Welcome to the Bridge
Bridging all aspects of our Winery from the Vineyard, to
the Cellar, Winery Grounds, Tasting Room and beyond. Our ongoing newsletter is an ideal way to stay up to date with all aspects of the Winery
and our newest wine releases!
In this Edition:
Harvest time is complete, and the grapes are in! Learn what happens next and seem some great photos from the vineyards. Our winemakers share some insights into why quality is priority one in our wines and talk about the upcoming Fiano reemergence. See what's up next with Tess in the Tasting Room, always a fun time there for sure. Meet some more of our friends and family, catch up on the wine club coming your way and learn of the many great events we have scheduled soon.
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by Operations Manager, Joe Salman
Last newsletter I showed you the beautiful and tasty grapes that were harvested during the first half (or so) of harvest and after many long nights and days, finally on October 14th my harvest was over.
The pictures to the right and below of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon show a few of the final varieties harvested. The last photos show the vines post harvest, and a tremendous load of nearly 20 - 30 lbs of fruit was harvested per vine. As a grower, I feel like I can hear the vines let out a sigh of relief that goes along with mine.
The 2019 harvest is over and the grapes are in, but the journey has just started. By the time the newsletter comes out these grapes will all be a wine in one form or another. If you attended the harvest dinner you saw and tasted some of the early steps, but following the journey further into the cellar and later in the tasting room is something at GIV we pride ourselves on sharing with you.
Come on in!
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Cellar News
Our Commitment to Quality at Grand Island Vineyards
By Winemaker Ed Seikel
David and I have a very simple winemaking philosophy: Let the grapes speak for themselves. And this is why we're so excited to work here at GIV. The Salman Family Vineyards have some of the best fruit in in the region, and we get to showcase just how incredible these grapes from the Delta can truly be.
Salman Farms grows over 3,000 tons of grapes per year, and only about 30 tons of that will come to us at GIV. It allows us to walk all of the vineyards, and hand select the single best rows for each of our wines that we bring to you. Along with being Estate grown and California Rules sustainable, all of our grapes are harvested by hand by a very experienced picking crew, so no undesirable clusters of grapes (or anything else, for that matter) gets into our wines.
Once the grapes are transported to the cellar, all the rest of the work will be done by David or me. Having our wines ferment on site, and doing all of the work ourselves, allows us to have complete control to bring you the most pure expression of these wonderful grapes.
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Tasting Room
Get a Jump on the Holiday Season at GIV!
By Tasting Room Manager Tess Jonson
GIV will be hosting their 3rd annual Holiday in the Vineyards on November 30th and December 1st from Noon to 4 pm. This will be your one stop shop for great gifts this holiday season. Gifts for members, sweet treats, barrel tasting and vendor appearances from Stella and Dot, Makers Luck from Etsy, Lands End Treasures, Chefs Olive Mix, She Hauls Beef Jerky and Marty Stanley Art.
If you missed out on our Salman Family Reserve weekend of tasting, there's good news for you! During Holiday in the Vineyards GIV will once again be pouring only Salman Family Reserve wines and the Grand Island Vineyards After Dark which is becoming a new fan favorite.
We will also be hosting our toy drive again so please bring a new unwrapped gift and we will treat you to a glass of wine! Hope to see you all there!!
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Wine Family
Say Hello to Regina Wallace!
Regina has been a wine club member since Spring 2019 and has lived in Elk Grove for over 20 years. She first noticed Grand Island Vineyards when looking for properties and wedding venues and had a great time noting that it really felt like home here. She made a friendly connection on Cameron's first day and enjoyed the time they spent together.
Not only was Regina a University of New Mexico Psych Major, she also has a two year nursing degree in Respiratory Therapy and a BA in Science as well. Currently working in health care for Dignity Health, she is ARC taught and really enjoys the industry.
Her favorite Grand Island Vineyard's wine is the Rosé, and she also enjoys 7 Deadly Sins and Michael David's Freakshow wine. Typically she enjoys wine entertaining with friends and on the front patio. Interesting notes about Regina was back in 4-H she raised 250 rabbits and even two Grand Champion Rabbits as well.
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Wine Spotlight
Featuring the 2018 Fiano!
By Winemaker David Shattuck
We are pleased to be bringing back an old favorite to the tasting room: Fiano. This grape varietal from southern Italy is very rare in California and accounts for only .003% of the total white grapes crushed in our state. Ed and I love this wine because it is so different from our other white wines in the Grand Island Vineyards lineup. Fiano is an extremely versatile wine with food. Its waxy mouthfeel, honeyed and floral aromas, and moderate acidity allow it to be paired with a variety of lightly herbed and vegetable based dishes. Some of our favorite pairings with Fiano are fresh olives and charcuterie, squash risotto and cochinita pibil.
This wine pours a beautiful straw yellow color. The initial aroma of this wine is honeycomb interspersed with granite and oak. As the wine opens, hints of clove, poached pear, and jasmine intrigue the senses. The first sip provides notes of dried apricot and frankincense. The mouthfeel is waxy with a hint of grip and very approachable acidity. The wines finishes with a burst of mandarin pith, minerality, and char.
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Wine Club
Wine Club Shipments and Pickups are Ready!
By Wine Club Ambassador Melanie Jonson
GIV WINE FAMILY (3 bottles, quarterly shipments, 15% discount on GIV and Bridgehead)
November's shipment is upon us! We're excited to finally be able to release and share the 2018 GIV Fiano with everyone as well as the 2017 GIV Cabernet Sauvignon and BRIDGEHEAD Bubbles.
You can stop by the winery any Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday from 10AM to 5PM to pick up your wine. Or wait until November 30th when we will be putting together our third annual
Holiday in the Vineyard to drink wine and shop for the holidays. Two birds, one stone!
Have questions about your wine club? Want to know something specific for an event? Then feel free to contact us via telephone, email, or come to our tasting room. Our hours are Friday through Monday, 10 AM to 5 PM. We also recommend that you add
[email protected] t
o your contacts to ensure emails don't end up in your spam folder.
RESERVE CLUB (2 bottles, biannual shipments, 20% discount Salman Family Reserve)
It's finally time for our fall shipment for Reserve Club! The 2018 Reserve Chardonnay and 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir are ready for you to take home to share with your friends... or just enjoy yourself with a nice dinner! Taste and pick up these incredible wines in our tasting room.
Those of you who are a part of both of our clubs, GIV Family and Reserve, remember that you get a 20% discount off all wines! Yes, even Bridgehead and our Grand Island Vineyard label.
If you are not already in the Reserve Wine Club, or to access your existing account, please sign up or log in using our
online access area on our website. To verify your account upon sign up (via Billing Information or by Email) you can do so at our online
Account Verification page.
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Upcoming Events
View all events, R.S.V.P. or get tickets to Grand Island Events and Tours here!
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GIV After Dark
Join us in GIV's tasting room, during our after hours, for live music and delicious wine! Buy your favorite by the bottle or by the glass and enjoy the talented musicians we've chosen for the night!
Entertainment: Mike Kalend
Event Duration:
3 hours - 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Price: FREE!
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Holiday in the Vineyard
Saturday
The first day of a one stop shop for holiday fun and a good way to knock out some of your Christmas shopping at the same time!
Event Duration: 4 hours - Noon - 4:00 pm
Price: FREE!
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Holiday in the Vineyard
Sunday
The second day of a one stop shop for holiday fun and a good way to knock out some of your Christmas shopping at the same time!
Event Duration: 4 hours - Noon - 4:00 pm
Price: FREE!
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