Since we first went into quarantine back in March, we are grateful that throughout the year, we’ve been able to keep up with so many of our good friends. For some it was by Zoom, email, or phone, and for some of you more local, although socially distanced, we did see you face to face during the warmer months of the summer and fall. Right now, it is a wonderful thing to be seeing the first Covid-19 vaccinations being administered to hospital employees throughout the country. Paraphrasing what we heard one person say recently: “We may still be in the tunnel, but at least we can see light at the end of it!”
Amen.
Like us, we think many of you are going to be very thrilled to not have to write or see this four-digit number down ever again: “2020”. It may be, that 2020 will wind up in our lexicon for all time, indeed, as the four-digit sister to the four-letter words we try not to use, even when we’re angry! Can you picture it, somebody telling you, five years from now: “Don’t 2020 me!” (And what, exactly, would that mean???)
With that thought in mind, we start off this December blog post by inviting you to join us (via Zoom) as we usher out 2020 and ring in 2021! You are invited to a Virtual New Year’s Eve Party with social time, games, contests, door prizes, and a champagne toast at the strike of midnight (New York City time, we’ll watch the ball drop at 9:00 pm Pacific Time).
Participation is going to be limited, to allow for a reasonable opportunity to socialize and interact with everyone else within the context of a Zoom meeting. And you are very welcome to forward this invite to any friends or relatives you might want to have join in on the festivities…
Here are the details about the event and what is included:
Zoom with Neil and Sue Shay on Thursday, December 31; 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
$149/couple - $79/single
A “Party Pack” will be delivered to your door
(Free Delivery to Corvallis/Albany/Eugene on the afternoon of the 31st):
- Barbecue Dinner for Two from Cascade BBQ, Corvallis (Rated 5-stars by Neil and Sue…)
(Dinner will arrive cold and need to be reheated)
- Three wines: BBHC Pinot gris; BBHC Pinot noir; + one ‘split’ bottle of Champagne
- Party hats, noisemakers, and other generally cheesy decorations.
- Game pieces, cards, etc. as needed for the games we’re planning on playing: Trivia, ‘Wacky Bingo’, TriBond, Group Scrabble, and 20 Questions: “Who Am I?”
- Door prizes and other prizes will be awarded for each game…
Substitutions/Additions:
- Dinner may be deleted for $50/$25 credit (couple/single)
- Wine can be upgraded based on retail price (e.g. switch to two reserve wines or switch varietals)
- Additional Bluebird Hill wines can be added at 20% discount.
What if I want to attend from out of the region?
Your party pack will be shipped to you without dinner, with the credit applied, your cost is $99/$54)
- Additional Bluebird Hill wines can be added at 20% discount off retail.
- Actual shipping will apply.
*Discounts: Wine Club Discount: $30/$20/$10 – Gold, Silver, Bronze)
No other discounts, coupons, or promotions apply.
Like a lot of things everyone has been doing, we’re experimenting and trying different ways to get things done, our hope is we can provide folks who are stuck at home, the chance to meet up with others online, let our collective hair down a little, and have some fun for a few hours. We hope you can join us!
Attendance is limited and it’s first-come, first served!
Respond via email to bbhalpine@gmail.com or call the winery: (541) 424-2478
Other News:
WINERY:
Hot Off the Press:
We’ve been sending our wines for just a couple of years to Wine Press Northwest’s “Platinum Judging” wine competition. They call this ‘Platinum’, because you can only enter wines by invitation, only your wines that have won a gold medal at another major competition in the past twelve months. We had six gold medal winning wines in 2020, and we sent all six in to be judged.
These wines are categorized and judged blind during three days by three panels of experts, who awarded wines with Double Platinum, Platinum, Double Gold and Gold. A wine receives a medal based on how a majority of the judges voted. In the case when all the judges on a panel deem the wine a Platinum, that wine is awarded a unanimous Double Platinum.
Well, we’re quite pleased to report this to you all, here’s the review of our 2017 Willamette Valley Reserve Pinot Noir:
Bluebird Hill Cellars 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley • $49
A rising star along the South Willamette Wine Trail, Bluebird Hill earned its first two Platinums in 2019. This time, Neil and Sue Shay entered one of Oregon’s most decorated examples of Pinot Noir, and it went on to be the top-scoring Pinot Noir of our judging. There’s purity of fruit with its Rainier cherry and pomegranate approach, joined by secondary notes of forest floor, earthiness, and anise. Refined tannins and brilliant acidity combine to give it impeccable balance. (50 cases, 13.4% alc.) Awards: San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge (gold), Oregon Wine Awards (gold), Savor NW Wine Awards (double gold), Portland Seafood & Wine Festival (gold).
(Note: We have a stock, a limited stock of this wine available in the tasting room. Along with our 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, this is turning out to be one of our highest regarded wines in our short history.)
Read the whole story here:
(Note, all six of our wines received medals at this show.)
In other winery news, all the 2020 wine is tucked away for the winter in the barrel room. As we mentioned in the last blog, we vinified a bit less Pinot noir, and made more Rosé and a White Pinot noir. Everything tastes pretty good right now!
Last weekend, we went through all the 2019 barrels, and happy to report, a lot of really good tasting barrels!
VINEYARD:
The vineyard is taking a nice rest right now. With the reasonably dry weather we experienced in November, we were able to mow and mulch the alleyways in the vineyard several times. We were able to chop up just about all the leaves, everything looks nice and clean, and we’re ready for pruning. We expect to start pruning in January, as we like there to be enough cold nights to help harden off the vine wood before we get at it!
Let us know if you would like to get some experience and help us out for a few hours on a sunny day in January, February, or March. The pruning is easy once you get the hang of it, and involves a bit less bending over than does harvest!
DECEMBER WINE SPECIALS
Shipping special: $10 shipping on orders of 3 bottles or more
Pinot Pack: ($179 Retail, now $149)
2018 Flagship PN $32
2018 South Block Reserve PN $49
2017 Barrel Select PN $49
2018 Mom’s Reserve Pinot Noir $49
Rosé by the case (12 bottles/case) 25% off
2020 Wine Press NW Platinum Awards Pack
($278 Retail, now $258)
2017 WV Reserve Pinot Noir (Library wine): Double Platinum $69
2017 Pinot Noir (Library wine): Double Gold $49
2018 Birdhouse Dessert: Double Gold $20
2018 Pinot Gris: Gold $22
2017 Barrel Select Reserve Pinot Noir: Gold $49
2017 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir (Library wine): Gold $69
Bluebird Hill Cellars Library Wine Gift Sets
Pinot Noir Vertical ($251 Retail, now $199)
2017 Estate Reserve PN—4 Golds; 92 points JS $69
2016 Zenith Vineyard Reserve PN—91 points PinotFile $64
2015 Barrel Select Reserve PN $59
2014 Barrel Select Reserve PN $59
Chardonnay Vertical ($169 Retail, now $149)
2018 Chardonnay—91 Points/Editors Choice WE $32
2017 Chardonnay—Gold & Double Gold;93 points PinotFile $49
2016 Chardonnay—4 Golds $49
2015 Chardonnay $39
2014 & 2015 Barrel Select Reserve PN
($118 Retail, now $99)
2016 & 2017 Chardonnay
($98 Retail, now $79)
TASTING ROOM HOURS
**Bottle sales only**
December 2020 through April 2021. Curbside pickup and local deliveries (3 bottle minimum purchase for deliveries) available 7 days a week.
Call (541) 424-2478 to schedule.
New Year? Yes please! Here’s to better times ahead for us all! Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a safe and healthy 2021.
Cheers,
Neil & Sue Shay
Commentaires