Gruet News

The new year arriveth, and we continue to survive the ups and downs. 2003, thanks in large part to the wine drinkers of America, was very successful for the Gruet family. We have added some members to our family, and despite the usual problems with machinery, computery, and humanity, all is well. We chew the fat with the most enlightened consumers and trades people alike, and still cannot fathom the kind words and kudos. If we haven't told you a thousand times already, thanks to all of you who have continued to support the cause! 2004 seems lined with silver”Thanks to the support of our local bankers at New Mexico Bank & Trust, we have prepared the facility for the future, and in the bargain have made it a little easier on everybody.

The new non-vintage Brut has been blended and is being introduced to the bottle as I type this. I keep going on about the 2003 vintage in terms of quality and quantity, and we're already seeing the results. The still wine program already has a few show-off barrels in the bunch, and the quantity has allowed us a certain amount of flexibility. The wines are already showing beautifully. As for our previous vintages, our Director of Sales was vindicated recently upon the opening of a bottle of 2000 vintage Pinot Noir. Now I know I've gone on a bit about the so-called Ñlight vintageæ, but if any of you have one available, open it and be amazed. And it still has YEARS. The 2001 has had fun as the unwritten successor to the 1999, and really shows off that Martini Clone we love so much. Rich, clean and focused, the 2001 is an unbelievable wine. Anise and cherry dominate the nose, and the mouth is concentrated smoky red raspberry. Fatter in the middle than the 2000, they share the same long, and clean finish. And yes, we dropped the price to boot! The 2002 Pinot Noir is bottled and follows in the same style as the 2001. Laurent is convinced it will be even better, but I have sworn off commenting on anything of his that is still so young”yea, right! Time wounds all heels. The 2002 Chardonnay disappeared very quickly, a good and a bad thing. Just when you think that Chardonnay has seen it's day, and varietal troubleshooting is THE thing, this happens! Oh well, the 2003, is equally good and we just found out it got a gold medal at the International Wine Competition in San Diego. You'll be able to start buying the 2002 barrel select soon too. We recently checked up on the Grand Reserve 2000 and 1999, the next installments. The 1997 will be a hard act to follow, and funnily enough, right now the 2000 seems to be the one most likely to be released first. They are both promising. Until they get the time the 1997 did though, I hold my tongue, although the 1999 was phenomenal. Oak is such a delicate matter in the affairs of good sparkling wines. The syrah rumor has been as good as killed. And the truth is that Laurent felt the fruit wasn't good enough to put into a bottle. Will this be the case in 3 years? Who knows, but for now, forget about it! THIS JUST IN: The Grande Reserve just took Best of Class and Gold at the Jerry Mead New World Wine Competition in Los Angeles and took Best Of Show at the Dallas Morning News Competition. Yikes!

And on the subject of good fortune, our French product has finally arrived after a two year hiatus! We are thrilled with the juice, and despite the Euros best efforts at compromising the value of this wine, is a steal! >From the phenomenal 1998 vintage, we have our Gruet et Fils Blanc de Blancs. Rich with toast and creamy citrus, this elegant offering is a rare treat. Tremendous depth and crisp, clean fruit mark the finish of thiswine”.perfectly delicious. Not every state has it, sorry. If anything it will give our fans a chance to taste the family style, and see how we fare here in New Mexico against the one and only Champagne.

In other news, Billy has broken ground recently on our new barrel room, set to debut sometime in early spring, or earlier. We receive about one hundred calls a day to book the Banquet facility that was, but look forward to showing off the new room. It ought to open things up a bit in the tasting room, where it can sometimes get a bit tight! We'll also be able to handle bigger groups for tastings, and in a beautiful setting!

