February Greetings!
Our ‘regular readers’ know that many of our blog posts feature a song or song theme. This month, after going out to see ‘A Complete Unknown’, we may not have a single song but are thinking back to the music of Bob Dylan. Not one song in mind this month (one of Neil’s favorite lines is: You don’t need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows… and if you’re old enough, you know this line is not about meteorologists, but political activists…)
but Dylan has some sweet stuff out there, too, like from “Forever Young.”
May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful May your song always be sung And may you stay forever young…
If you’re not familiar with this song, go online and read the lyrics, or better yet, listen to Bob D. sing it. We wish all our friends out there, stay ‘Forever Young’!
On to the wine stuff! : )
After enjoying almost two weeks of unseasonably sunny and dry January weather, we’re reflecting on a variety of things around the vineyard and winery. It seemed that the fall, November and December were more gloomy and wet, but now, at the very end of January, the ground feels like it’s dried out quite a bit, and we can already see that daylight is extending further toward six o’clock in the evening.
Out in the vineyard, the first stage of pruning began, this week we managed to get all the preliminary pruning done, and we started to do the ‘tie-downs’; maybe we have about 20% of the vines tied down already! The wood has been looking very healthy, we expect the vines to be in tip-top shape for bud break, maybe ten weeks from now. It’s an exciting time outdoors, making sure all the winter work gets done in time for the first warm weather. Speaking of which, on one of these sunny afternoons last week, Neil watched a pair of Bluebirds dance around a bird box for almost an hour, they’d sit on top of it, poke their heads inside the entry hole, and make short flights off the box and then right back on. We are pretty sure this is a mating pair, they are ready for the warm weather and longer days, too!
Out in the winery, we're getting ready to bottle our 2024 Pinot gris, having it ready in the tasting room and for the festivals by the end of February. This wine was cool fermented, with the primary fermentation taking about forty days from start to finish. You may recall, we have discussed the use of cool fermentations for our white and rose wines – we try to get the fermentation going at a temperature that will just barely allow the yeast to stay active. We do this in an attempt to keep the flavors and aromas as fresh as possible, so that the wine in your glass most closely resembles the flavors and aromas of the fruit at harvest time. Otherwise, the 2024 Pinot noir is resting in barrel, our preliminary take on this wine is that it is going to be excellent!
As a reminder, the tasting room is open all winter and into the spring on Saturdays and Sundays, noon to five. Neil and Sue are also going to be out on the road in the coming months at the wine festivals we have attended in the past: Newport, Portland, McMinnville, and Astoria. Hope to see you at one of these events! While we are away, Erin will be at home in the tasting room.
You may have seen a post on Instagram or Facebook regarding the scores we received from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. We submitted four wines and all four medaled, including our Flagship Chardonnay which received a double gold (unanimous judges’ choice) medal! We also received 2 silver medals and a bronze for our pinots and rosé. All in all now this is the 8th year we've submitted wines for judging at San Francisco and seven of the eight years we've received at least one gold medal, further, in five of those years we've received one or more gold medals for our Chardonnays.
Celebrating this success, we're offering a San Francisco celebration sale package - - you can see the details at the end of the post.
Another event we hope you can attend will be a post COVID revival of Fire on the Hill, Bluebird Hill’s own chili cook off. This event is going to be held on the afternoon of March 22nd in downtown Monroe at the Kepi Nak-Nak Commons, 648 Orchard St, Monroe, OR 97456 in the old Methodist Church (now called Heritage Hall). See the details below or in the announcement for the chili cook off. We hope you can attend either as a contestant or a general attendee. Iin the past when we've held this, we can remember years when we had a dozen or more different chillies for attendees to sample.
Our plans for 2025 are to remain open as we have been in past years, during the warmer months, we expect the tasting room will be open Fridays through Sundays. We will be offering free monthly wine club parties, are planning for the 2025 Pinot on the Patio and our annual charity golf event in mid-August. PLEASE try to come out and visit us, these winter months are quiet in the tasting room, even on the weekends, so when you come out and visit, we will have great seats for you and time to chat with you.
