[rcvd 03-Nov-1999] CHINOOK Yakima Valley Wines Chinook celebrates the end of a fantastic grape harvest with new wine releases: Our harvest season just past (and still fermenting!) brought near-perfect ripening conditions for the grapes, and really good balance in the winegrape juices. We're excited about the wines you'll see down the road, as well as these three new wines being released in November: 1998 YAKIMA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC is the first wine we've made from the Upland Farms vineyard in Sunnyside: located on a spectacular south facing slope and packed with ripe, juicy, grapefruit-like varietal flavors. 355 cases bottled. 1996 YAKIMA VALLEY CARBERNET FRANC is a grape variety we continue to be "bullish" about. We're impressed with it's versatility in the Yakima Valley, which has allowed us to make a fruity dry Rose (the '99 is fermenting & will be released in June 2000!) and it's rich, perfumed aroma as a red wine is equally enticing. Cabernet Franc is Clay's favorite "house red" and goes well with those comforting stews and hearty pastas for the encroaching winter. A tomato, Italian sausage and lentil stew is one of our winter meal choice for this soft, drinkable red wine. Just 96 cases bottled. 1996 YAKIMA VALLEY MERLOT arose from a scant harvest, shortened by winter damage to grape buds. A mere 144 cases follows the plentiful 1995 vintage, and has concentrated Merlot flavors from our traditional grape sources. A few barrels each of Boushey Farms and Carter Family Vineyards were carefully blended with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for this rich tasting red. 144 cases bottled. The three wines will be available for tasting and purchase at the winery for four weekends, beginning November 13th. We will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 noon until 5pm on these four weekends: November 13-14, 1999 November 20-21, 1999 [Closed Thanksgiving weekend] November 4-5, 1999 November 11-12, 1999 As in past years we will close the tasting room from mid-December (12/13/99) until the first weekend in May (May 6-7-2000). We would like to apologize to any of you who came by the tasting room this fall and found us crushing and pressing. The delayed start of "crush" 99 found us scrambling to bring in the fruit and necessitated closing the tasting room on three different weekends. In the future, we will be open in September and October as harvest permits. If you're planning a trip to the Yakima Valley, it's best to call us in the week beforehand to see if we'll be open for tasting & sales. A tasty opportunity to sample our new wines will take place on November 8, 1999 at Tulio Ristorante in Seattle. Chef Walter Paisano, a master at wine and food pairing, promises a meal not to be missed! Dinner is $75, plus tax & gratuity and begins at 6:30pm. Seating is limited. Call Marjorie Childress for reservations: 206-623-1066. For questions about our new wine releases, call us at 509-786-2725 Kay Simon and Clay Mackey, proprietors and winemakers Chinook Wines P.O. Box 387 Prosser, WA 99350