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.

Thanks for watching, and enjoy!

Blending the Foster MBA with Washington Wines from Foster School of Business.

This morning was the first day of a harvest that is certain to continue well into November. The excitement, the hurry up and wait, the restless nights are finally assuaged with the reception of our first grapes at The Blending Room. But before their arrival at 12:20PM, yours truly was all a flutter and seeking solace in anything but facebook or twitter.

Thus, I turned to my now incessant search for wine and music inspirations. This is not an easy thing to do, let me tell you, but was just the task I needed to ease my apprehensive mind. I searched through the abyss of a music collection held here at The Blending Room beginning with Califone. I Love Califone, but Califone was just not making a connection with me on this cool morning. Then I remembered I was introduced to Califone at the same time I came to know the Swedish duo Magnus Zingmark and Oscar Simonsson as Koop.

That was it! Koop was the end of the search, until, alas, I pressed play on the Waltz for Koop album.

Every song is so relaxing, so beautiful, so full of soothing melody. It was such a hard choice, but I finally settled on “Summer Sun” featuring Yukimi Nagano. The inspiration doesn’t necessarily pair with a particular wine, but the celebration of the art of making wine. And the song could be taken as a small prayer for a little bit more summer sun to ripen our yearning and anxious grapes. Listen, sit back and relax (with a glass of wine, of course).

Skål!

WineGirl

Grape Bootie

You won’t believe it, but the stain came out of those pants. Afterwords, I called them my magic pants, but they’ve been retired this year. They’d seen too much wine and too many good times.

Be sure to stop by The Blending Room during harvest to see how a nano-winery does it.

Cheers,
WineGirl

We have this pair of Wellies that seems to belong to no one, yet fits everyone.

Boots

That’s why we keep ‘em around.

Well, when we had yet to finish bottling our Gewurztraminer and two of these pulled up, we were still in our boots!

30 Something

The WineGirl of the Week is Yvette, who took a shine to our misfit boots.

Bottling with Boots

Cheers,

WineGirl

PS: Yvette, hope your pedicure survived the boots!

Last week I had the pleasure of sharing my wines and having a phenomenal chat with the owners of a small business in an industry that I consider to be the perfect compliment to the wine industry: COFFEE. Last week owners of San Diego’s The West Bean coffee roasters came in to The Blending Room try some wines. Friends from left to right below Paul, Julie, Brooke and Dan stopped in on a sweet Lake Chelan vacation for a little wine tasting.

Coffee and Wine Aficionados

I wish you all the best guys! I find it so inspiring and such a treat to share ideas with fellow entrepreneurs!

Cheers,

WineGirl

When it comes to friends, WineGirl is luckier than all this week. Our special featured WineGirl of the Week is a selfless, long-time friend of Jonathan and Angela, who came to help get the decor in top shape for our most recent Grand Opening and Release Party! Brittany is by far one of the most genuine people I know working into the whee hours stuffing wine bottles with little lights for our new over-the-bar track lighting.

Focused Stuffing (while the boys mess around)

Bar Track Lighting

Thanks Brit the finished project is amazing and we couldn’t do it without your help!

Cheers,

WineGirl

The sun is shining and the boats are floating. This week’s edition netted something from the murky depths of Lake Chelan.

The Latest Dance Craze...

(From left to right) WineGuy Jeremy, Boomer, and WineGirl Wench Hayley show us what all the kids are doing. THE SQUID. That’s what happens when the name Kamari rhymes with a certain food.

THE SQUID

Thanks again for stopping in, guys. You have shown us the light. Just like all the finest wineries of Europe, we will now be offering a free squid pairing* with our portfolio of wines. Glad you enjoyed the dance-off at The Blending Room on the North Shore of Lake Chelan in Manson, WA.

Cheers,

WineGirl

*Just Kidding.

Saira’s Saturday activities included the Manson Farmer’s Market at the Manson Grange as well as the Manson Public Library book sale before she came to hang out at The Blending Room to sip a succulent glass of our Firá Chardonnay. Saira’s heading to a BBQ tonight and of course watching the Chelan fireworks before she’s off to bed to catch some beauty rest for Sunday.

Why does she need to rest up for Sunday, you ask? Well, Sunday is jam-packed with Kiwanis BBQ Chicken and the annual classic car show Rods and Wheels. My oh my! But then, what better way to end a July 4th weekend than with a second showing of booms and bangs sure to delight. The little village on the bay will host the Fourth of July fireworks for all to see. I sure can’t wait!

Good luck Saira! We hope you can fit it all in and get some serious sun time before heading back to Seattle. It was a pleasure to host you and your friends!

Busy Bee Saira

Cheers,
WineGirl

Our WineGirls of the Week for June 23rd were a bunch of rowdy school teachers finally let loose for summer vacation! They stopped in Saturday on their way out of town to head home for Father’s Day, but not before they grabbed a wine taste and a couple of bottles for their Dad’s.

We have from left to right Michelle, Jenn, Nancy, Kim, Sue, Kris & Meagan.

Thanks for stopping by girls! Enjoy your summer off from the kids and Happy Father’s Day to all y’alls father’s!

-WineGirl