Businesses

“This smoothly written debut . . . captures the innocence and impetuousness of youth…. Wurtele carefully looks beyond religiousand cultural stereotypes and her heroine’s character growth is moving and realistic.” –Booklist

“Offers a strong sense of time and place.” –Publishers Weekly

“Set in the danger and drama of Italy during the Second World War, The Golden Hour is an enthralling story of love, family, and courage. Margaret Wurtele has delivered a lush, suspenseful, and thoroughly engaging read.” –Lynn Sheene, author of The Last Time I Saw Paris

World War II-set fiction captivates readers with its irresistible combination of fear and hope set against one of the most turbulent times in history. New American Library is proud to publish talented debut novelist Margaret Wurtele, whose beautiful and moving story is a testament to the indomitable spirit of the people struggling to survive during the strife of the World War II era.  The Golden Hour begins in the summer of 1944 in Tuscany and portrays love and hope in a war-torn nation.  In a story woven with historical detail, Wurtele explores the emotion, fear, and hope that permeate the rarely explored landscape of World War II Italy.

Seventeen-year-old Giovanna Bellini sees firsthand the devastating effects of the war.  Following the Italian government’s peace agreement with the Allies, Giovanna watches as the German military invades her town, forming a hostile occupying army. At first, Giovanna is fascinated by the Nazi officers, but as the war strips away Giovanna’s naïveté and harsh realities are exposed, her brother Giorgio recruits her to aid in the Italian Resistance. When she is asked to hide wounded Jewish freedom fighter Mario Rava, Giovanna finds herself falling for the brave young man. The world around her is in constant turmoil and when terrible truths are revealed, threatening the lives of everyone Giovanna cares about, she is forced to make unimaginable sacrifices and decisions.

Margaret Wurtele is the author of two memoirs. She and her husband split theirtime between Minnesota and Napa Valley, where they are owners of Terra Valentine Winery.

The fact that I’ve already watched the trailer online about 8 times is probably evidence enough that I am dying to see The Hunger Games movie. And if you’re as obsessed as I am, you’ll be just as excited to find out that they are planning FOUR movies to cover all three books of the series. Seriously, a must read!

On Saturday, Beau and I ventured out to do something we’ve never done before. I know, it sounds really risky, doesn’t it? Well, in actuality, all we did was visit a bar in downtown Houston, but if you knew me in college, well then it isn’t a suprise that I have never really been to a bar. I mean, the occasional ‘after the wedding bar visit’ or once for a meet up with the professors after visiting my college for a conference, ya. But anything other than that? Nope.

Possibly the most interesting part of our bar experience was that the Green Ranger was sitting just a few feet away from us. I swear! At first I thought it was a joke when the entertainers had mentioned it, but we looked him up online when we left and it’s totally true. I was always partial to the pink ranger, but for Beau this was quite the exciting encounter. Who knew my husband was into Power Rangers growing up?

I think the Super Bowl got Ephram a little excited. Yesterday afternoon he started rummaging through his drawers, pulling out every piece of Vikings apparel he owns, bringing it out into the living room, and pointing at it while saying ‘fuh-ball’! Poor guy, if only he knew how long we have to wait until we see another football game, let alone with featuring our favorite Purple and Gold team. But hey, Adrian Peterson was in Houston this morning!

I’ve been trying out a few new actions in Photoshop lately. And I came across this gem this morning that Beau took during our ultra-lounge-around-the-house-superbowl-sunday, right after Ephram woke from his nap. Love that little boy more than anything. Yes, even a little more than the Hunger Games movie trailer or Football. ;)

Dos Equis and KFAN radio have invited The Contend Cow, along with 31 other pubs, bars, and restaurants in the Twin Cities area, to take part in a “March to the Championship”!

From now until March 8th, please use your smart phone and computer every 24 hours to cast your vote for the Contented Cow.

Click on this link to vote: http://www.kfan.com/pages/promotions/barbracket/bracket.html

In this round, The Contented Cow is Number 15!

For more details of this competition, and Dos Equis specials at the Cow, go to to the Contentd Cow’s facebook event page.

