Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:38:31 -0800
Subject: November newsletter
Perennial Vintners In this issue:
 ▪ Schedule & BI Farmers Market - sampling!
 ▪ Wine in progress, and running low
 ▪ Unused empty wine bottles for hobbyists
Newsletter -- Nov-2013  ▪ Holiday wine pairing suggestions
(Click here to view in HTML on website)
 ▪ Helper & Intern opportunities
http://www.PerennialVintners.com/  ▪ New outlets: BIMA & The Fireside

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

Schedule & BI Farmers Market - sampling!
The WABI member wineries (all BI wineries) are open Thanksgiving weekend, Fri-Sun (29,30-Nov and 01-Dec).   This is an excellent time of year to stop by all of us for holiday festivities - carefully chosen wine can be such a tasteful and personal gift!

Come to PV and be sure also to take a walk in the vineyard so you can see what it looks like before we start pruning.   You will be amazed when you come back in the Winter, then again in Spring to see how much changes!

We'll be attending the Bainbridge Indoor Winter Farmers Market each Sat. starting 23-Nov, 'til 21-Dec.   For those of you who visited us at Poulsbo Farmers Market this summer, you'll remember Kath - she'll be doing the honors at Bainbridge for the Winter Market.   I'll (Mike L.) be there too for the first one, it'll be fun, hope you can stop by!

Most importantly however, for the first time ever, we'll be pouring wine samples!   Those of you who've been on this email list for a while will remember my asking you to give feedback to WA State in support of the law allowing wineries/breweries to pour samples at farmers markets - it's really happened, thank you for your support!   By the way, our neighbors, BI Vineyard are in progress to having wines available, and may be joining us in pouring samples at BIFM before the end of the year!

Wine in progress and running low
The 2012 wines are all now bottled, yay!   They're not available for sale just yet, they need to have a chance to get through "bottle shock".   We have Melon de Bourgogne again for the first time since 2009, and a blend of Muller Thurgau, Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrebe.   These are both awaiting label approval.   The government shutdown is undoubtedly still causing a backlog so cross your fingers and maybe we'll have these available before the end of this year...

From 2013 we have estate Siegerrebe, Madeleine Angevine, Muller Thurgau and Melon de Bourgogne in tanks, plus Cabernet Franc and Lemberger from E WA.   These won't be available 'til mid-2014.

We're running low on several wines...   As mentioned in the previous newsletter, we're out of Verjus.   We are down to the last few cases of Muller Thurgau, our only Estate wine at this time.   Lemberger is also down to the last few cases.   The 2011 Frambelle isn't low yet, but it sells well over the holidays, so I expect it to run out by the end of the year.

Unused empty wine bottles for hobbyists
We have about a hundred cases of unused wine bottles that we're paying to have stored, so we're selling them at about half bulk price.   These are all different shapes and colors, a few cases to a couple dozen cases of each.   If you could use new wine bottles for your winemaking hobby, please reply to this email and let me know roughly what you'd like.   If you have a friend who makes wine in their basement, just think of what a great Christmas present this would be!

▪  Holiday wine pairing suggestions
I asked our Executive Chef, Andrew MacMillen for a recommendation on my best wine to pair with turkey, and here's his reply...

Holiday meals are a symphony of divergent flavors ranging from sweet to tart to rich. A single wine would be hard pressed to handle everything, so I suggest 3 wines for 8 people - a white, rose' and red. This should amply cover both your guests' tastes and accent different courses.

Viognier,  Rose' and Syrah would be my choice for the main meal - Viognier with white meat, vegetables, cream sauces & potatoes, Syrah with dark meat, game, baked ham, stuffing and brown sauces, with
Rose' working well in both directions and with sauced ham.  

[Note: This is normally $51 - I'm offering them together for $40 - a 20% discount - until Christmas, at the winery only.]

The soft yet crisp fruitiness of Madeleine Angevine will pair with appetizers, and Magelica will pair beautifully with both pumpkin and pecan pie. Don't forget Frambelle for the after-dessert chocolates or midnight sipping.


Helper & Intern opportunities
At this time the only remaining vineyard work is removing the bird netting. There's no hurry on this, it just has to be done before we can start pruning, and that's not 'til late December.   However, if there's a nice weather day, that's the time to be outside, that's when we'll do it.   Feel like joining the fun even at the last minute?   txt my cell 206-200-5902 if you'd like   to learn by doing.

In the next month in the winery we'll mostly just be racking, and doing some labeling.   If you'd like to learn about this part of winemaking, reply to this email and let me know, perhaps we can work it into the schedule.

This is an early heads-up for the next big vineyard job -- that's pruning.   If you want to understand grape growing, this is the most critical part of grape growing.   Please consider spending an afternoon with me some time in Jan, Feb, Mar; it takes me most of 3 months to do this job, so there's plenty of opportunities.

If you'd like to be notified of events like these, please join our helpers email list.

PV has offered an informal intern program since 2008.   There is no charge, and no formal coursework.   All you need to do is to commit to spending roughly one afternoon per month with me at the vineyard and winery.   There is something that needs to be done every month from March through November.   I've had several students from the South Seattle Comm. Coll. viticulture and oenology programs, and they all expressed how they had learned a great deal from me.   If interested, please reply to this email.

New Outlets: BIMA & The Fireside
Actually we've had our wines at both these places for a while, I just haven't gotten around to mentioning it yet...   We're honored to be at The Bistro in the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.   I haven't personally had the chance yet to visit the collection, or to dine at the Bistro, but I will be in the next month, and am very much looking forward to it!

Also, I had the pleasure of attending a private dinner at The Fireside at Port Ludlow this week.   They had a group in for several days that had a strong local interest, which is the specialty of the kitchen there.   They chose PV wines for the meal, and asked me if I'd be willing to introduce myself and the wines at the event.   I was more than flattered, and was thoroughly impressed with the food.   If you haven't been to the Fireside before (I hadn't), you're missing out!