International Women's Day Celebration

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 - 6:00pm

Women of all ages are invited to gather at the winery in celebration of International Womens Day. The Gathering is an opportunity for women to step out of their busy lives, relax and enjoy the camaraderie of others over homemade soup and bread, and wine.

• Opening remarks will be presented by Nancy Newman, local activist and organizer of Port Angeles’ first International Women’s Day Celebration.
  


• Karen Brown, director of the G.I.R.L.S. Camp, will discuss the camp’s impact on the lives of local girls.
  


• Womanfest Board Members Molly Rivard and Martha Rudersdorf will give a PowerPoint introduction to the Mujeres de Maize Opportunity Foundation.
  


• Entertainment will be provided by the Olympic Peninsula’s Sequimarimba band.

Suggested donations of $10 will support the G.I.R.L.S. Camp and Mujeres de Maize. Olympic Cellars will also donate 25% of the proceeds from wine sold by the glass to the charities.

The other Local International Women's Day Events are listed Below:

The Commemoration
Monday, March 10
5:30 p.m. Social and Dinner
6:30 p.m. Program
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Hall, Sequim

A Tribute to the Lifetime Achievements of Hazel Wolf. Stories of the life and accomplishments of Hazel Wolf, activist and founder of 26 Washington State Chapters of the Audubon Society, will be recounted by Wolf’s daughter, Nydia Levick of Port Angeles, and granddaughter, Ann Sargent of Sequim. Wolf, who passed away in 2000 at the age of 101, exemplifies the difference that a single person can make in our society. A casual chili dinner will be available. Suggested $7 donation will support the G.I.R.L.S. Camp. For more information contact Clare Manis Hatler at 360.683.6967 or Diane Nelson at 360.417.2889.

The Celebration
Saturday, March 15
7 p.m. Port Angeles City Council Chambers, Port Angeles

An evening of music and literature. The husband and wife team of Jim Stapleton and Diana Bigelow will present a selection of original stories and songs from their recently released CDs, Sanctuary Reflections and Return to the Sanctuary. The performance is a fundraiser for the premiere production of Women Without Men – A Fable of Modern Iran, a play adapted by Diana Bigelow from a novel by Iranian ex-patriot Shahrnush Parsipur. There will be three performances, August 1-3, in Webster’s Woods Art Park at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.

Exact Change, an eight-woman ensemble from Port Townsend led by Leslie Lewis, will perform three- and four-part choral arrangements from jazz to pop to classics, and a cappella selections.

Writer and poet Mary Lou Sanelli will read from her recent book of essays, FALLING AWAKE, An American Woman Gets a Grip on the Whole Changing World One Essay at a Time, which was selected as “one of the most fabulous 2008 Northwest titles,” by Seattle writer/reviewer Leslie Thomas. Sanelli is also the author of six poetry collections. For more information contact Rhonda Karls at 360.681.7738 or Molly Rivard at 360.452.0160.

About International Women’s Day
International Women's Day (March 8) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.

About the Sponsors
Womanfest is a local non-profit that has been providing women of the Olympic Peninsula with empowering experiences and associations for more than 20 years. The organization hosts an annual Fall Retreat, sponsors workshops, lectures, concerts and other events for the community and provides additional support for worthy women-centered projects and programs.

The League of Women Voters of Clallam County is a nonpartisan, volunteer, member-driven organization established to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government. LWV does not support or oppose political parties or candidates. Membership is open to anyone of voting age.

Cashmere, Cabernet & Chocolate

Two Decadent Weekends
February 9 -10 and February 16-18
11:00 - 5:00 p.m. each day.

This is one of our favorite winery events. We’re tired of the cold and rain and just want to throw open the doors of the winery and invite all to join us for what we feel is our best event ever.

You can hear the sultry jazz drifting from our Gathering Room. The Tasting Room is enveloped in a delightful ambiance of people coming together to enjoy the "Magic of the Grape". You’ve wrapped a red cashmere scarf around your neck, while sipping an elegant cabernet with the taste of rich dark chocolate on your lips.

Does it really get any better than this?


New Wine Release!
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Be the first to sample this big, bold and bodacious cabernet. Starts with an intense rich color, coupled with aromas of oak, vanilla and dark fruit. A wine for Cab Addicts!

Yvonne's Artisan Chocolates
Guest will receive a decadent, dark, chocolate truffle made by master Chocolatier, Yvonne Yakota.

