Welcome to the Bridge - Monthly Newsletter of Grand Island Vineyards

Grand Island Vineyards will be OPEN on July 4th!

WELCOME: 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, striving to perfect the art and science of grape growing. Today, we’re proud to share the rewards of our labor by creating wines that showcase our distinctive grapes perfectly. Bridging all aspects of our Winery from the Vineyard, to the Cellar, Winery Grounds, Tasting Room and beyond. Our newsletter is an ideal way to stay up to date with all aspects of the Winery and our newest wine releases!



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Events, Events and More Events!

Written by Tasting Room Manager, Tess Jonson

First of the month is here again and that means that it’s time for choose your again! Now that things have opened up we have added indoor tastings and a barrel room experience to our reservations. Make sure to reserve your time before heading out!

We are so happy to be having events and our next one is right around the corner. Join us July 11, 1-4pm for Rouge on the River, an afternoon of fun. We will have be having live music by Tressa Gaye and Friends - Twisted Jazz Combo, PW Cigar Club and Chandler and Company hats selling their goods onsite along with our favorite summertime red, Rouge et Blanc.

August 14 from 5:30-8:30pm, SAVE THE DATE, after hours (wine club members only)! More details to follow. 

We are also beginning to schedule for September, so keep an eye out for upcoming events and tastings!

A Guide to Summertime Wine Temperatures

Written by GIV Winemaker, Ed Seikel

As the temperature outside is rising, now is a good time to talk about what temperature works best for serving our wines. As a general range, wine should be served between 45 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. An important thing to keep in mind, however, is that the cooler the wine, the more it brings out the acidity and tannin of the wine. What this means in practice is that sparkling wines and light acidic whites will do best on the lower side of temperatures, while full bodied reds and dessert wines will be at their best on the upper end.  

So what does this mean in practice with our wines, and how do you make sure you are at the right temp for the right wine?

Bubbles, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Riesling should be served on the lower end of the spectrum. If you have been storing your wines at or around room temperature that means these wines would need to be in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or an ice bucket for about 10 minutes to reach a good serving temperature.

Our Chardonnays, Chenin Blancs, Symphony. Rose, and Rouge et Blanc should be served a bit warmer. These would require about one to two hours in the refrigerator or about 5 minutes in an ice bucket.

Our reds and dessert wines are best on the upper range, but that still means cooler than room temperature. 30 minutes or so in the refrigerator or just a couple minutes in an ice bucket should cool them down to the right temperature without going too far.

A final thing to keep in mind is that if you are using an ice bucket, do not leave the wine on ice after serving. The ice bath can cool the wine even lower than the refrigerator, and even the most acidic whites will become imbalanced once cooled that far.

2019 Rouge et Blanc, Perfect for Summer!

Written by GIV Winemaker, David Shattuck

As the summer heat takes hold of the greater Sacramento area, I am excited to revisit one of my favorite summer wines: The 2019 Rouge et Blanc. This wine is a blend of young cabernet franc and symphony. There are two reasons I highly recommend picking up some of this wine for your next barbeque or pool party. First, this wine is best served chilled and is more refreshing on a hot day than the typical red wine. Second, it pairs very well with a variety of grilled, smoked, or fresh foods. One of my favorite meals with this wine is smoked pork shoulder served with coleslaw, pickles, and a mustard based bbq sauce. Please come down to Grand Island Vineyards on July 11th to experience live music along with great deals on the 2019 Rouge et Blanc.

This wine pours a vibrant bing cherry hue. The initial aromas are ripe raspberry, chocolate, and jasmine. AS the wine opens a hint of citrus zest, cedar, and green olive bring complexity to the wine. The mouthfeel is rich with a pleasant acid back bone to drive this refreshing wine into a clean finish with hints of strawberry and angel food cake.

The GIV Friend and Family Member Series Continues!

Meet Emil Gagliardi, the perfect person to restart our running friends and family member introduction series via our newsletter. We met Emil as a wholesaler who has been buying from us for 2.5 years! Originally from Maine, Emil has made his living doing Trans Atlantic crossings of boats in the Caribbean and surrounding areas. Before this he had a lot of experience in wine bars in Sacramento and restaurants in Maine and combined all of these things to make Sac River Cruises, available at sacrivercruises.com or by calling 916-800-7887.

Emil came to love Grand Island Vineyards through Charlie DeMars, son of Connie DeMars who notes his personal favorite wine to be the Petit Verdot Family Reserve and he buys a lot of Vin Gris for his cruises. He also really enjoys the 1997 Nuit's St. George. His favorite place to enjoy his wine is at home with a rack of lamb.

Emil has been working in the hospitality industry for 30 years, so he has a knack for choosing good wine and the experience to provide a unique and memorable experience cruising the Sacramento river. For more information on the cruises, click the logo below to visit his website.

A Little Downtime in the Vineyards

Written by Operations Manager, Joe Salman

Things are starting to slow down a bit out in the vineyard. The grape berries and bunches are expanding at this point, but are still very hard and lacking any real juice. 

But during this time is when some of the most important things take place for the flavor development of the grapes when they are fermented into wines.

On another note, I want to show you all the nature that I see on a daily basis at work. I know that I am very blessed to work in this setting. But I am sure if you come to GRAND ISLAND VINEYARDS enough you can see these critters also!

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