* Vote to Select Virginia's Favorite Winery for 2009 *

News for August 2009

"When wines were good they pleased my sense, cheered my spirits, improved my moral and intellectual powers,
besides enabling me to confer the same benefits on other people."

-- George Saintsbury (scroll down to Wine heading)

Our Tastings and Wine Dinners [more]

Sangria & Guacamole, $25 August 7th & 21st, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Winery at La Grange, Haymarket, VA Questions: 703-753-9360		Girls' Night Out, Tasting Fees August 13th & September 10th, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Our Tasting Room Questions: 540-347-3475

Meritage Blending, $75 August 15th, Noon - 2 p.m. & 3 - 5 p.m.; August 16th, 1 - 3 p.m. Winery at La Grange, Haymarket, VA Reservations: 703-753-9360		Thank God It's Friday, Tasting Fees August 28th, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Our Tasting Room Questions: 540-347-3475

Labor Day & La Grange 3rd Anniversary, Tasting Fees September 5th to 7th, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Our Barrel Room & Winery at La Grange, Haymarket, VA Questions: 540-347-3475 & 703-753-9360		Murder Mystery & Wine Dinner, $99 + tax & tip September 12th, 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Our Barrel Room Reservations: 540-347-3475

Learn About Grand Openings: Vint Hill Craft Winery & Paradise Springs Winery

Our Products

Thanks to all of you, Pearmund Cellars was voted Virginia's favorite winery in 2007 and was in the top five in 2008. Virginia Wine Events has changed the voting rules a bit this year, saying that you can only vote once per computer network with the poll ending on August 17th. Please help us regain our #1 spot by clicking on the Vote button! Tell your friends about your favorite Virginia winery and ask them to vote too!

Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association (ASWA)

You can also share the news about seven medals we received in July: Platinum for our 2007 Ameritage and 2007 Petit Verdot as well as Silver for our 2007 Old Vines Chardonnay in the Virginia Wine Lovers Classic; Gold for our 2007 Ameritage and Silver for our 2007 Old Vines Chardonnay in the Virginia State Fair; and Best of Category/Gold for our 2007 Petit Verdot and Silver for our 2007 Cabernet Franc in the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition.

Then, invite your friends to try all our award-winning wines during our remaining summer events:

Sangria & Guacamole: The best way to spend a Friday night is sipping Sangria, dipping chips in guacamole, and swapping stories of days gone by. On August 7th and 21st, invite your friends and family to de-stress from their hectic work week and share this casual evening at our sister winery.
Girls' Night Out: Organize your babysitter, then ask your female cousins, neighbors, colleagues, choir members, workout partners, book club friends, sisters, mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers, aunts, and other best friends to join you for our ladies-only evenings on August 13th and September 10th. If you plan to bring more than six friends, create your own Evite, then let us know how many guests will be arriving. Order limousine service if you would like to ride in style.
Meritage Blending: Learn about wine blending and create your own Meritage from five different Bordeaux varietals. Our winemaker will decide which is closest to their idea of fantastic wine. Those blends will be used for the next vintage with the winner's name on the back label alongside our winemaker's name. Reserve your Winery at La Grange session on August 15th or 16th. The winners of the Pearmund Cellars Ameritage blending contest were the D'Salvios! Let's all congratulate their winemaking skills. They have set a high bar for the Meritage blending teams!
Thank God It's Friday: On August 28th, make a date with your friends and colleagues to relax after the stress of a long week of commuting or working at home. Of course, on this day of extended hours, you can also come on your own to meet other wine lovers. Bring your own picnic, enjoy our snacks, or ask us about catering -- 24 hours notice for catering please.
Labor Day & La Grange 3rd Anniversary: On September 5th to 7th, help us celebrate our nation's holiday and our sister winery's 3rd anniversary! Taste and enjoy our award-winning wines, light fare, and yard games in our beautiful Chardonnay vineyard, then visit our sister, Winery at La Grange, only 10 minutes away.
Murder Mystery & Wine Dinner: Entrée Act and Pearmund Cellars invite you to our interactive dinner murder mystery: Dangerous Doin’s in the Club D’Ville. On September 12th, get out your beads and boas, grab that raccoon coat, and join the Don Linguinni as he hosts friends and family for a very special dinner. Beware, DEATH is an unexpected visitor!
Private Tastings: Pearmund Cellars would be thrilled to design your private tasting experience for up to 50 guests. We offer excellent wine, gourmet food, and customized service for private and corporate occasions. When planning a birthday party, anniversary dinner, bridal shower, informal meeting, elegant reception, or intimate reunion, contact our to coordinate your memorable event, discuss special needs, and schedule your tasting.

