www.PerennialVintners.com/		▪ Recipe - Black bean & corn salad

(Click on any image below to go to website with more information/larger image/etc.)

▪ Open Bastille Day July 11-12
With our focus on Melon de Bourgogne, a very French wine, Perennial Vintners honors the French by being open on the French version of Independence day - Bastille Day.  This works out nicely this year as the other members of the Winery Alliance of Bainbridge Island will also be open to the public that weekend.  Come visit any of the wineries, and get directions to the others who will all also be open.  Visit the WABI website for info.

▪ Sold out of several wines
In the last month we have sold out of several wines, wow!  We ran out of Madeleine Angevine about a month ago, though this is no surprise as we only had about two dozen cases.  We've also run out of Ichigo strawberry port-style wine.  And, we're down to our last few bottles of Frambelle dessert port-style wine.  We still have a few bottles of Verjus left, and fortunately our Muller Thurgau is not yet in danger of running out.

▪ Vineyard - flowering
Some of the grapes have started flowering -- this is an important time in the vineyard as it's when this year's fruit is set.  In 2008, flowering was very very late, making for a difficult growing year.  Although this Spring started out cool, and stayed cool for a long time, once it warmed up, it's gotten downright hot, and has stayed that way!  This is good, we've caught up, and are probably even getting ahead of normal, yay!

Remaining tasks are (as always) weeding, and the next learning experience is tucking shoots and moving wires.  This is fairly tricky though not hard once you've done a it -- be sure to sign up on our volunteers email list to come help out and learn.

▪ Winery - racking
Remember how in last month's newsletter I said that I've been so busy with vineyard work that I've had very little time in the winery in the last few months?  Well that's still true -- I have yet to do the racking, or initiating Malolactic fermentation ("ML").  Want to know more about these processes?  Come help out for a few hours in the winery -- sign up on our volunteers email list.

▪ Schedule changes
We've updated our open-to-public schedule.  First the bad news: although we love to honor St. Vincent's Day in January, it has not been well attended, and is extra work for us, so we've dropped it.  (We'll be sure to include it in our newsletter to remind wine drinkers to honor it.)  Now the good news: we've added several open days to coincide with the Winery Association of Bainbridge Island events.  These are Memorial Day, 2nd weekend of August, and possibly a large island wine event yet TBD.

▪ Recipe - Black Bean & corn Salad
Now that we've got these wonderful warm evenings, we've been looking for heartier yet cool meals.  A favorite of Beth's has been this Black Bean and Corn salad.  We munch this on the deck with our Muller Thurgau.  (Click here for Recipes page.)