today!
Free to join
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4 bottles 4 times a year
(hand picked for you by our winemaker Larry)
20% off all wine purchases
15% off all food and gift purchases
Privileged access to new releases
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LA's Angle: Fishing for Time on Lake Chelan
These old bones are tired. The bustling summer season was made busier by a huge project of remodeling a warehouse building in Chelan Falls into a 9000 square foot, state of the art, wine production and case good storage facility to accomodate our steadily growing ambitions. And now we're coming into the busiest time of the season - Harvest has begun!
First beautiful apples of the season.
We started harvesting the apple crop this weekend. We are still in the process of moving wine, equipment, barrels, and other miscellaneous winemaking accoutrements into the new building. It's becoming increasingly clear that the grape harvest willl be early this year due to all the heat we got in June and July. We have a 4000 case, five day bottling run coming up on September 20 - right in the middle of harvest! One must simply push forward, yet too often it seems I awake too early in the morning with the thought: There simply is not enough time.
Sometimes we must simply make time, and most importantly, for those things that are far more dear than mere work. And so I made time recently for two fishing trips. On the first, I went Salmon fishing on the ocean with Lehm, my nephew Devin, and Devin's father Jamey. We did things guys do: we caught fish, told smart-ass jokes, played pool in a bar (the "Sea Hag!"), and yes, drank some whisky. Devin's worked for us this summer at the Tasting Room, but is on his way back to Seattle Central in another week. He's a bright, well-read, insightful young man, and getting to hang out and connect with him this summer has been a real pleasure.
Devin Silvernail: Young Man and the Sea
Then this last Friday, I took Michaela's niece "Nattie" out for a trip on the Lake for a morning of lake trout fishing. I have previously written about Nattie's precocious culinary talents and work ethic, and the joy I've derived from having her as my sidekick this summer. But she too is heading back to culinary school in Spokane this coming week.
Nattie fishes while Larry reels in a beautiful late-August Lake Chelan morning
Nattie's Catch
I'm sad to see these two youngsters leaving Lake Chelan. It's going to seem a little empty here for awhile without them. But they are not too far away, and I know I'll get to watch them grow and hear of and occasionally experience first hand their challenges and triumphs in life. I think I've made a connection with both of them that will be lasting. Of all my work and accomplishments this summer I already know this is what will prove to be most rewarding. |
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Thanks to all who were able to join us in celebrating our 6th anniversary. Your support is what makes these celebrations possible! We had a great time dancing to The Zydeco Locals, visiting with our loyal customers and friends and enjoying delicious cajun food and of course, Larry's great wine!
For all that missed the party, mark your calendars now for next years celebration! Hotels, condos and houses book up fast, so make sure your reservation is locked in so you won't miss this great party! Next year's date: August 7th, 2010
The Zydeco Locals put on another great performace!
The Vin du Lac waitresses pose for the camera!
Mardi Gra masks looking fantastic!
Dreux, Larry and Michaela enjoying the party! |
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Katie's Corner:
Wine Placement News
Have you ever wondered what the #1 asked question asked at the Winery is!? No, it is not "Who designed your adorable labels"....is it "where can I buy Vin du Lac Wines in my home town". I get asked this question on a daily basis and I wish I could say we sell our wines EVERYWHERE! But we are only half way there! Currently there are over 600 wineries in the State of Washington and with that many wineries, you can only imagine how competitive it is to sell your wines. On a regular basis I meet and present Vin du Lac wines to Wine Stewards and Wine Buyers at top Grocery Chains like QFC, Top Foods/Hagen's, Whole Foods, Central Markets and Fred Meyers and the #1 thing I tell these wine buyers is how amazing our Loyal Customers are. I have been working diligently to get our wines to you and I have covered a lot of ground from Spokane to Portland to Bremerton! (I think it was over 1,200 miles last month to be exact!)
If you have a second, feel free to email me at sales@vindulac.com and tell me;
#1) Where do live?
#2) What is your local grocery store or restaurant?
#3) What is your favorite Vin du Lac Wine?
The more responses I get in one area the better ammunition I will have to present to the wine buyers and make sure we get our wines to you...our favorite people!
Kim the Wine Steward at QFC Lynwood (off 196th) now carries 6 of our wines because a handful of you asked her to! If you don't have time to tell me where you want to see the wines, ask your local wine steward and tell them how much you Love Vin du Lac!
