The Bridge News
September 2020 - Vol. 42
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!


taste
Vineyard News
HARVEST!
By Operations Manager Joe Salman

As promised, grapes are now being harvested!  Things started a bit early back on August 7th with Gewurztraminer.  While that pick wasn't for our winery, we held some back to get the fruit a bit riper and harvested our own Gewurztraminer later in August.  I know a lot of you really like the Gewurztraminer, so keep posted in the winemaker areas below for more on this throwback wine.

Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris were the next varieties to come off during some very warm nights.  In late August we harvested our home ranch reserve Pinot Noir for our winery which is always exciting (well, it is if you are a fan of the Salman Family Reserve Pinot Noir).  Not only did we bring in Pinot, but we also brought in Merlot (oops, I mean Block 2).  This was much earlier than normal, but the berries tasted ready and the sugar was maybe a little below our previous levels, but that could actually be a good thing when it comes to the wine as that results in more alcohol!

Want to know more about all this?  Click Crush Pad Tasting with Winemakers and experience it all!  One day advanced booking is required.



Most of my Chardonnay was harvested during this time while it was warm and smokey from what we are told the smoke will not have any effect on the wines at least from our area.  

Enjoy that first ever selfie I took above (it looks really great with my lack of sleep), but it was really for a friend and mechanic that helped me fix this harvester so that it could get going for the  Chenin Blanc harvest night.




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taste
News from the Tasting Room
More Ways to Visit - Private/Event Tastings or Come Have a Picnic!
By Tasting Room Manager Tess Jonson

GIV Tasting is BACK! Starting in September we will be tasting Grand Island Vineyard and Salman Family Reserve wines on the patio. The tastings will be one-hour reservations for 6 or fewer guests. Be sure to be on time as we don't want to cut your wines short. 

Tastings are $10 per person and waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine or you can join the wine family and enjoy free tastings. That's right, all wine club perks apply! See you on the patio soon!

Are you looking for a truly unique experience? We still have a few Saturday reservations left in September for Crush Pad Tasting with our fabulous Winemakers. Join our winemakers, David and Ed, in our production area to discuss crush and taste everything from library wines, newly bottled unreleased wines, barreled wines, to fermenting wines and juices. 





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taste
Cellar News
Wines, Wines, Wines - Whites are In and Reds are on the Way!
By Winemaker Ed Seikel

Harvest started early this year, so we're already very busy in the cellar.  All of our white lots are in, and it isn't even September yet! Our first lot this year is extra exciting because not only did it kick off our 2020 harvest, but it's a new varietal that we'll hopefully be bringing to you in early 2021, Gewurztraminer.  

The other white wines currently going through fermentation are our Chardonnay, Riesling, Symphony, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Not only that, but we even have Pinot Noir and Merlot currently fermenting in our barrel room!  

Now that all the early ripening fruit is in, we get a bit of a break before the next wave of later ripening reds come in, but soon enough the barrel room will be packed with bins that will keep David and I busy until the end of harvest.

If you are interested in seeing (and more importantly, tasting) what we're working on in the cellar, look at getting tickets for a Crushpad Tasting with the Winemakers.  We''ll be doing one private tasting every Saturday for a single group of up to six all harvest long!




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taste
Wine Spotlight
Just Bottled Some of Our Favorite Wines!
By Winemaker David Shattuck

In July we bottled two of our favorite red wines in the Grand Island Vineyards label, 2018 Pinot Noir and 2018 Cabernet Franc.  Both of these wines are great going into the fall season. I highly recommend either with grilled dove a la mancha.

The 2018 Cabernet Franc pours a rich ruby hue.  The initial aromas are of ripe cherry, cedar, and green olive.  The mouthfeel is dense with plush tannins and a pleasingly round burst of acidity.  The new french oak notes provide a counterpoint to the varietal character by introducing flavors of smoke, toasted brioche, and baking spice to the wine.  

The 2018 Pinot Noir pours a deep brick color.  It opens with notes of strawberry, vanilla, and cola.  The aromas evolve with dried plum and forest loam bringing an interesting counterpoint to the oak.  The wine is medium bodied with good acidity and ripe tannins.  This wine really benefits from breathing and rewards the patient drinker with a melange of aromas and flavors over time in the glass.




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September Special Promo Codes:
Last Month for these Discounts!

6 OR MORE SHIPPED WINE 20% DISCOUNT (non-members)
DRINKGIV@HOME

6 OR MORE SHIPPED WINE 30% DISCOUNT
GIV@HOME

Pickup Discount ($5 dollars off)
GASMONEY