Wind River Cellars

2009-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

2009 Grapes are in! This has been a great harvest. Horse Heaven Tempranillo came in a week earlier than normal, as did all of the other varieties. Looking back at my journals I noticed that I crushed Merlot on October 20th in 1997. The last two years we've had Merlot harvested by September 20th. This whole global warming thing is wonderful! In another 12 years I'll have crush done by 4th of July.

As you can see by the picture below, we received a light snow two days after the estate vineyard was picked. We had 70 degree weather for the harvest party. Wierd, Huh?

Library tasting is set for November 15th, Sunday before Thanksgiving. Employee of the Month Runner-up, Ryan and myself will be pouring every red wine we've produced going back to 1995. If you know of another winery that throws out dozens and dozens of old vintages of Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Lemberger, Syrah and Port, call me and I'll pick you up. This event is free but I do ask that you RSVP. Wayne B. is not welcome to attend this year's library tasting. Last year he RSVPd but never showed up. If Wayne B. would have simply called and cancelled, I could have let other people attend. Wayne B., you should be ashamed of yourself.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We'll have our usual open house. Fun, fun, fun. I will be releasing several new wines. Be the first on your block to get the new vintages.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email. (joel@windrivercellars.com) I'll be happy to tell you all about things here at Husum's favorite winery. Even you can email me, Wayne B.

We've got life on a downhill pull, Husum!

Joel

Todays weather in the Columbia River Gorge

2009-10-13T15:43:00.001-07:00

The high chance of rain today turned into an highly unlikely snowfall. It's all melted now. It made for a chilly morning crushing Tempranillo.

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

2009-08-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hello People!
Stayed tuned for a website freshen up. Not a complete remodel, just a freshen up. Summer is not over! Quit thinking it is. Summer is not over until grapes begin to get crushed, which gives us another few weeks.

We are open from 10:00 until 6:00 everyday in the tasting room but if you call ahead and speak with employee of the month runner-up, Ryan or myself, we can be talked into giving a few barrel samples to you and your friends. Several of you have taken advantage of this and we've had some great tastings.

The Harvest Party will be back this year. Grapes are right on time and we're looking at possibly the second weekend of October, the third weekend at the latest. This has always been a great event. As many of you know, we pick grapes, usually until about 4:00, and then party like the Kennedys at $1 beer night. There is no charge for this event but we do ask that you RSVP so that we can prepare enough food.

Join us this weekend at the winery for our Labor Day celebration. Hopefully, you have as many things to celebrate as I do.

Your Summer is still going, Husum!

Joel

2009-08-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings people! I can' believe how fast this summer is cruising by. I just wanted to give a heads up on a few events coming up. First off, the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers annual summer showcase event thingy is this weekend at the Hood River Inn. The Hood River Inn is located in Hood River. This event will feature most all of the other wineries here in the Gorge. Unfortunately, Wind River Cellars won't be participating but you can always come up and visit us before the event. The following Saturday I will be pouring wine in Yakima at the Case of the Blues festival. Google it or email me for details.

I've enjoyed conducting private group barrel tastings for those of you that have called ahead. I think that those of you that have been through one of my private tastings agree that it's the most fun you can have with clothes on. If you have a fun group, fire me off an email to schedule. (joel@windrivercellars.com) You can see several pictures on the Wind River Cellars Facebook page. If you're not hip on the Facebook just imagine pictures of people having fun. If you are hip on the Facebook but aren't a friend, just ask. We'll be friends with anyone, even Oregonians.

Who here thinks I should start buying glass bottles from my new favorite rep, Kelly? I hope none of you ever get the hardnose, pushy sales pitch that Kelly displayed today. If she was selling heart attacks I would have bought a dozen. I'm a sucker.

We are currently pouring the following wines in the tasting room:
Dry Gewurzt
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Tempranillo
Cab Franc
Lemberger
Merlot
Syrah
Riesling
White Port
Port of Celilo

If that isn't enough to make you giggle, just ask me or Employee of the Month Runner-up, Ryan for a barrel sample.

You complete me, Husum!

Joel

2009-06-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been such a lame ass with the blog lately. As many of you know we've been crazy busy around here. Thanks to all who attended the Crawdaddy Boil last weekend and thanks to everyone who came up to visit on Memorial Weekend.

I'll try to update this blog more frequently, but to tell you the truth, it's easier to just post things on Facebook. I prefer Facebook because it's easier for you all to post pictures and comments. If you're a Facebook geek, just search "Wind River Cellars" and become a friend.

Employee of the month runner-up, Ryan and I have been very generous with barrel sampling lately. I have my favorites. Come up and tell me yours. I invite anyone to put together a group for a private cellar tasting. I'll be your host and I promise to behave.

You'll be okay, Husum!

Joel

2009-05-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I'm sorry. I've been gone for awhile but now I'm back. I've been very busy the last several weeks. First of all, let me say thank you to all of the barrel members who showed up for the annual Barrel Members Dinner. We had a blast and Chef John Shaffer did an amazing job with the food.

For those of you that have been smart enough to find Wind River Cellars on Facebook, even though I didn't post a link, you know that May 30th is our second annual Crawfish Boil. Last years inaugural event was one of the best events we had all year and this year should be even better. Feel free to email for details or just wait for more Facebook posts. If you're hip to the whole Facebook thing then you're familiar with that annoying friend that constantly posts things that have absolutely no value of interest. WE WON'T BE THAT FRIEND.

Memorial Day weekend is rapidly approaching and I promise to continue making the WRC tasting room the most laid back and fun tasting room in the entire Northwest. If you think you've got what it takes to be a guest server drop me an email and we'll throw you in the mix.

Summer is almost here, Husum!

Joel

2009-04-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

As most of you have heard, Wind River Cellars received two gold medals and a "Best Red" award at the 2009 Capital Food and Wine Festival. I haven't had the gold medals bronzed yet but I certainly will. Following the festival I headed to Montana and Idaho on official winery business, leaving Employee of the Month Runner-Up, Ryan to host the many visitors that have decided Winter is over.

The estate vineyard is 95% pruned and we expect bud break in the next three weeks. If you can pick the day we discover the first broken bud you win a bottle. Just email your guess.

Wind River Cellars has entered the modern era. That's right, we have a Facebook page. If you are sitting in your cubical wondering what's going on at your favorite Husum winery, just become our facebook friend (Wind River Cellars). This is also a great place to post all of those pictures you have from the great times you've spent here. I ask that you please do not post any disgusting pictures of Minnie the winery pig drinking beer. People that haven't been here might get the wrong idea.

Check out our website for upcoming events. The weather is awesome and it's a great time to visit. Put a group together and give us a call. We'd love to take you barrel tasting.

You make me happier than a pig drinking beer, Husum!

Joel

2009-03-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Big happenings here at Wind River Cellars. Monday night was the big Columbia Gorge Winery Association showcase in Portland. Hundreds of attendees had the opportunity to taste wines from most of the gorge wineries. This event was of course, the kick-off to this weekend's Gorge Winery Passport Weekend. Contact any of us for details.

I will be pouring wine at one of my favorite wine festivals, the Capital Food & Wine in Lacey. I'm not sure why they call it the Capital. Shouldn't they call it the Lacey? Anyway, if you go you will see dozens and dozens of wineries, lots of live music and several breweries. A brewery is like a winery only they make what we call "beer" instead of wine. Beer is usually served cold and I understand that it can be quite refreshing. I look forward to tasting it.

The tasting room is getting busier by the day. Below is a picture of some of the visitors we had last weekend. They were from Olympia, home of the real capital. They will be at the festival this weekend even though Lacey is a fraud.

Check the website for more upcoming events. I'll let you know next week what I think about this whole beer thing.

Keep it real, Husum!

Joel

2009-03-22T19:26:00.001-07:00

Visitors of the week from Olympia!

2009-03-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

2009-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, lets end this confusion right now. The Capital Food and Wine event is the last weekend of March, which happens to be the same weekend as the Gorge Winegrowers Passport Weekend. This coming weekend I have nothing going on for the first time in 8 weeks. This would be a great time for you to grab whatever friends you have and come up for a barrel tasting. I can promise you a good time.

While I've been gone the pruning fairies have been busy working on the vineyard. Gavin is the Head Fairy and he's motivated to get things growing.

I really enjoyed myself at West Seattle Thriftway last Thursday and Freemont Wine Warehouse on Saturday. I always enjoy seeing my staulkers.

It's nice to be home, Husum!

Joel

2009-03-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Below is a picture of one of the rooms at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival, held last week. I had a great time meeting tons of new people and tasting a lot of lesser known Washington wines.