Vin du Lac's most renowned wine, 2007 Barrel Select Cab Franc, was just recently named one of the Top 100 Northwest West Wines under $50 in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine. You can check out the September issue, it just hit shelf's. There is also a great article about the new Lake Chelan Valley AVA and our up and coming wine industry. It is a great honor to get this recognition and we are listed among some big players in our industry.
RECENT TOP AWARDS
2007 Barrel Select Cabernet Franc
Best of Class- LA Intl. Wine & Spirits Competition
Gold- LA Intl. Wine & Spirits Competition
Gold- Seattle Wine Awards
Silver- San Fransisco Intl. Wine Competition
If you are anxious to see what this award winning wine is all about, the release of it will be this December! It will be the December Wine Club red selection, and if you would like to save 20% on this wine, now would be a great time to join!
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Brooke's Room: What's hot in the Tasting Room
Here at Vin du Lac customers inquire daily as to the creator of the wonderful illustrations on our labels and artwork. Lisa Pettit, a Seattle artist and designer, has been creating our labels since 2004; she was awarded First Place at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition in the "Best Labels Series" category for the Vin du Lac labels. Not only is Pettit talented but also passionate about what she does. "It's been fun, as an artist and designer, to be able to bring bottles of wine to dinner parties with labels I created. I am proud of the labels and the wine is great too! It's been really nice working with cool people like Larry and Michaela," Pettit says.
In addition to creating the artwork on our labels, Lisa's work adorns much of our merchandise from clothing to home décor. Our coasters, posters and candles add a fun atmosphere to any room and create a great conversation starter about our wines.
As well as creating Vin du Lac's artwork, Lisa is also the illustrator for the "Wine Trails of Washington" book by Steve Roberts. This informative book gives a brief description of the wineries of Washington State by region. For any person planning a trip to experience the wineries of Washington this book is a must have. Inside there is even a review of the great Vin du Lac labels produced by Lisa, as well as an enticing description of our winery. Larry has been asked many times to autograph the Vin du Lac page in the Wine Trails book, and he is always happy to do so!
So when you drop by our tasting room this fall to experience the activities of Crush Weekend, October 3-4, be sure to experience all the artistic flair that Lisa's contributions have made to our winery.
Check out Lisa's work at http://www.lisapettitdesigns.com/
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Rhythms on the Lake at Vin du Lac
September 25th, 2009
2-4pm
No cover charge!
The Rhythms on the Lake Music Fest & Wine Walk, hosted by the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, brings together visitors and the Lake Chelan community through an event that celebrates the freedom of expression inherent in music. Set against the backdrop of Lake Chelan, this all-ages, two-day music festival showcases renowned and emerging artists on multiple outdoor stages in downtown Chelan, select Wineries, and other local businesses during the Wine Walk. Join us on the Vin du Lac patio on Sept. 25th, 2009 from 2-4pm. www.lakechelanmusicfest.com
Crush in Chelan
October 3,4,10,11, 2009
12-5pm
Relive your first "Crush" - visit the wineries of Lake Chelan in October! Come to our wineries and experience the joy of winemaking. Join us the weekends of October 3-4 and October 10-11 for special demonstrations and harvest related events at all participating wineries in the Lake Chelan Valley.
Visitors can take short hops between the local wineries to observe first-hand the steps involved in grape harvest and wine production, including the opportunity to interact with the growers and winemakers and sample the award-winning wines of the region. Local restaurants will feature specialty food items paired with distinctive local wines and there will be places for visitors to kick off their shoes to stomp grapes the old-fashioned way.
Join Vin du Lac for FREE wine tasting, winery tours, fun "crush" games, and delicious harvest desserts!
SUMMER SATURDAY MUSIC SERIES
We have only 6 dates remaining on our music calendar! Join us in celebrating the rest of the Summer at our Saturday Music Nights!
Sept. 5th, 5-7pm Little Hand
Sept. 12th, 4-6pm Acoustic Minds
Sept. 19th, 4-6pm The Fabulous Po' Boys
Sept. 26th, 4-6pm Jason Johnson
Oct. 3rd, 3-5pm Romagossa Blu
Oct. 10th, 3-5pm The Bickles |
ATTENTION WINE CLUB MEMBERS!!
Will Call/ Pick up Members: Just a reminder that your September wine club is available for pick up!
FedEx Members: We will begin to ship next week. Please email us if you have any updates on your shipping address.
Please note- FedEx requires a signature upon delivery, so please make sure we have a deliverable address. If shipment is returned, we will not be responsible for shipping cost.
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Thank you for being such a valued customer and friend! We hope to see you soon!
Cheers,
-Vin du Lac Winery |
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