Tasting room hours

Monday to Friday 10:00am to 5:00pm
Saturdays 12:00pm to 5:00pm

tours at 2:00pm

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Thanks again to the Sigel's crew, who flew all the way from Dallas, Texas, to visit the winery this past weekend. We we're so taken aback by the honor, that we had to break into the library and open some older wines. These guys and gals love their wine, and its why they are so successful with the brand in their market. Thanks to all of you for making the journey! Also a quick thanks to The kids at El Nido and Santa Caf» for coming in. We need reminding from time to time that this business is fun, and you guys provide that service in spades. Thanks to the folks at Pink Adobe as well for joining us. I wasn't here but I heard it was a hoot. Keith Trujillo at the Olive Garden continues to bring in his staff. Thanks buddy. And all the guys at the Palace in Santa Fe. This stalwart of the Santa Fe restaurant scene recently reopened under new ownership, and they haven't missed a beat. Get in there soon and rediscover a SF treasure. Again, I want to extend an invitation to all of our restaurants and retailers to come into the winery and see the works in progress. Taste some wine, have some fun, and educate all in the same day! Thanks also to Quail Run for one of the best afternoons we've had for awhile. The whole gang was there and we really enjoyed ourselves. The enthusiasm these guys showed was incredible! Interested and full of questions I think their spit buckets will go down as some of the emptiest of any of our tours. The stuff was consumed!

If yer ever in...

I recently returned from a rather long swing through the Golden State, and am proud to announce that Gruet is firmly entrenched in the Wine Capitals of these great United States. My dining experiences were singularly spectacular and I'd like to thank a couple of restaurants in the Napa Valley of all places that have been brave or crazy enough to feature our wines on their lists.

Mustards Grill : 7399 St. Helena Hwy, Napa, Ca. 94558 Tel: 707-944-2424.
Okay, this restaurant was so good I had to go twice, and disappoint they will not as evidenced by the line of people waiting to get in. The menu is one of the funnest I've seen in some time, and the food is incredible. Try the Sashimi appetizer and the Mongolian Chop, a house specialty. I could go on, but you've got to get in there and try it yourself. In addition to the impeccable service and stellar eats, you can also purchase a bottle o' the Blanc de Noirs to wash it all down!

Brix : 7377 St. Helena Hwy, Napa, Calif. 94558. Tel:707-944-2749.
It doesn't get more classic than this! Views of the mountains, gorgeous herb gardens. My dinner here was exquisite, and the service is particularly good. It's also a restaurant where, if you like the wine you had at dinner, you can scoot into their Wine Shop and purchase a bottle for the Hotel room on your way out. Their Wine Program is managed by Brendan Scholl, and the selection is world class! This is the place to go when you pop the question guys, and we are thrilled and honored to be part of such a distinguished organization. You can find both our Gruet et Fils 1998 Blanc de Blancs and our Barrel Select Chardonnay 2002 at Brix. Don't spill your glass on your date like I did though.

Brannan's : 1374 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga, Ca. 94515. Tel: 707-942-2233
Great food, excellent service and a very funny bartender lend a sense of fun to this restaurant very serious about their food. We had a super time there and can't thank them enough for featuring Gruet wines on special recently. They also have a great wine list and knowledgeable servers. Blanc de Noirs is available and we encourage anyone near Calistoga to pop into the bar, have a laugh and drink New Mexico.

Enoteca Wine Shop : 1348-A Lincoln Ave. Calistoga, Calif. 94515. Tel: 707-942-1117
Margaux Singleton, proprietor of Enoteca holds a particularly special place in the hearts of the Gruet family. As buyer for La Casa Sena back in the day, she was one of the first people to have faith in our brand, and one of our oldest allies and friends. Imagine our thrill to find that she is still preaching the Gruet gospel in Calistoga. This wine store is an education and a good one at that. Margaux has always strived to find the best of the best and has always supported the smaller, unknown wineries. But she doesn't stop there. Every wine in her store has information regarding the history of the winery and the vintage. This is a huge help, and should be done in every wine shop. The shop itself is beautiful, and boasts an impressive variety of wines both available and hard to get. Thankfully, Gruet still has a place in her heart. This is also the kind of store that reminds us that bigger doesn't always mean better. She also educates her public with classes and regular tastings. Do yourself a great service folks, visit this superb wine shop, and yes, ask for Gruet.

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