Alright folks, I’ve got some really good news this week. I’m very proud and excited to announce a brand-spanking new program at Michel-Schlumberger for 2010 – the Worms to Wine Nature Series. We’ll be hosting six fun and informative nature-related events that showcase various elements of our organic and sustainable farming practices at our Estate. We’re still working out details but in the meantime here’s a special sneak preview (remember – you heard it here first…):
MARCH: Fish Day at Schlumberger
Celebrating all things fishy, we’ll start the afternoon with a personal tour of the fish hatchery at Lake Sonoma with Ranger Michael Carroll. It’s a very cool place — we’ll meet spawning salmon and steelhead trout up close and personal. Following the tour we’ll head back to Michel-Schlumberger for a walk and talk with Winemaker Brunson along fish friendly and recently restored Wine Creek. Finally, we’ll cap it off with some really great wine and food around the fireplace inside the Estate.
APRIL: Bird Day at Schlumberger
This annual fundraiser for The Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County is one of my very favorite events of the year. We’ve moved the event to Spring in 2010 to take advantage of the migratory species that pass through our region. Expect bird walks led by local experts, spotting scopes and feeder demos, and Audubon Society displays. The event will culminate with a fun and educational show and tell of various big raptors by the folks from the Bird Rescue Center. And if we’re lucky we’ll get Brunson to cook up those incredible garden veggie topped pizzas again!
MAY: Critter Day at Schlumberger
It takes a lot of great animals to make great wine. Come out and meet the unsung heroes of Michel-Schlumberger – our English Babydoll sheep (with a shearing demonstration), heritage chickens and a brand new pair of goats! We’ll show you how we use these animals as part of our sustainable farming system. And it’s not just the furry and feathery critters that will be on display. We’ll tour the organic veggie garden and check out the bugs, both good and bad, and learn how we help them to help us. And Jacques Schlumberger will be on hand to show folks our honey bee garden and show off our hives. Heck, you can even meet our vineyard dogs, Marvin and Peanut.
JUNE: Bee Day at Schlumberger
With the recent and alarming decline in honey bees worldwide, NOW is the time to take action and show serious support for our buzzy buddies who do more for the health of the Earth than you can possibly imagine. Look forward to an afternoon of Bee and Veggie Garden tours, demonstration hives, an observation hive, a honey extraction demonstration, honey tasting, talks by local experts and practical information on what you can do to help the bees. I highly encourage you to bee there…
JULY: Oysterama
This event proves that learning can be healthy, fun and filling. This popular event features a Nature Walk around Tomales Bay followed by a picnic feast of fresh oysters (half shell and BBQ) paired with our outstanding wines. Need I say more?
AUGUST: Stargazer’s Dinner
We’ll spend an evening feasting and sipping to a spectacular slide show presentation by a local astronomer. Then we’ll wander on up to the lake to gaze out into the heavens through some seriously pro telescopes. Nighttime at Lake Schlumberger under a blanket of stars and planets is something you simply have to experience in your lifetime. Really.
So there you have it. I’ll post details and dates as they come available. In the meantime, drink good wine.
Naturally Yours,
Tony
