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Perennial Vintners | In this issue: |
| ▪ Schedule - open weekend 26,27-Apr |
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| ▪ Friends of the Farms |
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| ▪ New "satellite tasting room" in Fremont! |
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| Newsletter -- Apr-2014 | ▪ New & ongoing outlets |
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| (Click
here to view in HTML on
website) |
▪ Vineyard - weeding, rototilling |
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| http://www.PerennialVintners.com/ | ▪ Unused empty wine bottles for hobbyists |
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(Click on any image below to go to website with more information/larger image/etc.)
▪ Schedule - open this weekend 26,27-Apr
The WABI member wineries (all BI wineries) are all open this weekend, Sat-Sun (26,27-Apr) for Spring Barrel Tasting. Come visit the closest vineyard to downtown Seattle - you'll see the grapevines at "mouse-ear" stage - the new shoots and leaves are popping out and look like little mouse ears sticking out of the branches! I'd say we're a bit early this year, which bodes well for an excellent harvest in 2014. We'll have a tank sample from something from 2013, it's a surprise!
Remember that PV IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MOST EVERY WEEKEND. Each month there is a special event where all the wineries are open, including PV - this weekend is one of those. Most any other day Mike can open the winery on just a few minutes notice by phone/txt 206-200-5902. And again, most every weekend we're open to the public.
▪ Friends of the Farms
I'd like to spend a moment to mention the Bainbridge organization Friends of the Farms. FotF started out as the Trust For Working Landscapes, and changed name a few years ago. This organization is City of BI's official instrument for managing the preserved BI farmlands, including the Morales and Suyematsu Farms that I lease portions of. Last week they had their annual fundraiser dinner, featuring food grown locally (on BI), in many cases on FotF managed properties. They also served wines by PV and neighboring BI Vineyards. The event was at the stunning IslandWood grounds. It opens with a meet-n-greet and silent auction, then an interactive auction along with dinner. It was great fun with many BI notables there, and all proceeds go to a cause that I believe in. Thanks to FotF for raising awareness in the BI community while working with us farmers. You may want to consider blocking this event into your calendar now, for next year!
▪ New "satellite tasting room" in Fremont
Washington
state has many very strange laws about alcohol sales... One of the
newer laws that reduces the restrictions slightly, is the concept of a
"satellite" and/or "shared" tasting room. It is now legal for a winery
to have a completely remote tasting bar. Additionally, it is now also
legal to share a tasting area with other wineries. You may be familiar
with the first one of these to open, the Washington Wine Tasting Room on
Post Alley at the Pike Place Market.Perennial Vintners is in the process of joining with 5 other wineries at a new one, the Fremont Tasting Room! The business was
in progress making the transition from just-another wine shop to a
shared tasting room when we happened to call. We met with the owner,
(another Mike!) and poured our wines for him, and he was thrilled to
offer us a spot in the venture. It's a wonderful location, just around
the corner from the Statue of Lenin in Fremont. (Very important for the
Fremont area, there's free parking at the building.)
It's a great business model as the staff can focus on the
6 wineries instead of having to know everything about possibly
thousands of wines from all over the world as in a traditional wine
shop. Most importantly though, this is also a wine bar where you can
come in after work and have a glass of wine with friends, all while
learning about some of the most wonderful wines available in WA State!
Each winery will have a representative (usually the winemaker) at the
shop at least once per month to chat with the customers. As an example, they have a wonderful dessert wine special featuring 3 dessert wines including our Frambelle, plus 3 chocolate desserts, including Yukon Jacksons Frambelle Truffles...
We're still getting it all together (WSLCB paperwork and
such), so you may wish to give it a week or two, but please do come to
Fremont soon and try it out. You won't be visiting a vineyard as you
would be by visiting the winery on Bainbridge Island, but you don't have
to wait on ferry lines, and you'll get to visit the wonderful things in
Fremont!
As
promised last month, we're pushing into Seattle a bit more now. We've
just started up with European Wine Selections near Canturbury pub on
Capitol Hill. If you're in that neighborhood, I'd recommend this shop -
I always check out any shop I hope to sell at and I very much liked
their selection.
Also on Capitol Hill I'd like to remind you
that Vino Verite has been a longtime fan of Perennial Vintners and carries several of our wines at the shop. Dave loves to get to know his
customers and is excellent at making recommendations.
▪ Vineyard - weeding, rototilling
We just got through the annual dandelion explosion in the
vineyard. I got through the block in front of the winery, but didn't
get down to the Morales hillside before it was too late, so next year
they'll be even worse there! Pretty much all the weeds are pushing up
like crazy so there's plenty more to do. I'm already on the
mow-the-lawn-every-4-days treadmill, ugh!Pretty soon we'll be rototilling all the vineyards for weed control. Bare dirt is warmer than any cover crop, so we maintain a "dust mulch" throughout the most of the growing year. Spraying for Powdery Mildew starts soon. Fence repair to keep out the deer and/or spraying deer repellent starts soon as well...
▪ Unused empty wine bottles for hobbyists