Aaaah, the end of Summer. We’re having beautiful weather and perfect temperatures at the winery. James and Lisa are busy tending the vineyard and washing out barrels all in preparation for the 2010 crush (maybe sneaking in a few hours of kite boarding as well). Ava is getting ready to go back to school and Sara and Poppie are getting the tasting room ready for our Labor Day weekend open house and release of the 2008 Cuvée Elena. So much going on and harvest hasn’t even started yet!

In This issue:

· Labor Day Weekend

· 2008 Cuvée Elena and 2009
….Roussanne Release

· Wine Club Charge and Ship Dates

· Lyle Fire

· Harvest Intern Needed at Syncline

Labor Day Weekend

Please join us September 2nd though the 6th from 11-6 for our annual Labor Day Weekend open house where we will be pouring our flagship wine, the 2008 Cuvée Elena. Saturday and Sunday we will be joined once

again by Eric John Kaiser, The French Troubadour from 1-5. His wonderful music is the perfect accompaniment for fresh artisan cheeses and Rhone style wines. Bring the whole family, we’ve got healthy snacks and a fun swing for the kids as well!

2008 Cuvée Elena and 2009 Roussanne Release

We’re excited to announce the release of our 2008 Cuvée Elena on September 2nd. This vintage is a blend of A blend of 48% Grenache / 24% Mourvedre / 13% Syrah / 10% Counoise / 5% Cinsault. We’ve only produced 250 cases of this exquisite wine and it sells out very quickly year after year.

· Cuvee Elena $35.00 a bottle / $378.00 per case
· Club Price $28 a bottle / $336.00 per case

We are also releasing our acclaimed 2009 Rousanne on September 2nd.  This is a complex white wine, we refer to as “a red wine drinkers white”. Nothing pairs better with Oysters, scallops, lobster and soft, rich cheeses.

· Roussanne $22.00 a bottle / $237.60 per case
· Club price $17.60 a bottle / $211.20 per case

You can order both of these superb wines online to have your bottles shipped to you or you may pick up at the winery Thursday though Sunday from 11-6.

Syncline Wine Club Charge and Shipping Dates

It’s that time again! The September Club selection will be the 2008 Cuvée Elena.

For members who pick up their selection at the winery we will charge your card on September 1st. You may pick up your selection Thursday-Sunday between 11-6.

For members who have their wine shipped to them we will charge your card September 8th and ship your wine Monday the 13th weather permitting. If there is a delay in shipping you will be contacted.

If you have new credit card information, a new billing or shipping address, or any questions regarding your order please e-mail Sara and I will be happy to help you.

We’ve had a wonderful summer thanks to all of you and will be announcing some exciting club exclusives this fall. Please make sure to check the calendar of events as we’ve added a few special tastings and winemaker dinners.

Highway 8 Complex Fire

Thank you to everyone for your concern about the fire that started near Cor Cellars on Thursday August 26th. We wanted to let you all know that none of the Lyle wineries were affected by the fire or the smoke.

The fire is now mostly contained and all the residents of Lyle are back in their homes. Unfortunately our neighbor lost his barn and his entire stock of hay and winter firewood. If you’d like to help Smitty we’ll let you know how in next month’s newsletter.

Harvest Intern Needed!

James is looking for help during the 2010 Harvest. The season consists of long days of processing grapes and cleaning equipment. If you or someone you know has an interest or experience in working crush. Please e-mail James your information and experience.

As always, thank you for all of your continued support,
James, Poppie, Ava and Naomi

Fire Photos: Kelly Phipps & Jame Mantone
(Design & photography: David Lloyd Imageworks)

The fire is now mostly contained and all the residents of Lyle are back in their homes. Unfortunately our neighbor lost his barn and his entire stock of hay and winter firewood. If you’d like to help Smitty we’ll let you know how in next month’s newsletter.

