Flourishing Vines
Sharing the story of our passion
May 2011
May is a wonderful month for a winery, especially in Oregon. The anticipation of budbreak and the renewed life and vigor in the vineyard is infectious. The winery is buzzing as we prepare for the new harvest and another Willamette Valley vintage. The tasting room is also bustling. The summer means more tourism and more visitors eager to sample our fantastic wines. There are events to plan and coordinate, samples to uncork and pour, and lots of wine to distribute for enjoyment.
While the vines are exploding with green, we've been in the bottling area putting the finishing touches on some fantastic new wines, including a new sparkling wine I guarantee you will love. A couple new machines have made our corking and closure needs much easier and efficient. Our barrels are getting cleaned and sanitized for new juice. Can't wait to see these vines flourish and grow over the course of the summer. But until then, the tasting room is where the party is!
Summer is not only the busiest time of the year for the tasting room, but also the most interesting. Our staff really enjoying meeting interesting people and the summer is prime picking for some serious characters coming to taste. We get visitors from all over the world (as shown with our two maps full of pins) and summer vacation is the opportunity most take to come to Oregon wine country. So with new visitors, we also have some new wines and surprises set for the coming months.
We're getting low on our quantities for a couple vintages, namely the 2007 Pinot Gris. The 2008 is eager to get out on the floor, so keep an eye out for a future release party to welcome the '08. A few old friends have gotten some cosmetic surgery. Same great wine, but new looks.
June is rolling out with several events. The first Saturday will kick off with a release party for our Northwest Comfort. One of our fan favorites is getting a new look. Gluhwein is a staple of Chateau Bianca, unique to us in a variety of ways. We feel its time to give such a great and established wine a bit of a revamp, so we've redesigned the label and bestowed a brand new title: Northwest Comfort. We hope you'll join us for the official unveiling of the new label June 3-5.
This is one of the most exciting times at the winery all year, but it is only the beginning...
April 2011
Its a new beginning at Chateau Bianca Winery and how appropriate that we being a new adventure just in time for Spring. The vines are pruned, we have some new faces around and finally some sun! Just in time for April we had consecutive days over 61 degrees! I actually took some time to relax on the porch and get some long overdue sunshine and much needed Vitamin D. But enough about the weather. Let's talk about the wine!
We want to take this opportunity to get you up to speed about the goings-on around the tasting room. We have had some staffing changes and are thrilled about new ideas bouncing around. We want to thank everyone who has been patient with us as we got back up to speed. We have a familiar face returning and an exciting new tasting room manager to make your tasting experience as spectacular as possible. The same core team in the vineyard and cellar are producing the affordable, high-quality wine you know and love.
If you’ve stopped by the tasting room in the last couple months, you may have noticed some construction on the east side of the tasting room. We are coming close to finishing up work on a new picnic area just in time to welcome the warm weather. Surrounding vines are the perfect touch for setting a tranquil mood. The picnic area is looking gorgeous. Even Helmut is coming out to help set things up. We almost thought it was an April Fool’s joke when he grabbed a ladder to help put the roofing on the refreshments stand! We can’t wait to relax in the sunshine with a glass of Riesling or enjoy a beautiful sunset by the fire pit with some Fireside Port. We’ll be more than happy to pour something to enjoy as you snack on some cheese and crackers. Keep a weather eye out for upcoming events.
Monthly deals are running full speed and April is kicking off with 2007 Pinot Gris. Less than 15 cases remain, so make sure to come down and grab some before its all gone! A lot of fantastic energy buzzing around the winery. Its time to come out of hibernation. Perhaps you're running low on your stock of wines. Maybe you haven't been to visit in a little while or, heaven forbid, you haven't been here at all! *Gasp* We have loads of fun in store for you and it's only going to get better as we roll towards the summer!
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