The Whidbey Island Winery began as a dream and a chance for career changes for Gregory and Elizabeth Osenbach. The two lived in Monroe and were making homemade wine. Producing wine in Monroe was a bit of a problem because the climate was too wet.
The biggest part of that dream was moving to Whidbey Island and starting a winery from scratch. As many of you know, Whidbey Island lies in the rain shadow from the Olympic Mountain Range. This makes Whidbey somewhat drier than much of the Puget Sound.
In 1984 Greg and Elizabeth moved to Whidbey Island. They found a 10-acre site that would be perfect for their winery; it was very close to Langley and would be a good location for retailing their wines.
They built a home and started growing grapes. With a maturing crop of grapes it was time to expand. In 1990 they built the winery building and proceeded to get all the licenses that would be required to sell their wines.
1991 was their first production year and by the summer of 1992 they had sold 400 cases of wine. Today that number is between 3000 and 3500 cases of wine.
Currently about one third of the grapes that are used in producing their wines comes from the Whidbey Island vineyard; the rest of the grapes come from the Yakima Valley.
Greg and Elizabeth have developed a strong relationship with the growers in Yakima. They have input on how the grapes are grown. It used to be that the growers were paid by the pound for their grapes. This tended to reduce the quality of the grapes grown since the emphasis was on quantity.
Now grapes are sold by the acre; there is less of a focus on quantity and more on the quality.of the grape. If the crop level is lower you have better quality and the flavors are more intense.
If you click on the wine label above you can view a short video about the winery.
Elizabeth does the important book work that is needed for the enterprise’s success. Leah Waaramaki is the other half of the wine making team, with Greg, and she is also involved in the wineries marketing efforts. Leah comes from the wine growing area of California and has provided a lot of energy and love to the business and it’s wine making.
If you click on the above label there is a video interview with Leah Waaramaki talking about Seattle’s 2009 Wine Awards. The Whidbey Island Winery won a Gold Medal for their White Rh0ne Style 2007 Roussanne.
The Whidbey Island Winery produces both white and red wines. Three of the whites are produced at the vineyard; Madeline Angevine, Island White and Siegerrebe.
To find out more about the winery you can visit their website by clicking here.
The Winery is located on 5237 Langley Road in Langley, Washington, 98260.
You can call them at 360-221-2040
Whidbey Island Restaurants – Langley (Prima Bistro)
If you plan on visiting Whidbey Island you’re sure to enjoy the small town charm of Langley. After a day of shopping and exploring the town you’ll want to visit The Prima Bistro.
There are many things that make a great restaurant; though most of us think of great food! That is surely the case at Prima Bistro. Often, however, it is the intangibles that make a restaurant special. There is a certain sense of place; the feeling that you get by just being there. You can click here to view a video on the Prima Bistro. You will want to view in the full screen mode for a better visual impact.
Prima Bistro has that sense of coziness and warmth; whether it be on a cold winter night or a warm sunny day.
In 2009 the Prima Bistro was voted the Best French Restaurant in Western Washington. Evening Magazine had their readers nominate and then vote for their favorites. Le Pichet was second followed by Cafe Campagne and Maxililien. All of those restaurants are located in the Pike Place Public Market in Seattle.
Prima Bistro is owned by Sieb and Jenn Jurriaans. It is interesting to note that Sieb started working in the restaurant business at Cafe Campagne. He became a sous chef at the Bis on Main in Bellevue and then the executive chef at Saltoro’s in north Seattle. Jenn taught at Olympic Hills Elementary for nine years before getting involved in the operation of the bistro.
The original Star Bistro closed for business in 2005. Sieb and Jenn knew the space and they loved the idea of living on Whidbey and starting their own restaurant had always been a dream. In early 2006 Sieb and Jenn secured a small business loan from Whidbey Island Bank and began the renovation. Prima Bistro was born in the summer of 2006 just in time for the busy season.
The roof top deck, though smaller, reminds me of the Pink Door in Seattle. They often have musicians on those warm summer evenings to enhance and keep the atmosphere lively. They have space heaters so even on cooler evenings it’s a great experience.
I was talking to Jenn and she explained how important the locals are to their business. “The local base is really important to us; they are an awesome community.” They do a lot of fun things for the locals and often use themes. When the Blues Brothers movie was playing at the Clyde; their bartenders dressed up as the Blues Brothers. Sex in the City; then they had cosmo specials; just good fun!
Whidbey Island is a very green and organic community. So, it comes as no surprise that the bistro found a spot on the roof for their own herb garden!
This business is their heart’s desire. It is a place that they share with their children and the community. A place to be with friends and to meet new ones. You won’t be disappointed!
You can visit their website by clicking here or their blogsite by clicking here.
Prima Bistro is a French inspired Northwest Bistro located in Langley on beautiful Whidbey Island.
201 1/2 1st Street
Langley, Wa
(360) 221 4060
LIVE MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY Serving lunch and dinner every day starting at 11:30 – HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 3:00-6:00
FOR RESERVATIONS EMAIL: primabistro@whidbey.com
The Langley Village Bakery makes for a wonderful local story. Misty Moore, the current owner, worked at the bakery from 1993-1999 as a baker/counterperson. She and her husband Johnnie (an aircraft mechanic) left Whidbey Island and spent a year in Arizona before they moved back to Stanwood in 2000.
