Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:06:57 -0800
Subject: [PV-Friends] December newsletter

	Perennial Vintners	In this issue:
		▪ Last Farmers Market of 2009
		▪ Year end thanks to helpers
		▪ Helpers schedule
Newsletter -- December-2009		▪ Next open weekend
(Click here to view in HTML on website)		▪ New owner for BIVW
http://www.PerennialVintners.com/		▪ Fishing for a Cure Gala

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

▪ Last Farmers Market of 2009
This coming weekend (Sat 19-Dec) is the final Bainbridge Farmers Market of the year.  This is your last chance to shop a variety of truly local (to Bainbridge) products all in one place.  PV will have our current releases available, plus Christmas tree ornaments from Kuy Glass.  10am-3pm, meeting room of the Plymouth Congregational church corner of Winslow Way and Madison Ave.  Hope to see you there!  (Mention you read about it in this email for 10% off on your PV purchase.)

▪ Year end thanks to helpers
Perennial Vintners is deeply indebted to all the very special people who came out throughout the year to help out with the many jobs we have that take more than just one person.  Pruning (in the cold and wet in January!), setting posts, hedging, pulling trellis wires, harvesting, bottling, ripeness testing, doing the farmers market table and much more.  There's always more work to be done and although this year I've needed a lot of help, there's always been at least one person come through when I really, really needed help.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to let everyone know how much I appreciate it -- thank you, and thank you again!  (If you came out and helped but didn't get a wine as payment (there were few who had to run) be sure to arrange with me to get some.)

▪ Helpers schedule
And for those folks willing to help out in the future, you'll get to learn more than you could possibly want to know about grape growing and winemaking...  (You'll also be paid in wine!)  The next things I need to get done are:
    Labeling about 80 cases - only need 1 person at a time, an hour or so of an evening is fine (indoors - need done by late jan)
    Pulling trellis wires - 1 person during daylight, most any day that the weather is not too awful (need done before pruning, couple hours at a time)
    Pruning - will start in mid-Jan and work any day the weather is good, until late Feb, then will work even when it's lousy to get it done (done by 1st week March)
I know, hardly a romantic presentation, but them's the facts...  Hope I can get some people to come out and help.  If you're interested, please reply to this email, or join our pv-helpers email list at the website.

▪ Next Open weekend
The next scheduled open weekend is Valentine's Day 13,14,15-Feb-2010.  We'll be open all three days and will be debuting our 2009 Frambelle raspberry port-style dessert wine.  Be sure to mark your calendar right now so you don't miss out.

▪ New owner for BIVW
After 30+ years producing wine on Bainbridge, my neighbors Gerard and Joanne Bentryn are in the process of selling their business Bainbridge Island Vineyard and Winery.  There have been tentative offers in the past few years that have not completed, this one however, looks like it's going to go through.  (Those of you familiar with their operation know of their only employee Betsey -- thank heavens that she will be staying on with the new owner as viticulturist as we at PV rely on her extensive knowledge and helpfulness.)  You can anticipate many noticeable changes there in 2010.  We at Perennial Vintners are looking forward to working closely with the new owners.

▪ Fishing for a Cure Gala
Perennial Vintners contributes annually to the Friends of FSH Research auction, and have enjoyed ourselves immensely attending the event -- we'd like to encourage you to come as well.  It's put on for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy research.  This year's auctioneer is John Curley, it's at the Grand Ballroom of the Bellevue Hyatt on 30-Jan-2010.  Stuff I've seen at previous auctions include bottles from private wine collections from WA states most renowned wineries, vacation packages, restaurant gifts, all sorts of artworks, a tour of an Intel chip manufacturing facility, sports memorabilia,  game tickets, personal consultations, private dinner party in your home, motor scooter, beach cabin at Westport WA, sailing trips, the list goes on and on!  I very much hope to see you there.  More info at http://fshfriends.org/