Autumn at Bear Creek

Greetings,

Thanks to everyone for coming out to the Winery last Friday for Happy Hour and Saturday afternoon. We were so excited to see our friends from the past and meet many of you for the first time. How about those gals from Fergus Falls? Talk about fun!!!

We finished picking the grapes about 2 weeks ago and all the wines have completed primary fermentation. The Vintage Year 2018 will include the dry white Sheyenne, a new semi sweet white La Crescent, a sweet Rosé White Marquette, an off dry Simply Red, a new sweet white Frontenac Blanc, the trademark dry red Old Truck, an estate bottled vintage dry red Petite Pearl, a new dry red Crimson Pearl, another new dry red Verona, and a ruby port (no name yet). They are in the tanks settling out and waiting to be racked and transferred to the barrels. The rosé and whites will be ready in 8 months and the reds in about a year and a half. Yes, the new Verona is named after the cities of Verona in the Veneto wine region of Italy and my hometown Verona, North Dakota. There will be much anticipation of its release next year! Verona is small town in southeast ND right in the middle of Lisbon, Oakes and LaMoure. If I remember right, the Verona Cardinals in high school sports always crushed the Broncos, Tornados and the Loboes! Also, we will be making an apple cider next week to add to our collection of wines.

Opening the tasting room has exceeded what we had expected in terms of business and fun! I can't say enough about the three amigos, Sean, Kelsy, and Jake! It’s refreshing for Sue and I to see the passion they exhibit about the grape and wine industry. But most of all, its great to see our customers having a great time at the winery!

Ok, back to the Den! We hope to see you this weekend, Bison game on in the loft. I am looking forward to that 5 month hibernation this winter!

Cheers, Rod