*Photos by Kelly Phipps and James Mantone

In This issue:

Two Upcoming Portland Events

Summer Shipping

Thank you for all of your continued support,
Poppie, James, Ava and Naomi

(Design & photography: David Lloyd Imageworks)

2009 Grüner Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner $20.00 a bottle- $216.00 a case
Club Price $16.00 a bottle- $192.00 a case

Subduction White $18.00 a bottle- $194.40 a case
Club Price $14.40 a bottle- $172.80 a case

New Release Tech Notes

Interested in digging into the detailed information about our exciting new releases: the 2009 Grüner Veltliner and 2009
Subduction White? Download our detailed Tech Notes sheets for these wonderful wines.

2009 Grüner Veltliner Tech Notes.PDF

2009 Subduction White Tech Notes.PDF

Save the date! 2010 Syncline Club Member Party

Our annual wine club member celebration will be July 23rd and July 24th. We hope our wine club members will be able to join us on either date for an evening of dinner, music, dancing, and wine. We’ll once again open our library wines for purchase (and consumption!)  It’s truly a special event. Invitations will be mailed shortly, please email Sara with any questions or information on joining our wine club.

Our Summer Shipping Policy

When (if?) the temperatures hit the mid-80′s in your area it will be too hot to ship safely via UPS ground. Any orders placed where it is too warm will be held at Syncline until we feel we can ship safely. If you must have your wine shipped, we will accommodate after signing a heat waiver and at your own risk. Two day and overnight shipping is also available. Please email Sara with any questions. The upside on this cool Spring? We can still ship in the Northwest.

Syncline Wine Dinner at Volunteer Park Cafe

Naomi
Lucia
Mantone

James, Poppie and Ava are thrilled to announce the arrival of Naomi Lucia Mantone! Naomi was born on May 5th at 7:20am weighing 8 pounds and 9 ounces. Come say hello next time you’re at the winery.

We appreciate your comments and questions. Please send us an e-mail or give us a call 509-365-4361 with any questions. You can also visit us at the winery Thursday through Sunday from 11-6.

Thank you for all of your continued support,
Poppie, James, Ava and Naomi

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(Design & photography: David Lloyd Imageworks)

Please join us at the winery to celebrate the start of summer at our Memorial Day Weekend open house Thursday May 27th-Monday May 31st from 11-6. We’ll have a wonderful selection of beautiful artisan cheeses, gourmet chocolates and new releases to taste. On Sunday Eric John Kaiser “The French Trubador” will be preforming at the winery from 1-4. Rose and French Music makes for a perfect Sunday. Bring your friends by for a game of Bocce Ball, check out the new buds on the vines and taste some amazing wines. Hope to see you!

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(Design & photography: David Lloyd Imageworks)

In This issue:

May Syncline Wine Club Shipment/Pickup

The Wine Club Release for May is the elegant 2008 McKinley Springs Syrah. Nicknamed the “Espresso Block,” McKinley Springs gives us some of the most intense Syrah we produce. We also have a white wine option for you, the beautiful and fragrant 2009 Viognier. The McKinley Springs Syrah will be charged and shipped to you automatically on Monday May 10th (weather permitting of course) If you are interested in adding or replacing a bottle or two of Syrah with the Viognier please email Sara or give us a call as soon a s possible. Both these wines are produced in extremely limited quantities so stock up for summer now!

McKinley Springs Syrah $30.00 a bottle- $324.00 a case
Club Price $24.00 a bottle- $288.00 a case

Viognier $20.00 a bottle- $302.40 a case
Club Price $22.50 a bottle- $270.00 a case

New Release Tech Notes

Interested in digging into the detailed information about our exciting new releases: the 2008 MCKinley Springs Syrah and 2009 Viognier? Download our detailed Tech Notes sheets for these wonderful wines.

2009 Viognier Tech Notes.PDF

2008 McKinley Springs Syrah Tech Notes.PDF

Memorial Day Weekend Open House

Please join us at the winery to celebrate the start of summer at our Memorial Day Weekend open house Thursday May 27th-Monday May 31st from 11-6. We’ll have a wonderful selection of beautiful artisan cheeses, gourmet chocolates and new releases to taste. On Sunday Eric John Kaiser “The French Trubador” will be preforming at the winery from 1-4. Rose and French Music makes for a perfect Sunday. Bring your friends by for a game of Bocce Ball, check out the new buds on the vines and taste some amazing wines. Hope to see you!