Irrigation System Operator/Technician.  Experience not needed.  Perfect for the retired/semi-retired person.  Work 12-20 hours per week April thru October in the mornings.  Must be able to do a lot of walking, bending and stooping to activate valves and make corrections/replacements and/or repairs to the system on poorly functioning irrigation spray stakes and lines.  Closely observing plants to determine how much to irrigate and where to make the upgrades.  We will train the person hired.  This is a fairly light duty work position requiring the ability to be detail oriented and consistent.

  I was at our porch project by the Ole Store this morning conducting the final inspection with the City Inspector. Everything was fine and was passed so we are wrapped up until spring painting can take place. As part of our work we reused the existing porch columns, adding interior reinforcement as required. That allowed us to install an electrical receptacle on the inside face of the porch column, creating a handy place to plug in a coffee or cider pot. We also trimmed the column tops to finish off the column….something that was not done on the original porch.

The owners have been busy finishing the new basement space. They painted the floor and are taping the walls and ceiling in preparation to painting. It will provide excellent clean, dry storage space.

Red Sprite Winterberry

Winterberry is one of my favorite shrubs for great winter color.  During a time of year when color is usually in short supply, a nice mass of winterberry can light up the landscape with beautiful red and orange colored berries.

As summer draws to an end, the 1/4″ inch berries that cluster in large numbers along the stems begin to turn from light green to bright orange or red.  Partially hidden bybeautiful green foliage, the beauty of winterberry shrubs really becomes evident when the leaves drop off as they enter dormancy in preparation for winter.

From mid-September to late January each year, my heart feels a little lighter as I walk past the beautiful Red Sprite Winterberries framing the right side of my front entry at home.  Perhaps winterberry can add a smile to your face if you include this fix of color to your winter landscape.

The female winterberry shrubs are the ones that have the showy fruit displays.  To produce the colorful berries, they must be pollinated in springtime by the pollen from a male winterberry.

The varieties we have seen do well in southern Minnesota are Red Sprite, Afterglow, Berry Heavy and Berry Nice.  These are all pollinated by a male variety named Jim Dandy.   Winterberries are native in Minnesota.  We have been watching a cluster of native Winterberry on a portage in the Boundary Waters now for years.   The size of winterberry shrubs can be from 3′ in height to 8′ – depending on the variety.  Width 3′ up to 8′ as well. 

Check out a complete listing of the shrubs we carry on our Plant page.  When doing your plant “wish lists” keep in mind the definite need to winter interest in your landscape.

Shannon Hyland-Tassava will read from her new book The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids and Chaos Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012 at 7:30 pm. A year ago Shannon read from Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career and the Conflict of Modern Motherhood. Torn is an anthology of essays by women about motherhood. Now Shannon has published her own book and we are happy to have her read again.

The Northfield News recently published an article about Shannon and her book.

Here’s an excerpt:

Yet the job, as many know, is not glamorous nor is it a piece of cake. For many stay-at-home parents, finding a network of friends to share parenting ideas with, as Patterson did through Early Childhood Family Education, helps ease the trying times. One such friend she encountered was Shannon Tassava, a Northfield clinical psychologist and stay-at-home mom who recently took the sharing of advice to the next level. Tassava’s book, “The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids & Chaos” has recently been published by Booktrope Editions.

You can download the February Owner Specials flyer, full of great prices just for owners, by clicking on the left hand image above. Copies are also available in the store. And don’t forget that you can place a case order at the Customer Service desk and get an extra 10% off.

Not an owner yet? Join today and receive the benefits of ownership immediately. And if you’re not yet ready to join, don’t worry! There are plenty of sale items for everyone in our Co+op Deals flyer, which usually comes out every two weeks. You can download a pdf of the current flyer, which is good through February 14, by clicking on the right hand image above. Owners who order a case of something currently on Co+op Deals by February 9 will get an additional 10% off, and non-owners get a case discount of 5%.

Special Order Deadline: February 9. Place your case order at the Customer Service Desk.

Two huge months of change. A new state. A new climate. A new home. A new job.

Wow.

December and January were two huge months of change.  From (potentially) selling our house in the North Star state, to moving to an apartment in the Lone Star state, to trading our snow boots for sandals, to retiring from meteorology and staying home with Ephram.  Change I had dreamed of but never thought would be a reality. I’m not sure I could ever feel more grateful.  Grateful to have the opportunity to care for Ephram each day, enjoy every evening and weekend with Beau, and spend more time on my photography.  Grateful for our friends and family for helping us make the huge move; there aren’t even words for how thankful I am for them.

