News for December 2008

"When wine enlivens the heart, may friendship and love surround the table."

-- Anonymous

Our Tastings and Wine Dinners [more]

Your Family or Corporate Holiday Party, details Your Choice of Day or Evening, 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Our Barrel Room Reservations: 540-347-3475		Barrel Owners Open House, 2005 to 2009 Owners Only December 6th & 7th, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Our Barrel Room Barrel Owner Questions: 540-347-3475

Christmas Around the World Dinner, $99 + tax & tip, menu December 13th, 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Our Festive Barrel Room Reservations: 540-347-3475		How Sweet It Is Vertical Dessert Wine Tasting, $5 December 20th & 21st, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Our Barrel Room Questions: 540-347-3475

Closed on Christmas & New Year's Day Order your favorite varietals to share the gift of Virginia wine with family and friends. Call 540-347-3475 or try American Winery's online store.		Survey Says Wine Tasting & Drawing, $5 January 2nd - 31st, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Our Tasting Room Questions: 540-347-3475

Virginia Wine is For Lovers Dinner, $99 + tax & tip February 14th, 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Our Romantic Barrel Room Reservations: 540-347-3475		March Madness Wine Dinner, $89 + tax & tip March 21th, 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Our Expanding and Contracting Barrel Room Reservations: 540-347-3475

Our Products

The weather outside may be frightening, but Pearmund Cellars is definitely inviting. Elves decorated the winery when no one was looking and added Christmas favorites to our music selections. I guess they wanted to complement our wines of good cheer, mulled that is, for $5 per glass on December weekends. Gift certificates, wine bags, gift boxes, and other interesting presents have also appeared, including:

Redmund's Favorite Doggie Bags -- $45 for two bottles of Redmund's Reserve White, Redmund label t-shirt, wine coaster, and dog bone -- while quantities last because there are only 8 cases of Redmund's favorite wine remaining;

Candy Cane Gift Boxes -- $33 for a red and a white wine bottle, gift boxed with a candy cane;

Holiday Gift Baskets -- $40 to $60 for a bottle of Lisa's Merlot, two wine glasses, Wander's chocolate, a Got Wine t-shirt, wine note cards, key chain, and other items -- if you'd like a variation, call 540-347-3475 on a weekday;

Orchid Selections -- $29 for your choice of our varieties and colors -- just add wine for a perfect gift!

If we are lucky, the elves will make enough presents to fill all your shopping needs. Redmund told them that Pearmund Cellars wine lovers prefer to sip wine rather than standing in long lines at crowded malls. He said that you may also wish to purchase custom wine labels, personalized glassware, wine-related clothing, games, books, jewelry, and accessories for gifts or door prizes. However, his ultimate gift suggestion is always a private party at Pearmund Cellars. Contact our Hospitality Manager via or (540) 347-3475 to plan a festive reception or dinner that your guests will remember for years to come.

Or, if you would like to make new friends and have us manage the guest list, you may want to attend our upcoming activities:

Barrel Owners Open House: Our 2005 to 2009 barrel owners are invited to join our celebration on either December 6th or 7th. Special gourmet treats and barrel tastings will be offered by our winemakers, Chris and DJ, as we toast our new vintages. If you have not picked up your case of 2008 wine, please call (540) 347-3475 on a weekday so we can have your selections ready. For information on becoming a 2009 barrel owner, please contact.
Christmas Around the World Dinner: On December 13th, come in dressy holiday attire to celebrate the coming of Christmas with "Lord of the Manor" DJ Leffin. Share holiday cheer with friends and family by treating them to our international Christmas dinner. It's a perfect way to start this year's season of merriment and love. Our sister winery is hosting an old-fashioned Christmas dinner on the same evening if you live closer to their location.
How Sweet It Is Vertical Dessert Wine Tasting: Celebrate your love of "stickies" at our special dessert wine tasting on December 20th and 21st. Chris and DJ will be pouring from our library of 2002 to 2007 late harvest wines. These sweet Viogniers and Vidals will be available for purchase on this weekend only.
Survey Says Wine Tasting & Drawing: During the month of January, any customer who completes our survey with their tasting will be entered into our drawing for two reserved places at one of our 2009 wine dinners -- valued at more than $200. To help us create this survey during the month of December, please read Our People below.
Virginia Wine is For Lovers, March Madness, and Other Wine Dinners: If you would like to receive advance menus for wine dinners on February 14th, March 21st, and other dates, please update your mailing list entry and check the VIP Club box. We will then send you this information as soon as it is ready.

Our Process

In the Winery: All our 2007 wines have been bottled. Stop by the tasting room to purchase these award-winning varietals, and congratulate both DJ and Chris when you see them. Last month, Pearmund Cellars received more bling-bling! The American Wine Society recognized our 2007 Viognier with a gold medal and our 2007 Cabernet Franc and 2005 Ameritage with silver medals. The Jefferson Cup International gave our 2007 Viognier a gold (Great Wine) award and our 2007 Old Vines Chardonnay and 2005 Ameritage silver (Certificate) awards. And, Wines of the South honored our 2007 Viognier with another gold medal and 2007 Old Vines Chardonnay with a concordance gold!