Bright New Face In The Tasting Room

Please welcome our fabulous new tasting room associate, Jorgia! Jorgia is a recent transplant from the East Coast and will be helping you with your tasting and purchases when you come visit the winery. Come say hello the next time you’re in.

We appreciate your comments and questions. Please send us an e-mail or give us a call 509-365-4361 with any questions. You can also visit us at the winery Thursday through Sunday from 11-6.

Thank you for all of your continued support,
Poppie, James and Ava

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(Design & photography: David Lloyd Imageworks)

Spring and all the
wonderful things
the new season brings.

New season, new releases! Happy Spring everyone!
In this issue:

· New Spring Releases
· Wine Tech Notes
· Passport Weekend
· Club information

New Spring Releases

We are pleased to announce the release of our highly anticipated wines, the 2008 Mourvédre and 2008 Pinot Nior. Both these wines sell out very quickly and you can order online or visit us at the winery. Please keep in mind these wines are still very young, and should be decanted before serving or held.

Mourvédre
$30.00 a bottle- $324.00 a case
Club Price $24.00 a bottle- $288.00 a case

Pinot Nior
$28.00 a bottle- $302.40 a case
Club Price $22.50 a bottle- $270.00 a case

This week marks the arrival of the 2009 Rosé, a Spring favorite!

“This bright dry wine, a saignée of 37% Cinsault, 35% Counoise, 12% Grenache, 11% Mourvedre, 5% Carignan is loaded with strawberry and watermelon flavors. Delightfully fruity, yet complex and flavorful; this is the perfect accompaniment to summer meals.”

Stop by the winery and have a taste, it’s happiness in a glass!

Rosé
$16.00 a bottle- $172.80 a case
Club Price $12.80 a bottle- 153.60 a case

New Release Tech Notes

Appellations, vineyards, pairings and tasting notes, Oh my! Interested in digging into the detailed information about our exciting new releases: the 2008 Mourvédre, 2008 Pinot Nior and the 2009 Rosé? Download our detailed Tech Notes sheets for these wonderful wines.

2008 Mourvédre Tech Notes.PDF

2008 Pinot Noir Tech Notes.PDF

2008 Rosé Tech Notes.PDF

Passport Weekend

Just a reminder, the wineries of the Columbia Gorge AVA are hosting our 2nd annual passport weekend. Tickets are $15 and grant you access to all participating wineries of the Columbia Gorge. It’s the perfect weekend to introduce your friends to some of the up and coming wineries of Lyle. If you can’t make it out to the Gorge you can meet us in Portland for the Passport Weekend Preview tasting, 5-8pm at the Hotel Monaco. Hope to see you there!

Club Information

Our next scheduled wine club shipment will be the 2008 McKinley Springs Syrah. You will also have the opportunity to swap or add our Spring whites, the 2009 Roussanne and 2009 Viognier. We will be charging your credit card on Friday May 1st and shipping on Monday May 3rd. Please drop us a note if your credit card or shipping information has changed. Interested in joining the wine club? You can read all about it here!

Please e-mail Sara or give us a call 509-365-4361 with any questions. You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter or visit us at the winery Thursday through Sunday from 11-6. Thank you for all of your continued support!

Cheers, James, Poppie and Ava.

  
(Photography and design by David Lloyd Imageworks) 

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We’ve had some wonderful weeks of sunshine and mild temperatures, which makes pruning the vineyards an almost pleasant task. Up on the hillside the Grass Widows, Prairie Stars, Desert Parsley and Buttercups are beginning to bloom and the garden is planted. We released two new wines last month, The 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah and our 2008 Grenache-Carignan and have been getting a lot of positive feedback on both. If you haven’t tasted them yet plan a trip out to the Gorge, they are selling fast!

