Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 14:30:00
Subject: Wilridge Winery's 2000 Vintage Release Party

ANNUAL VINTAGE RELEASE PARTY 
Wilridge Winery's annual wine vintage release party will be held on 
Wednesday, October 2, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the winery cellar at 
1416 34th Avenue (just off Union in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle). 


The party will feature the following wines from the outstanding 2000 
 vintage: 
2000 Klipsun Vineyard Merlot $29  
2000 Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $29 
2000 Nebbiolo di Klipsun $19 
2000 Stout Ranch Syrah (our first Syrah) $19 
2000 Mélange (Bordeaux-style blend) $19 

The release party is the one day of the year that all of Wilridge's 
wines are available for public tasting at no charge. A few rare wines 
from older vintages mayalso be available. Wilridge's wines usually sell 
out every year, so the party is your opportunity to get first crack 
at the new wines before they become available at restaurants and wine 
shops.  

In addition to an opportunity to taste and buy wine, winemaker Paul 
Beveridge will be on hand during the party to give tours of the winery 
and explain the winemaking process. This year, the release party occurs 
during the Fall grape harvest, so there will be grapes actively fermenting 
in the cellar and party-goers will be able to see the wine-making process 
first hand.  

 WILRIDGE IS OPENING A TASTING ROOM IN THE PIKE PLACE MARKET 
Wilridge is opening "The Tasting Room," the first cooperative wine > 
tasting > cellar in Washington State. The Tasting Room will be located 
at 1924 Post Alley (between Stewart and Virginia) in the heart of Seattle's 
famous Pike Place Market. For a small fee, you will be able to taste 
wines from several of Washington State's smallest "boutique" wineries 
while enjoying the ambience of a European-style wine "cave" in an historic 
Market building. The wines available for tasting will change each day, 
giving you a reason to visit often. And, on occasion, we may persuade 
former Madrona Bistro chef Lysle Wilhelmi to come out of retirement 
and whip up an antipasto plate or two. 

The Tasting Room will be open most days from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 
starting this Fall. We will send you an invitation to the Grand Opening 
festivities when they are scheduled and when we can release the names 
of all the other wineries that will participate. If you have any questions 
about the Tasting Room, please call Jen Doak at 206-770-WINE.

NEBBIOLO, THE WINE OF KINGS:
Wilridge winemaker Paul Beveridge (and family) spent the summer in Italy 
learning more about the intriguing Nebbiolo grape. Nebbiolo is the grape 
used to make Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is considered the King 
of Italian red grapes. Wilridge is one of only three wineries in Washington 
State that makes a Nebbiolo and has exclusive access to all of the Nebbiolo 
grown at the prestigious Klipsun Vineyards. Based on conversations with 
winemakers and viticulturists in Barolo and Barbaresco, Paul is working 
with Klipsun Vineyard manager Fred Artz on a radical vine trellis system 
that > should take Nebbiolo di Klipsun to new heights. Here is what 
the Wine Enthusiast Magazine had to say about Wilridge 1999 Nebbiolo 
di Klipsun: "91 Points. Nebbiolo has not distinguished itself in Washington, 
but here is the wine that could change all that. From the esteemed Klipsun 
Vineyard, it is a pretty, pinot-colored wine scented with tea, tobacco, 
pie cherry and hints of leather. Clean and aromatic, with sweet fruit 
and an amazingly long, spicy finish, it is a light wine, but quite serious 
and flavorful. Alas, just 226 cases made." 

A BIT OF BACKGROUND: 
Did you know that Wilridge has been making red wine in Seattle since 
1988? Originally, the wines were sold only at Madrona Bistro, a restaurant 
run by Paul's wife, Lysle Wilhelmi. When the restaurant closed, Paul 
and Lysle lifted the building and expanded the winery cellar to its 
current 2,000 case capacity. The wines are now sold at top restaurants 
and wine shops around the country. Over the years, Wilridge's wines 
have received many awards and accolades, including "Best American Merlot" 
from the Wine Enthusiast Magazine, multiple "ninety point plus" ratings, 
and gold medals. Recently, Klipsun Vineyard, from which Wilridge's most 
expensive wines are made, was declared one of the top twenty-five vineyards 
in the world. Paul and Lysle continue to live above the winery with 
their two sons (and future winemakers), Mack and Liam, and their black 
cat, Pinot Noir. 


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Wilridge Winery - Seattle, WA
http://www.wilridgewinery.com