Archive for December, 2010

Taste of Vashon (wines)

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

Vashon Winery
 Let it flow, let it flow….

     I love this picture. It is so vibrant, so alive with color and promise of a great wine. Makes you want to just dip a glass under the flow…..which, of course, I did, as did my helpers.
     This is new, young wine coming from the spout of the basket press, filtering through the wooden basket slats, and grape skins, inside the press.
     Most of this year’s wines are now in barrel, asleep for the winter, shivering in barrels and throwing down their particulate matter and clarifying, becoming more stable, and changing ever so slowly.
     The 2010 vintage will be interesting. I think it will be a bit more acidic but also more concentrated because there was much less juice in the grapes as they struggled with ripening during a cool spring, a somewhat cool growing season and a late harvest.


 

 

 

 

 

 

             

Shana and Verne handle the press

Taste of Vashon™

  •  This Christmas, we are offering a four bottle selection in a (plain white) cardboard carrier (included). It can also be put into a wine shipper (only a six bottle shipper available, $5.00 cost) for shipping (by you) either in- or out-of-state. Included in the carrier is a sheet with a description of the wines, food recommendations, a bit about the winery, and background on the Tramp Harbor Red label. Your price at the winery: $77.00 before tax ($83.62 with tax). A great gift for a business associate; or a brother in Dallas, or a sister in Burien.

    • Give the Taste of Vashon.

    • Vashon Thriftway is also offering this four bottle selection. The Taste of Vashon includes a bottle each of 2007 Cabernet Franc, 2006 Merlot, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and a bottle of Tramp Harbor Red which is a blend of the other three wines.
    • The winery will be open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4pm, on December 11 and 12, and the following weekend, December 18 and 19, also 1-4pm.
    • Vashon Winery’s wines can be found at the following wine outlets:
      Seattle: Metropolitan Markets: Upper (s) and lower (m) Queen Anne stores, Admiral; West Seattle Thriftway (m), Pike and Western Wine Shop (f), Fred Meyer Ballard (m), West Seattle Wine Cellars (f), Esquin Wine Merchants (m).
      Tacoma: Vinotique (Lakewood) (m), Metropolitan Market (Proctor) (s), Tacoma Boys (6th Avenue North) (m).
      Outlying areas: The Wine Studio (Gig Harbor) (s), Water to Wine (Gig Harbor) (f), Fred Meyer (Port Orchard, Sedgewick Road) (s), Corky Cellars (Des Moines) (m), Hellam’s Vineyard (La Connor) (s), George’s Wine Shoppe (Bellevue) (m).
      *key to stores’ selection: (m) most of my wines, (s) some of my wines, and (f) only a few.
    •  I will be at the new Wine World wine-superstore pouring samples of my wine on Friday evening, 6-8pm, December 17. Wine World is located on 400 N. 45th Street, close to the off-ramp from I-5 and just a bit west.
    • In closing, I would like to wish you all an exciting and prosperous next year. I have lots to look forward to and I hope to share with you. In 2011, Vashon Winery celebrates its 25th Anniversary. We will have numerous events scheduled throughout the year with tastings of wines from our cellar. We also will release our 2006 Anniversary Reserve Red, likely in March. We also will release the 2009 Pinot Noir, grown on-island at Monument Farm Vineyard. And we will have our first offering of Grenache (2009 vintage).
      Besides Anniversary events, I am busy helping organize the 2011 Poetry Fest scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend featuring some great regional, and local, poets. And I plan on hosting this year’s Vashon Winery Folk Festival, August 20.

    Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

    Ron Irvine
    Owner, winemaker, bookkeeper and janitor

    Vashon Winery, 10317 SW 156th Street, Vashon, WA 98070
    Vashonwinery.com, vashonwinery@yahoo.com; 206.567.0055

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