BRANDY (The song not the drink)

Its funny how, when you least expect it, the whole atmosphere of a place can change. Take last Saturday…


The winery was happily humming along, busy with a quad-annual wine trail event. Now keep in mind that at our establishment, the “fun” quotient generally runs around 9.6. So the escalation to a 10 takes only a modicum of encouragement.

To set the scene, one of our beloved co-workers loves the song BRANDY. (By “loves”, I mean that she has written instructions that this *hymn* be played at her funeral. SERIOUSLY.) We pay homage to the tune most Saturdays, often more than once. We consider it a sort of talisman, a good karma charm, if you will. After several years of this routine, a few of our repeat guests have actually begun to request we play the tune. And this is what happened last Saturday. Since we aim to please, the song was queued up. Without warning, the tables were unceremoniously shoved backed and the dancing began. Like rapidly spreading wildfire the whole place burst into motion. Strangers became friends, all bonding to the refrain of “...you’re a fine girl - what a good wife you would be…” Those who weren’t dancing became Idol-like crooners with wine glass microphones. Dancers snaked the length of the place, hands on the hips of the body ahead.

When BRANDY ended, tables were whooshed back in place and those who were strangers only three minutes prior, reveled in new-found friendships. Back to a 9.6.

Ah, the power of BRANDY.

DUDE! You DIDN’T just do that!!!

Saturday snippet…


And still it continues, another busy fall day in the tasting room. We’re mobbed. Guests are happily mingling shoulder-to-shoulder, enjoying the day, the wine, the music, the moment. A peanut could not be squeezed into the tasting room at this particular point.


When, for some inexplicable reason, one of our guests is possessed by an uncontrollable urge to see the bottomside of a dump bucket and proceeds to upend the whole thing. On purpose. (dump bukit; receptacle of rejected wine-“too sweet”, ”too sour”, too much. Stems and pieces. Crap.)


“DUDE! You DIDN’T just do that!!!” says a formerly good-natured staff member.

Freed from the confines of the dump bucket, the reject wine-blend is now racing along the bar covering all innocent objects in its path, human and otherwise. The drosophila are massing overhead, thanking the lord of the fruit flies for the bounty of which they are about to receive. A precious rack of clean glasses must be re-washed, counters and guests wiped clean, floor mopped. An already stretched-to-the-breaking-point staff must be re-deployed. Meanwhile, Rome is burning…

staff deployed to clean spill

Eventually, surfaces are scrubbed, momentum is regained, order is restored. 

One of many such instances on a typical...

 Saturday in the tasting room.

DIRTY DOZEN BREAK RECORD



a dozen disciples

     of a vintner named Mawby

          just smashed a record long-standing



of flights well-served

     to guests who deserved

          great service without demanding



the place was on fire

     with music and motion

          the crew serving wine world-class

     when all’s said and done



     great work and great fun



but WOW - we really kicked ass





before...



                                                                 



during...









after...





 

















Saturday. The Calm Before the Storm...

Parking lot, prior to opening

Combine harvest, peak autumn color, crisp autumn sunshine and what do you get? A manic day in the tasting room.

Burgeoning sippers, seasoned oenophiles and curious leaf peepers will soon descend, all hoping to experience the magical process of harvest to juice to wine. Some are not interested in magical processes. They’re simply on the hunt for a relaxing day (and a good grape buzz).

Early arrival is a must in order to prepare for the onslaught of thirsty wine seekers. Much to be done prior to the opening bell. Count all the bees in the hive…

Stock wine


Prep food for paid tastings


Sweep (why bother??)


Set up bar(s)


Run around like chicken minus head


Open bottles


Open more bottles


Lather. Rinse. Repeat. (These steps and many, many others will be repeated several times during the course of the day.)

Deep breath


Turn the sign from SHUT to OPEN. Stand back and


Let the games begin…



Doors open.....(just kidding)



Parking lot early afternoon.  (Yes, that is a traffic director.)

From Humble to Hollywood

Earlier this week our modest tasting room morphed into a movie set. A production team from “The Sleeping Bear Movie” swooped in like a SWAT team to set the scene for actors from L.A. to sip bubbly and contemplate life from a Leelanau perspective. Unsuspecting customers and staff were pressed into service as extras. Lights were hung, curtains were draped and the magic bubbly flowed.


For me, it went something like this:


“Rehearse, Take one.”


“Rehearse again.”


“Quiet! Again…”


OK. “ACTION!”


“Please walk more slowly; the cameraman can’t keep up with you.”


Take five. “ACTION!”


“Could you stand a little closer? Here-we’ll put a tape mark on the floor for you.”

Take six.  "ACTION!"


“DON’T LOOK AT THE MARK!”


Take eight.  "ACTION!"


“Could you PLEASE stand a little closer? I know it feels weird but you’re not the director.”


Take twelve. “ACTION!”


“HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!  WHAT  IS  THAT  NOISE??”


(It’s one of our dedicated winemaker/cellarhands, maneuvering the front-end loader in close proximity to the “set”. Her cargo of pomace (grape skins, residue) is being returned to the earth from whence it came - you know, ashes to ashes, pomace to compost.)  It is harvest time, after all, and we are a working winery!


Wait...wait for it… OK, composting complete, quiet has resumed.


Take fifteen. “ACTION!”


“Uh, geez, our super-sonic, hypersensitive movie-making microphone just recorded you and your co-worker (in another room) discussing SEX.” (It was the wine of the SAME NAME, not the deed. Seriously.)


Take eighteen. “ACTION!”





And so it went.




Ultimately, the clapper board made its final, crisp snap and the day was officially a “wrap”. Set dismantled, cords coiled, gear packed. The crew and actors whooshed out as quickly as they came.


But not before sampling a bit of bubbly.






Note: If hard work and considerate, thoughtful behavior are keys to success, this group has that portion nailed. Visit them here: http://www.rcwpictures.com/

"One must wait until the evening

           to see how splendid the day has been."

                                                         -Will Rogers

Wine Tasting on a Saturday night

Last evening the gang (I mean staff) from the tasting room gathered for an informal tasting of red Zinfandels. Over several hours, five different wines were compared and contrasted, swirled, sloshed and sipped, with food and without food. Interestingly, a relatively easy consensus was reached by our relatively diverse group on the most pleasing member of this particular Zinfandel pack. (The favorite will be revealed shortly.) Firstly, you must know that “proper” glassware was not involved here. As I mentioned, we’re an informal group sharing a common bond of employment, friendship and wine-lust. All of the wines “opened up” as the evening progressed. Those whom earlier had been pronounced, well, less-favorable, improved with air time. No wines were deemed undrinkable. Retail prices ranged from $16 to $35. The nearly unanimous favorite was Sequum Zinfandel Dry Creek ’05, described on the website thusly:

           

“A medium-high intensity ruby color is the first impression of our Dry
Creek Zinfandel. The nose is laced with aromas of cocoa, quince,
cranberry, boysenberry and pretty oak. The palate is sweet, complex
and very aromatic. The enticing finish is intertwined with black licorice,
orange zest, rose petal and clove flavors that are complex yet
appealing.”

A collective “WOW” from our humble group.

 
Another spectacular creation from Maggie at the Silvertree Deli
 
 
 
 

Fabulous poached pear with fromage bleu infusion and Zinfandel sauce on edible spring greens.  Painstakingly created and wonderfully presented by chef Matt at Silvertree.