This coming weekend I will be pouring wine on Thursday at West Seattle Thriftway. West Seattle Thriftway is actually located in West Seattle. I will also be at the Fremont Wine Warehouse, located in Fremont, on Saturday. FWW is one of my favorite shops anywhere. If you get a chance to swing by either of these places, please do so. I also look forward to post-tasting dinners after each of these events. Stay tuned for announcements regarding Friday. I don't have anything yet but I'm sure something will come up.

For the eighth weekend in a row I will be on the road the following weekend at the Capital Food and Wine Festival in Lacey. There are not many festivals in Washington that are more fun than this one, as it offers lots of wine, lots of food, lots of music and lots of the Devil's beverage, beer.

Check out the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association for details on our upcoming "Passport Weekend". Most of the wineries in the area are participating and all are offering great incentives to visit.

I'm going outside to shovel snow for what I believe is the last time this year. Spring is here somewhere, I just have to uncover it.

I miss you Husum!

Joel

2009-03-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

2009-02-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

PRUNING HAS BEGUN! Sure, we've only done about 5 vines but it's a start. The important thing is that Spring is near.

This weekend I will be pouring wines, along with 20 or so other wineries, at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival in Des Moines, WA. This is one of the premier festivals in the Northwest and offers lots of wine, food and good music. If you're into it use that search engine thingy to learn more. You can also call one of my favorite wine shops, Corky Cellars in Des Moines.

Don't forget that the Capital Food and Wine Festival is coming up in late March. I may have mistakenly informed you that it was sooner than later but I was wro. . .incorrect.

Come up and visit Employee of the month Runner-up, Ryan. He has a lot of labeling to do and could use a break.

You look beautiful in Spring, Husum!

Joel

2009-02-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
Thanks to all of you who made it up this weekend to taste our new releases. According to your feedback, we're going to have another 12 months of great wine from top to bottom.

Don't forget that these new wines will be hitting the road this weekend when they are unveiled at Auburn Wine and Caviar. I will be holding a special release party on Friday night from 4 to 8ish for all of our friends and readers of this piece of crap blog. I will also be pouring Saturday afternoon for non-friends and non-readers. (2402 A Street SE, Auburn, WA.)

I enjoyed seeing all of you who came out to Wine Alley last Thursday night to taste the last of last years vintages. I'm glad to see you all support your local wine shop.

I was on a bottling fury last week and with the help of employee of the month runner-up, Ryan and John and Regina, I was able to get it all done. Regina drinks more wine during a day of bottling than most people drink in a lifetime.

You'll always be my Valentine, Husum!

Joel

2009-02-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Hello my people,
I can't say enough how I underestimated the Enumclaw Chocolate and Wine Festival. We do dozens of wine festivals every year and I definitely have my favorites, but this one, for a first year event, has launched its way to the top ten, and for many reasons. The facility was great, the selection of wineries was great, and the people attending were great. Mark your calendar for next year. Below is a picture of Lisa and Penni enjoying the velvety flavors of Wind River Cellars. (www.enumclawchocolateandwine.com)

The other picture below is of what I must deal with this week, taking wine out of those round looking wood things we in the wine business call "barrels". Barrels help wine age until they are ready to put into a bottle. These bottles are then sold to the consumer, which provides the winery with what we call "Revenue". Revenue helps a winery grow more grapes and buy more barrels the following year so that they can do it all over again. I will be "Bottling" this week. Bottling is the process of putting the wine into the bottle. This is done with equipment we call "Friends coming up to help bottle".

Valentine's Day Weekend we will be releasing 6 or 7 new vintages. I'm sorry to see the current vintages go. It's like dumping your girlfriend of the last 12 months for someone younger. After 12 years of Wind River Cellars, I've become pretty good at saying "Good bye, I'll see you at the library tasting next November". I'm very excited about the new releases which include '06 Lem, '07 Cab Franc, '06 Merlot, '06 Syrah, '08 Chardonnay and '08 Pinot Gris. It's quite possible that a few of these wines will show up at the tasting I'm doing this Thursday at Wine Alley in Renton. Some people call Renton "Northern Kent", some call it "Southern Bellvue", I just call it "Home to a great wine shop".

If you can't make it to the winery for the big release weekend, I'll be pouring them the following week at Auburn Wine and Caviar. (In Auburn, you idiot!) In the past, we've always held this event in a high profile location but this year I'm doing it in a central location with plenty of parking. Those of you that attended the release party at the Space Needle remember what a pain in the ass it was to park, get on that elevator and then try to talk your way in. That won't be a problem in Auburn. I promise you'll like this shop. Friday the 20th is for you people that take the time to read this horrible piece of crap blog. I'll have new releases and a few old classics. I promise a great time. For those of you that don't take the time to read this piece of crap blog, come down Saturday the 21st. I'll still pour you the new releases but you probably won't get the classics.

Don't forget that Capital Food and Wine Festival is coming up. This is another top 10 favorite.

Stay festive, Husum!

Joel

2009-02-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

There's a new champion! Ya, the NFL had that little thing called "Superbowl" but most of America and armed forces over seas were more into the 6th Annual Wind River Cellars Chili Cook-Off. Near record attendance witnessed Chris Keyser of Hood River, Oregon, charm a late arriving bachelorette party into choosing his Red Horse Ranch recipe for top honor. The $10,000 first prize will come in handy for Chris and his wife, Tracy as they are expecting their first child in a few months. "This is an incredible honor" said Keyser. "It makes me want to name my daughter 'Wind River Cellars'". In an unfortunate side story to the competition, Tracy Keyser was escorted away by local law enforcement for eating more chili than a pregnant woman should be allowed. She will be barred from attending the nationals in Santa Fe, NM next month where Chris will be competing for the National Chili Championship. Thank you to all who attended. I think it was the best chili cook-off yet. Below are a few pics from the event.

Here's some cool news. I will be releasing 6 new vintages over Valentine's weekend. They include '06 merlot, '06 syrah, '08 pinot gris, '07 cabernet franc, '07 chardonnay and '06 Lemberger. If you're unable to visit the winery during this open house weekend, I will be hosting a release tasting at Auburn Wine and Caviar on February 20th and 21st. (www.auburnwineandcaviar.com)

February 28th I will be pouring at the annual Capital Food and Wine Festival in Lacey. This has always been a fun event with lots of music, wine and that other beverage known as "beer". I only know about beer second hand but understand that it can be quite refreshing and delicious.

For those of you looking for something to do this coming weekend, I will be pouring the last of my current vintages at the Enumclaw Wine and Chocolate Festival on Friday and Saturday.

All of you city slickers need not worry. I'll have some events coming up in Seattle and Portland in the Spring. Right now, I'm feelin' just a little bit country.

Happy trails, Husum!

Joel

2009-02-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

2009-02-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

2009-01-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hello my people,
Welcome to the most sacred of all weeks, the week leading up to not only the Superbowl, but also the annual Wind River Cellars Chili Cook-Off. We will have at least ten contestants this year, fighting for the top prize of an all expense paid trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico for the National Regionals. Besides coming out to vote for your favorite chili, you will have an opportunity to visit our interactive fan demonstration area, "The Chili Experience". This will give the common chili cook-off fan a chance to rub elbows with some of the greatest chili makers around and possibly get a few autographs. I will also be around fetching up barrel samples of soon-to-be-released '07 Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot.

For those of you checking in to see what kind of event we will have for Superbowl I am excited to announce that we will be moving the tasting room down to the bottom of our hill to Hooba's restaurant for the big game. Traditionally my family and I wake up on Superbowl Sunday morning and sing Superbowl carols. After we exchange Superbowl Gifts and decorate the Superbowl tree we sit down for our Superbowl feast. Because of the unusually cold temperatures in the winery cellar this year, we've decided to seek the warmth of Hooba's. Hooba will have the largest screen in Klickitat County, plenty of food, wine from Wind River Cellars and another beverage that I'm not very familiar with, called beer. I understand that beer is traditionally served cold and goes quite well with foods served at a Superbowl bash. I will be closing the winery tasting room Superbowl Sunday to observe the holiday. I certainly hope to see you at Hooba's. (www.killerburgers.com)

Below is a picture of what I woke up to this morning. Not quite the five inches I saw yesterday when I woke up but still stunning. No worries, the road is bare and in great shape for your visit.

We have a lot of great events coming up. Check out our website for details.

Happy Superbowl, Husum!

Joel

2009-01-26T14:44:00.000-08:00

2009-01-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend! My hunch was right about Corks Wine Bar in Tacoma where I poured wine Thursday night. I am going to have to put this 6th Avenue hot spot on my top ten list and definitely number one in Pierce County. If you live in or near Tacoma I highly recommend this place. Owners Chris and Susan have created a friendly non-stuffy environment perfect for meeting friends or just an intimate date with that special someone. Check out their website for scheduled events.

