Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It rained on our National Picnic Day celebration. In fact, we've had one Saturday without rain over the past eight weeks.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. This weekend we're planning a Rain Day. Come sit under our shelter and enjoy a glass of wine as you watch the cool summer rain. Tom Wavra will be playing guitar on Saturday from 2-5pm. We have dinner events in the vineyard on Friday and Sunday.

So stop worrying about the rain, and come enjoy the vineyard greenery this weekend. Even if it ends up being bright and sunny, we'll still manage to have some fun... somehow.

2011 Wine Selection

Someone asked me if we're introducing any new wines this year. Since every one of our current wines has won a national award, we decided to stick with our winning line-up. We might fine-tune the grape blend in our Northwoods Red, but that's it.

The wine is tasting really good this year! That extra year of seasoning has smoothed them out. We also had a terrific growing season last year so we're really excited about where we're going.

-Don

Comment to Share (from Richard)

Went to the National Restaurant Show and the Wine, Spirits & Beer Show in Chicago this past weekend. Met an Italian wine maker that barely spoke English and was extremely proud of his wine. He opened a bottle up and said we would never taste anything like it. As soon as we sipped the wine Molly and I looked at each other and said "frontanac".

I'm not kidding you. His wine was Exactly like your frontenac. The bouquet, the taste, the balance.. I grabbed his card and info because I wanted to find which grape he was using.

(This note is from Richard Dollarhide. He and Molly are our chefs for the Friday night Prix Fixe next Friday and the Fun with Wine event on Sunday, June 26. Hope to see you in the vineyard!)
-Don

Spring is coming... at a crawl

Big news! We're hoping to re-open the vineyard for the season the weekend of April 16, weather permitting. Little things like parking areas still being buried under snow may delay the opening.

January 2010 was mild enough that we were pruning in the vineyard. This year we're hoping to get in for the first time this coming weekend. (If you're interested in helping, call Don!)

That puts us behind on the vineyard maintenance, but we've got a good layer of moisture to kick off the season this year. Last year's grapes are going to make some awesome wines and we're really looking forward to what's to come once the snow melts. Come visit us in the vineyard this April!

Year-End Harvest Bonfire

Our Black Friday Sale runs Nov. 26-28 this year. We'll have 15% off on all wine and gift items. Don't miss it!

Our thanks to Marshal for videotaping a record of our year-end harvest bonfire and posting it on YouTube... we think. It was a fantastic year and a really fun way to end it with family and friends.

To all of our Crofut Winery fans and customers, thanks for your support and continued business. Have a great holiday season!
-Don

Vineman - Sunset Bonfire

Tom Wavra entertained with his acoustical guitar at our Sunset Bonfire on October 16. We then burned our "vine man" and all the other dead vines from the vineyard. The ashes will serve as fertilizer for next year's vines. What a perfect October night!

Great Weekend

What a great weekend, with the Art Crawl in the vineyard, the Ladies Tailgate Party, and weather in the 80s. The Art Crawl was a huge success and I wish only the best for all the fantastic artists we had the honor of showcasing this past weekend. A HUGE thanks to Rick Thake and his wife Theresa for bringing the Rube Cube to our Ladies Tailgate party. The beast gets an amazing 6 gallons a mile!

One final thinks to Richard and Molly Dollarhide for all their work on the Fun with Wine series this summer. You guys are great.

The best part? We're not done yet! Join us this coming Saturday for a bonfire in the vineyard, or check out the annual Sips of History event Oct. 21-23, 2010.

For more details, or to see a great montage of pics from this past weekend, check out the Events page on the website. We'll see you in the vineyard!