GRAND ISLAND VINEYARDS
The Bridge Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2020, VOLUME 44
Featured Vineyard News πŸŽƒ
Well, our final day of harvest was about a week ago. We finished it off in grand style by sending some of the last Petite Sirah up into the foothills.

All of the grapes have now been delivered and you will be happy to know that nothing I grew showed any sign of smoke taint! Some grapes were tested prior to harvest and others just passed the nose and taste method after fermentation. For us and much of California the overall size of the 2020 crop was below average, but that wasn't all bad being there was a large grape glut in the market leading into this crazy year. Maybe things do happen for a reason?

As mentioned, our work is not over. In the vineyard, we spend this time of the year improving our soil and getting the vines ready dormancy. Outside of the vineyard, it is a lot of equipment maintenance and planning for next year.
News from the Cellar πŸŽƒ
Our featured release this month is our Old World Method Chardonnay, and while David will be giving you his great tasting notes in the Wine Spotlight, I wanted to go into more detail on how it was made as it is a great example of just how much winemaking decisions can and will effect wine style.

The Old World Method Chardonnay is our take on an "orange wine." What that means is that the grapes for this lot were treated just like a red wine. They were destemmed into half ton bins where they stayed throughout fermentation allowing the maximal amount of skin contact. This extra time on skins deepens the color of the wine, giving it its characteristic orange hue. Once fermentation is completed we further aged the wine on the skins until the flavors and tannins were at their peak and then pressed the wine off into brand new French oak barrels where the wine continued to age an additional 6 months before bottling.

In fact, the grapes used for this wine are exactly the same as our 2019 GIV Chardonnay. They are from the same rows, even picked and processed on the same day... we just split the lot so the grapes destined for orange wine were destemmed to bins while the main lot was pressed off its skins into a stainless tank for a more traditional white wine fermentation. This allows us to really see the incredible differences that our decisions in the cellar can make in the final wine. Our traditional GIV Chardonnay pours a light straw color with notes of citrus and pear while the Old World Method Chardonnay has a wonderful bright orange color with unmistakable notes of dried apricot and oak to go along with lush tannins. Check out David's article for more, but a sip is worth a thousand words so stop in at GIV to see the differences for yourself!
GIV Wine Spotlight πŸŽƒ
We are pleased to be releasing one of our most exciting wine styles of the 2019 vintage: The Grand Island Vineyard Old World Method Chardonnay. This wine is an "orange wine" (which is just perfect for a Halloween release). While the term "Orange wine" seems to imply the wine was made with Oranges, it actually refers to the technique used to make the wine and the resulting amber/orangish color of the wine. We fermented this Chardonnay on the skins for over a month, which, compared to our normal chardonnay, is about 719 more hours of skin contact for this wine. We used this method of fermentation to demonstrate the versatility of our premium chardonnay grapes and because we wanted to bring a style of wine that is relatively uncommon to our customers. This wine works well as an aperitif or pairs well with herb rubbed meats like pork chops in brown butter sage sauce and roasted duck breast with fall harvest succotash.

The wine pours an intriguing amber color and immediately captivates with scents of candied apricot, marmalade, and whiskey lactone. As the wine is swirled, a sweet golden raisin chutney aroma with a hint of spice begins to fill the glass. The first sip is powerful with rich tannin and well balanced acidity that seem more like a well aged red wine. The finish is lasting with ethereal notes of ripe peach, granite, and sweet oak.
Tasting Room News πŸŽƒ
ο»ΏThat's right, we're finally having a wine release weekend! On Halloween weekend no less, which is fitting as GIV will be releasing our highly anticipated 'Orange Wine', Chardonnay Old World Method.

Tasting reservations are available Friday-Monday, 11-3:30pm. The 'Orange Wine' will not be making an appearance on the tasting list very often so get down here and taste it while you can.

Finally, an event! We can't believe it ourselves. Join us on November 14th from 1-4pm for our Fall Release Pickup Celebration. Gifts for members, live music by Tressa Gaye and friends, pizza available for purchase by American River Provisions, and lastly, of course, the best wine in town. Be sure to make a reservation to be guaranteed a table. We all hope to see you there! It's been far too long.
Cab Franc Beef Stew? Yes!
CAB FRANC BEEF STEW RECIPE
  • Servings For: 6 People
  • Skill Level: Intermediate Cooking/Prepping
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1-2 hours
Recipe Provided by GIV Family Member, Colleen Maley!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound button mushrooms, halved
2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
2 cups sliced carrots, (1-inch slices cut crosswise on a diagonal)
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups of beef stock, at room temperature
1/2 bottle Grand Island Vineyards Cab Franc
4 tablespoons or one small can of tomato paste
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 to 4 cups 1-inch dice russet potatoes
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons salt to taste 
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons garlic powder 
1 tablespoon black pepper 
1 tablespoon onion powder 
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions:

Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pot and season the beef with the salt and black pepper, being sure to toss the meat well to evenly cover with the spices. Add 1/3 of the beef to the pot and cook until browned on all sides, 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the pot along with half of the remaining meat and cook again until browned. Set aside and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and remaining beef. Set aside.

Add the butter and mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 3 minutes leaving all the yummy bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute until onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook stirring, for about 3 minutes. At this point the veggies should be thick from the flour. 

Then add the stock, GIV Cab Franc, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and browned beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 1hour. Add the potatoes to the stew and partially cover the pot with a lid. Continue cooking until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and discard the thyme and rosemary stems. Add the peas and parsley to the stew, stir well to combine, then remove from the heat. Serve hot with a crusty loaf of bread! It’s delicious! 
New Special Wine Packs! πŸŽƒ
GIV Double Chardonnay Pack - Only $35!
ο»ΏOn Halloween, watch how this grape transforms into two different wines. Spooky. For only $35 this special 2 pack includes:

2019 GIV Chardonnay (normally $17)
GIV Triple Chardonnay Pack - Only $50!
Only available on Halloween weekend, this special 3 pack includes...

ο»ΏOur newly released 2019 GIV "Orange" Chardonnay (normally $21),
2019 GIV Chardonnay (normally $17),
and 2018 Reserve Chardonnay (normally $28)

Take advantage of this unique wine package for only $50!
Upcoming Events! πŸŽƒ
ORANGE HALLOWEEN WEEKEND
Orange Wine Release!
* One day advanced booking required.
Duration: All Day, Group Size: 1-6
Guests Tickets From: FREE
FALL RELEASE
PARTY
First GIV Event in
8 Months!!!
* One day advanced booking required.
Duration: 3hrs, Group Size: 1-6
Guests Tickets From: FREE!
Tours & Tastings! πŸŽƒ
GIV PATIO TASTINGS AVAILABLE!
* One day advanced booking required.
Duration: 1 hour, Group Size: 1-6
Guests Tickets From: FREE
12484 Highway 160, Walnut Grove CA 95690
PHONE: 916-775-2111 - Email: info@GrandIslandVineyards.com