Celebrating the Circle of Vineyard Life
What an eventful year it has been! Starting with a few weeks of planning in January we pruned vines the first week of February. In March and April we prepped the soil and the aisles and started preventative spraying. The vines broke their dormancy the first week of May and after that it was a weekly effort to keep things pruned, trellised, sprayed, watered, mowed, weeded, fertilized and tied. This kept up until July. We bottled our 2017 wines in August. Kept a watch on the ripening fruit in September and picked in October. Whew!
In the meantime, we started a serious effort to market and sell our wines. Elise manned the Website and Media efforts – designing labels and overseeing their production – taking photos for the site, blog and Social Media. Cynthia marketed to customers in Las Vegas and in her business circle making a huge sale of custom label wine to Symmons Industries, a National plumbing company. Sandra has been marketing to Portland wine shops and restaurants and has gotten our brand into the prestigious SIP Classic, a Wine Fair & Competition in McMinnville taking place in March 2019.
We will continue to grow our sales in 2019, as Three Feathers produced 8 barrels of 2018 Pinot Noir and Torio Vineyard (our other Vineyard) will have it’s own label in 2019 with 3 barrels of 2018 Pinot Noir and 3 barrels of a white wine made from Pinot Noir grapes. This is a white wine made by separating the grapes from the skins and in Europe is the basis of most Champagnes and sparkling wines. White wines made from Pinot Noir grapes are sometimes called “White Pinot Noir”, “Pinot Noir Blanc” or “Blanc de Noirs”. We should be bottling this wine in the spring.
Many Thanks to Everyone; from the essential workers in the vineyards, to Sandra who is venturing out into the marketplace, to our talented Winemaker Dan Duryee and crew at Lady Hill, to the hardworking and talented Threesome and to all our customers who have taken a chance on a newcomer and not been disappointed!
So it is time to celebrate! We have included a recipe for one of our favorite winter appetizers: Baked Brie. This recipe is a good party dish when entertaining over the Holidays. It is also good the next day when enjoying your glass of Three Feathers Pinot Noir by yourself and reflecting on what a great party that was.
Holiday Baked Brie
Three Feathers celebrates the end of 2018 with warm wishes and hearty Holiday Greetings to you, your family and friends! Social calendar filled to the brim, at this time of year we are on the lookout for simple, quick and festive recipes that ‘soothe the soul and warm the heart’. Our simple and delicious baked brie recipe is a perfect filler before and after big meals, or for a light holiday get together over cocktails.
Baked Brie Recipe in Three Quick Steps
1 Pound Brie, well chilled
1/2 cup Pesto
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes in olive oil
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
4-8 Green Onions chopped including 1/2 green tops
- Slice the Brie horizontally and put in a baking dish.
- Top with Pesto, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Scallions and Pecans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes to the point where the cheese begins to melt.
Serve hot with bread or crackers. This recipe serves at least 8 people as a hearty appetizer or hors-d’œuvre.