Friday and Saturday took me a few miles north into the burly-man territory of Enumclaw. I refuse to make anymore animal jokes about this rural suburb. While pouring at Sip City I met some really great people, including Scott and his employee, Serena. I enjoyed myself so much that I signed up for what should be a really great time. The first ever Enumclaw Chocolate and Wine festival will be held February 6th & 7th, noon to 9pm at the Enumclaw Expo Center. (www.enumclawchocolatefestival.com) I understand that there will be over 20 wineries participating, including yours truly. (At this time I wish I wouldn't have promised to not make any animal jokes about Enumclaw. I'm thinking of a funny one.)

Chili Cook-Off is coming January 31. If you think you make a great chili, shut your mouth and sign up to enter. If you don't wish to enter you're still invited to show up and be a judge. We'll see if Husum resident, Gary J can hang on to the crown. If you scroll back to past post chili cook-off blogs you can read about all the drama and excitement that this event creates.

Don't forget about the other many events we have coming up, including the release of many new wines. (Another animal joke comes to mind but again I refrain.) Check our website.

Quit horsin' around, Husum!

Joel

2009-01-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder. I'll be pouring wine at Cork Wine Bar in Tacoma This Thursday night the 15th (3012 6th Ave.) and Sip City Wine in Enumclaw on Friday and Saturday the 16th and 17th. I'd give you the address of Sip City but their web-site is so "Snob-free" that they don't list it. I can tell that I'm going to like this place. Their phone number is 360.825.1695.

The weather here in the Gorge should also be spectacular over the weekend. If you like our current vintages you'd better get those sweet cheeks of yours up here soon because they're almost gone.

Keep it short and sweet, Husum!

Joel

2009-01-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hola,
After three weeks in Mexico I needed a week to reaclimate myself to the ways of us lazy, overweight Americans. First of all, The annual Wind River Cellars Holiday in Mexico was as fun as usual and we've already begun making arrangements for next year's trip. If you're interested drop us a line.

We came home to 24" of snow and I'm proud to say that I was the most tan white guy in the town of Husum plowing snow the next day. I spent about 4 hours making the winery driveway navigatable for even the smallest of economy size cars. Looking out the window now I see nothing but green grass, leafless trees, and a very white Mt. Hood.

The tasting room is open again and I spent a great portion of the weekend pouring samples for the visitors who were tired of being trapped by winter conditions. Wine tastes very strange to me after drinking thousands of Coronas and Pacificos tainted with lime.

I will be pouring wine this Thursday at Cork in Tacoma. Cork is an up and coming wine bar/wine shop that I've heard lots of great things about but have never been to. If you're in the area stop by and taste some of the last bottles of our outstanding current releases. In the next 4 weeks we will be releasing about 8 new wines, including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Lemberger, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Pinot Noir. I can't remember ever releasing this many new vintages at once.

As usual, check out our website for upcoming events. I'm toying with the idea of having a Superbowl party in the cellar. I have an huge projection screen TV and lots of wine. I would like to invite YOU. Please RSVP so I know how many pretzels to buy.
Don't forget that our 6th annual WRC Chili Cook-Off is the Saturday before Superbowl. This event is always full of drama, controversy, and good times.

I can't wait to see what Santa brought you, Husum!

Joel

2008-12-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

This just in. Employee of the Month Runner-up, Ryan WILL be here this Saturday the 13th for one last time in 2008. If you want to come up and get some wine for the holidays this will be your last chance. If you want to take advantage of my blog reader special, do it by Friday. My blog reader special is free shipping. You can't do it after that because We'll be participating in the 11th annual Wind River Cellars Holiday in Mexico.

I had a fantastic time as usual at George's Wine Shoppe. Several people arrived after my pole dancing performance. I'll get a picture of the action posted soon.

The Columbia Gorge Wine Growers have some exciting events coming up in 2009. When I get back I'll tell you about them. We will also be releasing a whole bunch of new wines in the coming weeks. Right now I have to pack my thong bikini.

I'll see you in 2009, Husum!

Joel

2008-11-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody had as much fun over Thanksgiving as I did. I enjoyed all of you who ventured up to Husum's favorite winery to pick up wine for the holidays. Thanksgiving weekend has always drawn lots of visitors to wineries and it seems that word is getting out that the Columbia Gorge wineries have a lot to offer.

The cellar is pretty much back to normal after harvest as many of you noticed over the weekend. I knew it had to be clean for my favorite visitors, Jan and Gary from Puyallup. Jan hooked me up with a box of stolen office supplies last year during my first stolen office supply drive. I'd mention all of the other people who brought me stolen office supplies but I'm afraid they would get fired. If you really want to stick it to your employer, just raid the supply closet. I will offer additional case discounts for whatever useful items you bring me.

Time is running out for you to visit the tasting room before the end of the year. Next Saturday I will be pouring at George's Wine Shoppe in Bellvue while Kris pours at another one of my favorite wine stores, Corky Cellars in Des Moines. Employee of the month runner-up, Ryan will be your host in the tasting room. December 6th and
7th will be the last weekend of the year that we will be open. The following weekend we will be heading south for the 11th annual WRC Holiday in Mexico event. If you want to order wine for the holidays do it before then. If you mention this stupid blog I'll even throw in free shipping.

Below is a picture from our annual library tasting. Dozens and dozens of past vintages were opened. If you look closely at the picture you'll notice that Wayne B. isn't in it. That's because he RSVPd and then never showed up. I sincerely apologize to those of you who wanted to come but were unable to because Wayne B reserved a spot you could have used. Wayne B. will rot in eternal Hell fire for not calling to inform us that he would not be attending. Wayne, I hope your Thanksgiving turkey got dropped on the floor and your dog ate it before you could pick it up.

Have the best holiday season ever, Husum! (Except Wayne B.)

joel

2008-11-30T14:55:00.001-08:00

2008-11-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Cloud Frickin' 9. This is where people go after they've pressed their last load of grapes for the year. Every year I go from Cloud Frickin' 9 to Mexico with stops at Corky Cellars and George's Wine Shoppe on the way. I feel like Lap Dance Jon did when he found out that the Nanny wasn't pregnant with his child. Below are pictures of the last load of grapes. This has been the best harvest we've ever had.

Thanks to all of you that came out to visit me at my two tastings last weekend. Friday night I was at D&W Fine Wines in Bonney Lake and Saturday night I was at Vino Bello in Burien. I sincerly meant to snap some pictures of both places for you to see, but like last week at Fremont Wine Warehouse, I spaced.

After the tasting at Vino Bello I went out with a few friends in West Seattle, an area where I spent my formidable years. I've seen some very spectacular things in my day. I witnessed Gaylord Perry win his 300th game. I saw the fall of the Berlin Wall. I even remember astronauts landing on the moon. But the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed is the parallel parking job that my friend Linda did Saturday night. I snapped a picture of it but for some reason the photo came out blurry. Linda, that was truly amazing. I could die tomorrow and feel like I've seen it all.

We've got Library Tasting coming up, along with Thanksgiving Open House. If you have any questions fire me an email. By the way, we're getting very close to being out of Gold Medal Winning '06 Cabernet Franc. Get some. The '07 will be dedicated to Linda.

Nice parking, Husum!

Joel

2008-11-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

Last press load of the 2008 vintage!

2008-11-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

2008 Lemberger about to go into the press.

2008-11-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by telling all of you how much fun I had pouring wine last Saturday afternoon at the Fremont Wine Warehouse. Fremont is the center of the universe and the Wine Warehouse is the center of Fremont. Owner Michael decided to focus on wines under $25 and judging from the number of people who came in, his shop should be a great success.

All grapes are in. Soon everything will be in the barrel and I'll be able to focus all of my attention on the WRC Holiday in Mexico. For those of you wondering, my new destemming/crushing system worked like a champ and I can't wait for all of you to taste the results in the coming months.

This weekend I will be pouring wine at D&W Wines in Bonney Lake on Friday night and Vino Bello in Burien on Saturday night. I've done tastings/bottle signings at both of these places before and had an absolute blast at both. Vino Bello will have live music. I usually limit my dancing to George's Wine Shoppe in Bellvue where a poll stands right in the middle of the room but if I can find a partner that likes to Tango you might see some of my hot moves. Speaking of George's, I'll be there on December 6th. George is very ashamed to admit that my poll dancing is hysterical. He'll roll his eyes and pretend to be annoyed but the way I work that poll is like a train wreck. You just can't help but watch.