But back up to December.

December marked a month of unknown.  If you know me at all,  you know I don’t deal with change well.  But I think because I saw the potential for us to move awhile before we knew for sure, I was able to adequately prepare myself.  I guess it didn’t hurt that Texas is amazing and we had always hoped to move to a warmer climate someday.  A place with palm trees.  Where snow rarely visited — which is rather funny since snow has been a rarity in Minnesota this winter too.  Yet when it finally did snow, I was quick to put on my boots and snap a picture.  Someday I might actually miss the snow.  But not anytime soon. ;)

January brought less uncertainty, but more change.  We fell right into our new lives without skipping a beat, even though we had no furniture in our new place.  What likely would have taken awhile to feel like home, felt even more odd with empty walls, no desks, or couches, or chairs.  But we adjusted to the new lifestyle, soaking up the warm sun, and enjoying much more time as a family than we could in our previous life.  One of the best parts for me in January was time to rest, clear my head, and even enjoy a good book (or two).  It’s been so long since I had time to sit and read that I had forgotten how enjoyable it could be.

Below are those who are doing monthly self portraits with me. If you’d like to join us, place a link to your monthly photo in the comments below and I’ll add you to the list! – Remember to link back to me too!

————————–

Doppler Dolly . Shanna

Since moving to Texas, Ephram has started sleeping in.  Like beyond 5:45am sleeping in.  And each day I think, maybe I should get up and start my day before Ephram wakes up.  Take a shower, get breakfast ready, do some computer work.  But every day I’ve lounged in bed, reading or catching up on Twitter or just dozing off and on until he has woken up.  Until today, that is.  I woke up, showered, put in a load of laundry, and got our breakfasts ready all before my 23 month old woke up for the day.  And. it. was. glorious.  If you have a toddler, definitely try it. Of course, now that I have realized this little early morning secret, I’m sure Ephram will quit sleeping in.  Isn’t that how it always works?

A certain uncle requested I get back on the Instagram wagon so he can keep up on everyday life with Ephram.  So I’m back, sharing random photos throughout the day, mostly of Ephram, but hopefully as we decorate our new living space, I’ll share bits of that as well.

Some things I’ve noticed about Texas so far:

+ We lose power just about every time it rains. At least seeing the CenterPoint Energy trucks is somewhat exciting for Ephram.  Whenever there’s an outage, we get to watch them fix the power lines from our window.

+ I cannot find sausage pizzas in Texas.  And I can’t seem to find out why!

+ The Houston Ikea does not have Huge A** Fans like the one in Minneapolis.  And apparently other Ikeas have them too.  Houston, I think you need to get with the program here.  It’s my son’s favorite part of Ikea!

+ Bugs. Other than a few bees who visit our lemon tree occasionally, there are no bugs in Texas.  Do they come in the Summer?  I don’t care at this point because no bugs + Texas Winter is like Minnesota Summer – pesky mosquitoes!

Reading: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, the third book of the Hunger Games series.  I think it was Ashley that mentioned this book sometime last year and I was hooked on the plot immediately.  I am so glad I finally had the time to read this series because it’s so well written.  And just in time for the movie! Any Houstonians want to see it with me?

Working on: A new combined blog.  I asked for opinions last week on Ephram’s blog if I should combine the two and I that’s just what I’ll be doing.  It’s going to take some time, but the blogs are in the process of combining into one simple blog.  More on that later.

Until then, I’ll be pondering how a not-even-two year old can operate an iPad so well.  He of course calls it the “pad” though – can’t put more than 3 words together in a sentence but he can use an Apple product.  Now that’s how you know it’s a good company. ;)

With US Internet users spending 3X more time on blogs and Social Media than on e-mail, it is no wonder why now more than ever you need to utilize Social Media platforms to actively market your products and services. Understanding the importance of a content calendar is vital in your online campaign success.

