Open every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5pm for Wine Tasting.
For the wine enthusiast we provide a place to enjoy wine tasting and learn about wine while sampling the wares of three very different winemakers, varietals, and styles. Stop by soon and meet our winemakers – Jeff Fadness of La Vie Dansante Wines, Ted Medeiros of Medeiros Family Wines, and Ron Mosley of TASS Vineyards and Winery.
Blended, a Winemaker’s Studio is dedicated to supporting and growing wine and winemakers in the Santa Clara Valley. We provide the infrastructure, production space, equipment, education, and a retail outlet for up-and-coming winemakers who have the talent and ability to be successful but who may be lacking the resources necessary to enter this highly competitive and regulated industry on their own.
News
June
When we started Blended, a Winemaker’s Studio our plan was to create a space where new winemakers could practice their craft, grow their following, and learn the business of running a winery while being supported by a network of friends. Since that first day it’s always been the current three – La Vie Dansante Wines, Medeiros Family, and TASS Vineyards and Winery. Now one of our chicks is leaving the nest.
Ron Mosley, the owner of TASS has a wonderful announcement coming up that involves his moving on to bigger, much bigger, and better things. I won’t spoil his surprise so you’ll have to watch his social media channels to get the news. Because of this momentous change, TASS will be leaving Blended in the next 90 days. We wish Ron all the luck in the world and can’t wait to see what he makes of this new opportunity.
Of course that means we now have an opening for another aspiring winemaker. Do you know anybody who’s looking to make and sell a little wine in Santa Clara Valley? Blended offers a fully functional commercial winemaking facility and tasting room for a single monthly fee. The capacity of the space being offered is a minimum of 500 cases per year and a maximum of 1,250 cases per year. Email “info@blendedwinestudio” or call Jeff at 408-826-2712 for more information.
May
Last month we thought the weather was changing… no such luck. Here we sit at the beginning of May and it’s still cold and rainy – with more in the forecast! It’s not the rain that bothers us so much, but rather the lack of heat. Last year we got fooled early in the summer by thinking that although it was a cool spring “we’ll make it up in the summer”. It didn’t happen, the entire summer was cool, which led to some of the grapes, especially La Vie Dansante’s Rhone varieties like Mourvedre and Petite Sirah not ripening fully. It’s a lesson we don’t want to repeat so there’s beginning to be a little angst amoung the winegrower community here at Blended.
Other than that things are rolling along nicely. We’re looking at the Outdoor Tasting Area and making plans to make it a little more beautiful and inviting. Maybe some Adirondack chairs and better landscaping? There’s also that pesky paver project that still waiting for a moment of insanity when we think it’s a great idea to spend a week on our knees laying blocks. We’ll see what the summer brings. It’s always a balancing act between time, money, and winemaking.
Winemaker Happenings
Tasting Room:
Stop by and sample the wines of three distinctly different winemakers every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5pm. We have a $10 tasting fee (refunded with the purchase of a bottle).
On Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays the Tasting Room is open for La Vie Dansante Wines only. Come in and try the full spectrum of their wines and meet Jeff, the winemaker.
June
6/08 – Saturday, 6pm to 9pm – La Vie Dansante Wines Spring Wine Club Release. In keeping with their summer bbq theme but with a distinctly island twist, Jeff will be grilling Huli Huli Chicken – add his macaroni or “toss” green salad, a scoop of rice and a pineapple spear and you get an awesome Plate Lunch. DJ Gary Haas will be “spinning” all of our favorite summertime tunes. Join the wine club now to be apart of all the fun.
6/20 – Thursday, 7:00 to 9:00 – La Vie Dansante Wine Symposia; Blending the Perfect GSM. A hands on seminar in learing to blend the three primary southern-Rhone varietals. Tickets are $45 each ($36 for Wine Club Members) and include a fun lecture, Q&A time, and two glasses of wine!
6/28 – Friday, dusk – La Vie Dansante’s first movie night of the summer! Join us for Harrison Ford and Karen Allen vs the Nazis in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. “Curtain” is at 8:30pm – make it a date night! The plan is to have the Tasting Room open from noon until the end of the movie. There’s no admission fee but we have a 2 glass (shared bottle between 2) minimun. We provide the popcorn and surprise movie treats. Older kids (PG13 movie) are ok, no outside alcohol but outside food is welcome. For evening events – no pets please.
July
7/4 – Thursday, noon to 5pm – La Vie Dansante Wines will be open, celebrating Independance Day. The BBQ will be hot – buy a bottle get a complimentary sausage dog and chips! Also look for amazing deals on the LVD Wine Company Wines.
7/08 – Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 – Blind Six Tasting at The Grapevine in Morgan Hill. Ever wonder how a Sommelier can take a sip of wine and nail what it is, where it came from, and even – sometimes – who made it? Join us for a fun and educational class and we’ll lift the curtain and show you their secrets. Reservations are $30 each and are available in the Tasting Room, in our online wine shop, and at The Grapevine.
7/26 – Friday – Movie Night at La Vie Dansante Wines! Tonight’s show is Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz vs “The Mummy”. “Curtain” is at 8:15pm. The plan is to have the Tasting Room open from noon until the end of the movie. There’s no admission fee but we have a 2 glass (shared bottle between 2) minimun. We provide the popcorn and surprise movie treats. Older kids (PG13 movie) are ok, no outside alcohol but outside food is welcome. For evening events – no pets please.
August
8/10 – Medeiros Family Wine Club Release Social
8/22 – Thursday, 7:00 to 9:00 – La Vie Dansante Wine Symposia – One Grape, 5 Styles – Syrah Around the World. Tickets are $45 each ($36 for Wine Club Members) and include a fun lecture, Q&A time, and two glasses of wine!
8/24 – Friday – Movie Night at La Vie Dansante Wines! Tonight’s show is Angelina Joie and her dad, Jon Voight in “Tomb Raider”. “Curtain” is at 7:30pm. The plan is to have the Tasting Room open from noon until the end of the movie. There’s no admission fee but we have a 2 glass (shared bottle between 2) minimun. We provide the popcorn and surprise movie treats. Older kids (PG13 movie) are ok, no outside alcohol but outside food is welcome. For evening events – no pets please.
September
9/06 – 9/30 – Wineries of Santa Clara Valley 2019 Fall Passport.
9/07 – Saturday, 6pm to 9pm – La Vie Dansante Wines Spring Wine Club Release. Watch for more details as we get closer to the event.
9/27 – Friday – Movie Night at La Vie Dansante Wines! Tonight’s show is Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson in “Fool’s Gold”. “Curtain” is at 7:00pm. The plan is to have the Tasting Room open from noon until the end of the movie. There’s no admission fee but we have a 2 glass (shared bottle between 2) minimun. We provide the popcorn and surprise movie treats. Older kids (PG13 movie) are ok, no outside alcohol but outside food is welcome. For evening events – no pets please.
October
10/18 – Thursday, 7:00 to 9:00 – La Vie Dansante Wine Symposia – Boutique Winemaking – How We Make Wine at La Vie Dansante Wines. Tickets are $45 each ($36 for Wine Club Members) and include a fun lecture, Q&A time, and two glasses of wine!
November
11/09 – Medeiros Family Wine Club Release Social.
December
12/07 – Saturday, 6pm to 9pm – La Vie Dansante Wines Spring Wine Club Release. Watch for more details as we get closer to the event.
12/20 – Blended’s Fourth Annual Holiday Party