Don't forget about our library tasting on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I don't know of any other winery that does anything like this. Don't RSVP if you're not coming.

Come up for a visit. I'll show you my destemmer/crusher and then teach you my Tango moves.

Save the last dance for me, Husum!

Joel

2008-11-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. No, not Wind River Cellars Holiday in Mexico, the end of harvest 2008. This has been a crazy week and I've been busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest. The only thing I'm still waiting on is Lemberger. In a year that is suppose to be down, I couldn't be happier with the quality.

Though there is still much work to be done in the cellar in the coming weeks, I'll be taking my show on the road for several tastings/bottle signings. The first one will be next Saturday November 8th in the People's Republic of Fremont at the Fremont Wine Warehouse (Seattle) This is a brand new wine shop that will host its grand opening with entertainment, food and me. If you need more details just drop me an email. The following Saturday I will make my return to Vino Bello in Burien. If you were not able to attend the last time I was there, let me just say that this is a great time. Check out Vino Bello's website and you'll get the vibe about this cool place.

Don't forget that our annual Library Tasting is coming up the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We open every bottle we've ever produced since 1995. We host this event to show our appreciation for the support you have given us over the last decade. If you've never had our wine don't come. We have nothing to appreciate you for. If you are planning on showing up to this event please RSVP. We probably won't charge anything to attend but we need to know how many of you are coming.

As many of you know, Thanksgiving weekend is a very popular time to visit local wine regions. I don't need to tell you how much the Columbia Gorge has to offer but if you would like to visit Wind River Cellars and have the smart ass winemaker take you and your friends through the cellar for a private barrel tasting please contact us. I can make it happen. I know people. I'm a big shot around here.

I'll update you soon on other upcoming events. Right now I have to make you wine.

Take it all, Husum!

Joel

2008-10-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? Harvest Party could not have been much better. As you can see from the photos below, we had a lot of fun people. The highlight? Andrew proposing to Sarah in the vineyard. Second to that was the quality of our riesling grapes in a very challenging year. Once again we have Vineyard Manager, Gavin to thank for that. Also, several people said that I was getting soft because we offered a vegitarian lasagna for the non-meat eaters. Next year. . .Veal!

So far harvest is going well. The grapes that have come in so far show great potential, unless of course, the wine sucks, in which case the grapes are horrible. Another great thing about having Gavin as a Vineyard Manager. I always have someone to blame. Fortunately for both of us, all of our wines have been award winners since Gavin has been around.

In case you're wondering, no, Tempranillo has not been picked yet. The doctor said that if it's not ready by this coming weekend I'll have to have a C-section. I also expect to get Chardonnay and Pinot Gris in the next few days.

What are you doing the Sunday before Thanksgiving? That's the day when we open up every bottle we've ever produced. You're welcome to come. All you have to do is RSVP. I know that there is probably a lot of other wineries that are opening dozens and dozens of wines from 12 different vintages and letting people come in and taste them for free that day so I understand if you already have plans.

I don't mean to sound like someone that offers a vegitarian dish at a party, but the fall colors are here and should be around for another week or so. The weather is going to be sunny and clear so come up and enjoy the view. While you're here we have some wines for you to taste.

I am Joel and I approved this message, Husum!

2008-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Employee of the month runner up, Ryan, not happy about being "put on report" by Poison Rose.

2008-10-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Good Grapes!

2008-10-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Beulah & Newman enyoing a beautiful 75 degree harvest day.

2008-10-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

Andrew proposed to Sarah during harvest 2008... she said "yes". Congratulations!

2008-10-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Kris & Regina taking a break from picking.

2008-10-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Another great turn out for harvest party 2008

2008-10-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

Post picking - Sid, Taryn, Ryan entertain the workers in the cellar.

2008-10-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Regina "Keeping it Real".

2008-10-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Lazy pickers hiding out in the vineyard

2008-10-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Poison Rose basking in Merlot

2008-10-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a quick break from crush to inform you of what's been happening. So far I've crushed Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc, all from Horse Heaven. You're probably all asking yourselves "Where in Hell is the !@#$%ing Tempranillo?" I don't know why but Tempranillo is taking the slow and steady approach to ripeness this year. I expect the Temp to be ready in the next seven days.

This Saturday is Harvest Party! Grab you friends and come on out. Looks like the weather will be decent for picking which means you'll be enjoying free food and adult beverage by mid afternoon. This event is free but please RSVP. If you RSVP and don't show up I will wish death upon you. Bring good vineyard shoes and dress in layers. I'm in a crazy mood to give away lots of prizes. I also will have nice discounts for participants.

Another upcoming fun event is our annual library tasting. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we will be opening every bottle we've ever produced. This event has always been free as long as you RSVP but last year we had people RSVP and not show up. Thinking the event was filled up we had to turn others away. If you RSVPd last year and didn't show up I'm not letting you in the door because you're a selfish, inconsiderate !@#$%$.

You know how bad I want you to come to the Harvest Party, Husum!

Joel

2008-09-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

HARVEST PARTY WILL BE OCTOBER 18th. This event is free but please RSVP so that we know how much food to order. By food I mean beer. Email or call for details.

I'll be back later with a harvest update and hopefully some pictures of whats been happening here at your favorite Husum winery.

You're the jewel of the Northwest, Husum!

Joel

2008-09-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

CRUSH BEGINS MONDAY! What about the destemmer/crusher that broke on the last day of crush last year and I just got around to looking at a month ago you ask? Well, lets just say that grapes will get crushed. We've modified our production process and when we get it all dialed in I believe our wines will be better than ever. Our new method will be more of a gravity system which will result in less fruit abuse. One thing I have no tolerence for is battered fruit.

It's looking like our annual harvest party will be the second our third Saturday in October. This is always a great time. Over the last twelve or so years I've met some of my best friends at Harvest Party. This year we're thinking of either prime rib or full pig bbq. If you think we would consider eating WRC mascot, Minnie, you're a sick individual. A pig as great as her you only eat a little bit at a time. As usual, if you don't eat meat, bring your own tofu and celery. All of the great grape pickers throughout history have been carniverous.

I've scheduled several tastings in the Seattle area during November and early December. I will post these dates soon. This gringo is heading to Mexico for the annual WRC Holiday in Mexico. This event is one of the most popular winery events in the Northwest. I challenge you to find another winery that has such an event. This year will be perhaps the largest yet and there's always room for more. Call for details. If you're lucky you can win a trip for two at the Harvest Party just like John and Regina did last year.

Merlot grapes come in Monday. A week or so later Tempranillo should be ready for harvest followed by everything else. In between I will be bottling various things. If you want to come out and help just email me. Tomorrow Kris is taking her three sons to the Seahawk game. Her three sons being Connor, Adam (aka Poison Rose), and Employee of the month runner-up, Ryan. I will be watching the tasting room and preparing for crush.

This week is my birthday. Come up and give me a spanking.

Keep it real, Husum.

2008-09-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought Summer was over we get a late stretch of weather in the high 80s. It should be beautiful this weekend so come on out and find out why Ryan is consistantly employee of the month runner-up.

I've had several people inquire about coming out for crush. I welcome anyone who thinks they can tolerate my company. Tempranillo from Horse Heaven should show up around the third week of September.

This is the first harvest I can remember where I have every tank available. Usually some of them are holding wines not yet bottled from the previous vintage. Ask any winemaker. There is nothing more stressful than not knowing where to put everything. I think it's the reason Happy Hour was invented.

Stay tuned for details on our Harvest Party. If you scroll back to last October you'll find a blog entry about last year's event. What a great time. This is where you are invited to come out and pick grapes for us. . .for free! That's right. You come out and work all day picking our grapes and we don't even pay you. If you want I'll come to your work and work for free but I tend to stick close to the water cooler in the office environment. We do promise you a great time which includes a great dinner and plenty of beverages. If this is something you're interested in please contact us to RSVP.

Keep the embers burning, Husum!

Joel

2008-08-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Newman's New winery Dog Assistant - Beulah

2008-08-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Tic, tic, tic. . . .The clock is getting closer to harvest and I'm happy to say that last week I began repairing the destemmer/crusher that broke down on me during the last load of grapes last year. It only took me 10 months to get on it. I wish I could say that these repairs were the reason I haven't blogged in several weeks but the truth is the repair only took me about 30 minutes of dismantling. A local machine shop will take over from here.

Lots has happened in the past 4 or so weeks since I last updated you all on the happenings at Wind River Cellars. Yes, we are still offering 12 award-winning wines for sampling in the tasting room, and yes, the winery driveway is still gravel, and yes, Minnie the pig still has only one ear. One thing that is new is Beulah, the latest addition to the winery petting zoo. Beulah is a puppy that supposedly will create mounds of dog doo the size of Mt. Hood when she's full grown. Speaking of Minnie, she seems to have made a nearly full recovery from her brutal dog attack. Thanks again to all of you who sent her flowers, prayers and best wishes.

