News for January 2009

"Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to our hopes, bids the coward flight,
drives dull care away, and teaches new means for the accomplishment of our wishes."

-- Horace

Our Tastings and Wine Dinners [more]

Survey Says Wine Tasting & Drawing, $5 January 2nd - 31st, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Our Tasting Room Questions: 540-347-3475		Hearty Soup & Wine Weekends, $12 January Saturdays & Sundays, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 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		Valentine Chocolate & Wine Tasting, $5 February 14th & 15th, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Our Tasting Room Questions: 540-347-3475

Our Products

We enjoyed seeing many of you over the holidays! Those who did not get a a chance to visit Pearmund Cellars in the last two weeks missed their last chance to purchase our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Ameritage, and 2006 Late Harvest Viognier. However, you don't need to be too upset because our newly-released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Ameritage are even better, plus our 2007 Late-Harvest Vidal is now ready for tasting! For a cozy winter night, purchase a wine game or a book with your favorite varietal to receive a 10% discount, and take advantage of our 50% discount on all holiday merchandise.

Our staff is planning exciting new activities for 2009 so we hope that your New Year's resolutions will include visiting Pearmund Cellars more often. We know that you and your favorite wine lovers will enjoy:

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.
Hearty Soup & Wine Weekends: Every weekend in January, you can savor a hot, hearty bowl of soup with a glass of your favorite Pearmund Cellars varietal. A different soup will be featured each day so to see if we are serving your favorite.
Valentine Chocolate & Wine Tasting: Love is in the air at Pearmund Cellars so bring all your Valentines to see us on February 14th and 15th. We are offering decadent chocolates paired with our elegant award winning wines. Purchase flowers or local artwork along with your bottle of wine and have the perfect gift for romance, fun, and friendship. Stop at our sister winery too, and you will receive a free gift!
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.

In case you missed the Home for the Holidays episode on Planet Green, Chef Lagasse recently cooked a delicious holiday meal that began with a creamy Truffled Fondue made with Pearmund Cellars Chardonnay! For more information, see our news article which thanks the key sponsor, Whole Foods Market, for promoting Virginia's fine wines to their customers.

Our Process

Pearmund Cellars Vineyard Winery Staff: DJ Leffin

In the Winery: It is now the season when our winemakers have time to relax for a couple of months. However, DJ Leffin is a former educator and would like to spend the winter sharing how much he has learned about winemaking. He invites all of you to bring your questions about bottling, crushing, pressing, blending, fining, fermenting, and aging. If you are lucky, he may also discuss pruning, spraying, harvesting, and trellising because he has learned a bit about these subjects too. Needless to say, Chris has been keeping him busy!

In the Vineyard: The first vineyard work of 2009 is underway already. Our skilled team of vineyard workers are starting to pre-prune the vines. This involves cutting about half of the previous year's growth from the vine and allowing the catch wires to be put down. To learn about pruning, visit the vineyard between Monday and Friday or see the University of Missouri's Extension article.

Our People

Flavor Magazine writer, local farmer, and Pearmund Cellars volunteer, Walker Elliott Rowe recently created a blog devoted to local agriculture and viticulture. His articles chronicle the harvest and growing season at Rosewood Hill Vineyards, Castleton Lakes Vineyards, and Rosewood Hill Goat Farm. We invite you to follow W.E. as he prunes vines, snaps laterals, fights mildew, and plants forage in the war of man versus nature. You can also learn about agriculture events and the local food movement via his interviews of local farmers and experts in the fields of viticulture, grass-based farming, soil science, and more. W.E. writes in a narrative form of journalism that is often funny to read and similar to the style of the Atlantic and New Yorker magazines.

As a wine industry advocate, Walker Elliott Rowe is the author of Wandering Through Virginia's Vineyards and Wine, Communism & Volcanoes: A Story of Chilean Wine. You can find him conducting wine seminars at the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, judging wine at the Maryland Governor's Cup Competition, and hanging out as a partner of the Winery at LaGrange. When you see him, ask how he has time to do so much for wine lovers!

Our Partners & Retailers

VA Vineyard Partner: Viers Studio Glass and Gallery

Partner: Former board member of the National Capital Area Glass Guild, Tom Viers recently renovated an older building near Warrenton, Virginia, to create Viers Studio Glass and Gallery as his studio and teaching facility. Tom's unique glasswork may be found at several galleries in Virginia, Maryland, and the District. His glass ornaments and other items are sold at Pearmund Cellars. Visit his studio for even more selections, and asked him about his love for teaching budding artisans, assisting fund-raising projects, and repairing historic glassware.

Wine Store: The Paeonian Grocery and Gourmet stocks everything from Route 11 potato chips and Cheerwine soda to Pearmund Cellars wine. This tiny store offers gourmet food, local wine, and microbrews carefully arranged so you can grab what you need and be on your way quickly. Take a break on your commute to West Virginia or other locations on Route 9 or Route 7, and check out the history of Paeonian Springs, Virginia, just northwest of Leesburg. Don't forget to tell them Pearmund Cellars sent you.

Restaurant: In the heart of tiny Sperryville, Virginia, the Thornton River Grille is known for its fabulous steaks and burgers which are cut fresh at their in-house butcher shop. Because of the open kitchen you can even watch your meat being cooked to your specifications. Stop by the grille after viewing the region's gorgeous piedmont, thriving wineries, and breath-taking foliage.

Inn: Founded in 1960 as an "island of thought", Airlie is an internationally-known conference center and inn which has hosted more than 10,000 events and meetings for over 600 government, non-profit, and private groups. Revered for its conferences on sustainable agricultural and other ecological projects, the center's property in Warrenton, Virginia, encompasses 2500 acres, maintains extensive nature trails around wetlands areas, and hosts a wild waterfowl sanctuary as part of its National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. Request Pearmund Cellars wines when you plan your next conference or wedding at Airlie Center.

Our Industry

Founded by the late Robert Mondavi as the American Center for Wine, Food, and Art, Copia filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month with outstanding liabilities estimated at $78 million. According to the center’s public relations firm, board members wanted to reopen the 7-year-old institution during restructuring and hoped the bankruptcy filing would provide an additional six months to achieve long-term sustainability. Unfortunately, Judge Alan Jaroslovsky blocked Copia's attempts to secure a $2 million emergency loan. The organization will now be dissolved in foreclosure. For more information, see the Napa Valley Register and Sacramento Bee articles.

We appreciate your business and your feedback. What topics would you like to see covered in future newsletters?
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