This holiday I have received some beautiful thoughtful hand made gifts - that just warmed my heart... thank you ... : ) - For Christmas Brian and I did VERY little... and it was just lovely!  in fact on Christmas evening we went to bed at about 6pm watched a movie and didn't get up till 9am the next day.. now that's a wonderful holiday...

 

 

in big table farm news we picked up our labels from our letterpress printer and they look AMAZING!! we will start labeling in the coming weeks and new wines come march... I'm excited about these new 2011 wines and the labels too : )

 

cheers!

winter meat

 

We've been hunkering in for winter around here - the wood stove is roaring full time now as we head to the shortest day and longest night we've been slowing down quite a bit! It's been a really welcome change of pace for brian and I going to bed early watching movies under the thick wool blankets and thinking about 2013 and all the dreams it holds -  We've had some nice quiet dinners with friends and Brian did some smoking (the bacon, ham and guanciale) Brian has also started a peperoni project which should be fun.  I still haven't' put up a tree I think I will... I'm motivating slowly... I do like the sparkle of lights on the long winter nights...

 

some big table farm duck ... 

this is the beautiful bacon from the pig I raised here on the farm and finished on chestnuts. With Brian's beautiful maple dry rub cure and smoke it's some of the best bacon money can't buy.

 

these were a b-day gift from Chris at square peg farm ... bread and butter pickles one of my all time favorite foods!!  hint hint... ; )

Jeremy's shots are worth 10,000 words!

Our dear friend David Padberg -- of the eagerly anticipated Raven and Rose Restaurant in Portland -- with an assist by our friend and chef Tim cooked our harvest thank you dinner. The food was all from the farm and David made an absolutely spectacular meal. The table was filled by those that worked harvest with us (Lester, Katie, Jeremy and Sean!) and the volunteers... With out you all we couldn't do it! THANK YOU again...

Thank you Jeremy for telling the story with these beautiful photos!  - you can go to http://www.jeremyfenske.com/ to see more of his BEAUITFUL work -- he's the same artist that made the big table farm video on the right side of this blog.. I just LOVE everything he does!!
(thanks also to the gluten free cowgirl for desserts that evening)

these beautiful photos and layouts of them are all by Jeremy Fenske -  http://www.jeremyfenske.com/ 

What happens in palm springs stays in palm springs!

so after the last post this one is a bit of a a left turn... but I just got back from an incredible 4 days in Palm Springs and the Riveria resort with my 7 sisters by blood, marriage and choice - : ) and it was the best birthday a girl could possibly ask for!! It was all sunshine love and indulgence!! I am so lucky to have such an amazing group of women that are my family!!let's just say I was NOT on the farm...  : )

grattitude

Thankful to rose an petunia - they were lovely animals and had a great life and last day basking in the warm fall sunshine! They had good clean pasture kill and then we hung them over night here on the farm. I butchered one of the two pigs in Portland with Melinda at the Portland Cunlinary Workshop! and our friend Paul came by and helped out as well. (thanks you two!) The farm is certainly quieter with out the girls... 

 

enjoying some laughing pig rose with melinda at PCW as we butchered the beautiful pig.

After the big thanksgiving weekend the pigs are the last of the big fall projects behind us- 

Thank you to everyone who came out over the big holiday weekend!! We hope you love the wines you took home!!  The Cattrall is now sold out and there are only about 3 cases of the wirtz left so if you want any of that speak now... There is a little bit of gris, work horse and syrah left but when it's gone that will be it till spring...

 a few rare days of sunshine on the farm this week - so welcome!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

We hope your tables are filled with a community of family and friends, love and great food and wine!

 

 thank you jeremy for the beautiful shots from our harvest dinner celebration!

This coming weekend we invite you to come out and taste our fall wines and take some home for your table.

We will be open 11am to 5pm Nov 23rd,24th and 25th
(if you come please use the directions on our web site)

For those of you who are waiting to buy your fall wines there are literally a hand full of cases of the fall release 2010 pinots available - so don't delay. I'm sure they will be gone by the end of the holiday weekend  - the 2011's will be released in the spring.

The Work Horse Red is drinking beautifully and is my pick for the holiday table - as our friend laura said ... "this wine is greater than the sum of it's parts" - with it's parts being our two top tier vineyards - the resonance vineyard fruit and our white hawk fruit! It's a stunner and was an inspiration on Brian's part to combine them in this blend of 90% pinot and 10% syrah.

The rains have come and we are starting to hunker in for winter. We are happy that all the beautiful 2012 wines are snug in there barrels.

Thank you all for the enthusiasm and support of our project - it means so much to have our wine on your tables.

Happy Holidays -  Cheers! Clare and Brian

 

and on a note of thanks  - thanks kim for the beautiful wreaths~!

you can buy kim's wreaths at the mcminnville saturday market