Summer Concert - Kites & Crows

Join us for the first concert of the summer this Friday at 6pm. To kick off the 2010 concert series at Del Rio are local musicians Kites & Crows. Admission is $7.50 for the public and $5 for wine club members. Bring a blanket, chairs, food, and friends for a evening of great music and wonderful wine.

Here is more on Kites & Crows:

KITES & CROWS, is an indie folk trio by singer/songwriter Mysha Caruso. With the addition of multi-instrumentalist Jesse Baldwin and cellist Nancy Martin, they offer a lively delivery to the stories that the songs portray with lyrical imagery and emotion. Mysha Caruso attended the Walnut Hill School for the performing arts in Boston as a theatre major but his main focus was in vocal training with teachers from the New England Conservatory. He began to shift his focus to songwriting when he left Boston to travel. His solo troubadour style performance eventually led him to Ashland. The three musicians of Kites & Crows met at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where Mysha works as a stagehand , Jesse is a lighting technician and Nancy works on house staff. The name kites & crows actually is inspired from the production of Coriolanus, where the recently banished battle hero is hiding out "...under the canopy...in the city of kites and crows..."

Website: http://www.kitesandcrows.net/home.cfm

Golden Nose Fun!

Last Saturday marked Del Rio's fourth annual Golden Nose Awards. This year, Rio Club members and guests explored three each of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Gris varietals. As they explored the wines, they examined the color, taste, texture, aroma, and finish. Each wine was rated and graded by our guest judges. The ballots were collected and compared to Jean-Michel's rankings. The winner of the 2010 Golden Nose and bragging rights until next year's event is Kim Benson! Along with quality wine tasting/judging, we enjoyed the fantastic sounds of guitarist Andy Casad and the always amazing food prepared by Jolee Wallace.

Congrats Kim, and a big thank you for all those who put their nose to the test.

Kim Benson - 2010 GNA Winner!

World Cup - World of Wine

As the world cup gets underway, I find it fitting to learn a little about the global impact of wine. Wine, like soccer, is a worldwide phenomenon. Once centered in Europe grapes and vintners have traveled the continents, and now we on the west coast are growing some of the most sought after wines. Go Team USA!

Here are some random wine facts I found interesting:

• Every state in the US has a winery
• Wine in a box was developed in the 1970s in Australia
• There are approximately 20 billion bottles of wine produced worldwide each year
• The famous Chateau Petrus in Pomerol makes the world’s most expensive Merlot, which sells up to $2,500 or more
• 10,000 grape varietals populate the globe today

The World Cup of Southern Oregon wine or The World of Wine Festival is scheduled once again to be held at Del Rio. This lavish event hosts over 40 local wineries. This years event will take place on Saturday August 28th from 5 to 8pm. Tickets are on sale now. They are available online or at the Del Rio Tasting Room. For more information visit the World of Wine Festival Website.

Summer Art Show

Mark your calendar for something fun and free! This Saturday we will host our first art show of the summer. Explore the works of over 25 local artists offering all art mediums. Live entertainment will feature local musician Tim Mitchel. Admission is free. The event is a nice relaxing way to spend your Saturday. If you can't make this one be sure to mark for your calendar for August 21st for our second and final art show of the summer.

Print out this ticket for a free wine tasting - good for Saturday only!