· Whites On Sale
· Cold Weather Shipping
· Events This Week
· Wine Enthusiast Scores
· Open House Pictures
· Thank you Nora

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Winter White Sale

To celebrate these last few weeks of Winter we are offering you 10% on our two White wines, the crisp and fragrant Subduction White and the lovely and elegant Roussanne. Both of these wines will not return again until the summer, so stock up while you can! You can purchase them at the winery, or order online using the offer code ‘whitesale’ at checkout. An extra 10% off means our wine club members save 30%!

Cold Weather Shipping

Syncline Wine Cellars would like to assure you are purchasing wine of the hig hest quality. When shipping is less than ideal (like is has been in most parts of the country this winter) we hold your wines at the winery until a window of agreeable weather appears to ship your wine safely. Please take advantage of ordering online, knowing your wine will be shipped when safe to do so. Special note for wine club members- As of this newsletter the weather is still too cold to ship safely to the Mid-west and East coast. We are planning on shipping all remaining wine club shipments on March 15th, weather permitting of course. Please e-mail Sara with any questions.

Events this week

There are lots of exciting events are coming up, here are two that are happening this week. Check the calendar of events for more including Taste of Washington, Passport Weekend in the Gorge and our Spring Releases.

Thursday the 4th of March join James at Palace Kitchen “Meet the winemaker” tasting, Seattle

‘The bustling bar scene and open kitchen with applewood burning grill set the mood at Palace Kitchen‘

This Friday March 5th Sara will be pouring at Cork on Alberta in Portland from 4-7.

‘cork · a bottle shop is a unique shopping experience, featuring hand-selected wines from around the world with a strong focus on value priced wines. We keep our focus on supporting sustainable producers – whether they’re certified organic, biodynamic or just committed to sustainable farming and winemaking practices.’

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Another Wine Enthusiast Score Released

Points – 2007 Steep Creek Ranch

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Valentine’s Day Weekend Open House Pictures

What a great time we had last month at our open house! The weather was gorgeous and the music and laughter is always fun. Thanks to everyone who made it out, it’s always wonderful to see you. Make sure to mark your calendars for Passport Weekend in the Gorge next month!

We’ll Miss You Nora!

A Our lovely tasting room associate Nora is moving to Walla Walla next month to begin an exciting new adventure. We’ll miss her infectious smile and laughter in the tasting room everyday. Thank you for everything and best of luck!

Cheers,

James, Poppie and Ava

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Syncline Calendar of Events:
March 4th “Meet the winemaker” tasting at Palace Kitchen Seattle, Washington	March 5th Syncline wine tasting at Cork wine shop 2901 NE Alberta Street Portland, Oregon 4:00pm-7:00pm
March 18th Pouring at Mantra 2707 NE 114th Avenue Vancouver, Washington	March 27th and 28th Taste of Washington Seattle, Washington
April 1st 2008 Mourvedre and 2008 Pinot Noir Released	April 5th Passport Weekend Preview Hotel Monaco 506 SW Washington Portland, Oregon
April 9th-11th Passport Weekend Wineries of the Columbia Gorge Oregon-Washington	April 10th Columbia Gorge Celebration for Hospice Best Western 1108 East Marina Way Hood River, OR
April 9th-10th McMenamins Celebration of Syrah Edgefield Hotel 2126 S.W. Halsey St. Troutdale, OR

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  (Photography and design by David Lloyd Imageworks) 

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Valentine’s Day Open House This Weekend!

Please join us for an exciting open house this Thursday through Sunday at the winery. Celebrate Valentine’s Day by tasting our two new releases, the 2008 Grenache-Carignan and the 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah. These wines will be expertly paired with artisan cheeses and gourmet chocolate from around the world. We’ll also have live music by the amazing Tyler Matthew Smith on Saturday from 11-4. You will not want to miss this!

Wine Club Shipment

All Midwest and East Coast February Wine Club Shipments have been held at the winery due to cold weather conditions. Wine to all other locations have been shipped. If you have not received your wine please e-mail Sara and we will track it down for you.

