Local artist Jesse James will be opening up our season of live music on the wine deck for two consecutive Fridays this Friday May 11th & 18th from 5-7pm. He’s playing his heart out for beaucoup tips to help offset the Prom Tuxedo bill! Come see this incredibly talented, young blues artist! He’ll have you singing along to your favorite blues and classic rock ‘n roll tunes.

Barrel tastings will be featured Saturday 11-7pm and Sunday 11-6pm. Free for wine club members!

This weekend during Chelan Nouveau we had a visit from Alex and Jodi Saliby, wine writers and enthusiasts out of Leavenworth. It’s always a pleasure to host these two wonderful and jolly characters especially after Alex’s return from kidney surgery. Glad to see you’re out and about and only need one kidney, Alex!

Here is his recent column featuring our new white wine releases including a shot of our My Derby Wife Shorty Oz Rosé next to our John Deere tractor tin.

Cheers,
WineGirl

Fresher than a hickey on a Catholic schoolgirl’s neck on the first day of class. Our 2011 Firá Chardonnay showcases the brilliance of this elegant grape. Fermented in oak and aged in stainless steel, this well-balanced Chardonnay is fruity and full-bodied. We source the Firá Chardonnay grapes from the Famigilia Vineyard in Quincy, Washington. The grassy creaminess and intense fruity bouquet make this dry Chardonnay a superb summer wine.

The bouquet on our 2011 Firá Viognier is as intense as your first kiss. You’ll never forget the sweet honeysuckle notes followed by a full body and crisp finish. We are proud to showcase the brilliance of this expressive grape produced in Washington style. We source the Firá Viognier grapes from the Antoine Creek Vineyard in Pateros, Washington. The stone-fruit, honeysuckle and tropical bouquet make this dry Viognier a refreshing treat after a day in the park or our on the boat.

The My Derby Wife “Shorty Oz” Rosé is this year’s ultra special secret release. Sourced from Lake Chelan Syrah grapes grown just 1 mile up the road from The Blending Room, this is our first look at just what kinds of incredible wines come from this region. Spicy and fruity this wine is not short on flavor or spirit. Lightly off-dry the grapefruit bouquet and round body is sure to quench your most dire thirst. Take her home with you and you will agree, there’s not an ounce of flavor missing.

About Lorien
Lorien Gruchalla relinquishes her grip on her camera but three times a day — while she sleeps, while she showers, and during those extra-special private alone times (though not always). The rest of the time, she’s shooting the things that make her happy, which include but are not limited to rusty things, pretty ladies, and the myriad signs that our society is falling apart. When she’s not taking photos (which, again, is a fairly negligible portion of any given day), she enjoys reading the more abrasive of the two-fisted philosophers, experimenting on helpless bottles of red wine, and petting the pretty kitties.

http://schadenfreude.zenfolio.com/

Who needs romance when we’ve got Red Wine and Chocolate? And oh boy, do we have incredible red wines and delectable artisan chocolates lined up for two palate-rich, hedonistic weekends in February. On February 11th and 12th, we’ll have chocolate pairings by Rebecca Chatham of Tempurr Artisan Confections. She’ll bring her incredible truffles, creative mendiants and my personal favorites the chocolate salted caramels! Her chocolates are to die for and will be paired alongside a perfect selection of our red wines. We will be busting out some of our extremely limited stock of wines for these pairings, so you won’t want to miss it.

You can also meet Rebecca on Saturday and Sunday from 1 – 4pm as she discusses her passion for chocolate and shows us how to make our very own chocolate tuxedo strawberries.

Saturday is all the “official” 2nd Annual Art pARTy. The event will feature very special musical accompaniment all night long, but this event is too big for just one group. Seattle’s Sl0wpoke is two handsome grandsons spinning records. One man rock band Wes Sp8 will also be performing. $5 (advance or at the door) gets you in on the action.

Sunday is the Art pARTy Raffle. There will be more live painting, but it’ll be a more relaxed affair aimed to get art into your hands. $5 raffle tickets get you a chance to win 100% original artworks by these artists. You’ll have your choice of selected pieces from the live session and the past. What a dandy deal!. DJ’on (also unknown as Colonel Mustard) will be spinning records in all styles of music. Raffle drawings begin at 9.

Saturday, the 18th: ($5, free for Blending Club Members)
Doors open 7pm
DJs Sl0wpoke 8-10pm
Wes Sp8 10pm-12am

Sunday, the 19th: (free, $5 raffle tickets)
Doors open 7pm
DJ’on Colonel Mustard 8-11pm

Featured artists:
Dave Bloomfield (Starheadboy)
Sarah Denby (Denby Art)
John Tingley (Tingler)
Sharon Wilfong (Poser)
Ryan Henry Ward (Henry)
Andrew Miller (MANTISART)

This weekend will be better than ever, so stop in, peruse the pieces, watch the show and take home your new mantle piece collection. There will be more incredible art than you can fathom. And the best WINE ever!

*More details on food and music and artists and gnomes… Stay tuned.

P.S. Stop by Friday evening as we set up for the big weekend. There’ll be music and wine as we get some art up on the walls.

Lake Chelan TraX is back and bigger than ever. For two evenings over the three-day President’s weekend, Lake Chelan will be hosting the coolest downhill trick skiing and snowboarding competition this side of the Rockies. The TraX Rail Jam is a ski and snowboard event that takes place on a two-story rail setup. 25 tons of snow will cover the setup, skiers and snowboarders will have the option to grind three different features in a jam format. They will be judged on overall impression.

TraX is on and will be loaded with a full list of activities from the frosty family fun run to the beer garden.

But the best part about TraX is The Blending Room Art pARTy! Read more HERE.

Happy New Year winos.
Come celebrate winter in the Lake Chelan Valley. Winterfest has been extended to two weekends for 2012. As always, there will be ice sculptures, live music, snowmobile races, and the best in the Valley’s fine wines. The Blending Room will be open longer hours and extra days for wine tastings and special events.

Winterfest Hours for The Blending Room:

Friday, January 6th: 12 – 7
Saturday, January 7th: 12 – 7
Sunday, January 8th: 12 – 6

Friday, January 14th: 12 – 7
Saturday, January 15th: 12 – 7
Sunday, January 16th: 12 – 6
Monday, January 17th: 12 – 5

We will be having special events both weekends including bonfires in the yard Friday and Saturday evenings after dark. There will be hot cayenne cocoa, fondue, and, of course, red wines to warm up with inside The Blending Room.

And to get ready for the festivities, take a look-see at this video from last year’s event:

J.H.