In celebration of the recent release of our 2008 Insania Red and 2009 Insania White, please join Geoff Tate, legendary lead singer of Queensryche and Winemaker Holly Turner on Saturday May 8th for a very special evening at Three Rivers Winery.
Prepare to be dazzled by Chef Andrae Bopp as he creates culinary mayhem paired with the extraordinary wines of Three Rivers. Enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres at 7:00 PM, followed by an incredible four course dinner specially paired with the two new Insania releases and some of Three Rivers finest.
On this special night Geoff will be performing acoustically during the course of the evening. This masterpiece of food, wine and music is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. To be part of this extravaganza, please contact the winery at 509-526-9463.
Tickets are extremely limited and are available at $200.00 per person.
Queensryche singer Geoff Tate came to town this week for the bottling of his first white wine.
VICKI HILLHOUSE — Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
WALLA WALLA — The rock star stood out on the bottling line at Three Rivers Winery like a twist cap in a sea of corks.
Sandwiched into the Signature mobile bottling unit Wednesday, Queensryche frontman Geoff Tate stood out in his slacks, jacket and fedora among a T-shirt-clad crew for the bottling of his first Insania white wine. Serenaded by the humming of a furnace and compressor and the clanging of bottles moving along the automated line, the unit was a stage of sorts for a musician now finding his voice as a winemaker.
Tate inched along through each step of the process, personally taking the chance to load the bottles, monitor the wine pumped in and cap the corks.
The rock musician’s short trip to Walla Walla this week with his wife and manager, Susan Tate, ceremoniously capped the latest phase of his winemaking venture.
“You dream it up, harvest, blend. The bottling is the finishing of that phase,” said a goateed Tate, sporting a shaved head for yet another artistic venture: an upcoming role in his second psychological thriller.
For an oenophile like Tate, the partnership with Three Rivers makes good on a longtime crush. His tours and travels take him all over the world, where his love of wine has been cultivated from France to Italy.
“It’s a wonderful way to sample wine, and that’s what got me into it,” the 51-year-old singer/songwriter said at the end of the 200-case bottling. But the partnership has also brought newfound attention to Three Rivers, said winemaker Holly
Turner.
“I think it’s opened up a whole new fanbase for us,” Turner said during a break from bottling under the sun of a brisk morning.
Loyal listeners of Tate’s music are now getting to the age where more of them are likely to appreciate a good glass of wine, she said. His shows often open with tastings.
In the case of his latest blend — sauvignon blanc and semillon that Tate describes as a floral signal to summer — the initial pour will be at the Snoqualmie Casino next month in conjunction with a cabaret style, adults-only rock show featuring aerial acts, go-go and burlesque dancers, a contortionist and more.
Where Tate’s Insania is poured, so are other blends from Three Rivers Winery.
A new batch of consumers is learning about Walla Walla wines this way, Turner said. “They’re finding it in a different way, but it’s definitely through Geoff,” she said.
Tate is not the first celebrity to join Walla Walla’s wine industry. Actor Kyle MacLachlan has partnered with Dunham Cellars in projects. Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe started his own Walla Walla winery a couple of years ago.
All three have Washington roots. Bledsoe, of course, grew up in Walla Walla. For Tate, the ties to the Northwest have infused a sense of pride Washington’s wine industry.
“I kind of think of myself as a spokesman for the state’s wine industry,” he said. “I’m kind of like a relentless salesman with it.”
With the local industry in a state of infancy compared to the old world wines of Europe, Washington and Walla Walla wines are just now beginning to appear on international menus, he said. Consequently, those pouring the wines are still learning about what the Northwestern U.S. has to offer.
For Tate, who got his start with Three Rivers bottling a red blend in 2008, the venture into winemaking has show him a similarity between making music and wine that he never expected.
With wine, different people taste different things. With music, different people hear different things. For the consumer, it’s a matter of taste. For the winemaker/musician, it’s all about providing an experience through a unique artform.
“It all starts with inspiration,” he said. “But the success of what you do is part of the craftsmanship.”
For a limited time Three Rivers Winery is offering a few extra holiday gifts with purchases of Geoff Tate & Three Rivers Insania Wine made before the Christmas Holiday. When you purchase a minimum of 6 bottles, you will receive a FREE Insania T-Shirt, available in both men’s and women’s styles! With every bottle purchased, you’ll also receive an Insania Wine charm, up to a set of 4. In addition, for every order placed in the month of December, you will receive a hand-signed Thank You/Christmas card from Geoff Tate himself, thanking you for your continued support and reminding you that the wine will be on its way just as soon as it is bottled and ready to go! Have an Insania packed Holiday Season! (All offers good while supplies last.)
CLICK HERE PURCHASE & VISIT THREE RIVERS WINERY
TIME TO GO “INSANIA” ONCE AGAIN AS QUEENSRYCHE’S GEOFF TATE AND THREE RIVERS WINERY ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR NEW WHITE WINE BLEND FOR 2010
INITIAL WINE TASTING AND LAUNCH TO TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO QUEENSRYCHE CABARET SHOWS IN SNOQUALMIE, WASHINGTON IN FEBRUARY
Hot on the barrels of his sold out “Insania” red wine signature blend, Queensryche front man Geoff Tate has announced a new collaboration with Walla Walla, Washington-based Three Rivers Winery (www.threeriverswinery.com) for a white wine blend of the same name.
