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!
In this Edition: Operations manager Joe Salman details the differences between Spur Pruning and Cane Pruning, learn about the importance and value of using Oak Barrels, view the results of our annual Port selection and tasting event, meet the newest members of the family, newborns Sterling and Gwyneth Salman and get to know our recently bottled 2017 Rose of Cabernet!
NOTE: Grand Island Vineyards will be closed on
Easter Sunday, April 1st, 2018.
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Vineyard News
"Winter Time, Pruning Right? But How?"
by Operations Manager, Joe Salman
This time last year in our first ever newsletter, I wrote "
Winter Time = Pruning Time," which has been the case for farmers and backyard gardeners for centuries. However, each method of pruning AND the final vine/tree architecture can vary widely based on the strategy of the vine to be pruned. There are many decisions that go into the pruning of certain blocks and varieties, but rest assured that each are treated differently to obtain the best result for specific grape and wine qualities. Even when a general plan gets laid out for each block, the field workers also may then further adjust, based on each individual vine needs.
Two broad classifications of pruning methods would be:
"Spur Pruning" and
"Cane Pruning." At Grand Island Vineyards, we utilize both methods to achieve our very ambitious quality goals.
This
Spur-Pruned vine (bottom-left) gives a fairly powerful yet uniform amount of energy to the shoots and fruit that will grow in the spring, thus ripening consistently and ideally across the entire plant.
This
Cane-Pruned vine
(bottom-right) tends to form smaller, looser clusters which result in more of them on a more consistent, yearly basis. These grape bunches are also less prone to diseases, as air and light can penetrate much further than other pruned varieties.
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Cellar News
The Importance of Oak Barrels on Aging, Taste and Character
By Winemaker Ed Seikel
At this point of the year we have stabilized all the fermented wines and are transitioning everything into the barrel aging phase. A barrel will normally hold 60 gallons of wine, and weighs close to 700 lbs when full. A single barrel can hold up to 25 cases of finished wine. As winemakers, we use this process as yet another tool at our disposal to help the wines reach their full potential. Aging in barrels allows the wines more exposure to oxygen, as well as the flavors and tannins from the oak the barrels are made from. The combination of these two events helps to "mature" the wines by allowing the tannins and other compounds in the wine to form large complexes with each other, creating a much rounder and exquisitely lush mouthfeel.
A new oak barrel will effectively impart its character on a wine for at best two seasons. And while many believe a wine's quality is raised by increasing the amount of new oak, nothing could be further from the truth! Oak character, just like all the other qualities of a wine, needs to be in balance with the rest of the wine. At Grand Island Vineyards, our wine-making philosophy is to allow the fruit to speak for itself and allow the varietal characteristics of each wine to shine. The right amount of oak will help lift and highlight the beauty of a wine, while too much oak can destroy the wine by overpowering all the wonderful complexity we painstakingly create during the fermentation process.
Next month we will get into the different styles of oak, their differences, and their uses in the winemaking process. And if anyone is interested in having a barrel of their own, we currently have used full barrels available for $50 and barrel halves, which are great for planters, for $30.
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Tasting Room
Port B Wins by a Nose - Vintage Style Port Takes the Prize!
By Tasting Room Manager Tess Jonson
We would like to thank everyone who came out to our second annual port trial and helped make it another hugely successful Grand Island event! After vigorous and thirsty testing, Port B, our vintage style port, was the winner once again!
Congratulations to the latest Grand Island raffle winner, Sheila Runyon! She will be enjoying a bottle of our newly released Velluto dessert wine!
The 2016 BRIDGEHEAD Velluto is made from Petite Sirah grapes and was fortified with neutral grape spirits. The initial aroma is a heady mixture of ripe blueberries and blackberries, earth, and cloves. This dessert wine is pleasantly sweet with a hint of tannin and alcohol to provide balance to the ripe fruit flavors. The understated acidity keeps the wine finishing clean and bright with no cloying notes.
And..... Best Grand Island Tasting Room news ever... Our Rosé of Cabernet will be released Sunday, March 25th! We hope you will consider us for a day of live music, light food pairing and of course all of the wonderful, delicious GIV wines we have to offer. Festivities will begin at 1:00 p.m. and we truly hope to see you there!