We're still a month or so away from picking our first grapes of the 2008 vintage, which will more than likely be Tempranillo from Horse Heaven Hills. I can't believe how fast this summer has cruised by.

If you were here over the summer and took photos, I would love to post them. To all of you people who promised to send me your pics and didn't, I'm sending Beulah over to your house to nap on your white carpet after she chews on unripe riesling grapes.

Labor Day weekend is coming up. I can definitely see having an end of the Summer blow out. Grab some friends and come on up. We'll do something special.

Multi gold medal winning, 2006 Cabernet Franc is going fast. If you want some you'd better get it sooner than later. I'm so proud of the several gold medals that this wine has won I'm thinking about having them bronzed.

Finally, two weeks ago we hosted a bachelorette party. Kara wanted to be mentioned in the blog so here you go Kara. I hope you're feeling better. You sure can drink a lot of wine.

Don't worry about me, Husum.

Joel

2008-07-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has sent thoughts and prayers to official WRC pig, Minnie. As many of you know, Minnie was mauled by a visitor's dog who evidently enjoys the delicious flavor of pork. It was tense for a few days but Minnie is slowly recovering. She's now missing an ear but is still the most beautiful animal on the planet.

I managed to pack a lifetime of fun into the past two weeks. The Wind River Cellars Golf Scramble was a blast. 18 teams battled for the WRC Cup but in the end it went to four talented and attractive gentlemen. If you ever want to win a golf competition I suggest you host your own event.

Golf Scramble MC, Josh shelled out dozens of great prizes and then stuck around for another week to tie the knot with fiance, Michelle. The week was right up there with WRC Holiday in Mexico as far as fun goes. (By the way, email us for details on this year's WRC Holiday in Mexico if you are interested in attending.) Josh and Michelle hosted history's longest wedding. It kind of reminded me of my week long birthday. I'm sure glad it was here at the winery. Seven days and seven nights of wedding festivities would have been tough without the comfort of my own bed. It was a pleasure meeting all of Josh and Michelle's friends and family.

So how do you cap off two weeks of non-stop fun? You fly in 200 lbs of Louisiana crawfish and host an authentic Louisiana crawfish boil. This event was an experimental success. We will be hosting next year's Husum Crawfish Rodeo in June. Check in for details. Below you will find a few photos from the event, including oldest son, Hollywood's money earning dare. This event has potential to rival chili cook-off and Fondue in February.

No, I still haven't fixed the destemmer/crusher that broke on the last cluster of grapes last harvest. I have about 6 weeks to get that taken care of before harvest begins. The grapes are about 10 days behind normal but they are looking good.

Several groups have called ahead to schedule barrel tastings. This is a great time of the year to do it because the older vintages are ready to bottle and the 2007 vintage wines are emerging from puberty and beginning to taste fantastic. Let me know.

The fire on Mt. Adams is nearly 100% contained. Though it never posed a threat to the Husum community, it had potential to destroy the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Thanks, fire fighting people.

Plenty of Summer left for rafting and wine tasting. Come out to Husum before it passes you by.

Have a Husum day, Husum!

Joel

2008-07-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

200 pounds of live Louisiana Crawfish

2008-07-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

1st Ever Wind River Cellars Crawfish Rodeo

2008-07-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hollywood says "show me the money"

2008-07-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Tough way to make 35 bucks!

2008-07-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Poison Rose's golf scramle team... including their caddy! Cheaters!

2008-07-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here's what's going on this weekend:

*Wind River Cellars Golf Scramble
*Nights in White Salmon Wine Walk
*Trout Lake Arts Festival
*Gorge Games
*Employee of the Month Runner-up, Ryan will be serving wine in the nude in the tasting room.
*Josh will be here.

For those of you that haven't read this piece of crap blog until lately, Josh is the guy that stopped by the tasting room about a year ago and didn't leave for a week. He's become one of our best friends and he and his fiance will be getting married here next week.

I'm not much of a rubber necker but if I were I would be in Trout Lake (12 miles north of us) right now to observe the forest fire activity. I thought about loading the SUV with wine and going out there to give the firefighters a treat but today when I was picking up Poison Rose (youngest son) at Summer camp, I noticed thousands of tents. They don't need wine. They need showers.

I wish I could personally thank each one of those people working on the fire. Since I can't I'll offer them an additional discount on wine. Isn't that my civic duty?

You've got a busy weekend coming up, Husum!

Joel

2008-07-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged lately. I've been trying to put out this damn fire in my back yard.

2008-06-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

If you have nothing going on Fourth of July get on out to Husum for the Husum parade and the Husum Day .1k fun run. $20 gets you the official fun run tshirt and hotdogs at Hooba's following the event.

The Wind River Golf Scramble is nearly full. There might be room for one or two more teams. If you're boring don't bother. This event is a bit more casual than your normal golf event and it's only for fun people.

I'm not the bragging type but Wind River Cellars did win six medals at the Washington State Fair. If I were the bragging type I would post pictures of myself wearing the six medals around my neck while walking around the grocery store. Six of them can get a bit heavy. I almost wish that I would have won only five. That way my neck wouldn't hurt as much. Unfortunately, I won six and my neck is getting really sore. Those wineries who didn't win any medals sure are lucky. I'll bet that their necks don't hurt at all.

We've had tons of fun people visit the tasting room in the last several weeks and I'm hoping that some of them email me some pictures to post.

Check out www.HaveAHusumDay.org for more details on what's happening around the greatest place in the world.

Stay Classy, Husum!

2008-06-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Our annual "Running with the Bulls: A Celebration of Tempranillo" is coming up and this year we are going in a different direction with it. Kris has invited other wineries to pour their Tempranillos in addition to ours, which will give you a great opportunity to taste several side by side. Check out the website or call for more information.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but I must remind you once again that if you're the golfing sort, our scramble is quickly approaching and is nearly full. It's first come first serve, so if you show up the day of the event wanting to participate you'll be out of luck, kind of like a dead horse. Club members get $10 off the price which includes nine holes, cart, wine tasting and prime rib dinner. Email info@windrivercellars.com for more details.

By the way, it you're out and about in the area and are looking for a place to go for lunch or dinner, try the new Viento. They do a great job with two of my favorite food groups, Burgers and steaks. I promise they'll treat you like they're glad you came in. Tonight we will be hosting the staff of another one of my favorite local restaurants, Solstice. Aaron is taking his crew white water rafting and then bringing them up for dinner. Don't worry, I'm not cooking.

Speaking of local restaurants, the new brewery in White Salmon will be opening soon. It's my understanding that they will be producing a beverage called "beer". I'm not familiar with this beverage but Lap Dance Jon tells me it can be very refreshing and flavorful. My friend Doug is heading this brewery adventure and he appears to know what he's doing. If you see me there will you please give me a ride home?

You're always on tap, Husum!

Joel

2008-05-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm still recovering from the busiest Memorial Weekend in Wind River Cellars history. I don't have the energy to tell you about the fun group from Issaqua, Carly from Minnesota, Jan, Gary, Kelly and Richard from Puyallup, the nice couple from So. Cal., and especially Matt and Jill from Washington D.C. Employee of the month runner-up, Ryan and I were moving cases of wine faster than looters at a Halloween riot.

I'll post some photos as soon as I recieve them from those of you who said you would send them. If I don't post them it's because the people who said they would send them lied.

I would like to take this opportunity to make a sincere apology to one of the new wineries here in the Gorge. One of our barrel members, Jan, said that James from Springhouse Cellars in Hood River was a lot of fun and that his tasting room has potential to be as festive as the Wind River Cellars tasting room. I don't know if James found our prank phone call as funny as the 12 or so people in our tasting room did, but James, I must say that if I had it to do over again, I would. Don't worry, we sent a bottle of wine over to the folks at Springhouse to welcome them to the neighborhood.

You're better than Prince Albert in a can, Husum!

Joel

2008-05-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick shout-out to everyone. As most of you know, I'm not one to brag but at the risk of compromising my modesty, I must tell you that Wind River Cellars has recently been awarded for quality excellence. At the 2008 Northwest Wine Summit we were awarded 5 medals out of 1200 entries, including a gold medal for our 2006 Cabernet Franc. If I were the bragging sort I would also boast about winning silver medals for our Port of Celilo and Merlot and bronze medals for our Lemberger and Tempranillo. I don't like people who brag but did you happen to see the picture below of me with Don James? He only likes award-winning wines. You won't see him posing for pictures with the losers.

