Welcome to the Bridge - Monthly Newsletter of Grand Island Vineyards | |
Welcome to Grand Island Vineyards! | | |
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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. We are striving to perfect the art and science of grape growing, and we’re proud to share the rewards of our labor by creating wines that showcase distinctive grapes perfectly. Bridging all aspects of our Winery from the Vineyard, to the Cellar, Winery Grounds,Tasting Room and beyond. | | |
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Guide to Harvest Wines on our Walking Tour!
Written by Winemaker, David Shattuck
We are very excited to start our harvest season with a vineyard tour and wine pairing. This Saturday, Sept 2nd, we are hosting "“HARVEST” A CELEBRATION OF WINES & VINES!! and we will be taking attendees on a tour of our estate vineyards. During this tour, you will get to taste grapes prior to harvest, learn how and why we use them for the different wines, and taste a finished wine from a previous vintage of those grapes.
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In total, we will be tasting 5 different wines over the entire evening: 2022 GIV Chardonnay, Bridgehead Bubbles Sparkling Wine, 2020 GIV Pinot Noir, 2022 Primitivo (still in barrel), and 2019 GIV Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our 2022 Chardonnay is one of my favorite varietals from the 2022 vintage. This wine displayed luscious fruit on the nose, with rich midpalate, and zesty acidity. I frequently pair it with cool summer dishes like bruschetta, watermelon mint salad, and ceviche. These grapes are the closest to harvest this season for our wines and we expect great things.
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The Bubbles sparkling wine is made with pinot noir grapes and displays a lovely brioche character with a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity. Sparkling wine is a wonderfully versatile wine for pairing.
The fresh acidity, effervescence, and low tannin allow this wine to pair to rich dishes like steak just as easily as light dishes like halibut carpaccio. These grapes are also very close to the target for making a sparkling wine from pinot noir. This sparkling wine is produced in the traditional methode champenoise, notes of biscuit, yeast, and brioche to the aroma and high levels of acidity balanced with the right amount of sweetness.
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The 2020 Pinot Noir is a great medium body red with a lot of complexity. This wine demonstrates delicious notes of ripe pluot, cherry cola, and forest loam. I enjoy serving this wine with duck, venison, mushrooms, and lamb.
This block of pinot noir grapes is very different in ripeness and color compared to the portion we will be using for sparkling wine. These grapes are starting to demonstrate ripe red fruit flavor and mature tannins. They are not as close to harvest as some, but for taste this great, they are well worth the wait.
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Still in the barrel, the 2022 Primitivo is a markedly fruit forward wine with bright berry notes and a good balance of tannin and acidity to keep the wine from being cloying. I like to use primitivo as a chilled aperitif, to serve with BBQ ribs, or with a marinated tri tip. The rich fruit flavors pair well with grilled meat and sauces. These grapes are getting sweet now with some of the ripe flavors just starting to appear. The barrel process is very interesting and while we've touched on it in the past, maybe one day we will take a much closer look at the entire process.
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The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dense wine with enjoyable expressions of humidor, black cherry, and bay leaf. The mouthfeel is soft with a dense tannin profile and a hint of minerality. This wine can be enjoyed by itself or with brisket, ribeye, or eggplant parmesan. Cabernet Sauvignon is our latest ripening grape and is just beginning to get color now.
As we move through harvest, we have many ways for you to see, smell and taste what a full vineyard and winery has to offer like CRUSH PAD TASTING WITH WINEMAKERS and we are working on a large barrel tasting for your November pickup, so stay tuned for that.
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Upcoming Events and Labor Day Fun!
Written by Tasting Room Manager, Tess Jonson
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We have some perfect wine tasting weather coming our way and I’d love to see you on our patio. Bring the family, a picnic and enjoy a day of wine tasting on the delta. We are open for tasting Friday-Monday 10am-5pm, and yes, we will be open on Labor Day.
Don’t forget to make a reservation for our “HARVEST” a celebration of wines and vines event. Experience your favorite Wines from Vines to Glass, dance the night away, and enjoy some delicious dogs from Dave’s Dawgs. See you there!
Join us for a night of laughter, delicious food and of course the best wine in town. Get your tickets now. For other events, including tours and tastings, visit our website at grandislandvineyards.com!
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Still Waiting (and drinking)...
Written by Operations Manager, Joe Salman
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End of August and no grape harvest yet! What's going on I wonder?
Things are a bit different this year, and as with many crops in California would say. I did miss a harvest opportunity earlier this week as I was caught on the wrong side of a 99 year old bridge. By the time this article hits your inbox, I will have picked a little bit of Gewurztraminer for the J winery in Sonoma. Gewurztraminer in the morning light.
Just after the harvest celebration this weekend, I really intend to go gangbusters on harvesting grapes. This could be a condensed harvest and crush. We are doing our best to share and show you how things work around the vineyard and winery this year. We pride ourselves on not being a satellite tasting room. You can see things grow, ripen, ferment, and be sipped all in one place all here at GRAND ISLAND VINEYARDS.
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