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: Learn more about what happens in the Vineyard during the winter and see some videos of our pruning and mulching effort. This month we explain our three different labels and how wines make it into that group and hear more about the new Salman Reserve wine club that's filling up fast! Get to know our amazing Tasting Room manager Tess (if you don't know her already) and hear about the 2017 Pinot Noir (and Release Party) that's about to hit the streets beginning with the release party scheduled for March 16th!
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Vineyard News
Sweeping, Pruning and Mulching!
by Operations Manager, Joe Salman
As I have been writing about, we have been pruning since December only to pause now and again for the passing rain storms. The pruning is just one part of the ongoing, important winter work. In between storms (and probably after a couple of North wind days) a tractor can finally make it back to the field which allows us to finally mulch up the loose prunings for easier incorporation into the soil. The tractor and implements we use are shown here to the right.
Instead of telling you, I've decided to show you how this job is done from the operators view inside the cab of this tractor! This tractor has berm sweep technology on the front to move prunings away from underneath the Vines and then they get chopped up into small pieces by the mulcher, which is running off the rear of the tractor. This job requires a lot of skill by the driver but saves fuel by doing it all in one pass.
Click this image below and see the process in action!
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Cellar News
Explaining Our Different Types and Labels of Wine
Now that we have introduced our Family Reserve wine club, we have three different labels here at GIV:
Bridgehead,
Grand Island Vineyards, and the newly established Salman Family Reserve. I figured it might be helpful to explain them a bit and how they relate to our efforts here at Grand Island Vineyards.
Bridgehead is the original and longest running label here at GIV. The wines contained in this line are our more fanciful, fun, and popularly priced wines, and include many of our tasty blends. The whimsical Rouge et Blanc, Bridgehead Blanc, and the fan-favorite Red Winemaker's Blend are all under the Bridgehead Label.
Next comes the Grand Island Vineyards label, and this is where you will find our main varietal releases and a few limited releases. These are the wines where the varietal characteristics of the grapes really get to show themselves off. This label contains wines like our Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah, along with many more.
Finally, the new Salman Family Reserve label is used for only our most special releases. These wines will typically be released in very limited quantities, allowing us to experiment with a variety of techniques, like aging the wines longer, and picking only the most exceptional barrels of wine to be included. Salman Family Reserves will be exemplary wines that show the best the Delta has to offer. Our first releases of this new label truly are two very special wines to get excited about: A wild fermented, barrel aged Chenin Blanc, and Premier, our take on a Bordeaux style red wine. It's these reserve wines that will be available in our upcoming new Wine Club, which happens only twice a year.
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Tasting Room
The Wine Club So Nice, We Featured It Twice ;)
By Tasting Room Manager Tess Jonson
We are so very excited and proud to introduce the FAMILY RESERVE wine club that we had to share it with you again! This club gives you exclusive, first access to SALMAN FAMILY RESERVE wines at a fantastic discount of 20%. Huge bonus! If you are already a member of the GIV family club and sign up for the RESERVE club you will start receiving all your BRIDGEHEAD and GIV wines at the 20% discount! The FAMILY RESERVE club is a 2 bottle club that happens two times a year. Aligned with the GIV family club the first RESERVE club will be May 2019 and is in very limited supply due to the limited nature of the reserve wine process. So make sure you sign up soon, talk to us in the tasting room and we can make it happen!
Shout out to Benjamin Benitez for being the first and only person to answer our trivia question! Ben is the lucky winner of one of our very special reserve wines, 2007 Sutter Island Red. Congrats, Ben! Look out for more trivia in the future.
Green beer? More like red wine! Grand Island Vineyards will be releasing their 2017 Pinot Noir on March 16th, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Join us for another
wine release party with musical performance by
She Calls Him Wilson, a charcuterie spread and of course amazing wines. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.
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GIV Friends & Family
Meet Tasting Room Manager Tess Jonson!
There's no question we have many, many wonderful friends and family here at the winery, and we truly love them all. But, if we absolutely had to pick one person who embodies the hard work and values we have as an organization, Tess Jonson truly stand out every time. Not only has Tess worked here from December 2015, but she even started the second day the tasting room was open. We mostly forgive her for missing that first day. Mostly...
Not only is Tess beloved by staff and customers alike, she really runs a tight tasting room, and has done a wonderful job every second of every day here at Grand Island Vineyards. Knowing Tess has been an esthetician for over 15 years explains a lot as she brings an impeccable presence to her work, even when it's blazing hot!
Tess lives in Clarksburg, CA, grew up in Courtland and has been best buds with Owner Lenaya Salman since she was 17 years old and both worked for the State of California. Before that she knew Cynthia Salman from school, going as far back at Kindergarten! Tess was also a bridesmaid for Joe and Lenaya's wedding. Tess has a lot of schooling and it shows through her conversation and presence. Besides graduating from Citrus Heights Beauty College, she also studied general education at Cosumnes River College where she was a fantastic volleyball player for two years.
Her first job was as early in the 6th grade when she worked at the Silverbend Pumpkin Patch every October until she graduated high school. From there her jobs included Train Hostess, Popcorn Maker and Manager of both the Haunted House and the Petting Zoo!
