May brings the long-anticipated celebration of our annual “Wine and Roses” event up here at the red schoolhouse. Due to the warm and non-existent winter, the roses actually started almost a month early this year! We’ve already experienced some of the most amazing blooms ever up at the Schoolhouse!
Out in the gazebo garden, there is an explosion of color and fragrance in the newly replanted rose garden, and we invite you to bring Mom up to smell the flowers and enjoy them next weekend, before summer’s heat sets in. The garden will be open weekends in May beginning May 10th.
Meanwhile, the grapevines are blooming and setting grape clusters and thriving after some much-welcome March and April rainfall. Come up for a visit, sip some excellent Burrell School wine and take the time to stroll and smell the roses, as well as the beautifully fragrant grape blossoms.
EVENTS
May 10th—Saratoga Wine Stroll, 2:30 to 6pm in beautiful downtown Saratoga. www.saratogachamber.org
May 11th—Mothers Day, blossoms for Moms here at the winery
May 18th—Santa Cruz Wine Walk, 3 to 6pm in downtown Santa Cruz.
May 22nd—National Chardonnay Day. Come see why this one is called “Teacher’s Pet” in honor of Anne, who planted each and every one of those vines by hand.
May 24th, 25th & 26th—Cellar Alumni Sale here at the winery. Taste and purchase gems from Dave’s wine library. One of the most anticipated and beloved events of the year for students at the Schoolhouse!
May 31 & June 1: New Release Party in the Garden, with new vintages of 2011 Chardonnay, 2011 Merlot, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Valedictorian.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Drum roll, please—Burrell School Vineyards is celebrating our 20th anniversary in the wine business this year. We received our federal bond on October 6th, 1994. And, after 20 years of growing, harvesting, wine making, bottling, tasting, selling and meeting the best people in the world, we’re still having fun.
We’ll be sharing history lessons throughout the year and will have some very special events scheduled for October.
MAY HISTORY LESSON
Here at Burrell School, Anne began planting the first Chardonnay vines in February, 1990. 300 vines went in and, not very wisely, Anne volunteered to water them with a hose (actually 5 very long hoses) during their first growing season. The next year, we planted 2000 more Chardonnay vines, along with installing a drip irrigation system. Thank goodness for drip!!
WINE SPECIALS
Join our Wine Sippers Club and receive a 30% discount on your purchases on the day you sign up. Plus, receive a free bottle of wine!!!