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Writings from the Historians

Happy Sweet Sixteen, Black Rabbit Red!

Published on May 17, 2011

Our beloved red table wine is celebrating its 16th birthday this Wednesday, May 18 – and we're throwing a company-wide party, to which you're cordially invited!

But first, a little background.

The black rabbit is the fabled mascot of Edgefield, where our winery and vineyards are located in Troutdale, Ore. Legend has it that when Mike and Brian McMenamin were touring the property in the early 1990s, considering whether or not to purchase the dilapidated, run-down, overgrown estate, a cute little black rabbit popped up, hippity-hopped across their path and scurried off into the blackberry brambles. 

It was a fortuitous sign, one might say – the Edgefield deal went through and we've never forgotten that little rabbit. Today, along with Black Rabbit Red wine, guests can find the Black Rabbit Restaurant, the Black Rabbit Bar, Black Rabbit Porter, Black Rabbit Blend coffee, black rabbits in artwork scattered across the company from northern Washington to southern Oregon and more. Our furry little friend is everywhere.

And back to the wine – the current release, Edgefield Winery's 2008 Black Rabbit Red, is composed of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 9% Syrah, 9% Zinfandel, 9% Viognier and 8% Pinot Noir. According to our vintners, it is "a smooth and spicy blend composed of classic Bordeaux varietals with a Pacific Northwest twist. Violet in color with fruit aromas of ripe red cherries and red raspberry preserves, complemented by sweet oak notes of graham cracker, cinnamon and vanilla." In short, it's tasty and drinkable. You should try it.

And here's your opportunity – raise a glass of Black Rabbit Red to that tiny little Edgefield bunny on Wednesday, May 18, when we'll celebrate the wine's sixteenth birthday with a whole host of day-long specials:

• Glasses of Black Rabbit Red for $4 (all locations, from north to south)
• Bottles of Black Rabbit to go for $14 (Oregon only)
• 20% off all Black Rabbit Red merchandise at shopmcmenamins.com.
• Black Rabbit Red Beef Stew served over mashed potatoes and glass of Black Rabbit for $11 ($7 without wine)
• 25 cents of each glass of Black Rabbit Red sold will be donated to ¡Salud!, a non-profit that works to provide access to healthcare services for Oregon's seasonal vineyard workers and their families.
• Guided tours at the wine's birthplace (Edgefield Winery in Troutdale, Ore.), from 3 p.m. 'til 6 p.m., along with tastings of archived library wines.
• Lots of fun contests and stuff on Facebook