12-21-05

Dear Colorado Wine Club Member,

Winter is now well underway as we’ve seen a couple of real cold snaps.  Hopefully this hasn’t damaged the vineyards around the state.  The worst winter damage seems to occur when unseasonally cold weather hits either early or late in the dormant months.  Cold hardiness is not instantly achieved.  Rather, the vines slowly become acclimated to colder and colder temperatures going into winter, and slowly become less cold-hardy as the vines begin to get ready for spring.  So if there are sharp declines in temperature early or late in the dormancy cycle, that’s when the vines are most likely to be damaged.  We’ll see how it all works out in the spring, which is all most of the farmers can do anyway.

Our Christmas season hours are:  open Christmas eve until 4 pm, closed on the 26th since it’s a Monday, then regular hours until New Years day when we’ll be closed both Sunday and Monday the 1st and 2nd.

Enclosed are your December Wine Club bottles.  This month’s wines for the Vintner’s Choice Colorado Wine Club are:

Crooked Creek ’03 Red Wine

This appropriately dubbed wine is a nice value for a Colorado red.  Most of the nicer red wines end up in the $17-20 range, while this wine is priced at $12.32 or $11.09 with the Wine Club member discount.  Medium-light in body with a moderate oak component, nice color and a , briarpatch character make this an interesting everyday wine.  Try it with hamburgers, spaghetti, and other more robust entrees.

Holy Cross Abbey 2004 Riesling

The HCA Riesling is a hot item.  Our number one seller in the store, it provides a beautiful bottle with a very nice wine inside.  We categorize it as medium-to-quite sweet, and it has fabulous balance and fruit intensity.  Our favorite pairings are cheeses and hors d’oeuvres or desserts like a fruit tart or custard, but many report good results with main dishes of poultry.  Just as many report great satisfaction just sipping it by itself.  However you like, drink it in, and for, good health!

Sincerely,

Glenn & Natalie Foster