The harvest excitement is coming to an end but, thankfully, it's being replaced with a worthy competitor - bottling! This very day bottling is in full swing with two of the last of the 2007 reds going into their lovely glass vessels to await the day when they are poured into a glass, swirled about, given a big sniff and then, at long last, they meet our lips. Oh Joy!! Today it was Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage. In a few weeks it will wind up with Snort and Tannat. No worries, all of the 2007 wines will be ready to go before Christmas.
(A little advice from me - the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, only 172 cases bottled, is just what you've been waiting for. I might know this to be true because I might have had a little pre-bottling taste or two. It's all in a day's work you know, I do it for you.)
(Oh, and another little secret - the 2006 Snort is getting scarce. As of today there are 8 cases left. Monday, who knows?)
If you've not signed up for our Old Fashioned Christmas Winemaker's Dinner, it's not too late. It's scheduled for December 13th and is full of hearty holiday food featuring standing rib-roast. Slurp! Chris Pearmund will host this dinner and we promise plenty of cheer!
Speaking of cheer, keep us in mind for your holiday parties and gift giving. Our shop is getting stuffed with lots of great gifts. We've got wonderful Christmas ornaments including Reindeer made with La Grange corks - perfect! Gift cards are a great gift for the one that has everything and, of course, the most perfect gift of all is a bottle of La Grange wine under the tree!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it's got me thinking of all that we have to be thankful for at La Grange. First, what more could we want in a work environment? It's amazing here and I'm grateful for this place every day as I drive up the road to our lovely old estate. I know I'm not alone in that. Then there's the wine. Well, not the wine itself really but the winemakers that make it all possible. It is a pleasure to present wine to our guests that has been made with such care and ability. I am grateful to Rob and to Chris for that.
I think we're all grateful for the friends we've made here. Not just the friendships that have formed between us but the ones we've made with those who started out as visitors to the winery. There have been more interesting and incredible people walk through our front door than we'll ever be able to count.
I'm grateful for the starry nights that we've spent on the lawn together after a long and busy day grilling good food and sharing wine and stories.
I would also like to take this opportunity to give a personal shout-out of thanks to our resident ghosts who seem happy with our mission in their house and don't cause too much mischief when I'm alone in the house on dark, quiet nights - I really appreciate that!
And, finally and most importantly, I am grateful for a group of folks that really don't get much attention for their hard work and dedication. Our volunteers are the best bunch of La Grange cheerleaders that we could ever have hoped to assemble. There's Lisa the Sweet (that's her Viking name) who greets everyone with a smile, makes funny jokes and is an overall pleasure to know and to work with. There is Ann who will give you the most thoughtful and information packed wine tasting you've ever had with a genuine cheerfulness that keeps people coming again and again. We have Tammy who, after a long week of professing (She's Dr. Tammy you know!), has an infectious joy that can't be ignored. She makes each of our guests feel welcome and she keeps our staff laughing through the toughest days. Then there's Angie - we love Angie! Angie is always happy, she loooooooves the winery. She outworks all of us combined, she has the best Halloween costumes and her pesto is to die for! And Cheryl. Well, Cheryl is a gift. There aren't enough good words in the dictionary to describe Cheryl. And we have Chris and Evan and Suzie and Denise and so many more - I know, this is starting to sound like a long night at the Oscars - The point is, we couldn't do it without every one of them so THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS for your tireless efforts, your enduring smiles and your dedication to our cause proven with your very hard work. The Winery at La Grange would not be what it is without you!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
