Harvest is upon us, and the energy at Saddlehill is electrifying! We've crushed 50 tons of grapes so far, with 200 tons projected. Watching our winemaker Peter and his team work their magic, guiding the grapes from vine to fermentation tank, has been a fascinating experience.
Our farm crew is also doing a fantastic job protecting the grapes from hungry critters, ensuring they reach their peak ripeness. You might have noticed hawk kites soaring out in the vineyards. These act as a deterrent to keep those pesky grape eaters away.
And in other exciting news, we've added goats to our farm family! If you haven’t stopped by to see them yet make sure you do. As my granddaughter tells me, “The baby goats are so cute!” Like all of our animals, the goats will serve a purpose here. Their milk will be used to make goat milk soap. All of our non-wine products in the shop are under the direction of Kalee Emery, who also runs our programming and classes. Look out for more offerings, especially as we approach the holiday season.
This month, we’ve continued to expand our programming offerings. Our goal is to share the beauty of our property with more of the community and offer new ways to enjoy our beautiful farm. We’re excited to do that with our classes and judging by the response, they have been a success. We're thrilled to introduce Sound Bath Meditation, Boozy Bootcamp, Guided Journaling, and Wine 101 to our lineup. These classes are filling up quickly, so don't miss out!
We're also preparing to enter the retail market and sell wholesale to liquor and wine stores. To support this expansion, we've welcomed a new staff member, Shannon Sciarra, to our team. We’re excited to expand the Saddlehill reach beyond our Voorhees tasting room, and make it even more convenient to pick up a bottle of Saddlehill wine. Stay tuned to learn more about where you can find us on the shelf.
This month, I also had the privilege of exploring Porto and the Douro Valley in Portugal. It was an eye-opening trip, and I learned a tremendous amount about port wines. It was so interesting to compare our port-style wine, Vinho de Sobremesa, to the wines I was drinking in Portugal. I gained a true appreciation for the style and I look forward to incorporating what I learned into our port program at Saddlehill.
You may have noticed some of our wines are sold out. One of our ongoing challenges is educating guests new to the world of wineries about the intricacies of winemaking. We're working to help them understand that it's a process deeply connected to the rhythms of nature. The vineyards only produce a crop once per year. So, when we run out of a particular wine, it's not as simple as flipping a switch to make more. We have to wait until next year’s harvest and see what the vineyards produce for us.
Shifting gears, we're thrilled to announce Lisa Owen’s promotion from Wine Ambassador to Wine Educator! In addition to leading our popular Wine 101 classes, she'll be expanding our tours and guided tasting programs. Lisa will also be at the helm of our newly launched wine club, where members can enjoy fantastic discounts on our club wines.
As always, thank you for your continued support. We're excited to share this journey with you.
Cheers,
Bill Green