Being from the area her entire life, Tess has enormous love for the Delta and family. And of course the wine. Especially the Cab Franc. But if you've been to the tasting room you surely know that, everybody knows that, Tess is just a Cab Franc kinda girl. Occasionally she drinks something else, we've heard her favorite is the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut although nobody has ever seen it ;)
As is typical with her character, Tess enjoys drinking wine with fine company, something that is not hard to find around Grand Island Vineyards. If you have never had the pleasure of meeting Tess, you should really take a minute and come down and see why we are honored to call her both a wonderful friend and genuine addition to the family.
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Wine Spotlight
The 2017 Grand Island Pinot Noir!
By Winemaker David Shattuck
We are very excited to release our new vintage of Pinot Noir on the Grand Island Vineyards label. This wine was hand harvested with help from our staff and even some of our favorite wine club members. These all came from the vineyard directly adjacent to the crush pad. We love this varietal because it is so expressive and versatile. The 2017 Pinot Noir pairs well with BBQ chicken, salmon with red pepper relish, goat cheese, roasted root vegetables, and terrine.
The 2017 Grand Island Pinot Noir pours a dusky brick color and begins with notes of burdock root and marasca cherry, which are very intriguing to the nose. As the wine opens, hints of loam, sweet oak, and strawberry lend complexity to the wine. This particular type is sinewy on the palate with a supple grip on the finish. The fresh fruit flavors and vanilla notes bring balance to the austerity of the wine's texture. The finish is propelled by a nervy burst of acidity that fades into stewed plum and smokey oak.
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Wine Club(s)
Grand Island Wine Club - Customize Your Order!
GIV WINE FAMILY (3 bottle/quarterly/15% discount GIV and Bridgehead)
The clubs past shipment processed in February consisting of BRIDGEHEAD Rouge et Blanc, and RED, and GIV Chenin Blanc. If you haven't picked up please do so soon as we are making preparations for the next the shipment in May.
Keep an eye out in your inbox in early April for details about the May shipment. This will let you know about the next wines in your shipment and gives you options to customize this based on your preference. We ask you to please make changes prior to billing. If you don't receive the emails or have troubles please let us know. Information on the pick-up party is always in the wine club email as well. We recommend that you add
wineclub@grandislandvineyards.com to your contacts to ensure the email doesn't wind up in your spam folder.
RESERVE CLUB (2 bottle/biannual/20% discount Salman Family Reserve)
The inaugural shipment for the Reserve Club is in May and you don't want to miss out on these extra special limited wines. We are still taking sign ups now. The two wines are already on the docket as the Salman Family Reserve Premier and Chenin Blanc. We are planning an extra special pick up party regarding these wines in May. As mentioned earlier if you are already in the GIV Wine Family and sign up for the Reserve Club you would get all your BRIDGEHEAD, GIV, and Reserve wines at the POS and webstore for a 20% discount!
If you are not already 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!
GIV After Dark - Friday, March 1, 2019
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Featuring Live Music - PRICE: Free!
 Join us for another exciting Grand Island Vineyards After Dark Event! This monthly event, during out after hours is the perfect place for live music and delicious wines. Buy your favorite wine by the bottle or by the glass and enjoy the live music from the
Rio Vista River Rats that we've chosen for the event. Indoor and outdoor service is available in an intimate setting to enjoy all that Grand Island Vineyards has to offer.
Pinot Day Release - Saturday, March 16, 2019
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Featuring Live Music - PRICE: $5 - $10
 For March, get your hands on the 2017 Pinot Noir on the day of its release. The 2017 Pinot Noir pairs well with BBQ chicken, salmon with red pepper relish, goat cheese, roasted root vegetables, and terrine.
We will be pairing it with a platter of meats and cheeses to enjoy! With your RSVP ticket, you will be given a plate to take to our mini buffet and anybody can enjoy the music provided by She Calls Him Wilson.
Pricing:
Guests: $10 per person
Wine Club: $5 per person
To RSVP your ticket,
click here. For Wine Club ticket price, members have to
log in to our website.
GIV After Dark - Friday, April 5, 2019
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Featuring Live Music - PRICE: Free!
 Join us for another exciting Grand Island Vineyards After Dark Event! This monthly event, during out after hours is the perfect place for live music and delicious wines. Buy your favorite wine by the bottle or by the glass and enjoy the live music that we've chosen for the event. Indoor and outdoor service is available in an intimate setting to enjoy all that Grand Island Vineyards has to offer.
Symphony Release - Saturday, April 13, 2019
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Featuring Live Music - PRICE: $15 - $20
Orchestrate your own arrangement... of flowers! Enjoy the especially floral 2018 Symphony while you listen to music and create a bouquet to take home. Perfect for spring! We're excited to get into spring's full bloom with our new release of the 2018 Symphony and an event where you show us your creative sides again! This California crossing wine is full of floral aromas that we pay homage to by giving you the opportunity to create your own customized and fragrant arrangement out of roses, daisies, and a few other selections.
Don't miss out on the live music, good fun, and delicious wine we have to offer!
Pricing
Guests: $20 per person
Wine Club: $15 per person
Buy your tickets
here
and don't forget to log into your Wine Club account for discounts.
Or stop by our winery and buy your tickets at our tasting room from now until April 12th!
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