The new “Insania” — an artfully balanced offering that shines with honeydew melon, pear and apricot — is a classic blend of Sauvignon Blanc (78%) and Semllion (22%) that will be available early next year for an anticipated price of $25 per bottle.
The initial tasting and launch of the new blend will take place at the Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, Washington on Thursday, February 4th and Friday, February 5th, 2010 in conjunction with Queensryche’s forthcoming performances of the highly anticipated “Queensryche Cabaret.” (heralded as “The First Adults Only Rock Show!”).
Crisp and lively, the finish of the “Insania” white lends itself to an encore performance with its bright, crisp acidity, leaving you wanting more…
“Insania” (a Latin word meaning insanity, irrationality, madness) has become a labor of love for Geoff Tate, who remains deeply involved with its development and looks forward to further collaborations with Three Rivers Winery in the future.
“Wine has been an important part of my life and the creation of Insania is yet another avenue to express my creativity and give my fans something more they can enjoy,” states Geoff. “I hope to keep collaborating on the Insania with Three Rivers as long as I enjoy drinking wine…. and that’s likely going to be for a very long time. May everyone enjoy this new white blend.”
The wine is certainly off to a good start as Geoff and the Red Wine Blend “Insania” were featured in Wine Spectator. (online version available at http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Wine-Talk-Geoff-Tate_4436).
Cheers to “Insania” for years to come!
Drink Geoff Tate Insania and Donate to the National Military Family Association During the ShipRocked Cruise
Queensryche will host a private wine party for ShipRocked passengers during the cruise this November, to benefit the National Military Family Association. Guests can come drink Insania and party with Queensryche, and donate to a great cause all at the same time.
ShipRocked passengers who wish to attend this special onboard event will need to contact Amy at Three Rivers Winery, to make a $20.00 donation in advance of the cruise, in order gain entrance once on the ship. Seating is limited so please call right away. Of course you must already be booked on the ShipRocked cruise to enjoy this event, so visit www.getshiprocked.com for cabin reservations and additional info.
Amy Locati
509.526.WINE (9463)
Last Remaining Bottles of Insania
3 Rivers is sold out of the first vintage of Geoff Tate’s red wine INSANIA. Whole Foods in Chandler Arizona has the only remaining bottles and will sell them at a bottle signing event with Geoff Tate and wine maker Holly Turner.
Saturday, May 30th 2009
12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Chandler Whole Foods
2955 W. Ray Road
Chandler, AZ 85224
480-821-9447
Come out, say Hi to Geoff and get one of the only bottles of the very first vintage of Insania.
Geoff Tate of Queensryche has created a monster of a wine. 2007 Insania has already sold out, but this year brings a new vintage that will be sure to rock your socks off.
Click here to place your 2008 Insania pre-order today:
As with last year’s vintage, Tate created Insania, a red Bordeaux blend, with Three Rivers winemaker Holly Turner. Read about his winemaking experience in this insightful article from Wine Spectator Magazine.
If you missed out on the 2007 Insania, you still have a chance to purchase a bottle. Whole Foods Markets has a limited supply remaining and will make them available for sale during two personal appearances by Geoff and Holly. See the schedule to the right for times and places.
Cheers!
Amy Locati
Three Rivers Winery
locati@threeriverswinery.com
Meet Geoff Tate and Holly Turner at these upcoming bottle signing events:
Friday, April 17th 2009
2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Redmond Whole Foods
17991 Redmond Way
Redmond, WA 98052
425-881-2600
Saturday, May 30th 2009
12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Chandler Whole Foods
2955 W. Ray Road
Chandler, AZ 85224
480-821-9447
3 Rivers is sold out of the first vintage of Geoff Tate’s red wine INSANIA. Whole Foods has the only remaining bottles and will sell them at bottle signing events with Geoff Tate and wine maker Holly Turner. The 2 stores and dates are below:
Redmond Whole Foods Market
17991 Redmond Way
Redmond, WA. 98052
425 881-2600
April 17 2-5:00P.M.
Chandler Whole Foods Market
2955 W. Ray Rd.
Chandler, Arizona. 85224
480 821-9447
May 30 12:00Noon-3:00 PM
The first vintage of Geoff Tate’s red wine, “Insania” is sold out. Only 2 Whole Foods stores have any left. The Whole Foods in Chandler, AZ has a limited Quantity and will have Geoff Tate and Holly Turner in the store to sign bottles the day they offer it for sale. The other store will be announced soon.
Bottle Signing of GT Insania Saturday May 30, 2009 Chandler Whole Foods Store – Phoenix AZ
12pm – 3pm People can get tickets up to 2 hours prior to the event starting to make sure they get a bottle. (Please do not bring anything else to be signed so that everyone gets a chance to have their bottle signed.)