The Working Girls are also making Molly’s special secret chocolate biscotti for noshing.

Cashmere, Wine & Chocolate
We’re putting together a specially priced selection of wine that includes a gift from us -- your choice of a red cashmere scarf or specially prepared package of wine pairing chocolates made just for Olympic Cellars by XChocolates

Live Music in the Gathering Room 1-3 p.m.

Saturday, February 9
Carlos Xavier
local flutist/keyboardist/storyteller

Sunday, February 10
Mark Nielson
Acoustic Guitar

Saturday, February 16
The Jazz in Blume Duo
Tracy Blume and Ted Enderle (bass)

Sunday, February 17
The Jazz in Blume Duo
Tracy Blume and George Radebaugh (piano)

Winemaker Dinner
Joy’s Wine Bistro
February 9, 6:00pm
Five Sumptuous courses paired with
Olympic Cellars Wine. Reservations & Menu

Olympic Cellars vs U.S. Olympic Committee

"A Message in a Bottle"

Your emails of support have been overwhelming! Thank You... Kathy, Molly, Libby and Benoit

Many people have asked about writing our Congressional representatives or signing a petition. Your help and voice is very much appreciated. Contact information is at the bottom of this page.

You can read the Peninsula Daily News & Seattle Times articles here and my email to winery customers below. The winery is still in negotiation with the USOC. More information will be posted as appropriate.

Sign up for our Winery Newsletter to keep informed.

We’re all trying to find some humor in this challenge. And the title of the PDN article (U.S. Olympic Committee pops its cork over a certain peninsula's vintner and the 'O' word) gave me a thought...

...I guess you could send "a message in a bottle"

an Olympic Cellars Wine Bottle!


Contact Info:
U.S. Olympic Committee
email: media@usoc.org
U.S. Rep Norm Dicks
Rep Kevin Van De Wege
U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Senator James Hargrove
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell
Representative Lynn Kessler

Olympic Cellars vs U.S. Olympic Committee

Dear Olympic Cellars Winery Supporters,

I got a surprise letter in September from the U.S. Olympic Committee stating I was in violation of the 1998 Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. The Act authorizes the USOC to file a civil action against the unauthorized commercial use of the word OLYMPIC.

There is a specific geographic exception in the Act that allows companies to use OLYMPIC so long as their business is local in nature and limited to the Olympic Peninsula area of Washington State. The geographic limitation was added in 1998 and obviously impacts the growth of small businesses.

The winery name was changed to Olympic Cellars in 1992. There are many businesses with Olympic in their name including our hospital. I purchased the winery in 1999.

The main issue is the use of our website to sell wine to customers that find us on the Internet. An interesting fact is that the trademark attorney for the USOC granted Olympic Cellars the use of our URL in 1999… because he stated no one would be mislead or be confused, i.e. no rational person would connect Olympic Cellars Winery and the Olympic Games.

It is also worth noting that the reach and impact of the Internet was well known in 1999.

For those of you that visit our site, we have gone ahead and added disclaimers to all of our website pages stating that we have no connection or affiliation to the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Team or Olympic Movement.

I hope that this litigation can be brought to a resolution without changing our name and losing our business identity and heritage.

Thank you for your support. Please email me if you have any contacts that might help our case.
Kathy
www.olympiccellars.com (and dang proud of it!)

Last Stages of Withdrawal

Monday, December 10, 4:30 p.m.

It’s been a traumatic 18 days. I LOST my cell phone sometime Tuesday afternoon, November 20. I’m convinced my car ate it cause I can prove I made five calls on my way home from the winery. No stops except for my garage.

I don’t even start my car without pulling the cell phone out of my purse, sitting it in my cup holder with a list of calls I need to make next to it. I’m addicted to business on the road; otherwise I would be wasting valuable time. (I know, pretty pathetic.)

Well Ralph and I were off to Seattle on Wednesday and then Thanksgiving. So I wasn’t too desperate and I had the use of Ralph’s phone, so withdrawal tremors hadn’t yet started to set in.

Friday, it was off to my Verizon store, store too busy – left, then Saturday, a very grumpy customer – left. Monday planned my visit 45 minutes before closing, already dark outside. Yikes, another customer who just got a fancy PDA and was having problems.

By now I am in full fledge withdrawal… I Need A Phone And I Want It Now! So I stuck it out and finally I got my turn with a very technically savvy young gentleman with peach fuzz on his face. Given some of my “basic” questions and his body language I knew he had a long day with us techno Neanderthals.

