Greetings from the Comforts,
We hope that this newsletter finds you all well and that you had a great holiday and new year.
Before we get started on what we have been doing, we once again wanted to thank all of you for your tremendous support in 2021. Whether it was staying with us in the B&B, a winery event, harvest, bottling participation, or just drinking more wine than the previous year (just to help us out…) - we very much appreciate it. It would have been impossible to do everything we did, and keep our sanity, without you!
We were pleased to see so many club members turn out for our November "in the cellar" event. We received good feedback on the wine - and the setting, and I think that is going to be more of the forum we adopt going forward - especially with COVID concerns and restrictions. We never had more than 12-15 people in the cellar but we thought people were able to spread out and that it felt very intimate and personal. Based on your feedback, that Nebiollo might get bottled earlier than originally planned. Once again, thanks to everyone who made that an enjoyable experience.
The unseasonably cold weather the end of December and early January didn't permit us to get as much done around the farm as we had hoped but it made it easier to justify spending time indoors with family and allowed us to spending time with our new granddaughter! It is sure nice having Victoria and Ram on the Island - and close by.
Carl has been working on wine in the cellar (to stay warm). Every indication thus far is that the 2021 vintage is going to be spectacular. We were fortunate to have expanded our red wine stable this year to include Petite Verdot, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel and those three wines will give us great flexibility for blending and small lot production going forward. We are excited to share those with you in the future.
Rita has started the annual vineyard pruning. About 6,000 plants over 4-5 acres that all need a little love. If you have never participated in the rough pruning / cane pulling / finish pruning / tying down of the canes in a commercial vineyard - you are missing out (insert picture of fence being white washed). Rita has a couple of volunteer openings to experience this annual ritual. Rita goes through a few books on tape each year as she gets us ready for the growing season. Once again, reach out to her if this is something you would like to experience.
We only have 4-6 head of cattle each year. A number of you were lucky enough to get a quarter or a half of our "grape-finished" beef in your freezer. Friends / Neighbors / Wine Club Members are all at the top of the list. No promises, but if you want your name on the list just shoot Rita an email and let her know you want to be added. If you have previously bought beef from us and want to remain on the list, just let us know. We will be compiling the beef list earlier this year so don’t delay in getting on the list.
One of our primary focus areas this year is to find the right individual to be part of our winery/bed & breakfast team. This time of year it would be helping in the vineyard and tasting room. Later in the year it shifts to cleaning rooms in the B&B and working in the tasting room. It is possible that we are looking for two different people with professional hospitality / cleaning experience and previous wine industry experience. If you know of anyone that might have the experience we are looking for and may be interested, please have them reach out.
The Whidbey Island Vintners and Distillers Association (WIVDA) is hosting their annual Red Wine and Chocolate event this year in a "COVID" friendly variation. This year, the event will be spread over three weekends (tickets limited) so tasting rooms can maintain adequate space for social distancing between patrons. The event will be held each Friday thru Sunday on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weekends in February. See the link below for tickets which are available online at BrownPaperTickets.com - Like just about every other winery in Washington, proof of a recent negative Covid test or an up-to-date vaccination card will be required for entry. We still have a few rooms open for those weekends for couples looking to make this a romantic weekend getaway - visit Comfortsofwhidbey.com or call Rita if you want to surprise and spoil that special someone with more chocolate and more sparkling!
We look forward to seeing everyone as we open back up. We are starting to plan events for the summer and we are optimistic that 2022 will be another great year to enjoy Comfort wine!
