May 22, 2006

Dear Colorado Wine Club Member,

May is the time of year when irrigation becomes very important.  There can be very hot days this time of year and the vines need moisture to maintain health and growth.  In some circles however, it’s recommended that you don’t water the vines until their growth slows to a rate of roughly 2 inches per week.  This rate is chosen because it takes about 40 inches of vine to make about twenty leaves, and it takes about twenty leaves to ripen two clusters of grapes.  What you want is for the vines to grow to that magical 40 inches tall, stop growing more leaves and start ripening the grapes right around the first of August.

Enclosed are your Wine Club bottles.  Also enclosed is a summer concert schedule for Grande River Vineyards.  Tickets for the concerts are available here at the shop.  This month’s wines for the Sweet Colorado Wine Club are:

Hermosa Vineyards Cherry Wine

The Hermosa Cherry Wine is deliciously cherry-ish.  Only slightly sweet, it has an elusive character that makes you ponder and try to understand it.  Try this with a spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, and candied pecans or pine nuts, with a black cherry vinaigrette using mild olive oil or grapeseed oil.

Grande River Vineyards Late Harvest Semillon

Much sweeter than the above wine, the LH Semillon is also very distinctive.  It has a bright, lively mouthfeel to match the high residual sugar, and a complex finish.   Deploy this wine after dinner by itself or with dessert of almost any kind except heavy chocolate, which would overshadow this wine’s subtle complexities.

As always, enjoy the wines in good health!

Sincerely,

Glenn & Natalie Foster