I decided on the Big Kahuna… I was stepping up to a Palm Treo, gone would be my trusty Day-Timer that has gone around the world with me. I was not going to let the 3-inch instruction manual (my last phone had a 10 page flyer) sway me. Nor, the salesman’s comment that there was all this free software I could download to customize my phone to my “lifestyle”. Lord a mercy, it took me three hours to figure out how to download songs for my ringback tone and put them in a juke box!!! And, I thought I had cracked the DNA code.

So, I’m up at the counter, credit card in hand. My account was pulled up to make sure I “qualified” for the upgrade (after I gave account ID, password, last 4 digits of my social and my first born child). What happened next is material for a sit-com… the conversation goes something like this.

My salesman says, “Ma’am I’m sorry but you can’t buy this phone today.”

“Why, not!

“Because you are not the primary name on the account and your husband must come with you to the store, in person, for you to buy this phone.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!!”

No Ma’am.

“You’re telling me that I can’t buy this phone without my husband!!!”

Yes Ma’am.

Lightly slamming my hand down on the counter I proceed to rant… I am 57 years old and I don’t need a man or my husband to buy this phone. Just ring it up now!!!!

I can’t do that Ma’am. (If he had said Ma’am one more time, I think it would have been a full-fledged embarrassing scene. I know he was doing his job, but jeez.)

Then of course I had to get in the last word, “FINE!!!!!” and stormed out of the store.

I get home, rant all the way upstairs to put on my special t-shirt that says, “I Am So Tired Of Being The Bitch” (more on this later). Poured myself a glass of Benoit’s 2004 Cabernet (That’s the Big, Bold and Bodacious wine). Stomped back downstairs and placed a call to Verizon Wireless.

After the usual long list of menu options and wait time I finally get a live person. Obviously on a roll here, wanting satisfaction, I didn’t give the young customer service agent any time. I told her to just put a supervisor on the line. To make this long story short… Verizon took care of this situation in less than 10 minutes and now I have equal authority on our cell phone account… Whoopee.

The young customer service agent stays with me throughout the interchange and schedules a call with me for tomorrow to help me pick out a phone. I tell her to call me at the winery at 1 p.m. and gave her the number. I waited and waited for her call thinking, yea just another dropped ball in this fiasco. But, one last absurdity… I sort of need to eat my words, because the customer service agent did call and at the agreed upon time, but she called my LOST CELL PHONE! (I can still check for messages.)

So now, it’s the 18th day. I’ve gone on-line multiple times about the Palm Treo and the Blackberry. The information is overwhelming and I can’t make a decision. I keep putting it off.

Today, I realized driving to the winery; I was listening to the radio; nothing much on my mind and it was the first time I had NOT automatically reached into my purse to look for my phone.

Am I cured, probably not. I do need to buy that phone but it just doesn’t seem quite as important anymore. I’m having a La Dolce Vida Moment and another glass of Cabernet!

Eighteen Days and counting.

Cheers, Kathy,

Ps. THE “B” t-shirt was a gift from Molly and Libby. Yes, there is another story and I’ll write that one soon because it is really special, way different then you’re probably thinking. We’ve thought about lending my t-shirt out, sort of like the Traveling Pants.

Pss. Why Haven’t I Really Bought A Phone?

A few weeks ago I witnessed an accident. I was first on the scene. The car in front of me pulled out from a stop sign and hit a motorcycle. It was horrible and the driver is still in a coma. It was one of those freak accidents that could happen to anyone. BUT, I was on my cell phone pulling up to the stop sign behind the car that caused the accident. I was driving by instinct.

What If… What if I was that car, not watching as close as I should have because I was talking on my phone. As I write this, I need to be really honest with myself; I have not bought another cell phone because I need to know that I have kicked my addiction for doing business on the road while driving.

It’s White Wednesday Somewhere

OK, we jinxed ourselves... it is suppose to snow this week... please read on. Kathy

Friday, November 23, 1:50 p.m.

For those of you that are new to our mailing list, the winery was closed last year for 6 days at the end of November because of heavy snow. In order to “shovel up” some much needed business I sent out a White Wednesday case offer with us paying for your shipping.

After much discussion, Molly, Libby and I had nixed White Wednesday this year. While the forecast is kinda yucky there’s nothing ‘white’ on tap so it will be business as usual. And since we’re so appreciative of your support this past year it just didn’t feel right to add another promotional email to your inbox.

