[received 12/5/1998] ---------------------- Wind River Cellars PO Box 215 Husum WA 98623 e-mail: windriverwines@gorge.net (509) 493-2324 Tasting room currently open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday 11-5 Other times by appointment Winter 1998 Volume 2 Issue 2 New Releases include...Port of Celilo Now available...Port of Celilo. Many of you have been patiently waiting for the release of the 1997 Port, and your patience has paid off. 100 cases were bottled on November 1, 1998 and will be available for release the weekend after Thanksgiving in the winery tasting room. Many of you have already placed your order, and yours will be the first to be shipped. Others have expressed interest and now is the time to order. Limited quantity available. Other new releases, see page 3 [below]. Summer Events "Very Successful" Though we are sad to see the warm weather go, we can definitely look back on Wind River's inaugural summer and smile. Several events took place where visitors had the opportunity to enjoy fine wines, take in the breath-taking view and enjoy everything from white water rafting to live music on the winery's crush deck. The summer kicked off in may when the winery opened its doors for the "Grand Opening." Wine enthusiasts came from all over to taste Wind River's first releases and tour the new facility. August 1st was the day of the first annual Wind River Cellars "Winejam." This music festival brought wine drinkers and music fans from all over the Northwest and as far away as Southern California. Approximately 250 people enjoyed the golden tones of the Cowboy Angels and Johnny Koonce. Throughout the summer WRC teamed up with local white water rafting service, RIVER DRIFTERS, to offer the adventurists at heart the opportunity to raft the exciting White Salmon River followed by a full lunch or dinner at the winery. "We felt that the combination was a perfect match," said River Drifters owner Tim Thornton. "The beauty, peacefulness and great wine and food were the perfect way to end a great raft trip down the White Salmon." Wind River Cellars will continue the "Whitewater and Wine" series in 1999. River Drifters can accommodate groups of five to 200. If you would like more information on the Whitewater and Wine you can call the winery or River Drifters at (800) 226-1001 or (541) 383-1460. Let Bad Seed Hot Cider Kill your chill this winter. Designed to be served "hot," Bad Seed can be warmed in the microwave oven or on the stove. Let the warm spices bring out the Bad Seed in you! Now available in the winery tasting room and fine wine locations (or at least some locations that like to have a little fun). It's true that Wind River Cellars sold out of the original Bad Seed Cider BEFORE Labor Day, however, the Bad Seed Hot Cider is a great winter drink and will be available through the winter...that is, if you get yours soon! Bad Seed has a new winter look, we didn't want him to get cold on the ski slopes, so he has a very stylish pair of earmuffs and a scarf. He looks as bad as ever, and tastes great! 180 of the closest friends and business associates of Salomon snowboards will be getting theirs in the mail, and if you're not one of them...you better order yours today! Holiday Cheer: A bottle of Bad Seed Hot Spiced Cider and two seasonal wine goblets in a bright red holiday gift box......$18.00. Are Size and Shape really important? You may have noticed that all of the wines produced by Wind River Cellars come in unusual bottle shapes and sizes, and you may wonder if there is a reason? Wine bottles come in many shapes and sizes, and while there are some generally accepted standards none are official. The following bottle shapes (and colors) serve as a guide only: Bordeaux: A high shouldered, straight sided bottle, usually dark green or brown glass. Used for Bordeaux wines, Cabernet, Merlot, and Claret style wines. Sometimes used for Zinfandel and Chianti style wines. The same shape but in clear glass, or pale green are used for the white varietals of Bordeaux such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. In the USA a clear Bordeaux bottle is also used for blush wines. Burgundy: A slope shoulder bottle either dark green (dead leaf green) or brown. Used for hte wines of Burgundy, the Rhone, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rhone style wines. Also used in Italy for Barolo, Spain for Riojas, and the Loire for Sancerre. Rhine: A tall slender brown glass, used for Rieslings and Gewurztraminer and throughout the Rhine. Also known as Flutes. Mosel: Like the Rhine bottle, it is tall and slender but made of green glass. A clear glass version is also used for Rose wines. 