I’m sitting here with a wonderful glass of Rosé in the late afternoon of what has been a spectacular weather day. When people talk about Indian summer, this is it: temps in the high 70s, full sun, beautiful blue sky, and just a little bit of a soft breeze now and then. A great time to collect our thoughts on the 2016 harvest; we’ve processed almost six tons of fruit so far (Pinot noir and Pinot gris), and are expecting to bring in another three to four tons of white wine grapes in the next week (Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin blanc, and Riesling). It looks like we are going to about double our production from year one to year two of operation here at the winery.
Our harvest started right after Labor Day. We picked our first-ever harvest of Bluebird Hill Pinot gris on the 6th and second harvest of Pinot noir on the 8th. The second week was quite a bit more hectic with deliveries of Pinot noir (four tons) and Pinot gris (one ton) from Zenith, Walnut Ridge, and Grace Hill Vineyards. On the 15th, we crushed one ton of Pinot noir, and after about three and a half hours of skin contact, collected 65 gallons of free run juice for our Rosé. Today, ten days later, our Rosé is down from 20-plus brix (sugar content) to about 4, and is showing a beautiful soft pink color and wonderful aroma of flowers and fruit. This morning, I tasted three different batches of Pinot noir, and each was really a delight to sample, even at breakfast time! ; ) We are optimistic for a superb year for Willamette Valley wine!!
We hope that you will join us for our upcoming events: Our first Women & Wine Wednesday on October 5th and Yoga at the Vineyard on October 8th and 22nd (weather permitting) . Our next Wine Club & Friends event is scheduled for Sunday, October 16th, 2-5 pm, with music from ‘Breakers Yard’ (per ‘B.Y.’, their music is ‘eclectic acoustic’). Join us for an afternoon of wine, food & music on the patio. RSVP required. Not a member of the club? We invite you to join our inner circle by becoming a member. As a wine club member, you'll receive exclusive benefits along with selections of our delicious wine to complement your meals, or for life's special moments when you sit down, relax, enjoy friends and a great glass of wine. Visit here to join today.
On the tasting room side, we want to let everyone know that we’re going to be open through the end of October on our regular weekend schedule, Fridays through Sundays. After October, we’re going to be open on the weekend before, and the weekend after Thanksgiving: Friday through Sunday, both weekends. We’re especially grateful, and will be giving our thanks, for sure, to all our friends, old and new, who have come by Bluebird Hill and enjoyed our wines.
We are ALWAYS available for appointment, if you are visiting from out of town, or have friends or relatives visiting, we are happy to open our doors and share a taste of our wines with you. Just call ahead to schedule!
We hope you plan some time to come out and see us!
Best Always from Neil & Sue