I hope to see all of you this Memorial Weekend. Today I'm going to call all of the wineries who didn't win anything. Hopefully the news of our awards will cheer them up.

Stay humble, Husum!

Joel

2008-05-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Summer showed up this past weekend and it was pissed! We hit 97 degrees on Friday and Saturday was nearly as hot. One thing about the sudden heat is its effect on snowmelt. The White Salmon river is flowing very fast right now and should be in excellent shape for rafting this upcoming three day weekend. Memorial weekend is always a great time in the tasting room and I look forward to sharing stories and pictures next week. One of the main reasons that I love Memorial weekend so much is because it means that the Wind River Cellars Holiday in Mexico is only 6 months away. Call or email for details if you're interested in joining the fun.

THE WRC GOLF SCRAMBLE IS FILLING UP VERY FAST! I have assembled a team that has an excellent chance of winning without cheating. I've never experienced victory on the golf course without cheating so it could be eye opening for me. Call or email for more details.

WRC Scramble Master of Ceremonies, Josh was in town this past weekend and decided we needed another animal. I wanted a sloth, Josh wanted a monkey. We settled on an ant farm. I can now add ant farming to my resume. Our ant farm is proudly on display in the tasting room. I'm thinking about installing a live ant farm web cam so that Josh can monitor the activity from his home in Huntington Beach.

Come on out this weekend and taste our 12 current releases along with barrel samples. We might even have some live music.

You're alway memorable, Husum.

Joel

2008-05-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the warm, loving arms of Husum after several days on the road. I would really like to thank the Wine Alley in Renton for a wonderful time Thursday evening. It was very nice to meet a lot of great people who frequent the shop.

Have I mentioned that the WRC golf scramble is coming up July 19th? Get your team together before we're full. It's funny that I'm telling all of you to get your team together and I don't even have mine yet. None of my friends will play with me because they've heard what comes out of my mouth on the golf course. It's bad enough to make a logger blush.

The weather is going to be fantastic this week. Rumor has it that we're going to flirt with 90 degrees.

I feel fortunate that over the Mother's Day weekend I was able to spend a little time with an important person who means a lot to me and had so much influence in my upbringing. Below is a picture of the two of us.

You're the Motherland, Husum!

Joel

2008-05-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "Mother's Day" better than a glass of wine with Don James.

2008-05-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Are you there God, it's me, Joel. I got bud break today. (I know this reference is obscure. If you understand it, email me and let me know that it's as funny as I think it is.) The vineyard has finally begun to grow in 2008 which means I'll have to take care of it. If you would like to come out and adopt a vine I'll let you name it.

This past week has been a lot of fun in the tasting room. Saturday reminded me of showing up for a blind date, coincidentally meeting the wrong person, and having a great time anyway. Kris told me a group was coming in at 1:00 and that they purchased a VIP tasting in the cellar at a charity auction. We try and make these private tastings as fun as possible and they usually include barrel tasting and light snacks. Well, a group showed up promptly at 1:00. I gave them the full barrel tasting experience and pumped them full of gourmet cheeses. They were a lot of fun and I enjoyed everyone of them but they weren't the group that purchased the private tasting. That group showed up at 3:00. The screw up was 100% Kris's fault. 0% mine. That is rewarding in itself. Luckily, the real group was a blast also and brought their own appetizers.

This Thursday I will be pouring at Wine Alley in Renton. If you have nothing going on come on down and say hi. Saturday I will be pouring at a fund raiser for the University of Washington Marching Band. I believe this event is open to the public. If you are interested in more details please contact us.

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW FOR THE WRC GOLF SCRAMBLE. It's filling up fast. Check our website for other upcoming events.

I am Joel and I approved this blog.

Stay classy, Husum!

2008-04-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see that the price of gas isn't keeping you all away. This past weekend reminded me of what summer is like around here as we hosted what seemed like millions of visitors. I enjoyed meeting all of you who attended Zena's 40th birthday party on Sunday.

Last week I briefly mentioned what a great time I had pouring wine at Vino Bello, in Burien. This wine bar isn't the usual stuffy wine bar that thinks jazz is the only music that goes well with wine. Michelle and her staff are a lot of fun and I look forward to many returns.

2007 Riesling is now available and if you can see your face in the group photo from harvest party (mid-October blog entry) I will give you an additional 10% off on a case purchase. Get it while it's here.

I've had so many visitors this past week that It's difficult to pick favorites. The nice couple from New Jersey come to mind, as do the kayakers from Portland. Dee Dee from Beaverton and Jan from Puyallup always bring a good time also.

It's never too early to book your rafting trip on the White Salmon. Go to http://www.riverdrifters.net or http://zooraft.com. Both of these companies do an excellent job and they are both just minutes from our tasting room.

The Wind River Cellars Golf Scramble will be held July 19th. Several teams have already signed up and last year nearly every player went home with a prize. If you would like to be on my team you will be subjected to foul language, club throwing and superhuman beer consumption. Perhaps this is why I don't have a team yet.

I can always play with myself, Husum!

Joel

2008-04-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

This weather sucks and I refuse to blog until it improves. (When I do blog I will tell you all about the great time I had at Vino Bello in Burien last Saturday.) I'll be back later in the week with an update. I'm bottling my little butt off this week. '07 Riesling will be available this weekend. This doesn't count as a blog entry because, like I said, I refuse to blog until the weather improves.

Help me with the weather, Husum!

Joel

2008-04-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

80 degree day for the barrel dinner. What could be better? As you can see from the photos below, a lot of fun was had. The party went late into the evening and we were pleased to see everybody renew their memberships.

This Friday Kris will be pouring wine at Bonneville Hot Spring Resort. Saturday she'll be doing the same at the Inn of White Salmon. If you're in the hood stop by and say hello. I'll be pouring wine Saturday at Vino Bello wine bar in Burien. You've read my praise for this place before and Saturday there will be live music to go with the wines I'll be pouring. For those of you that haven't had a chance to get to Husum lately, this is a great chance for you to taste some our new releases.

Visitors of the week include all of you Barrel Members who came out for the annual shindig, the nice couple from Camas who were heading to Pullman to visit their daughter, and the couple from Portland who came up to pick up the very last case of 2006 Riesling. Don't worry, we'll be releasing the 2007 in the next two weeks.

Barrel Dinner is fun but I sure am glad it only comes once a year, Husum!

Joel

2008-04-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

Vineyard Manager, Gavin offers his date, Janet, a little squirt.

2008-04-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Aaron from Solstice Cafe in Bingen serves up his famous Wood fire Oven Pizza for Italian night barrel dinner

2008-04-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Barrel Members Tom & Karen Reid informing Kris that Wind River Cellars is out of 2006 Riesling!

2008-04-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Barrel Members Bruce & Alicia sharing a taste of giggle

2008-04-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

North Shore Wine Cellars winemaker Craig Sawyer dippin' into the WRC

2008-04-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

We're off to the coast on official winery business. Former Employee of the month runner-up, Ryan will be here to greet you in the tasting room. He was bumped by Julie, who filled in on the bottling line. Now Julie is the Employee of the month, runner-up. Don't worry Ryan, she was just temporary.

Visitors of the week included the return guests from Ohio, the fun doctor and his wife from Chicago and the locals from White Salmon.

This coming Saturday is Barrel Club Dinner. I can't wait to see all of you barrel members!

You're always a barrel of fun, Husum!

Joel

2008-04-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

The picture below is from the 19th annual Capital Food and Wine festival last weekend. I've had a lot of great times at this event over the years and this year was no exception. For the second time in two weeks, Wind River Cellars Cabernet Franc was given an award for outstanding quality. I don't care a whole lot about these judgings and to tell you the truth I don't know who the judges were, but I do care about the feedback I get from festival goers and once again they made us the top selling winery.

Kris will be pouring wine this weekend at Taste Washington in Seattle. This event has never been my cup of tea so I'm staying home and manning the tasting room. I've been on the road the last three weekends and I'm actually looking forward to turning on some music, opening the doors and enjoying the expected sunshine.

We'll be heading to the coast on Monday for some official winery business, but I'm way looking forward to the annual Barrel Members Dinner the following Saturday. Every barrel member gets a turkey baster when theyshow up and we all drink. . .er. . .uh. . .taste out of the barrels the entire night. My homies from Solstice in Bingen will be catering the dinner. If you ever get a chance to stop by Solstice, I highly recommend their wood oven pizza.

April 19th I will be doing a tasting at Vino Bello in Burien. This is a great wine bar and the owner, michelle will be throwing out food and live music.