But, I’ve changed my mind. (…that doesn’t sound real good but just read on and you’ll understand).

My husband Ralph and I had to go to Seattle Wednesday. But rather than fighting the horrific holiday traffic leaving the city, we decided to make it special and planned a “date night.”

It was special. Add Thanksgiving morning with breakfast in bed and the paper and I was in heaven.

But when Ralph dropped the paper on the bed, it was a good thing I wasn’t holding my coffee. The weight of it hitting the bed actually bounced me in the air!

According to the news, this was the thickest Thanksgiving Seattle Times ever… easily 5 inches of store advertisements. I was blown away.

Then during our drive home to Sequim and family, I made an innocent comment, something like “We should be home in record time ‘cause no one will be on the road.” Was I ever wrong! Interstate 5 was a parking lot.

I kept wondering if folks were going to have tailgate parties and camp out in the parking lots of their favorite stores so they could be in line for the 4AM sales!

What’s this got to do with White Wednesday?

Well, this year we may not be stuck in snow but maybe you are. Or worse, snarled in traffic like we were.

So as I noted above, I’ve changed my mind. Let the Working Girls Elves help you out this year.

It’s called “White Wednesday Somewhere” and you can celebrate by once again selecting a case of wine, taking your 10% case discount AND letting Olympic Cellars pick up the shipping!

It is our gift to you for all your continued support. Mix or match any of your favorite wines including our holiday Cranberry Jubilee. (The only exception is Working Girl White , which is limited to the next bottling)

Since the weather will only get colder we need to get your shipment moving now. So “White Wednesday Somewhere” ends on Friday, November 30. Order on-line, respond to this mail or call the ELF-LINE at 360-452-0160 to place your order.

And if you’re within driving distance of the winery, you can celebrate “White Wednesday Somewhere” at the winery Wednesday, November 28, with a one-day-only, 25% case discount special when you take your wines with you (that’s your average overall savings if we had to ship it to you).

Happy Holidays,

Molly, Libby, Benoit and Kathy

Ps. I almost forgot. We’ve been saving 14 cases of our double gold 2003 Dungeness Red Lemberger. If you would like a case or a few bottles in your mixed case, be sure to note that in the comments section of the order form.

The Frost Is On The Pumpkin! Time To Celebrate the Harvest…

The Harvest Celebration

Any anthropologist, or any farmer, for that matter, knows that harvest celebrations date back to the beginning of time.

One harvest tradition linked to the vineyard is the Gerbebaude , the final dinner for the pickers. Gerbe originally meant a sheaf of wheat. In the vineyards, it is a bouquet the harvesters present to the owner or his wife at the dinner.

The Grape Harvest at Olympic Cellars and on the North Olympic Peninsula is still in our future but the tradition of celebrating the harvest begins this year in 2007, the year Benoit planted our vineyard.

Those of you that have visited the winery have enjoyed our Gathering Room and the huge harvest table built from the wood of our century old barn.

The Harvest Table

I think the “table” is symbolic. We make memories at our tables. To me, our wine brand, La Dolce Vida represents The Good Life, those special times when we gather at the table. We celebrate life, we entertain friends and we bring our family together for meals. The table can be the genesis of new ideas, where decisions are made, or your desk as you start a new business. You may grieve a loss.... The Table Tells A Story.

A Harvest Table is usually a Big Long Table… gathering all those that have helped during the harvest. Nobody knew one another on the first day of crush or harvest… working side by side, yet at the end, friendships have been born. In the fields or at the winery, work doesn’t stop once harvest is over and the grapes are crushed.

Wine is life with seasons of its own! Harvest/Crush is Fall, Barrel Aging is Winter, Bottling is Spring and the release and enjoyment of the wine – Summer! Each season will be celebrated at the winery, traditions growing and stories being told around the TABLE. Cheers, Kathy

We will celebrate the harvest in three ways…. Please Join Us.

Sharing our wine and food from the Peninsula during the Passport Wine Tour Olympic Peninsula Harvest Wine Tour

Dinner La Gerbebaude , end of the harvest dinner at Joy's Wine Bistro with Olympic Cellars Winemaker, Benoit Murat. All will gather at two large tables. Harvest Winemaker Dinner

The first harvest dinner in our Gathering Room for all who helped in the 2007 Harvest and Crush – our own La Gerbebaude!