Welcome to the Bridge - The Official GIV Newsletter | |
For more than 50 years our family has tended our vineyards and grown our own grapes, for our wines, along the lush banks of the Sacramento River. We are striving to perfect the art and science of grape growing, and we’re proud to share the rewards of our labor by creating wines that showcase distinctive grapes perfectly. Bridging all aspects of our Winery from the Vineyard, to the Cellar, Winery Grounds, Tasting Room and beyond. | |
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Moonlight Mambo!!
Saturday, September 21st, 6-9pm
An amazing night of fantastic Latin music, delicious Latin food, wonderful GIV wines, all on the the beautiful grounds at GIV!
Price $30.00 - RSVP here!
Please join us for an end of summer concert featuring the amazing Dongato Latin Band! Dance the night away on our beautiful grounds, under the starry, moonlit sky. Dongato Latin Band will provide the perfect mix of tropical and Cuban sounds. They play a variety of sophisticated Latin music including Cuban Son, Salsa, Cha Cha Cha and smooth Latin Jazz. So put on your dancing shoes and have a night to remember!
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To enhance this wonderful evening, Crazy Empanda Food Truck will be onsite with delicious Colombian inspired food available for purchase.
Their authentic Colombian food has a variety of menu items, including but not limited to their namesake empanada.
Doors will open at 5pm, with the event beginning at 6pm. Please, NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINKS. Our wonderful wines will be available for purchase by the glass or bottle.
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Wine tasting will not be offered during this event. We recommend you come prepared with a sweater or blanket, you never know when the Delta breeze will join us.
We are very excited to share this beautiful night with you!
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Here comes that fire, the straight up good good!
------- Written by GIV Winemaker, David Shattuck | |
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Our August release features three of our fan favorites. First, we have our 2022 Primitivo. We featured this wine at several of our barrel tasting events through last fall. This wine was aged in a combination of French, Hungarian, and American oak and sports a fun oak character as a counterpoint to its rich fruit structure. I love to pour this wine with pizza, fire roasted veggie sandwiches, and smoked pork ribs. The wine pours a dark purple red color. The initial notes are a seductive blend of ripe strawberry, plum, and exotic spice. The mouthfeel flirts delightfully between brawny and delicate. The combination of tannin, acid, and midpalate makes each sip intriguing. The finish is long with flavors of burnt caramel, bramble, and cinnamon interwoven with ripe cherry.
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We are also releasing the 2023 Chenin Blanc. This vintage of chenin blanc is characterized by a rich mouthfeel and bright tropical fruit aromas. It is one of my favorite summer wines because it pairs with lighter summer foods including caprese, grilled fish, and gazpacho. This wine pours a delicate hay hue. The initial aroma opens with a punch of spiced melon, beeswax, and bright grapefruit. The midpalate is rich with an intriguing note of sweet french bread and cooked peach. The wine maintains balance with a clean burst of acidity that is reminiscent of biting into a kumquat. | |
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Finally, we have a new vintage of the Rouge et Blanc. This wine is a fun blend of unaged Cabernet franc and Symphony. It provides a slightly off dry, floral, and punchy wine that brings together some of the best aspects of Rose and red wine. I love this wine as a slightly chilled aperitif or a pairing with barbeque foods. This wine pours a brilliant ruby color with hints of amethyst. The opening aromas run the spectrum of floral with notes of jasmine, earthy with tobacco humidor, and fruity with bright bing cherry and plum. The slight sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to the soft tannins and rich acidity. | |
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Just a quick note on bridge work:
Cal Trans is working on the Steamboat Slough Bridge (the one nearest the winery). They close the bridge M-F from 6am but normally have it reopened by 2:30. Their sign says closed until 4pm, but they have not worked that late on any days yet.
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So if you are coming from Sacramento during the week you would have to detour to Walnut Grove and come back up north to the winery. (Nice drive) The good thing is that everything is open Saturdays and Sundays.
As always, check back for updates or give us a call and we will let you know when said bridge work is complete.
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The Calm Before the Storm!
------- Written by Operations Manager, Joe Salman
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At the beginning of August much of the vineyard work is over!
We are at the point called veraison and shown are a bunch of pretty pictures of these grapes. We don't exactly sit and wait for them to ripen, but we will take a week off to pick the pears near the winery coming up.
The grapes are accumulating sugar which is a huge drain on the vine. Combine that with a hot day and as a farmer you hope you have a healthy vine along with a soil not over depleted in moisture. So we keep the vines happy as we start getting equipment ready for harvest.
By this time next month I'm sure we will have something picked.
Cheers,
Joe
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