For a special treat during your playful summer parties, Redmund suggests his White Sangria recipe or Red Sangria recipe. He says that our Sweet Petit (Verdot) can be substituted for his Redmund Reserve Red as long as some of the sugar is eliminated. He thinks that grilled meat is a special treat for more serious parties and recommends Lori Tolson's Flank Steak recipe with our Ameritage Reserve.

Our Process

In the Vineyard: When you visit the winery this month, pay particular attention to our grapes, and note their color changing from green to gold. That's an indication that the natural process of veraison, or sweetening of the grapes, has begun. It also means that the 2009 harvest and crush season is almost upon us.

Family Reunion at Pearmund Cellars

In the Winery: Chris, Kristen, and others are busy preparing our equipment and facilities for September and October. Our destemmer, press, tractor, forklift, pump, compressor, barrels, hoses, bins, yeasts, and cleaning supplies – all have to be ready to go.

Our People

Pearmund Cellars Vineyard Winery Staff: Mary Anne Wassenberg

With a lot of confidence in our staff and some nostalgia for her role as a Virginia wine advocate, Mary Anne Wassenberg is retiring from working, but not drinking, at Pearmund Cellars. For the last six and a half years, she has maintained our website, managed our customer database, answered your emails, and written much of our newsletter. Our general manager, Shelly Nasworthy will now take over Mary Anne's tasks with the assistance from Bob Moe, our sister winery's webmaster. They invite your suggestions to continue making Pearmund Cellars' products the best in Virginia. Mary Anne hopes that you have enjoyed getting to know her online and can meet her face-to-face in the coming months, either at the winery or in her new capacity as an entrepreneurial consultant for SET International.

Our Partners & Retailers

Partner: New Horizon Wines is a wine-lifestyle company that combines import / export of high quality wines with wine tourism and education. They believe that Virginia's unique combination of excellent wineries, stunning landscapes, colorful history, and international culture will have a strong appeal in the United Kingdom and were instrumental in bringing Pearmund Cellars wines to Sir Charles Napier's restaurant (see below).

Pearmund Cellars Wines Sold at the Curious Grape

Wine Store: Dedicated to bringing wine out of the shroud of mystery and back down to earth, the courteous staff at the Curious Grape are always ready to answer difficult questions. In addition, every wine in the store has an information card with the wine's region of origin, grapes, tasting notes, and latest ratings by leading wine experts so customers can easily find a great wine on their own. With a diverse, carefully-selected, rotating assortment of wine selections to satisfy every taste and budget, the store is a favorite of many Arlington, Virginia, residents who especially like the always-open tasting bar.

Savor Wild Game & Pearmund Celllars Wine at Sir Charles Napier

Restaurant: Pearmund Cellars wines are now sold in Oxfordshire, England, at the Sir Charles Napier Restaurant. Julie Griffiths has been running the Napier for more than four decades and has won countless devotees. Diners are served in gorgeous gardens, amid surreal terrace sculptures, at the cozy bar, or in two pub-style parlors. They are treated to unique menus made from seasonal ingredients such as roast partridge, foraged fungi, wild turbot, or spring lamb cutlets. Don't miss their cheeseboard or English puddings paired with an adventurous recommendation from their global wine list!

Inn: An intimate, earth-conscious oasis in the heart of the nation's capital, Hotel Madera offers 82 spacious and stylish, yet tranquil guestrooms that are designed for pleasure, peace, rejuvenation, and romance. Its Firefly restaurant lights up Dupont Circle's trendy neighborhood with its warm, organic ambience, contemporary American comfort food, and innovative cocktails. Executive Chef Daniel Bortnick’s seasonal menus emphasize fresh local ingredients with a modern twist on simple culinary classics so both locals and travelers stay happy, especially when they taste some of the excellent Virginia wines.

Our Industry

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently ruled that Maryland alcohol price regulations violate federal antitrust laws. The court upheld their 2001 ruling that state pricing schemes restrain trade and constitute horizontal price fixing under the Sherman Antitrust Act. For more information, see the University of Pittsburgh article, and support Maryland wine lovers in their efforts to Free the Grapes.

Also, if you want to learn about investment opportunities in Virginia's wine industry.

We appreciate your business and your feedback. What topics would you like to see covered in future newsletters?
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*** Vote to Select Virginia's Favorite Winery for 2009 ***