So we need something local with a P! Or G!

We have a new blend this year called Country Girl after one of my BFF's who passed away last month. That was easy and she would love it. 

But Pinot? Geez....send ideas to cheers@costaventosa.com.

xoxoxo Keep warm.

I'm still working on our calendar for this year but we have a date for our first Spice of Wine Food & Wine Pairing Event...it's going to be Thursday, February 23 from 6-8. The menu:

First Course:

Strawberry Bruschetta, Paired with Diana's Delight (Vidal Blanc)

 Second Course:

Spicy Turkey Breast with a Strawberry Salsa, Paired with Independence Rose of Merlot

Third Course:

Beef Brasatto in Merlot Sauce with Mint, Paired with Tuckahoe Merlot

Fourth Course:

Chocolate Fountain & Dippers, Paired with Whaleyville Red (Concord)

The cost is $30 per person, and RSVP required since we only have a limited number of seats. Reservations can be made to Cheers@CostaVentosa.com.

Whaleyville Red

Yep, you read that correctly. I miss JT, Mary, Micki, Christine, Richard, Michelle, Jeff...and countless others who are not only my wonderful customers, but who have become friends.

But with that said I've been catching up on QuickBooks (like torture to me), perusing gift catalogues for the retail area, and cleaning the winery. I'm in the process of moving EVERYTHING out of the tasting room to deep clean and seal the floors to make them shiny again. We've also bought a fireplace--not the fancy schmancy built in we were hoping for--but a nice corner fireplace that will make the winery more cozy and homey. Course, for those of you who sit your bums on the couch all day and sip slowly on wine, there is another new feature coming in February: ejection seats to throw you off of our leather furniture.

Just kidding...Or maybe not...hmmmm. Maybe I'll turn the ejection seat off if you're drinking your fair share of wine and/or buy a case.

Our GRAND RE-OPENING is February 3. As always, our favorite musician and singer, Bryce Butler, will play for us. We'll have some eats, not sure what yet, and discounted glasses of wine.

If you miss me half as much as I miss you, visit me on Facebook. I post there sometimes when I'm bored or when QuickBooks makes me miserable, which is often.

xoxoxo

I adore this time of year. It's so crisp and bright and the leaves are so crunchy under my horses' hooves. Trail rides through the ever changing forest with Twinkie make me soooo happy!

Making wine makes me happy, too...and our 2011 Chardonnay/Cayuga Blend (Maybe called "Half Assed Jack"-LOL), 2011 Riesling, and 2011 Cab Sauv is in the tanks. We'll be getting juice/grapes in the next few weeks to make more Whaleyville Red and a new Pinot Grigio (our Pinot vines are too young to produce yet.)

In the meantime, come visit! We have Wine Down Fridays from 6-8 with music by Bryce Butler and complimentary lite fare. It's a blast.

OK, before you freak out at the MILDEW (ewwwwww), it won't hurt you--it's the kind your squash plants and tomato plants get when it's hot and humid. 

Speaking of humid...a story for ya...when I was a young Kathryn, I was talking to a farmer one day and he looks into the hazy sky and says, "Wow, it sure is close today." To which I replied, "Close to what?" See, here on the 'Sho, people use "close" for "humid" or muggy.

Back to the mildew...we've been spraying as needed and we could do without the darned pop up thunderstorms and stifling humidity...But the vineyard is still growing like crazy. We've been pruning and pruning and pruning. Gawd, I love it. You can prune a row, all of the higgly piggly vines sticking out sideways or 3 feet above the top wire, and when you get done chopping the octipus branches, the plants look like big topiaries. YAY!

July is almost over!!! In August we have several private events (50th birthday party, bridal showers, group events) so I have only scheduled one "public" event: A wine and food pairing dinner on August 18. It's called the End of Summer Maize and will feature corn and other yummy creations by Richard Major. Stay tuned.

Goodness, I have sucked wind at blogging lately. My only excuse is that I've been doing some stuff on Facebook, and the Maryland Wineries website, and two newsletters, and...

OK, you get the picture. Speaking of which, send me any CV pictures you have and I'll put them on the website  on & on Facebook, yay!

Soooo, in the last month or so, we've re-bottled the Whaleyville Red (no more cork issues, we hope), bottled the 2010 Riddle Farm Riesling and 2010 Diana's Delight, worked day and night in the vineyard, held a dozen or so different events and...

Just stop by and see us. I'll chew your ear off about how busy we have been while you drink your wine.

Lots of events this month...if you're not on our mailing list, sign up to the right of this blog and I'll send you our current newsletter.

xoxoxox 

BUT, I have some funnnnn news! We're holding the first ever "Four on the Shore" Grape Blossom Festival on June 5 and I am so darned excited I had to post the info today and will repost again in another week or two...YAY!

YAY YAY YAY!