|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
Our Tastings and Wine Dinners |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
Our Products |
|||||||||
| Did you know? The life
of a wine barrel is about four years. After four
to five years, the oak loses it seasoning and does not impart any
flavor to the wine as it ages. Barrels are not only used to age wine,
but whiskey, bourbon and even some beers. Barrels we use are made from
white oak. It takes more than 20 man
hours to make just one barrel. The highly skilled craftsmen that make
barrels are known as coopers. At Pearmund, we use barrels made
by Vicard Tonnelleries, a family owned
and operated cooperage that produces over 30,000 barrels a
year in Cognac, France. Show off your love of wine and participate in a unique wine experience as part of Pearmund Cellars’ Own a Barrel Program. For the 2005 production, we are purchasing 40 new French and North American oak barrels. As a sponsor, you’ll be able to taste wine straight from your barrel as it ages. Your barrel will have an engraved brass name plaque and it will be prominently displayed in our barrel room. Everyone who tours Pearmund will see your oenophilia! In addition, sponsors receive one mixed case of wine each year for the life of their barrel (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 vintages). The program was a sellout for 2004. Our generous thanks goes to all those who participated! Applications for the 2005 harvest are now being accepted. The cost of sponsorship is $600 plus sales tax. Contact the winery at (540) 347-3475 to sign-up or to learn more about this program. At our September 18th winemaker’s dinner, we previewed our 2003 Ameritage and Late Harvest Vidal. Over the course of the next month, these wines along with the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and Ameritage Reserve will be available in our tasting room. Unfortunately, during the same period, our 2002 Petite Verdot will become history so stop by the winery, or call us, to purchase our few remaining cases. |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
Our Process |
|||||||||
| September marks
numerous beginnings. The kids are back in school, the summer season is
officially drawing to an end, and, here at the winery, we start our
annual harvest period. For the last couple of weeks, we have been
receiving grapes from vineyards across the state. In Virginia, there
are three vineyards to every winery. As a past President
of
the Virginia Vineyards Association, Chris Pearmund knows which
vineyards grow the best-quality fruit specific to local terroir.
Chris and his appentice winemakers crush, press, blend,
fine, ferment, and age these delicious grapes to produce Pearmund
Cellars' fine wines. In September, a majority of their efforts are
dedicated to crushing and pressing grapes. Customers who visit
on a day we are receiving grapes may have the opportunity to taste-test
fresh grapes or juice before fermentation. Our Meriwether
Vineyard grapes will be hand-picked the last week of September.
Please stop by the winery to watch Pearmund Cellars' 2004 harvest! If you would like to learn about winery activities as they occur, please become a VIP Club member. Just check the appropriate box on our mailing list form. Club members receive advance notice of winemaker's dinners, special programs, case discounts, etc. There is no cost to join, and members gain additional opportunities to appreciate Pearmund Cellars' wines. We would be remiss if we did not mention the recent tornado that left its mark at Pearmund. We suffered significant damage to the barn and spent many hours removing broken trees and branches. For the most part, however, the vineyard and the grapes weathered the storm unscathed. |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
Our People |
|||||||||
| Volunteers
are a great part of every business. This month we are pleased to shine
the spotlight on some new volunteers that are sharing their time and
talents with us. Some of our new volunteers include Kim Blesch, Kim
Powell, and Nikki Yochus. Please be sure to say hello to these new
faces during your next visit. Kim Blesch is a wine enthusiast and has been a Pearmund Cellars guest since the Grand Opening in 2003. Her out going personality and enthusiasm for the wine making business makes her a perfect volunteer for our tasting room. Kim says, " I have already learned so much about the winery and am excited to learn more about the wine making business.What I love most though is the opportunity to meet people from around the world and to share my passion for Virginia wines." A good source for smiles and laughter, Kim Powell enjoys talking with visitors about wine, sharing and learning at the same time. If prodded just a little, she will be more than happy to show off her barrel in the barrel room. When not working, Kim can often be seen taking photos in and around the winery, or picnicing with family and friends down by the barn, sharing stories and laughter, while enjoying Pearmund wine with the serenity the vineyard offers. After a visit to Pearmund Cellars this summer, Nikki Yochus decided to come on board as a volunteer. New to the area, her love of wine is providing a great way to meet new people and learn more about the wine industry. She has become our newsletter editor so off-site customers can also learn about her unique style and sense of humor. However, she loves to give wine tastings so stop by the winery to meet her. |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
Our Industry |
|||||||||
| Chris Pearmund
will be one of the featured speakers at a unique event combining wine
and science. During this informative lecture on the effects of
global warming on winemaking, Chris will discuss the effects of
year-to-year climate change on cultivating grapes and making wine.
Attendees will be able to taste wines from Pearmund Cellars as well as
other featured wines. Other speakers include John Bowers, a
geneticist, and Gray Mosby, a local wine educator and importer.
Join us for this fun event on October 7th in the Keck Center
near the Marian Koshland Science Museum in Washington, D.C. You
must be 21 to attend. To register or learn more, call 202-334-1201
or 888-KOSHLAN. |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
We appreciate your business and your feedback. What topics would you like to see covered in future newsletters? Please send your comments to info@pearmundcellars.com, and please forward this newsletter to other wine aficionados. To be added to our mailing list, just complete the brief form accessible from the Contact Us page of our website: http://www.pearmundcellars.com. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please reply to webmaster@pearmundcellars.com. |
 |
|
Open Daily 6190
Georgetown Road |
