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 the state of the vineyards and the many things we see and experience every day. We are really proud to be a part of both Lodi Rules and California Rules organizations. Read about our sustainable "Green Certified" qualifications. We are really ramping up the events this year, so check out what we have coming up in the next couple months. Learn about our upcoming releases, Symphony being the next on April 13th. We have some more information on our new Reserve Wine Club. This has very limited spots, so make sure to join soon!
Please note the Winery is closed Easter Sunday.
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Vineyard News
Spring Has Sprung! Kinda...
by Operations Manager, Joe Salman
Spring has sprung! Kinda. After wet winter, spring is here with plants starting to grow and bloom. Many varieties of grapes have started to push out and you might see the beginnings of new growth. Some varieties are still closed up with the wet weather still passing by and the cold wet ground seems to keep the growth from really taking off.
This is a very dynamic time of the year in our area. Besides the grapes, our river area is home to one of the most dense pear planting areas in the world and when you catch the timing right to see the pear bloom, it is amazing! Along Scenic Hwy 160 just north of Courtland you will be driving in a sea of white pear blossoms. However, it doesn't last long I would say April 5th to 13th is the best time to see the blooms.
Besides, the new grape growth, blossoming pears, apples, and cherries, I don't want you to forget about GRAND ISLAND VINEYARDS. Actually, you can see all that beauty here plus all the lovely plants and flowers on the grounds of the winery. This all ties perfectly into the Symphony Release Party! (See more in the later sections of the Newsletter.)
Enjoy your drive, enjoy your stay.
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Cellar News
Our Responsible and Sustainable Approach to Winemaking
By Winemaker Ed Seikel
One thing we are very proud of here at GIV is our commitment to sustainability. We embrace our responsibility to care for our environment and our people, especially being so close to the Sacramento River. That's why we are very happy to announce that we are, and will continue to be, "Green Certified" by the California Rules Sustainable Winegrowing Program.
California Rules is a third party audited commitment to rigorous, scientifically sound sustainable winegrowing. It includes a set of over 120 farming standard practices to manage our vineyards in a sustainable way, including ecosystem management, water management, soil management, pest management, business management, and human resources, with the goal of reducing the risk of agriculture's negative impact on the environment and human health, improving wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and leaving our land and farms in even better shape for future generations.
Every bottle of wine at GIV is 100% estate grown from vineyards that have been certified under these intense regulations. What this means for all of our Club Members, customers, family and friends, is that you know we are committed to bringing you the highest quality wines while working hard to positively impact our environment and the community around us.
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Tasting Room
So Many Great Events this Spring!
By Tasting Room Manager Tess Jonson
Join us April 13th, 1:00 - 4:00 pm for another fabulous wine release party where GIV will be releasing their second vintage of Symphony. To honor the floral characteristics of the Symphony we will be celebrating with flowers instead of food. Come sip on some Symphony and orchestrate your own bouquet of flowers while you listen to the sweet sound of Mondo.
Click here to RSVP to this event.
Mom, mom, mom, mommy, mommy, mommy, mama, mama, mama, ma, ma, ma, mum, mum, mum, mommy, mama, ma! Needs a glass of bubbles. Complimentary glass of bubbles for all moms on
Mother's Day. Bring a picnic, the whole family and celebrate moms GIV style.
Have you ever been curious about the process of wine making? Here's your chance! We will be hosting another " Bottle Your Own Experience" on May 25th, 2019. The first bottle is $1.00 to Wine Club members with RSVP and you can definitely purchase more in advance in our tasting room or online! We will be bottling our 2017 Merlot, this will be your one and only chance to score this wine.
Click here to RSVP to this event.
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GIV Friends & Family
Meet Tiffany and Chris Siouris!
Tiffany and Chris Siouris have been a Grand Island Vineyards wine club member for almost an entire year now. We just love these two. Or three, at times.
Residing in West Sac and having grown up in Hood, Tiffany is a stay at home mom to 2 year old Demetri, while Chris is a HRIS project manager for Patelco Credit Union. Tiffany has some college, ARC and Chris graduated from Oregon State with a BA in Business. Go Beavs!
Some interesting previous work for Tiffany was as a graphic designer and Chris and his best friend in college ran a Ford Motor Sports parts business mainly so they could get discounts to trick out their own Mustangs.
Tiffany and Chris have excellent taste in wine, so growing up with Tess and knowing the Salmans was more than enough for them to enjoy both the Winery and the Wine Club, as they say... "These wines speak for themselves." They've known "Tessie" for some time now as they both attended Bates elementary while Cyn was secretary.
Their particular favorites are the Sav Blanc and the Red, and when they can't get Grand Islands Vineyards Wine, they like Josh Cellars Cav Sauv. When asked how they enjoy their Grand Island Vineyards, they replied... "OPEN. And poured for us." What you may not know, is that Tiffany is pregnant with their second child, with an expected due date of October 2019.
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Wine Spotlight
The 2018 Grand Island Symphony!