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GIV Wine Family
Introducing the Salman Six - Grand Island's Newest Residents!
The Salman Family welcomes two new members to the family at Grand Island Vineyards! The Salman Six we like to call them now, includes newest twin members Sterling Melvin (4lbs, 15oz) and Gwyneth Lois (4 lbs, 4oz) Salman! These two adorable cuties will be at the Winery when they are ready for everyone to meet and welcome into the family. Joe and Lenaya will surely have their hands even more full, so hopefully Archer and Quora will lend a hand as everybody gets adjusted to the new additions. The middle names, Melvin and Lois, are Lenaya's parents names, a nice tribute to two wonderful people.
After an extensive home remodel and brief trip to the hospital, everyone is home, healthy and safe in Courtland. Lenaya is doing well and getting some rest and will soon be organizing and hosting more fabulous Grand Island events throughout the 2018 season.
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Wine Spotlight
Introducing the 2017 BRIDGEHEAD Rosé of Cabernet
By Winemaker David Shattuck
Ed and I, as Winemakers, are very excited for this release of the 2017 BRIDGEHEAD Rosé of Cabernet. These vines can be found directly opposite the front of the winery and it is with great enjoyment that the tasting room staff has been able to help tend this Estate Cabernet from pruning the vines to helping with the picking. This part of the vineyard sits in the shade of several oak trees and for this reason we choose this as the ideal location for the vines resulting in this wonderful Rosé. This area of the Vineyard has markedly higher acidity and lower sugar levels that make for an absolutely perfect Rosé!
This Rosé pours a brilliant pink, malaya garnet hue. The initial aroma is a powerful blend of cherry, fresh strawberry, and watermelon. Although the initial burst of fresh fruit is stunning, the aroma begins to evolve with time in the glass giving hints of earthy loam, spice and anise. This Rosé demonstrates nervy acidity which is then balanced out by a round mouthfeel and hints of sweetness. The finish is mouthwatering and prolonged. Soon to be for sale, stop by and check out what we feel is a great accomplishment at Grand Island Vineyards.
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Wine Club
Grand Island Wines Delivered to Your Front Door!
Whether you prefer home delivery or pick-up parties at the Winery, our Quarterly Wine Club is an excellent way to see and taste all of the wonderful wines we are releasing! For between $35 - $45 a quarter, Members receive 3 bottles (shipped or picked up) and have the ability to customize each order from our many, many wines.
All Wine Club Members receive an ongoing 15% off all bottle purchases and 20% off all case purchases. They also have access to family only wines, exclusive quarterly parties and one free group tasting for up to 20 people per year.
To enroll in the
Wine Club, or to access your existing account and make changes on which wines you would like to receive each shipment, please login using our
online access area. To verify your account upon signup (via Billing Information or by Email) you can do so at our online
Account Verification page.
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Upcoming Events
View all events, R.S.V.P. or get tickets to Grand Island Events and Tours here!
Wine Release Party - 2017 BRIDGEHEAD Rosé - Sunday, March 25th, 2018
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Live Music with Kyle Tuttle - PRICE: Free!
J
oin us at Grand Island Vineyards for the release party for our
2017 BRIDGEHEAD Rosé of Cabernet. We are very excited for this release, as it pours a brilliant pink, malaya garnet hue. The initial aroma is a powerful blend of cherry, fresh strawberry, and watermelon. Starting at 1:00 p.m. this event features live music from Kyle Tuttle and will be the first chance to sample this newly released wine
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Grand Island Vineyards After Dark Event - Friday, April 6th, 2018
5:30 - 8:30 p.m. - Live Music - PRICE: Free!
Join us in tasting room at Grand Island Vineyards, during our after hours event, for live music and delicious wine! Buy your favorite wine by the bottle or by the glass and enjoy the talented musicians we've chosen for the night!
Starting at 5:30 p.m., the evening includes an intimate setting to enjoy Grand Island Vineyards wine, indoor and outdoor seating and live entertainment.
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