Check out the website for other upcoming events here at the winery.

You're plenty festive, Husum!

Joel

2008-04-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Capital Food & Wine - 2008

2008-03-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

I had a great time pouring wine this past weekend at the Portland Beer and Wine Festival. This year they had it in Portland. I had the semi-pleasure of sharing a booth with North Shore Cellars Winemaker, Craig. They must be hurting at North Shore because Craig had to use my cork puller all weekend. If any of you are visiting the Gorge anytime soon, take them a cork puller.

Tonight Craig and his wife, Kelly came up for Garbage Can Turkey. You can see our method and results in the pictures below. Craig and I are thinking of getting out of the wine business and opening up a chain of Garbage Can Turkey outlets up and down the West Coast.

The festival was a long two days but I enjoyed seeing lots of WRC visitors. We were also able to collect a few nice awards. Better than that I got to see several good friends from other wineries, including some of the coolest people on the planet from Hip Chicks Do Wine. http://www.hipchicksdowine.com I've watched these ladies grow over the last 10 years and I couldn't be more proud of them. If you're in Portland and you need a winery fix, check them out. Also, thanks go to my volunteer servers. Marita, Mark, Nick and Suzanne, if you're ever in the area lets open some bottles and talk about the great time we had. By the way, if you're ever in Portland and need a place to stay I highly recommend Lap Dance John's house.

This coming weekend I will be at the Capital Food and Wine Festival in Lacey. This has always been a fun event with several wineries and a few of those things called "breweries". It's my understanding that breweries produce something called "Beer". I'm not really familiar with this beverage but I understand it can be quite refreshing. If you get a wild hair come on out and say hello.

Visitors of the week include the couple from Montana, the Bonneville Resort couple and the two fun people from Washington D.C.

Your Garbage Can Turkey is the best, Husum!

Joel
I

2008-03-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Pictures below are of Craig (from North Shore Cellars) and I perfecting Garbage can turkey. If you've never done it, put a turkey inside an upside down garbage can and light charcoal around it. This turkey will go great with WRC Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc. Craig says that his Chocolate Cherry Port is a great dessert when you're done eating.

I like what your cookin', Husum!

Joel

2008-03-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

2008-03-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

2008-03-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

2008-03-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Oh, I almost forgot. Results from the 2008 Portland Spring Beer and Wine festival judging are posted. I'll be there this weekend.

http://www.springbeerfest.com/

Click on "Winners" on the left margin. If you click on "Losers" you won't find us. That would be boring. Click on "Winners". "Winners" tells you who the winners are. That's were you'll find us. Under the "Winners" category.

You're always a gold medal to me, Husum!

Joel

2008-03-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

Destemmer/Crusher Update:
You may remember a blog posting from last harvest when our destemmer/crusher (Machine that destems and crushes grapes) broke during the processing of the very last grape of the year. I said that I had 10 1/2 months to fix it. Well, I still haven't even looked at it but the good news is that I still have six months before I need it again. Stay tuned.

I've been on the road for the last 5 days doing tastings in Portland and Seattle. Thursday night I was pouring at McGinn's Wine Shop in Portland. I like this place for many reasons but mainly because the owner, Jerry isn't afraid to crank the music. He doesn't play it quite as loud as WRC Employee of the Month, Runner-up, Ryan, but he still rocks. I enjoyed meeting all who were there and it was nice to see winery visitor, Bill. One time I had to run to the store for something and Bill and his wife, Alice watched the tasting room for a few minutes.

Friday night I poured at Country Cottage Wine in Bothell. This event was fun for several reasons. One, I was pouring all night next to my buddy, Joe from El Mirador. Two, I was entertained late into the night by the shop's owner, Rudy. And three, I got to hang out with some really great people. If you ever get a chance to play darts with Rudy you'll laugh your ass off. I suggest that you wear a full face helmet. CC wine shop does tastings every Friday night and Rudy is a big supporter of Washington wine.

Saturday was one of the most fun tastings I've ever done. I was pouring at George's Wine Shoppe in Bellevue. George has a great selection of wine but my favorite feature in his shop is the under-utilized pole in front of the tasting bar. I challenge any other winemaker to pole dance as well as I did in George's store. Employee, Wendy thought that I had great potential. George may have needed a few glasses of our Cabernet Franc to get the image out of his mind but those who saw me work that pole were eager to get out their $1.00 bills. I also had a great time after the tasting.

Here's a free plug to a nice wine bar/restaurant in Buckley, WA. Coho Wine Bar doesn't sell WRC but I went there for dinner Sunday evening with Ma and Pa Joel. Great food, great service and great wine. I hope to return someday.

I was very pleased to pull up to the winery today and notice that the vineyard pruning is nearly complete. I made a huge dent in it before I left but Vineyard Manager, Gavin has it nearly complete. Nice hustle, Gavin. The next time you visit the winery and run into Gavin, give him a little slap on the ass and tell him "Good job". As a matter of fact, do it to me also.

This coming weekend I'll be pouring wine at the Portland Spring Beer and Wine festival. It's going to be in Portland this year. I'll be sharing a table with Craig from Northshore Cellars. I'm really hoping Craig doesn't cross-dress this year. Come on down and visit. Mention the blog and receive a free pole dance.

You're always welcome to dance on my center stage, Husum!

Joel

2008-03-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

Special thanks go out to you loyal customers in Miami who informed us of this feature in the Miami Herlald newspaper. You can tell that Employee of the month, runner-up, Ryan is quite the quote machine.

http://miamiherald.com/999/story/444817.html

2008-03-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

2008-03-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

GET OFF MY BACK! I'm sorry I haven't blogged in two weeks but I've been busy with that vineyard thing. Someone told me once that the damn things need to be pruned every year. This takes a lot of hours and fortunately the weather has been fantastic.

Last week I was pruning the section of vineyard in front of the tasting room. Suddenly I noticed that Minnie the pig, Newman the dog and two cats were all hanging out with me. The above picture is Minnie and Newman taking a nap in the sun while I work. They reminded me of Employee of the Month Runner-up, Ryan.

This week I'm taking my show on the road. I'll be pouring wine Thursday night at McGinn's Russle St. Wine Shop in Portland. This wine shop is on Russle St. Saturday I will be heading North to Bellevue where I'll be pouring at George's Wine Shoppe.

Visitors of the week include the great people from Tennessee, the fishing couple from Tri-cities, and the fun two ladies from Sherwood. We had a great week in the tasting room and I don't think I pissed off a single person.

You give me Spring fever, Husum!

Joel

2008-02-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

A good indicater that Winter is nearing its end is the amount of visitors we've had in the last two weeks. Presidents Day weekend was the release of 4 new red wines and they have all been very well recieved. Cabernet Franc is battling Tempranillo for our best selling wine.

We have lots of events coming up in the next 4 weeks. Kris will be pouring wine this weekend at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival in Des Moines. I'll be taking my show on the road the following week (or two?) to the Capital Food and Wine Festival in Olympia. You will also find me in the coming weeks at the Portland Spring Beer and Wine Festival.

I began pruning the vineyard Saturday. I can't wait for that chore to be over. I have extra pruning loppers if you want to come up and assist. We'll give you a free glass of wine for every 8 hour shift.

Check back in and I'll give you exact dates of the upcoming events.

Spring is almost here, Husum.

Joel

2008-02-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

इफ अन्योने कैन तेल मी हाउ टू कोर्रेक्ट थिस इ'ल बी यू अ बोत्तले ऑफ़ यौर चोइस। इ कोउल्ड तेल यू वहत हस बीन हप्पेनिंग हियर अत थे विनरय बुत इ'म नोट सुर अन्योने वौल्ड उन्देर्स्तंद। प्लेस दोन'टी थिंक ठाट इ ऍम बिलिंगुअल। इ'म नोट।

थिस प्रॉब्लम इस सिम्प्लेर थान थे रोड इ हद टू डील विथ लास्ट वीक।

काम उप टू तरी ऑउर न्यू तेम्प्रनिल्लो, कब फ्रांक, मेर्लोत एंड पिनोत नोइर। यू'ल लिके थेम इन एनी लंगुअगे।

इ लव यू इन एनी लंगुअगे, हुसुम!

जोएल

2008-02-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Day 3, Kris and Connor in Europe. Poison Rose and I are still very much alive. PR is still questioning my culinary skills but has a new respect for the microwave oven.

I was in Central Oregon over the weekend for a wine tasting. Everyone at the event agreed that Wind River Cellars was the best. Well, there were only five of us and two of us were 8 years-old or younger.