Getting someone to ‘like’ your page on Facebook is only the first step. You need to engage those fans with consistent updates that appear in their News Feed. You can’t do this by posting at one specific time of day that works for your schedule. You need to be posting information at different times of day, multiple times per week. Keep in mind that of the 800+ million users of Facebook, 400 million check Facebook once/day and 200 million users are checking Facebook MORE than once per day. It is entirely possible that the customer you are trying to reach is NOT on Facebook at the exact time/day you are. Keeping up with a vigorous posting schedule is easy for a week or two, but the real winners on Facebook consistently post messages and engage fans on a regular basis. Consistency is the key to success to Facebook.

This is where a content calendar can assist you with your Social Media campaign. Planning your posts in advance will insure success on Facebook and other platforms. If your plan of attack for Facebook is ‘I’ll do it when I have time’, you will fail.  Instead, sit down once per week or if you are really ambitious, once a month and pick out your photos, articles and videos that you want to share and either copy and paste them into a Word document or place them in a folder on your desktop so that when you are ready to post or tweet something you have immediate access and don’t have to sit and think up something to say. Social Media dashboards like Hootsuite and Socialoomph will assist you with scheduling your posts in advance but requires a bit more knowledge about the tools available online.

Consistently posting to Facebook and engaging fans by asking for a comment or posting a great photo for them to share will expose your brand to their contacts within the ‘ticker’. The ticker can be found on the top right corner of your page. The more times you show up in the ticker the better. It’s that whole ‘word of mouth’ thing that Facebook provides – for free.

What should you post?  If you are having a hard time coming up with topics or items to share I would suggest to start paying attention to some of your favorite brands. Or find someone in your field that is successful at Social Media marketing and do some of your own market research. As always, Brand Yourself can assist you and your business with your Social Media marketing efforts. If you have questions on how to get started please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. Good luck and happy posting!

We have a great line-up of classes for February with something for everyone. Be sure to stretch your mind and your body with some of our offerings. Registration is required for all one time classes (even if they’re free!) and can be done online from our website by clicking on Events or by stopping in the store. Ongoing classes are drop-in and do not require registration. We hope to see you here no matter how much snow is on the ground!

What is Permaculture?
Thursday, February 2, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE Presenters: Joe Gransee-Bowman and Paul Sebby
Permaculture is a design system approach addressing energy, shelter, and food that is modeled on the relationships found in nature.

Natural Health Care with Essential Oils
Thursday, February 9, 7-8:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE Presenter: Katie Milbrett
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years as a safe and natural system that is free from synthetic chemicals, toxins, side effects, and addictions. By using pure essential oils, we not only address illnesses and discomforts but help to build healthy and resilient bodies.

Improving Home Energy Performance
Saturday, February 11, 1-2:30 p.m.
Cost: $15/$13 owners Presenter: Joe Gransee-Bowman
How does energy performance fit into designing a residential living system while integrating the needs for shelter, energy, and food? Learn about air sealing, weatherization improvements, safety concerns, and the services energy auditors and insulation crews provide.

The Chemistry of Chocolate
Tuesday, February 14, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cost: $13/$11 owners Presenter: Jerry Mohrig
Learn the secrets of chocolate on the most important chocolate-giving holiday. Get information on the composition of chocolate, manufacturing, health issues, and how to evaluate chocolates by taste, with just a little history mixed in.

Owner Orientation and Tour
Saturday, February 18, 9-10:30 a.m.
Cost: FREE Presenter: Mary Upham
Whether you’re a new owner or have shopped the Co-op since the early days you will learn new things about Just Food. Receive a $5 store coupon for each owner household that completes the tour.

Ongoing classes:

Spring Forest Qigong Practice Group
Mondays, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Drop in fee: $10 Instructor: Mary Zelmer
Join us for continuing practice of the Spring Forest Qigong principles. Learn techniques to feel the flow of your energy and help relieve physical pain, stress, depression and more. Drop in fee is $10.

Knitting Group
Mondays, 7-9 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Everyone welcome. Bring your project for conversation and knitting.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan
Saturdays, 9-11:30 a.m.
Drop in fee: $12 Instructor: Paul Magee
T’ai Chi Ch’uan is both a way to strengthen the body and to study philosophy; it’s a martial art and a meditation system. Your first lesson is free. Drop in fee for subsequent classes is $12.