Now on to the February Promos: February Specials 2025 San Francisco Celebration:
- Buy a case of 2022 Flagship Pinot Noir or Flagship Chardonnay and get ’25 off (25% that is), Regular Price $336, Sale Price $249, Wine Club members 10% off extra or $225! (A combined case of 6+6 is ok, too!)
- Buy any mixed case of 12 bottles, and get 20% off, Wine Club members get an additional 10% off.
- Any case purchase (either of the specials above), get two Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir Glasses for $29 (retail is $80!)
- San Francisco Treat: Three bottles each of Flagship Pinot and Chardonay in a Bluebird Hill Logo Wine Bag + Two Bluebird Hill Logo Pinot Glasses: Retail $248 – Sale Price: $169
- All Bluebird Hill Logo Clothing Lucky Size Sale: 50% off! - Plus, one-of-a-kind flash sales, a different one each weekend!
Sunday February 2, 2025 Wine Club Party-Pruning Workshop and Chili Bluebird Hill Cellars 25059 Larson Road Monroe, OR 97456 Saturday and Sunday February 15 & 16, 2025 Bluebird Hill Cellars at A Taste of Art & Wine Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St, Florence, OR 97439
February 20-23, 2025 Bluebird Hill Cellars at the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival 2320 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR 97365
March 1&2, 2025 Bluebird Hill Cellars at the Portland Seafood & Wine Festival Portland Expo Center, 2060 Marine Dr W, Portland, OR 97217
March 7-9, 2025 Bluebird Hill Cellars at the McMinnville Wine & Food Classic Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR 97128 Friday March 14, 2025 Wine Club Party-Blind Tasting Experience Bluebird Hill Cellars 25059 Larson Road Monroe, OR 97456 Saturday, March 22, 2025 “Fire on the Hill”-Bluebird Hill’s own Chili Cookoff Competition Kepi Nak Nak Commons, Heritage Hall 648 Orchard St, Monroe, OR 97456 Saturday April 5, 2025 Fullerton & Bluebird Hill Dueling Wine and Food Pairings Fullerton Wine Bar & Tasting Room 1966 NW Pettygrove St. Portland, OR, 97209 Sunday April 13, 2025 Wine Club Party-SAVE THE DATE Bluebird Hill Cellars 25059 Larson Road Monroe, OR 97456 Saturday, April 19, 2025 Bluebird Hill Cellars at Yachats Sip and Stroll Yachats, OR
April 25-27, 2025 Bluebird Hill Cellars at ASTORIA WARRENTON CRAB, SEAFOOD & WINE FESTIVAL Clatsop County Fair and Expo Center, 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria, OR 97103
Sending a special "THANKS" out to Gayle, the talented Chef Benjamin and the staff of The Green Room for hosting Bluebird Hill at their inaugural Winemaker Dinner last Sunday. The wine parings were perfect, the service impeccable, and Sue thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular dishes. When you are visiting Florence, be sure to make a reservation at this Michelin worthy restaurant!
RECENT AWARDS AND SCORES: Oregon Wine Press Cellar Selects (December 2024 issue)
Warm, spiced notes of cinnamon and nutmeg are complemented by bittersweet blackberry seeds and a hint of nuttiness. Rich layers unfold of burnt brown sugar and toffee, followed by Mexican chocolate and a subtle smokiness from charred red peppers. A tawny-port-like richness develops into a long, nuanced conclusion.
25th Anniversary San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2022 Flagship Chardonnay Double Gold Medal 2022 Flagship Pinot Noir Silver Medal 2021 South Block Reserve Pinot Noir Silver Medal 2021 Moms Block Reserve Pinot Noir Bronze Medal
We have a lot to be thankful for. It's all of you that make it possible for us to live our dreams every day. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope to see you on the Hill or at one of our upcoming events in the near future!
Best always, Neil and Sue