By Winemaker David Shattuck
This month we are proud to feature a varietal that is returning to our tasting menu, the 2018 Grand island vineyards symphony. This wine is an interesting cross between muscat of Alexandria and Grenache gris. This lightly colored wine packs a very intriguing tropical and floral note. It pairs well with a variety of spicy or herbal foods. I really like it with morrocan, gyros, and ratatouille.
This wine pairs a pale yellow. The first notes are overwhelmingly floral with hints of jasmine and honeysuckle. As the wine opens hints of tropical fruit bring an interesting sweetness to the wine. The mouth feel is slightly greasy with a pleasing burst of acidity. It finishes with pleasant hints of stoneruit and vanilla.
Symphony is a hard wine to find because not too many people grow it. The vineyard that the wine comes from was planted in 1985. This is a special and unique wine that many of our customers are surprised has so much taste and pairs with food just wonderfully. Come try it, we think you'll love it!
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Wine Club(s)
Two Grand Island Wine Clubs! GIV Wine Family and New Reserve Club!
GIV WINE FAMILY (3 bottles, quarterly shipments, 15% discount on GIV and Bridgehead)
The club's past shipment processed in February consisted of BRIDGEHEAD Rouge et Blanc, BRIDGEHEAD RED, and GIV 2018 Chenin Blanc. If you haven't picked up, then please do so soon as we are making preparations for the next the shipment in May -- our 3rd anniversary!
The three bottles for May's club will be the new releases of the GIV 2018 Symphony, GIV 2017 Pinot Noir, and BRIDGEHEAD 2018 BLANC Winemaker's White Blend. The pick-up party will be our second Bottle Your Own Experience, which you can check out and buy tickets for online at our website in the
Events section and read for details on awesome discounts and pricing on a 2017 Merlot available to bottle, label, and enjoy.
Keep an eye on your inbox in early April for information on May's shipment. This will let you know we're getting ready to charge and allows you the option to customize your order before you pay. If you don't receive the emails or have any trouble, then please let us know via telephone, email, or visit us. 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 bottles, biannual shipments, 20% discount Salman Family Reserve)
Also coming in May: We're ready to release our very first shipment for the Reserve Club! In this shipment are two limited wines -- the Salman Family Reserve Premier, a Bordeaux blend, and the Salman Family Reserve Chenin Blanc. They're available to try in our tasting room for free for Reserve members and with brand new Riedel glasses.
For our first Reserve Club pick-up, we are planning something special regarding these wines and for our Reserve Members. Please
RSVP online or in our tasting room if you're a member and are interested. More details in the event description!
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 for your shipment, please log in using our
online access area on our website. To verify your account upon sign up (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!
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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!
GIV After Dark - Friday, May 3, 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 by Tressa Gaye and Friends. Indoor and outdoor service is available in an intimate setting to enjoy all that Grand Island Vineyards has to offer.
Mother's Day Music - Sunday, May 12, 2019
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Featuring Live Music and Free Glass of Bubbles!
 Bring your Mom to Grand Island Vineyards for a glass of Bubbles and live music! If you have no idea what to do for Mother's Day, that's okay, GIV has you covered. Our winery is here for you and mom to taste a variety of different wines and get her a free glass of Bubbles on us! Make use of our spacious grounds for a fun picnic and enjoy the live music of Sharp Clan, playing from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
We are dog and kid friendly, so bring the whole family! Please RSVP your visit by clicking the time slot on our website and filling out the information!
3rd Anniversary Bottle Your Own Event - Saturday, May 25, 2019
11:00 am - 3:00 pm - Featuring Live Music - PRICE: Free!
If you've ever been curious about the process of wine making, then here's your chance! Visit our tasting room to bottle and label your own wine for our Wine Club Pickup event as well as enjoy music!
We loved seeing everyone's labels last year that we can't wait to see what you come up with this year! The Bottle Your Own Experience is back! Just like last year, we will provide the materials to decorate your bottle label and make it as unique and special to you as possible. Then, enter it into our Label Contest to win a fun prize! Or, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, simply enjoy the music Blues Mechanix will be playing and a food truck run by
Cichy Co on our spacious grounds.
This time, buy your ticket to bottle a 2017 Merlot that will only be available for the event.
Pricing
Wine Club can purchase their first ticket for only $1.00 and any subsequent tickets for $15.00
Guests can purchase their tickets for $17.00
Our BYO Ticket includes:
- One (1) of the Bottle Your Own 2017 Merlot
- Light snacks to enjoy with any wine you may be tasting or buying
And for everyone, 50% OFF SELECT CASES OF WINE
All Wine Club Members!! Please buy your first ticket using the "Wine Club First Ticket" option, then click the second "Wine Club" option provided to purchase any other bottles of the extremely limited Merlot for you to enjoy!
As we will have a food truck available during this event, we ask that you do not bring your own food to the Bottle Your Own Event. Thank you!
Click here to register for this event.
Reserve Club Bottle Your Own Event - Saturday, May 25, 2019
Noon - 2:00 pm - PRICE: Free!
 A Member Exclusive Event!
During our Bottle Your Own event, any of our new Reserve Wine Club Members can enjoy a little extra with their RSVP.
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