BOWBlog Page
Here at BOW, we sometimes like to write about what we're up to. This Blog page is our chance to report from the front line of wine making and we hope you like our silly little thoughts!
Our Stars.
Posted on: 23rd May, 2009
We have arrived. The months of planning come together this weekend or it all crashes down! The high wire act of planning, preparation, and performance will be judged over the next ninety six hours. Are we ready for your visit? Have our efforts over the past three months borne fruit?
The 2008 Memorial Day weekend was our grand opening. That Saturday was our busiest day ever up until this past Saturday. We opened with a huge day of fun and future friends one year ago today with 5 employees, one tasting bar, 25 volunteers and friends, one puppy and a dream.
The year since has simply been amazing. One million in gross revenues and 30,000 visitors. Three thousand cases of wine sold; twenty thousand tasting glasses given away. Twenty thousand vines planted. Forty two barrel owners who are now our friends. Opening with 2800 cases of wine and only sixteen months later we'll be making 7300 cases of wine. Thirty Medals. On five fingers the people who don't like dogs and thousands more who do and we have met so many warm and extraordinary people along the way. A new website and six thousand folks (hopefully enjoying) our weekly emails!
We have achieved our first and primary goal of creating a place of community and the wine has paid most of the bills. Thirty thousand raised for charity and countless family gatherings. Our staff have become our friends and given us so much of their time and capabilities and heart. Their work shows in all that we are. Our partners and our friends in the wine industry have supported us as we struggled with countless surprises; helping us by sharing the risk of our launch into the unknown. Many of you have been back to visit again and again. Thank you.
This Memorial Day Weekend is when it all comes together -or else! We have released all of our wines and we think that they are great, but what will you think? We have opened the tented outdoor tasting bar and the wine loft tasting bar, but will you use them? We have expanded our hours till 9pm on Saturdays and 7pm on Sundays, but will you come? We have added the outdoor patio and seating for over 120 but will you care? We have over 25 staff now but will they be needed? We have ordered perfect weather but will it rain?
This is our story. This is our dream. It has been created and we have worked diligently to improve upon it because we think that you are coming out for a visit. We hope that you are curious about what we have done. We hope that we have done a good job with our expansion. We hope that you like the wines: BOWHaus White and Red, Seyval, Traminette, Chard, Rose, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Norton, Cab Franc, Tour'Ga, Chocolab and Late Harvest Vidal...they are our stars and Sharon is the director of their beautiful diversity. They are the sonnets of our existence here at BOW and we offer them up for your enjoyment both humbly and with excitement.
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Other Blog Links
- One Journey at a Time. My brother Ben and his wife Kathy travelled around the country this summer with their two kids, Genevieve and Sebastian. Kathy wrote a storyu of the trip and she has posted her photos and story of their visit to us. Enjoy!
- Portuguese Water Dogs (not named Bo) shine in the spotlight
- A lovely online article about BOW in Tasting and Touring Magazine.
- A visitor's blog and photos about BOW from late May, 2009
- A story about BOW's grand opening from the May 8, 2008 Fauquier Times Democrat.
- Editorial in the Fauquier Times Democrat regarding Green Business as Good Business. The editorialist, Joe Gumino, a good friend of BOW, died unexpectedly soon after this editorial was published and we miss him dearly.
- Check out a great article on Barrel Oak Winery's successes in the first year. Thank you Bill Walsh at the Fauquier Times Democrat!
- Read about our green building in the Piedmont Virginian.
- Read about BOW in the Wall Street Journal Online!
- The Unemployed Mom. See what a mom thinks about BOW as the child friendly winery of Virginia!
- BOWHaus Joy: The other other Red wine! Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Virginia is for Lovers with a bottle of our very special limited release. Have you seen it? Our beloved Bogart is racing up the label!
- Winery Info for: Barrel Oak Winery
- BARREL OAK Winery
- Hair of the Dog, Nectar of the Gods: Pooch-Friendly Wineries
- BOW WOW! BARREL OAK WINERY! NORTHERN VIRGINIA'S NEWEST FAMILY WINERY
- Barrel Oak Winery by K. L. Sullivan
- BOW Wows the Wine Dogs
- Wine tasting in Virginia...
- Barrel Oak Winery: Visiting VA Vineyards
- If You Could Imagine Doing Anything Else, What Would It Be?
- Barrel Oak Winery:"Green" Wine is Good Business
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