Now that harvest and bottling are completed, Chris and DJ are working on winter tasks like reorganizing case storage, restocking the winemaking laboratory, and performing comprehensive inventory checks. They are also working with Jessy to plan some new tastings and special sales based on their findings. Our dessert wine tasting on December 20th and 21st is one example. Another is a wine library catalog of older Pearmund Cellars varietals that will now be available for purchase in our tasting room. Stop by the winery to view this catalog and purchase some of your old favorites while they last.

In the Vineyard: Most of the leaves have fallen from the vines as they prepare to go dormant for the winter. Next year, we will prune these vines to prepare them for new growth. Now, we are just waiting for our grass to stop growing so we can put our lawn mower away for the winter. Do you think it will snow soon? Our vines look absolutely gorgeous capped with shining white flakes.

Our People

Many Thanks to Pearmund Cellars Volunteers

Our full-time staff would like to thank our part-time volunteers for making customer satisfaction their top-priority! It is clear that their knowledge of wine, respect for people, and appreciation of teamwork have combined to showcase Pearmund Cellars wine tasting tours as one of Virginia's finest products. We think that Doug Beakes, Jay Davis, Kristina De Santis, Mike De Santis, Thomas Derenge, Vic Doppee, Jennifer Galvin, Judy Gregory, Evan Hoffman, Mary Ann Kalwarski, Bill King, Sandie King, Lynn Larsen, Niloufar Miller, Bethany Orosz, Joseph Orosz, Steve Oviatt, Lynn Portch, Charles Powell, Kim Powell, Rob Rhode, Walker Elliott Rowe, Anne Schumaker, Dave Skocik, Sandy Skocik, Tony Spevak, Nadia Swartz, Nancy Symes, Mary Thompson, Lori Tolson, Sean Uhrig, Donna Whittingham, and Nichole Yochus may have been the elves who decorated our tasting room with love and good cheer. If we missed anyone, let us know so we can include you next time. We sure owe you a debt of gratitude!

Help Us Improve Pearmund Cellars Wine Experience

Help Us Improve Pearmund Cellars Wine Experience

Fauquier County recently performed a visitor survey to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the county's tourism venues. We were pleased to receive top marks, but we still want to improve so we need your help. During the month of December we are collecting questions to create our own customer service survey. We would like to include ten true-false, multiple-choice, or fill-in-the-blank questions that allow us to improve our tastings, wine dinners, products, process, people, partners, retailers, industry, newsletter, or website. Anyone who sends us a question that is selected for our survey will receive a prize. Questions must be by December 31st so our January customers can complete our survey with their tasting.

Our Partners & Retailers

Partner: Often painting from colorful photographs, Leslie Punzi says her favorite mediums are watercolors and oils because she enjoys the challenges they offer as she plays with different tints. Landscapes, animals, and people are her best subjects. She also makes beaded jewelry and can be found working with other visual arts. At Pearmund Cellars, Leslie's artwork includes relaxed nature scenes and still lifes of wine bottles. Stop by to enjoy and purchase her paintings as you sip your favorite varietals.

Pearmund Cellars Wines Sold at Woodstock Café and Shoppes

Wine Store: Diagonally across from the oldest continuously-operating courthouse west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Woodstock Café and Shoppes is a great place to meet your friends or hold meetings for up to 60 people. Besides selling wine, books, antiques, art, furniture, and Americana gifts, Woodstock offers full-service catering, tasty lunches, and evening events like wine dinners and cabaret shows. Reward yourself and others by purchasing your favorite Pearmund Cellars varietals along with a few used books. All proceeds from the books become contributions to RESPONSE, a charitable organization dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault in Shenandoah County.

Restaurant: Hamiltons' First and Main is the perfect spot for a delicious afternoon lunch or a romantic evening dinner. Its cheerful, cozy atmosphere and attentive service ensure that guests enjoy an outstanding dining experience, be they Charlottesville natives, out-of-town visitors, or University students and staff. They also feature outdoor patio seating seasonally, providing the opportunity to dine amidst the bustle of the Downtown Mall. Ask for Pearmund Cellars wines to go with your favorite meals.

Inn: Located in Washington, Virginia, the Gay Street Inn is a newly restored 1850s farmhouse featuring five guestrooms, each with its own character and outstanding view. Amenities for guests include a cozy library, cheerful sunroom, broad front porch, and country gardens. On arrival, enjoy a complimentary glass of Pearmund Cellars wine as you explore the inn. Afterwards, enjoy nearby restaurants, historic sights, antique shops, wineries, and natural wonders. And, don't miss the inn's fresh continental and gourmet breakfasts, where special dietary needs are accommodated with advance notice.

Our Industry

December 5th is the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the Prohibition! Celebrate at Pearmund Cellars, and we will offer a 10% discount on any bottles purchased. Let us toast the anniversary of the day the United States repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and gave Americans the constitutional ability to consume alcohol. For more information, see Wikipedia and the Repeal Day website.

We appreciate your business and your feedback. What topics would you like to see covered in future newsletters?
Please send your comments to our Staff, and please forward this newsletter to other wine aficionados.
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