3/27/15 newsletter

3/27/15 10:00 pm

Good Evening: This week was a get back into the swing of things. The last two days we have been bottling this years' Little Iza. It is another good vintage, have the same fruit forward character that our customers enjoy. It will be available at the winery tomorrow.

When we were working on the last 100 gallons Iza came and helped. She was putting the completed bottles into the cases after I put the labels onto them. She did a very good job almost to the end, then she wanted to run the labeling machine. I shook my head no to her. (It would not be a job she could handle.) In a few minutes she was gone off playing in the store and climbing on some of the pallets of wine. When we got to the last bottles we called Iza back to now put on some labels. She did the last four bottles of her namesake wine. It is good to see her involved and helping. click here to see last label by Little Iza LittleIzaLabelingLastBottle LittleIzaLabelingLastBottle If you'd like to be part of a bottling crew, email me at donmillner@gmail.com with the subject line "I love a good bottling party." Try it, You'll Like it!

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I also had a chance to work in the vineyard this week helping with the spring pruning. This is the dormant pruning which sets the bud count for this years' crop. We are over 3/4 done, with the grapes coming through this winter much better than last year. During this pruning we are cutting the great bulk of the plant off, leaving the trunks and cordons with buds where the growth will soon come. Jon has been busy in the winery this spring that Jim, Holly, and our youngest son Scott have done the bulk of the work. Anna has also been in the field to a lesser extent, myself probably the least. My pruner looks just like this one, but this is not my hand.

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Minnesota Crisp

If you are interested to have a keg of cider for a party or for your personal inventory they are available for $87 for a 1/6 barrel, over 5 gallons. That is about half the price of buying by the bottle. (Less than $17.40/gallon. Wow!) Jon has purchased an inventory of pump up tappers for your use. No additional cost, just deposit on the keg and the tapper.

Our current inventory of the 22 ounce bottles in now very low. I expect we will sell all the bottles on the shelves tomorrow. Next week Tuesday Jon is ready to bottle the last 500 gallons of MN Crisp, don't miss your chance. Again, this is made from 5 types of apples, all grown in Minnesota at Trump Orchard, Fairbault. The pressed juice is delivered to us to ferment with no additives or processing. It don't get any better than that.

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1. Note: Easter Sunday April 5th, we will be open at the winery until 6 PM. Our family get-together will be that evening. Iza will have to hunt for eggs by sunset lighting.

2. Next week April 2nd, we go back to our Thursday to Sunday store hours. 3. In April we are looking to do another customer appreciation meal event. Entry requires use of your Millner Heritage 6-pack bag, find you bag or buy a case and get it free.

4. Lastly, mark your calendar for Mother's Day on May 10th. We have another great event planned for you, details to come soon.

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Time for Trivia and Free wine.

Last week I gave two trivia questions listed below.

1. The photo below is our granddaughter Lisa eating her breakfast. As you can see much of her meal is on her face. The question is, what is she eating? Hint, the first letter is a "B".

The answer is Beans and the lucky winner is Eileen Pohlkamp from Pierz, Minnesota my original home town.

2. What is Mary touching in this metal box, rare everywhere but Houston has one? Hint, it is out of this world and yet you see it every month. (Not your mother-in-law.)

The answer is moon rock and the winner is Kirk Ryerson.

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Lastly, trying to think of something smart to say to close this newsletter, if you hang around our winery enough you might be able to do this.....

The video of him walking is on my face-book page at FaceBook . The history of our youngest son Scott walking on his hands started when he was maybe 8 or 9 yrs. old. He'd practice almost every night, slowly getting better. After a few years he got it. Good job Scott.