From the USDA – Minnesota

The USDA released it’s new Hardiness Zone Map.   Minnesota now can claim a portion of the State being a Zone 5!  (a small part – but a part nonetheless).   A big change is the portion of Zone 4a which now extends further north.  Mary Schier, editor of the Northern Gardener magazine, has a blogpost on this subject - ‘Big Changes for Minnesota in New Hardiness Zone Map.’

 

Despite these changes, caution is advised if you don’t want to run the risk of losing plant materials that may be marginally zone hardy.  On the other hand, it can be an awful lot of fun to experiment with marginal plants that can sometimes be a nice surprise on hardiness and a visual delight.  We’re happy to visit with you about this subject concerning plants you might consider that are “on the edge”.

    Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’™The 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year! May we introduce you to The Perennial Plant Associations’ selection for “Perennial Plant of the Year”,  Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ PP13859 CPBR1799!  Well, that’s what it officially goes by, but we like to make things a bit more personal here at Knecht’s.  Let’s call him ‘Jack Frost’.

‘Jack Frost’ is a classic woodland perennial with better heat tolerance than other Brunnera varieties.  It is known for its love of shade as well as its’ dramatic foliage.  Silver leaves with dark green veining produce a “crackle-like finish”.  The stunning foliage becomes a backdrop for a cloud of Wedgwood blue, Forget-me-not-like flowers from mid to late spring.   A breathtaking effect!  The flower stems are great for cutting and make lovely spring bouquets.  Allowing you to bring a bit of your garden indoors.

Brunnera will grow best in full shade or early morning sun and will be most vigorous in rich soil.  ‘Jack Frost’ will tolerate heavier soils provided they are amended with compost or other organic material.  Brunnera has a classic appeal that makes it a wonderful addition to almost any shady site, including shaded rock gardens.  The silvery leaves are capable of brightening a dark corner and pulling light into dreary, shaded areas of the landscape.  Jack Frost has a slow, spreading growth habit that makes it an excellent choice for shady groundcover.

Early Morning Sun to Full Shade

12-15” Tall x 12-15” Wide

Deer Resistant

Zone 3-8

Companion Plants: Pulmonaria – Lungwort, Astilbe, Tiarella – Foamflower, Heuchera – Coral Bells, Dicentra – Bleeding Heart, Ferns, Bergenia – Pig Squeak, Lamium – Dead Nettle, Hosta

This article was submitted by Heidi Brosseau, our Retail Manager.  Visit our Perennial Plant List on our Plant Page to see a listing of all of the perennials we’ll have available in 2012.

In 5 short weeks – we start up our greenhouses and hit the ground running.  Next week, we have two full-time people coming back already!  We are beginning our hiring process for the upcoming season.  The following are the jobs available at the current time:

Retail Sales Asst. Manager – Fulltime  Previous sales expereience and knowledge of plant material IS REQUIRED!

Nursery Production Asst. Manager – Fulltime  Previous horticulture experience is required

Watering – Parttime  Work hours would be mornings – 3-4 hours per shift.  Watering container plants and  plant maintenance

 

All positions are outdoor positions.  Must possess the ability to tolerate all weather conditions.  Must be able to safely lift up to 60 pounds.  All positions will require weekend hours.  Weekends are rotated.  Wages are commensurate with experience.

Job applications can be picked up here at the nursery.  Week of January 23rd – Mon – Fri. – 9 am to Noon.  Week of January 28th and after – Mon – Fri. 8 am to 4 pm.   Job interviews will be scheduled starting the week of January 28th.

We have a great line-up of classes for February with something for everyone.  Be sure to stretch your mind and your body with some of our offerings.  Registration is required for all one time classes (even if they’re free!) and can be done online from our website by clicking on Events or by stopping in the store.  Ongoing classes are drop-in and do not require registration.  We hope to see you here no matter how much snow is on the ground!

What is Permaculture?
Thursday, February 2, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE  Presenters: Joe Gransee-Bowman and Paul Sebby
Permaculture is a design system approach addressing energy, shelter, and food that is modeled on the relationships found in nature.

Natural Health Care with Essential Oils
Thursday, February 9, 7-8:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE  Presenter: Katie Milbrett
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years as a safe and natural system that is free from synthetic chemicals, toxins, side effects, and addictions. By using pure essential oils, we not only address illnesses and discomforts but help to build healthy and resilient bodies.