New Release Tech Notes

Appellations, vineyards, pairings and tasting notes, Oh my! Interested in digging into the detailed information about our exciting new releases: the 2008 Grenache-Carignan and the 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah? Download our detailed Tech Notes sheets for these wonderful wines.

2008 Grenache-Carignan.pdf

2008 Columbia Valley Syrah.pdf

You can order online or stop by the winery Thursday through Sunday from 11-6.

Ava’s Organic Eggs

Ava has farm fresh eggs for sale at the winery. These gorgeous eggs are from pasture raised chickens and are 100% Organic.

You can purchase them at the winery for $4.00 a dozen.

Thank you for getting us off to a great start this year, hope to see you at the winery!

Cheers,
James, Poppie and Ava

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(Photography and design by David Lloyd Imageworks)

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Happy New Year!

January is the quietest time at the winery. The vines are and the 2009 Vintage resting comfortably in the barrel. We’re gearing up for another busy and exciting year with new wines, a new club level and new events. 

In this issue:

· New Wine Releases
· Wine Club Shipment
· Valentine’s Weekend
· Wine Enthusiast Scores

2008 Grenache-Carignan

We’ve released a brand new wine for you! For seekers of adventure, we have produced a lively and fun red blend. With this limited bottling, we offer a wine of great personality. You will find it loaded with pomegranate, cherry and raspberry aromas and flavors, topped with sweet baking spices, finished with a juicy, yet refined texture.
Itʼs easy to find you have finished the bottle and are wondering – ʻis it ok to open up another?ʼ – go for it. Weʼll keep making more. This wine reminds us of the wonderful Rhone Villages table wines you are served at restaurants during the mandatory two hour lunch break when in Provence, France. Great food matches are: a diversity of slow roasted meats like chicken, turkey, quail, rabbit, frog legs, root vegetable beef stew and ham – or, have it as we do – with lunch!

· $20.00 a bottle, $216.00 a case
· Wine Club Members $16.00 a bottle, $192.00 a case

2008 Columbia Valley Syrah

We’re also releasing The 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah. Blended to showcase classic Washington Syrah, this wine draws from two Horse
Heaven Hills vineyards and one Wahluke Slope vineyard. Brilliant deep ruby color with purple/red interior. Complex aromatics of blackberries and roasted cacao bean accentuate this concentrated Syrah. In the mouth this wine leads off with dark bramble
fruits, and meaty aromas, followed by olive stones, spice, and violets. Substantial weight is brightened by a backbone of acidity and ripe tannins. The tiny hint of Mourvedre blended adds a bit of brightening plum flavors. An intriguing combination of finesse and power that is sure to improve over time.

· $25.00 a bottle, $300.00 a case
· Wine Club Members $22.00 a bottle, $240.00 a case

Wine Club Shipment

This wine club shipment will be the 2008 Grenache-Carignan and the 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah. We will be charging your wine club shipment on the 23rd of January, and all wine will be shipped February 1st. Please e-mail Sara if your shipping or credit card information needs to be updated.

If you normally pick up your wine, we will be charging your card on February 4th. The winery will re-open on February 4th at 11am, and we will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11-6.

Valentine’s Day Weekend Open House

Our first open house of the year takes place February 11th-14th.  Come celebrate with fine wine, artisan cheese and gourmet chocolate while surrounded by the breathtakingly romantic backdrop of the Columbia Gorge. Bring your sweetheart and come sample some wine, cheese and chocolates with us this year.

New Wine Enthusiast Scores Released

2007 Cuvée Elena Red Wine

2008 Subduction Red

2008 Subduction White

2008 Roussanne

We still have a few cases left of Subduction White, Roussanne and Cuvee Elena at the winery. You can order online or stop by the winery after February 4th.

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Wishing you a wonderful 2010 from all of us at Syncline. We hope to see you soon!

Cheers,
James, Poppie and Ava

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(Photography and design by David Lloyd Imageworks)

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