Welcome to the Bridge - Monthly Newsletter of Grand Island Vineyards

Welcome to the Bridge - The Official GIV Newsletter

Bring in the Bottling Trailer!

------- Written by GIV Winemaker, Ed Seikel

Last month we were preparing and finalizing all of our wines for bottling, and this month I can report that everything went according to plan and we will have lots of new wines that we will be bringing you throughout the year! This may have been our biggest bottling ever, with nine different wines being bottled all in one day.

We bottled three different white wines from the 2023 vintage: Symphony, Chenin Blanc, and we're bringing back our Sauvignon Blanc as well. Also from the 2023 vintage will be a new Rouge et Blanc that has everyone who has tried it very excited.

Two 2022 wines will be coming soon, and they are probably our two most asked about wines as well: our Primitivo, and a brand new Malbec. They were a big hit at our barrel tasting, and I think they will impress even more now that they are in bottle.

Rounding out our lineup were the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, along with a special Holiday Red. It's a sweeter, bolder version of our Winemaker's Red and should be a really fun wine to share with friends and family for the holidays.

Keep checking back here each month to stay up-to-date on when all of these wines will be released and available, or join the Wine Club to make sure you don't miss out!

WINE SALE

The more you buy, the more you save sale.

All 2019 GIV Red Wines, All Bridgehead Wines & All Reserve Red Wines

Buy 1 - Save $1 Buy 2 - Save $3 Buy 3 - Save $6 Buy 4 - Save $10 Buy 5 - Save $15 Buy 6 - Save $21 Buy 12 - Save $78

In the Spotlight: Our 2023 GIV Sauvignon Blanc

------- Written by GIV Winemaker, David Shattuck

We are very excited to have a customer favorite wine varietal returning to the tasting room after an absence of several years: the 2023 Grand Island Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

This wine is the first of our newly bottled 2023 white wines and we are very excited for you to taste these excellent wines. The 2023 growing season was characterized by cool weather for much of the year and a late harvest. While the grapes reached ripe flavors and textures, they never achieved the high levels of sugar that are common in California. Because of the lower sugar levels, the 2023 vintage of white wines will have ripe fruit character but more restrained alcohol and midpalate. 

This Sauvignon Blanc will be great with oysters, citrus salad, lasagna with bechamel sauce, or fried chicken.

This wine pours a beautiful pale yellow hue. The first glass immediately captivates with bright citrus aroma and a hint of gooseberry. With a little air, the wine begins to exhibit a slight tropical note with bright passion fruit and pineapple character. After the first sip, the wine displays an austere mouthfeel with nervy acidity and a moderate midpalate. The finish is hauntingly long with a briny oyster shell and tangerine pith flavor.

April Flowers Bring New Shoots!

------- Written by Operations Manager, Joe Salman

What a change does a month make? A month ago in the wet vineyards, all you would see is the woody skeleton of a dormant grapevines, and now...

Working off of stored reserves in the plant, these Chardonnay shoots literally "shoot" out! These shoots can even show their flower clusters early which helps in yield predictions.  

This is a very neat time when growth is rapid and different varieties have more or less growth depending on factors such as when they were pruned, if they are or were shaded, or sometimes it is just in genealogy of the vines. Either way, the vines, the pears (in bloom now), and the rest of the flowers and nature, it is a great time to come and visit. Hope to see you soon.

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