Bottling: 2019 Pinot Noir + 2020 Viognier

UPDATE: THIS EVENT IS FULL
06/12/2021    
3:00 pm-6:00 pm

2+2This event open ONLY to Garagistes who are 2+2 vaccinated
(that is, it’s been 2 weeks since your second shot). If you’re not vaccinated yet, no worries – there will be another bottling soon!

Important notes:

This first bottling in the slowly-emerging post-pandemic world will tackle our 2020 Viognier and our 2019 Pinot Noir. And while we’ll still be mindful of virus protocols (see below), CDC guidelines assure us that we if we’re all vaccinated, we can do it unmasked and with as many of us as we want.

So obviously, if you’re NOT 2+2, please plan to join us for a future bottling or event when you are.

That said, please bring a mask anyway if you’re going to attend (I’ll explain below).

Okay, on to the fun part. As is our time-honored custom, we’ll have 3 basic crews:

  • Upstairs labeling and boxing
  • Downstairs bottling and corking
  • Runners ferrying full cases and cleaning variables as necessary
  • (and maybe a cooking crew? See below, and this Slack discussion)

Labeling

As veterans of this crucial process know, this can put people fairly close to one another. So we’ll have a fan (can you bring one?), but even though it shouldn’t matter how close we are if we’re all vaccinated, I might suggest this: if you think you’re going to label, bring a mask.

Then let’s get it set up and see how it feels. If everyone’s comfortable without masks, then that’s great; if some folks are more comfortable with them on, but are okay with some folks not wearing them, we’ll do that; or we’ll all wear them and not worry. Obviously we’re all going to find the setup that ensures everyone has a good time (unless they came late and have to do neck labels, of course!).

I’ve bought 2 folding tables for use in dining; one might be used here to extend the labeling line and give some more space between people.

Bottling & Runners

Roger will be out of town, so we’ll need to assemble a series of mere mortals to do the corking he usually does all by himself. There’s more space built in to bottling, but we’ll also have a fan. Once we have our crew assembled, we’ll decide if we’re all okay without masks; a mixed crew of masked and unmasked as predilections dictate; or all masked. Again, everyone’s comfort should be our paramount guide.

Our early crew will not only have the bottler setup, we’ll also have our two wines in variables lined up to go. Our runners will circulate making sure everything is operating smoothly.

Potluck

Okay, you got me: all the above is the excuse for this! I’ve posted a thread on Slack about cooking, but the outline is the same it’s always been: please bring a dish to share!

Then, weather permitting, we’ll try to use my new back yard in the way I hoped in designing it: we’ll stretch 2 tables out into the space and all (or a lot more of us) dine together. I have a bunch of chairs, but I may need a few more…

Please use the comments below to tell everyone what dish you plan on bringing. If you don’t know right now, that’s fine, but please log back in to this event and leave a note here when you do.

For this event:

  • Please bring your mask. You may not have to use it, but it’ll be good to have as a backup.
  • Assume 3 hours of bottling mania, followed by celebration
  • Wear comfortable shoes and bring clothing you can get a little winey
  • Bring a side dish or dish to share at the potluck immediately following bottling
  • Do you have folding chairs and/or a biggish fan we can borrow? Let Matt know.
  • Please make plans to take away your shares on this night or the day after!

COVID-19 NOTE: Vaccinated or not, if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sudden loss of sense of smell, PLEASE STAY HOME.

Who's signed up so far:

Bookings are closed for this event.

  • Matt Giraud
  • Mark Springgate
  • Bram Wessel
  • Dave Petermeier
  • Holly Hoch
  • Michael Corrigan
  • Vicky Talmadge
  • Dina Kempler
  • Whit Draper
  • Bruce James
  • Jason Smesrud
  • Kate Bryant
  • Jeremy Appleton
  • David Ayer

COVID-19 NOTE: Vaccinated or not, if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sudden loss of sense of smell, PLEASE STAY HOME.

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