Sent: Thursday July 5^th, 2007, 8:05 PM
Subject: Orangewood Wines Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 10 - July 10th, 2007

Introduction

Things are a little quiet in the Wine Industry at the moment.  I think everyone looked at the 113F temperatures, grabbed a beer and dusted off the margarita recipes.  Nonetheless, we are looking ahead to cooler times and planning for a trade tasting with four other distributors on September 9^th: what has become the annual “High 5” event.  This year, with the five us a little bigger, we plan to be in a larger hall, and each of us will invite a few of our wineries along, too. 

Box Score

New Restaurants:              2

New Retail Outlets:            0

New Sales People:            0

Contents

New Restaurants

Delivery People

Rambling

New Restaurants

Dahl and Di Luca

7000 Hwy 179, NW, Suite 126 A

Sedona, AZ 86351

(928) 284-3010

Pischke’s Paradise

3990 S Alma School Rd

Chandler, AZ 85248

(480) 782-5550

Delivery People

Xandria Duncan

Our second driver is also hanging up her driving gloves.  Xandria has been delivering for us for nearly a year.  Her cheery disposition will be missed in this part of the business.  She continues as a sales person for us in the far out North Valley.

Joe Senese

Joe started delivering for us last month, ably trained by his grandfather, Greg, our original driver.  Joe is working on his undergraduate degree at ASU, but, none the less, has previous driving experience, a good attitude and great genes.

John Allison

I had been hoping we would get Bill, our sales person in the NW Valley to take on some driving for us.  However, he has become a key part of the BMW organization in Phoenix and declined.  He did put the finger on John – though not related, their kids are married to one another.  John says that makes them outlaws.  John is notionally retired after tours in the Navy, Fish and Game and other occupations.

We know Joe and John will strive to provide the same excellent service you have come to expect from Greg and Xandria.  We hope you enjoy them.

Rambling

Last month I rambled to England.  My mother continues to improve and is hoping to be able to move back to her bungalow soon.

My trip to England prompted Dick Peterson to write: “On your next trip to England be sure to go southeast from London towards Canterbury and visit the village of Wrotham.  A nice homey place.  The original Wrotham Pinot vine has died but I understand there are several new seedlings that have sprung up naturally.  That is what we think happened over and over again, leading to the old vine from which I got the cuttings for my vineyard here in Napa Valley.”  Dick makes the delicious Richard Grant sparkling Blanc de Noir with these grapes.  After reading his response it occurred to me that it would make an excellent summer wine.  To test this theory I chilled a bottle and met with a former Honeywell colleague – Liz Jones - who now owns the Bacchus wine store in Kierland Commons.  We enjoyed the evaluation and ascertained that it was indeed an appropriate beverage for the summer. Salute!

One Saturday morning recently Laurie was off to a horse clinic and I was left at a loose end at 5:30 in the morning.  Feeling the need for a ramble, I grabbed a bottle of water and headed north towards a trail we had found on horseback a few days earlier.  We had supposed it might join up with another trail in the Cave Creek recreation area, but I wanted to check it out.  After 6 miles of hiking I did confirm the connection.  I stopped in the shade to take a drink of water and rest for a moment.  Above me a red tailed hawk enjoyed the breeze and glided in lazy circles.  Then I saw a smaller bird flapping its wings furiously and seeming to want to attack.  Each time it closed in the hawk seemed to just shrug and turn leaving the smaller bird start flapping furiously again.  I watched this happen several times before the smaller bird seemingly tired, dropped out of view.  My first thought was that this was a bird trying to distract the hawk from a nest, but my second was that this was an eyas getting a flying lesson from mom (or dad).

The rambler rambles on…

From all of us at Orangewood Wines,

Richard (newsletter writer) and Laurie (editor)

Orangewood Wines