PR and I were at Mt. Bachelor on Saturday with barrel member, Lap Dance Jon and his wife Paula. Beautiful day on the Mountain. Towards the end of the day we headed back to the car craving a cold beer. We didn't have any but certainly craved one. I looked at the car parked next to us and noticed a six pac behind the rear wheel. I know that these people were thinking about how refreshing these beers were going to be when they got done on the mountain. Is it wrong to take 4 of their beers and leave them a bottle of WRC 2005 Syrah?

The snow we had last week is pissed. It has turned the winery driveway into one of those mud bog courses you see on late night ESPN. I promise I will have it ready for next weekend for the WRC President's Weekend Open House. 4 new wines will be released.

I'm going to buy you one of those big 4X4 pick-ups with the big studded tires, Husum!

2008-02-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

SNOW HAS STOPPED. ROAD IS CLEAR. WINE IS PLENTIFUL.

I had no idea how hard core competitive you people are when it comes to chili. With the snow, we were ready to postpone the 7th Annual WRC Chili Cook-Off but dozens of you wouldn't allow it. For several years Husum local, Gary Johannson has been chasing the trophy. He has always finished in the top 4 or 5 but this year he finally took the top prize. Congrats to Gary. This was our smallest turnout in the seven years but I was still blown away by how many of you still made it.

Kris is hauling 13 year-old son, "Hollywood" to Italy for his birthday on Thursday. They'll be gone for a few weeks which means my younger son and I will be ordering a lot of pizzas.

President's Day Weekend we will be releasing 4 new wines. This is always a fun weekend to come up, taste wine and roam the cellar. I've been known to throw out some snacks also.

This coming weekend we welcome the return of former Employee of the Month Runner-Up, Ryan, who has been taking some very needed time off. Ryan will be pouring wine in the tasting room and we all know how much he likes to pour big samples.

You're the real Superbowl Champions, Husum!

Joel

2008-01-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. I woke up to a very impressive 22 inches. Kris and I couldn't help but stare at it. I didn't want to leave my house. I just wanted to admire my 22 inches. Kris was so excited about getting 22 inches that she went and got her camera. Below are pictures of the 22 inches.

Joe from El Mirador Winery in Walla Walla and his wife came to stay with us Thursday. Saturday around 11:00 they headed back to Hell. . . .I mean. . . Walla Walla. (By the way, if you see an '05 El Mirador Cabernet Sauvignon at your local wine retailer, buy it.) The snow was just beginning to fall. By 12:00 there was an inch. By 7:00 there was 15 inches. When it was about six inches deep I decided that I'd better get on the tractor and plow the driveway. I went from relaxing on the couch, enjoying a work free day, to wishing Wind River Cellars would burn to the ground. Going outside and climbing on the tractor to plow is usually a pretty simple task. Turn the key and go. On this particular day I went out to turn the key and nothing happened. Diesel tractors hate cold and I had to jump start it. No problem. I'll just jump it with the fork lift. Turn the key on the forklift. Nothing. So now I have to jump start the forklift so that I can jump start the tractor. Kris took the boys snowboarding so I can't use the big SUV for jump starting. I have to use the old vineyard pick-up. Guess what? It hasn't been started since before Mexico so naturally it was dead. The good news was that the pick-up was parked on an incline. I once went a whole semester of college with a dead battery. I parked everyday on a hill so that I could compression start my car. Getting the pick-up started should be a piece of cake, and it was. I just pointed it down the driveway and popped the clutch. Fired right up. Then I got stuck in the snow. Wish I had a tractor that ran so that I could clear the driveway so that I could get my pick-up up to jump start the forklift so that I could jump start the tractor so that I could clear the drive way. I did finally get the pick-up unstuck and went through the whole progression.

While clearing the driveway, the tractor ran out of diesel. I've heard that a jet engine is one of the loudest things there is. I've read that The Who is the loudest band to ever play. I'm amazed how loud the trains are when they roll thru Bingen. Nothing could compare to how loud the profanities coming from my mouth were when the tractor ran out of diesel. I could have made a logger blush. As you can see from the photo below, I eventually got the driveway plowed.

Our new '06 Cab Franc has become our top selling wine since we began pouring it in the tasting room. It's available now and we have a lot of it but I do expect it to sell fast. We also have 4 other new wines that you can taste when you come up to admire my 22 inches.

What's the most logical thing a person could do when there's nearly two feet of snow on the ground? That's right, drive to barrel member, Matt's house in Husum to hang out with a few buddies. Matt, thank you for a fun evening last night. I look forward to returning the hospitality at the Wind River Cellars Barrel dinner in April.

Don't forget about the chili cook-off next weekend and the official release of 5 new vintages on Presidents Day weekend.

Sorry if my profanity offended you, Husum!

Joel

2008-01-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

Proof that I woke up to 22 inches.

2008-01-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

2008-01-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

My Mexico tan is close to being completely faded and standing in the cellar reminds me that Husum can get cold in the winter. Last week I racked and blended Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Though these wines, along with '06 Tempranillo and '05 Merlot, won't be officially released until Presidents Day weekend, they are available now in our tasting room to polite visitors. Kris will be taking oldest son, Hollywood, to Italy for his 13th birthday and will be gone that weekend. Please bring me already prepared dinners that are easy to heat. I'll try to return the Tupperware.

Those of you who have asked about the rumor of another winery opening here in Husum at the bottom of our road, I know details. I don't want to be premature (again) but I will say that there is talk and I'm very excited about it. Stay tuned.

Don't forget to sign up for our 6th Annual Wind River Cellars Chili Cook-Off on the Saturday before Superbowl. You are welcome to show up with an entry or simply show up as a judge. It has always been a fun event.

I would like to remind all barrel members to sign up for your barrel tasting party with all of your friends, which is included in your membership. Bring your co-workers, family members, neighbors, spouse and even your mistress. Those of you that have done it before know how educational and fun it is.

2007 Wind River Cellars Visitor of the Year runner-up, Josh and his fiance, Michelle, came for a visit over the weekend. We must have made quite an impression because they have decided to tie the knot here at the winery this summer even though they live in Southern California. Josh was the official MC for the WRC Golf Spectacular. (Go back to last July's blog entry to find details on Josh.) I look forward to thier big day.

I'll be here all week if you feel like coming up for some wine. We'll taste some barrels. It'll be fun. Visitors of the week include the teachers from Vancouver, the cross country skiers from Seattle and the couple staying at Inn of the White Salmon.

You may be cold on the outside Husum, but you sure are warm on the inside.

Joel

2008-01-15T21:07:00.000-08:00

Chili Cook-Off is in three or so weeks. Who will be this years champion? Who will win that all expenses paid trip to El Paso, TX for the regionals? Will any of those people who brag about their chili all year have the guts to actually show up with an entry? We've had some great entries over the years. Some contestants have been reaching for glory since we began the event 5 or 6 years ago. Andy from Portland has come close a few times. The "Husum Howler" is always a top 3 or 4 finisher. We even had 8 year-old Savannah win a few years ago, angering several adults who swore that it was all rigged. Last year's winner became very defensive when I jokingly suggested that they had won under suspicious circumstances. What struck me funny about them is that they never did understand that this event is for fun. One of the other guests compared them to people showing up for keraoke night thinking that a famous talent scout was going to be there to discover them. There's always drama here at the Wind River Cellars Chili cook-off. If you're thinking of entering a veggie chili, turkey chili or tofu chili please save yourself the time. They always suck. Email us for details if you're thinking about entering. We always host it on the Saturday before Superbowl and it is truly one of my top 3 favorite events of the year! Speaking of Superbowl, I have nothing to do. Invite me to your house. I'll bring the wine.

Presidents weekend is just weeks away and we'll be releasing 4 new wines. Most of the wineries here in the gorge will be hosting some sort of open house. I promise you a unique experience at every one of them if you come out. Here at Wind River Cellars we'll be pouring about 12 wines, tasting dozens of barrels and possibly opening a few library wines as well.

The snow is under control now and our driveway is clear for passage. Come up for a visit.

You were meant for me and I was meant for you, Husum!

Joel

2008-01-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

We have snow here at the winery. Depending on your perspective, it's either a winter wonderland or an inconvenience when trying to come up for wine tasting. Our road and driveway are clear, though you may want to reconsider if you don't have 4 wheel drive.

This Friday evening I will be at Oly's Wine Shop in Centralia. I was scheduled to be there before the holidays but had to postpone because of the floods that happened there. I look forward to returning now that the mess is mopped up. I'll be pouring Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Riesling and Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.

Lots of things going on here in the near future. Check out our website for details.

You look beautiful in white, Husum!

Joel

2008-01-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Lap Dance Jon enjoying the devil's beverage at the Venados Baseball Game during WRC Holiday in Mexico~