187 ml 1/4 bottle split 375 ml 1/2 bottle half bottle 750 ml bottle standard 1.5 liters 2 bottles magnum 3 liters 4 bottles double magnum 4.5 liters 6 bottles jeroboam 4.6 liters 6 bottles rehoboam 6 liters 8 bottles methuselah 6 liters 8 bottles Imperial 9 liters 12 bottles Salmanazar 12 liters 16 bottles Balthazar 15 liters 20 bottles Nebuchadnezzar For special occasions, by future purchase, Wind River Cellars will bottle your favorite wine in one of these unusual bottles. To make arrangements to purchase a "future" of your favorite Wind River Cellars wine, please visit the winery or call: (509) 493-2324. Wanna get wine? Wind River Cellars wines are now available in fine specialty wine stores in these locations. If you don't see what you are looking for, ask your wine steward! They CAN get it for you. QFC University Village Greg Louie's on the Pike Pike Place Market Utz DeLaurenti Foods Pike Place Market Steve Larry's Market Tukwila Paul The Wine Basket Federal Way Court The Wine Emporium Yelm & Lacey William & Claudia Lakewood Marketplace Lakewood Dawn Freighthouse Cellars Tacoma Neil La Cantina Bellevue Brian Fred Meyer Kirkland Steve Wilsonville Thriftway Wilsonville Mike Fred Meyer Burlingam-Portland Sam Holiday Wine Specials and Gift Boxes... "Candy Cane" A bottle of 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon and a bottle of 1995 Chardonnay, in a gift box...$36.50 "Santa's Favorite" A bottle of 1995 Cabernet and two wine classes filled with chocolate kisses, in a gift box...$33.50 "Holiday Cheer" A bottle of Bad Seed "Hot" spiced cider and two seasonal wine goblets in a bright red holiday gift box...$18.00 "Sugar Plum" A bottle of 1996 White Riesling and a bottle of Coho Blush in a holiday gift box...$20.00 "Yule Log" This romantic gift includes a bottle of Bad Seed Hot Cider and a gift wrapped presto log for a romantic winter evening...$10.00 New releases: 1997 Port of Celilo $22.00 bottle Wind River Cellars "Port of Celilo" comes from the lush fruit of Celilo Vineyard. Fermentation is stopped at precisely the right moment by the addition of grape brandy to produce this traditionally sweet dessert wine. Serve with your favorite dessert, or let this be dessert on its own! 100 cases produced. 1997 Dry Gewurztraminer $9.00 bottle Dry. Floral aromas of peach lemon and spice. Flavors of apricot and melon. Fruit and acidity balanced. A great compliment to holiday dinners such as turkey and ham. Coho Blush $8.00 bottle Named after the intense easterly "coho" winds, that blow through the Columbia River Gorge, this slightly sweet blush symbolizes the crisp clean beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Bad Seed Hot Cider $6.00 bottle Bad Seed has a festive seasonal twin! This hard cider contains seasonal spices and flavors to warm you on a cold winter day. Just heat a mug at a time in the microwave and let the spices bring out the bad seed in you. Currently available: 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon $20.00 bottle Opaque, dark ruby red. Full-bodied with subtle tannin. Chocolate and ripe cherries. 1995 Chardonnay $16.00 bottle Brilliant deep golden color. Moderately oaked. Ripe citrus, toasted oak and vanilla flavors. Refreshing without being tart. 1996 White Riesling $9.00 bottle A perfect balance of acidity and sweetness with hints of apple and honey make it perfect for fruit salads, salty meats and dessert. 20% full case discount.......We ship UPS. (509) 493-2324 WRC Pleased With '98 Harvest Though on again, off again showers teased the 1998 grape harvest, the staff at Wind River Cellars is pleased with the high quality and yield. "We picked our Riesling about a week earlier than last year," said Owner Kris Goodwillie, "and the quality is a little bit better." Most of the grapes came in at about the same time as any other year. The one variety that seemed to want to hang on a bit longer was the Pinot Noir. "Typically Pinot Noir is one of the first grapes to come in," said Goodwillie, "but this year it was one of the last. We don't care if they come January 1st, as long as the sugar, acid and pH are where we want them and luckily this year they were perfect." 1998 will mark the first year that Wind River Cellars will produce a Burgundian style Pinot Noir. Previously the Pinot Noir grapes were used to produce "Coho Blush." Besides Riesling and Pinot Noir, Wind River Cellars crushed Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Blue Franc. Though early signs seem to indicate that the 1998 harvest was a good one, quantity was down jsut a bit, partly because of the bird damage. "It certainly doesn't help to worry about it," says Goodwillie. "You just have to hope the birds won't get too greedy and will leave you a few." ----------------------