Improving Home Energy Performance
Saturday, February 11, 1-2:30 p.m.
Cost: $15/$13 owners  Presenter: Joe Gransee-Bowman
How does energy performance fit into designing a residential living system while integrating the needs for shelter, energy, and food? Learn about air sealing, weatherization improvements, safety concerns, and the services energy auditors and insulation crews provide.

The Chemistry of Chocolate
Tuesday, February 14, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cost: $13/$11 owners  Presenter: Jerry Mohrig
Learn the secrets of chocolate on the most important chocolate-giving holiday. Get information on the composition of chocolate, manufacturing, health issues, and how to evaluate chocolates by taste, with just a little history mixed in.

Owner Orientation and Tour
Saturday, February 18, 9-10:30 a.m.
Cost: FREE  Presenter: Mary Upham
Whether you’re a new owner or have shopped the Co-op since the early days you will learn new things about Just Food. Receive a $5 store coupon for each owner household that completes the tour.

Ongoing classes:

Spring Forest Qigong Practice Group
Mondays, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
Drop in fee: $10  Instructor: Mary Zelmer
Join us for continuing practice of the Spring Forest Qigong principles. Learn techniques to feel the flow of your energy and help relieve physical pain, stress, depression and more. Drop in fee is $10.

Knitting Group
Mondays, 7-9 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Everyone welcome. Bring your project for conversation and knitting.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan
Saturdays, 9-11:30 a.m.
Drop in fee: $12  Instructor: Paul Magee
T’ai Chi Ch’uan is both a way to strengthen the body and to study philosophy; it’s a martial art and a meditation system. Your first lesson is free. Drop in fee for subsequent classes is $12.

Jim Westlund

Congratulations to our Landscape Division Manager, Jim Westlund, who recently was awarded his certification as a Minnesota Certified Landscape Professional.  A great depth of knowledge and real world hands on landscaping experience is necessary to pass the daunting test that has earned Jim the Landscape Professional designation.

Jim Westlund’s elevation to the top tier of his profession as a Minnesota Certified Landscape Professional is a natural outgrowth of his incredible work ethic, natural smarts, leadership skills and attention to detail in every aspect of landscape installations for our customers.

 

The certified designation is achieved with cooperation through the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.  “The objective of the MNLA Certified Professional program is to uphold, improve, and promote standards of professionalism and excellence within the industry. By focusing on individuals rather than companies, the program encourages self-improvement among industry professionals.” 

Jim is the fifth person at Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping to earn certification as a nursery and landscape professional.  He joins owners Leif and Deb Knecht, retail manager, Heidi Brosseau, and Landscape Designer, Amy Voight among the recognized leaders in the industry.  Very few nursery and landscape businesses our size have this many certified professionals available to help serve their customers!

Leif Knecht participated in a workshop on January 19th & 20th to help chart the future of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.  Eighteen selected industry professionals from all parts of the state worked intensively with the staff of MNLA to zero in on the best ways to continually improve the knowledge, offerings, tools, resorurces, networking and professionalism we all need to offer our customers the very best goods and services.

It was a dynamic and energizxing opportunity to do our part to help assure that Knecht’s Nurseries & Landscaping  will always b e at the leading edge of the world of beautiful plants, and how best to use them in the landscape to create inviting and enjoyable outdoor spaces.  When the growing s eason starts and you make your first trip of the year to our nursery, you will begin to see how we are growing and changing to help you grow and change your landscape into an evermore beautiful place.

If you are a wine drinker and have been to the Contented Cow recently, you will have noticed the new wine line-up.

The new house red is the 2008 Alias California Cabernet Sauvignon. Scouring the web for some background information, we found the “Gut Check” blog, who was interviewing Kata Lozina about this.

‘The label features eight silhouettes, which Lozina explains are the “Cult of 8″ winemakers who joined forces to create this wine together – but anonymously. Without listing names, faces or estates — just the region, Napa — the winemakers instead detail their philosophy on the label, including “Vineyards make grapes, winemakers make wine,” “Wine is not art, wine is craft,” and “Luxury can be affordable.”‘

Come see what you think!

Just a quick reminder to check out our calendar for up-to-date listings of music and other events. You can also keep in touch via Facebook. 2012 is going to be a great year!