Blue-Merle Winery Pledges Tithe Wine Donation To Episcopal Diocese of San Diego

November 11th was "Ingathering Sunday" at Grace Episcopal Church in San Marcos, CA when parishioners made pledges of time, talent and money to the church for the 2008 fiscal year. The services were presided over by The Right Reverend James Mathes, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. To add a festive mood to the event, the Ladies of Grace took two bottles of 2005 Nebbiolo wine, added mulling spices and served it warm in a traditional coffee brewer during Fellowship Hour. One of the kids called it, "Happy Hour." Some of the parishioners who were filling their cups to the brim needed to be warned that the punch had been spiked. Although the graceful ladies are cautious about serving this deep, inky wine during communion -- for fear of staining the linens -- social hour is a different story. In the spirit of the event -- and in the spirit of giving -- the Blue-Merle Vineyard pledged to Bishop Mathes 10% -- the biblical tithe -- of its wine to be bottled this Thanksgiving for the use of the church, to be used for communion (at churches that care less about the linens) or perhaps at a church function as the Bishop saw fit. "I think we'll use it at our General Convention next year," Bishop said.

Most of you are familiar with "Chateauneuf de Pape" -- which means "New Castle of The Pope" -- commemorating that time in history several hundred years ago when the Papacy was headquartered in France. As the Blue-Merle vineyard is growing Grenache grapes -- the same as those featured in the Cheatauneuf wines -- we have decided to honor Bishop Matthes, as the self-proclaimed winemaker to to the Bishop, with a new label titled: Maisonvielle de Bischoff. Our castle is but an old home, but our aspirations for winemaking are high, as high as our esteem, respect and hopes for our Bishop.