[1 page newsletter rcvd 19-Sep-1998] ---------------------- Claar Cellars Uncorqed [sic] September 1998 1081 Glenwood Road, Mathews Corner, Pasco, WA 99301 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Our Cabernet is bottled and ready for purchase. Because of the winter of 1996, when we lost fruit and vines, we have a limited production -- only 400 cases so come and taste. "CATCH THE CRUSH" September 26 & 27 We are participating again this year in the Tri-Cities Winery "Catch The Crush" Weekend Saturday and Sunday, Sep. 26 & 27 from 10:00am until 5:00pm. We keep making changes to the winery, so come and see what we've done. We'll be having our 2nd Estate Crush with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Chardonnay and Riesling. Our bottling line is up and running and we'll have Riesling Ice Wine, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Rieslings to taste and purchase. Please come and visit with us. Sleep Inn of Pasco If you need a place to stay while you're in the Tri-Cities for the "Catch The Crush" or any other time try the Sleep Inn, 509-545-9554, exit 7 on I-182 by the Broadmoor Park Outlet Mall. It's brand new, beautiful, has free continental breakfast and an indoor pool. Ask for the Claar Cellars discount! 2nd Annual Grape Stomp Join us at 3:00pm Saturday Sep. 26 during "Catch The Crush". We'll be having Individual and Corporate Division contests. Teams of two -- one to stomp and one to fill the bottle. Fastest team to fill the bottle with juice wins. Claar Cellars Grape Stomper ribbons for everyone, Champion Ribbons for the winners and a trophy for the Corporate Division winner. Advance registration recommended. Call 509-266-4634. Homestead Restaurant Barbecue will be available to purchase 11:30am to closing. "CATCH THE CRUSH" CASE SPECIAL 40% off on 96 WHITE & 96 LATE HARVEST RIESLING. 1998 Nouveau Celebration We will be celebrating again this year in the French tradition by "rushing" to release a Nouveau the 3rd Thu. in Nov. A Nouveau Celebration will be held at the Work Force Training Center Building in the Columbia Basin College Campus at 6:30pm Nov. 19. There will be Nouveau and Chez Chaz will cater gourmet hors d'hoeuvres. We're inviting wineries statewide to join the fun and produce a Nouveau. Tickets will be for sale at the winery, Wine Works and at the door. Profit made at the celebration will be donated to the Nouveau Fund at CBC to support Enology/Viticulture education. So come and have some fun and help a good cause. Seating is limited so get your tickets early. Our Nouveau will be for sale at the winery, Wine Works and at Thriftway, Columbia Center Blvd, and $1.00 of each bottle sold will got to the Nouveau Fund. Our winemaker, Tom Di Bello, will be at Thriftway Fri. Nov. 20 from 4pm - 6pm to talk about wine and sign bottles. CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Sat. Dec. 5 from 11am-4pm Nouveau and hot spiced Riesling to sample Nouveau History Nouveau wine started in France 50 years ago. It was then and is now the focus of a gala celebration to announce releasing the first wine of the new harvest, the third Thu in Nov. when wineries race their wine to bistros and restaurants in nearby towns. These new wines are made using a special process called Nouveau or "new" wine. Instead of crushing and fermenting the grapes in the usual manner, whole clusters of grapes are carefully laid in a tank, so the fruit is intact. The juice ferments inside each berry in only a few weeks -- this natural process is called carbonic maceration. When the winemaker thinks it's time -- clusters and the juice in the tank are pressed off, put back into a tank, racked, filtered, bottled immediately, and rushed to market where it should be purchased and enjoyed at once!