Vines Magazine

Well, It has been a long time since my last post. But, today, I had to blog this one. Redtail Vineyard is featured in the August/September 2010 issue of Vines Magazine. Just go to:
http://www.vinesmag.com/sitepages/?aid=2283&cn=FEATURES&an=County%20Character%20|%20The%20Pioneers
The article is very well written and truly expresses what we are about. Also, the print version has a bottle of our Pinot Gris 2009 on the front cover with the caption: Wine to watch - County Pinot Gris. Inside, there is a review of the wine. They give it 4 stars out of 5. WOW! Nice to have national exposure.

The video shoot

Wow! What a day, yesterday (Sept. 2) was. For the entire day, Redtail Vineyard was host to a film crew shooting a video for Scotiabank. Our operation is being showcased by the bank as part of their Small Business program. The video will be used across the country in seminars for small businesses.

Now I know why I am not an actor. What an exhausting day. Luckily, we had fantastic weather all day and it was a fascinating experience. We can't wait to see the finished product. In the photo, you can see Pauline and Gilbert being interviewed by the film Director with the cameraman right behind him.

Open for business!

On May 9, at 10:30, we put the "Open" flag out by the road and voilà, we were in business. There was a constant stream of customers all day long. What an exhilarating experience. Pauline and I enjoyed showing the winery to people. Luckily, our dear friend Susan was there to help us keep our sanity as things got quite hectic at times, particularly during the thunderstorm. We did not even notice the power failure as our solar system continued to provide electricity to the winery. So, when you come to visit, if we are not at the winery, we are working in the vineyard. Honk your horn and we will join you right away.

Spring 2009

Well, Spring is here, finally. On Feb. 21, Mags, Terry and Brad helped us bottle the 2007 Pinot Noir. They survived this first experience very well and seemed to enjoy themselves. Once we put the labels and capsules on the bottles, the wine will be ready for the opening of the winery on May 9, 2009.

The winery

The construction of the winery is almost complete and we should be able to move in very soon. The building is the only "off-grid" winery in Canada. Electricity is provided by solar power so the environmental footprint is as small as possible.

Redtail Vineyard winery

On September 20, 2008, construction started on our winery. Also, after submitting copious amounts of paper, we received municipal, provincial and federal authorization to make and sell our wines. The retail store will be open on weekends or by appointment during the coming winter. Come and visit.

When SiMi passed away, we knew of a young female Akita which had been rescued and was in a foster home, waiting for adoption. So, Pauline and I didn't wait any longer, drove to Belleville and came back home with a new addition to the family. We named her "Kinu" which means "silk" in Japanese, because her coat is smooth and soft like silk. Here is a picture of her.