Dear Friend of Dry Creek Vineyard,

With the dog days of summer here, the one word that might best describe the current state of the winery is: BUSY! From 40th Anniversary events to the kick-off of harvest, our entire team is working overtime to accommodate our guests, host trade lunches and make everyone who visits Dry Creek Vineyard feel warm and welcome.

In the cellar and vineyard, our crew is working nonstop in preparation for what appears to be a very full and compressed harvest season. You can read more on that later in this newsletter.

With all the activity, however, we did manage to set aside time for fun and relaxation with a few of our wine club members. This past Saturday, August 11, we held a memorable sailing adventure around San Francisco Bay. Complete with delicious Dry Creek wines and a pre-launch beach party with a steel drum band, a terrific time was had by all and the weather was glorious. What could be better than kicking up our feet and having some down time doing our next favorite thing – sailing!

Should you be planning a trip to wine country, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We stand ready to make your visit a memorable one! Please contact Matthew Proschold, our "Chief Experience Officer", to inquire about different tasting and tour options at mattp@drycreekvineyard.com or 707-433-1000 ext. 103.

Cheers!

The Dry Creek Vineyard family

 New Tasting Experiences!

We are pleased to offer several new tasting experiences here at the winery. We've designed these sessions to be a fun and informative way to learn about wine from one of our highly skilled hospitality professionals.

TOUR & TASTE DRY CREEK VALLEY

Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

$15 per person / Complimentary for wine club members up to six people
Reservations Required

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by one of our knowledgeable hospitality associates. After a brief introduction to our winery (and a splash of our Dry Chenin Blanc), we will lead you through a tasting of delicious Dry Creek Vineyard wines and behind-the-scenes tour of our winemaking facility. Along the way, learn about vineyards, barrels, harvest equipment, and bottling.

TASTING FLIGHTS

Saturdays & Sundays
11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m.

$25 per person / $20 per person for wine club members
Reservations Required

Join us in the Cellar for an explorative and educational flight of some of our favorite varietals. Every flight is hosted by a member of the Dry Creek Vineyard team, ready to answer any questions you may have about our wines or the history of our family-owned winery.

MERITAGE: The Art of the Blend

Saturdays & Sundays
By Appointment: 707-433-1000 x103

$45 per person / $35 per person for wine club members

Together we will explore the fine art of Meritage blending. With your host and the tools of the trade, you will learn the history of the classic Bordeaux-style blend, tasting and measuring the five noble red grape varietals, ultimately creating your own perfect blend. (Groups of 6 or more)

August 24, 1972 is a day that will certainly live on in the celebrated history of our family winery. On this date, 40 years ago, David Stare received the use permit to build his new winery at the corner of Dry Creek Road and Lambert Bridge Road. And this location was “plan B.” Initially, Dave wanted to build the winery at his home on West Dry Creek Road, just a few short miles from the site of the current winery. However, upon filing his permit application he was met with some stiff resistance from the community. Apparently his neighbors were none too thrilled with this East Coast “city slicker” and his plans to build a winery in the sleepy Dry Creek Valley. After some back and forth, Dave gave in to his neighbor’s demands and moved the winery to its current location at 3770 Lambert Bridge Road (on the corner of Dry Creek Road). In hind sight, this was very fortunate. Our current position in the heart of the valley has much more visibility and exposure. 40 years later, we continue to be the region’s namesake and the flagship winery of the Dry Creek Valley.  

This month only, we are proud to share a piece of our history. Join us for library tastings each weekend as we offer a rare selection of wines available for tasting and sales.

We are proud to announce the installation of solar panels as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. This new project will bring our total annual energy costs to almost zero as we continue down our path of becoming a certified sustainable winery.  

Going back to the early 90s, second generation owner Don Wallace initially introduced the idea of sustainable farming to the California Wine Institute. Since that time, California wineries have continued to refine their farming techniques and business practices toward a more earth-friendly model. We are proud to be on the forefront of this movement!

Harvest is almost here and the weather is really heating up. In the past few weeks, grapes have started to change color. Known as veraison, the process of grapes changing color is a critical final element before picking occurs. Our vineyard team is working feverishly to manage the crop load, thin leaves and train shoots and vines to ensure proper ripening and development of the clusters. In the cellar, we’ve finished bottling most of our wines left in tank or barrel in order to clear as much space for the incoming fruit. Winemaker Tim Bell’s initial assessment of this harvest season is looking to be very positive. Overall, the yields are average but the quality is extremely high. Zinfandel and the Bordeaux varieties look particularly good. 

With the current trend of hot weather, there is some concern that everything will try to ripen at once but usually Mother Nature corrects that with cooler, more moderate temperatures.  We are all looking forward to toasting another successful harvest season!

Click on the thumbnails to see full article reviews.

PROSCUITTO-CRUSTED CHICKEN

A recipe from Chef Charlie Palmer

Pair with 2010 DCV3 Sauvignon Blanc.

Download recipe here

3770 Lambert Bridge Road Healdsburg, CA 95448 Tel. 800-864-9463 www.drycreekvineyard.com