They were thinking about starting a bakery in Stanwood, but karma took over. They found out that the bakery in Langley was up for sale. With a loan from the bank they were able to purchase the bakery that they named The Langley Village Bakery.
Misty and Johnnie have put their own style into this charming bakery. They did have some help from Wanda, one of the previous owners, who was able to pass along some old recipes to Misty. So, with old recipes in hand, some paint and a little cleaning up they opened up shop. Her husband, an electrician in the aircraft business, starts his day in the wee hours of the morning baking goodies for you and the tourists. Perhaps the aircraft business might be a little easier; at least the hours?
Most days you’ll find Misty at the counter or relieving Johnnie. Misty has a warm smile for everyone. She seems to know everyone by name; this is a real hometown bakery. I suggest it’s the people who own it that give it that atmosphere. Her daughter Taylor (10) and son Monty (14) help out around the bakery; it is definitely a family business!
The bakery is nestled in the part of town known as the Langley Village. There a quaint shops to browse and plenty of quiet spots to enjoy a pastry and a cup of coffee.
Thanks Misty; the cookies were GREAT!
The Langley Village Baker is located at 211 2nd St, Langley, Whidbey Island, WA 98260. You can reach the bakery at 360-221-3525; I’m sure that they can take care of your special needs.
Beneath the Salish Sea can be seen this weekend at the Clyde Theatre in Langley. We get a chance to witness the undersea odyssey of Florian Graner. Florian is a marine biologist who specializes in cinematography and photography. He has worked on a number of film projects for the BBC (The Blue Planet) and National Geographic.
His new film takes place right in our own backyard. Beneath the Salish Sea will give you a chance to see the wide variety of fish life in the Puget Sound. He will takes us to Holmes Harbor and the area just off of Beverly Beach. This should be a real education on the rich ecosystems that are prevalant in the area. Florian will be at the Clyde after the show to answer your questions.
Beneath the Salish Sea
Sunday, January 17, 2010
2:00 to 3:30 at The Clyde
The SEA’s (Service, Education and Adventure Organization) 65-foot teaching vessel Indigo will also be at the Langley Marina. There will be free tours both before (11:00am – 2:00pm) and after (4:00 – 7:00pm) the film. This should be fun for everyone; you may have a budding oceanographer in your family.
This past year I wrote a few posts about the oceans while I was blogging in Nevada; perhaps longing for a return to the Pacific Northwest. The three posts were Green Oceans and Plastic, Sustainable Fisheries and Green Oceans Las Vegas. Just click on the titles to get to the posts.
Have a great weekend!
The Move Your Money Movement got started over the dinner table with a few friends. Those present were wondering what they could do personally that would help limit the the power of the big banks while creating a more equitable and stable financial system.
Risk and greed have have always been present in in our society, however, ever since the Glass-Steagall act was repealed in 1999 the impact on our financial markets has been more broadly felt. The repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act allowed banks to get involved in the investment business. If your interested you can click here to find out how this all developed; not surprisingly you will find the money boys at their worst or best depending on your perspective.
Getting back to the Move Your Money Movement. The financier at the table recommended “that everyone could move their money out of the Wall Street banks and into community banks. Community banks are typically more conservative about how they manage their money, they’re more closely connected to the people and businesses who live near them, and they’re more inclined to make loans they know will get paid back. In other words, they have the values that more people would want banks to have.”
The filmmaker at the table reminded the others of the story told in the classic film It’s A Wonderful Life — a tale about a small banker, played by Jimmy Stewart, who almost gets crushed by a big banker. In the end, though, the community rallies around the small bank and helps save it. You can click on the above photo and view the short video; I guess greed will always be with us. The point is whether we can change things.
In America money talks, just ask our politicians.
I think that if we look long and hard at are political system; it would be hard to deny that things need to be changed. The question is always how? When people think about changing the system we think in terms of electing a new President. The problem is that the party that is shut out of office then begins its fight to get re-elected. They surely don’t want to help the new President look good and hurt their chances of taking back the Presidency. We did not elect these politicians to spend their time on getting re-elected; we expected them to do their jobs and to be the voice of their constituents.
This cartoon is symbolic of the situation we face; not a knock on any particular party. They are both at fault!
Sometimes I wonder who our elected officials really listen to. It seems as though they follow the money. They seem to respond more to the lobbyists and political action groups than their real constituents. Party loyalty becomes shameful when actions and policies that are for the good of the country are not truly debated in a manner that you would expect of statesmen.
Thinking term limits?
A Constitutional Amendment would be needed for term limits to be put into law and that would need a two thirds vote to pass; not very likely based on past experience.
The system has handcuffed the public’s ability to seek true change. There is another recourse laid out in Article V of the Constitution. Two thirds of the states could demand a constitutional convention for an amendment to limit terms. Some would say that there is some danger in this since it could lead to other changes in the Constitution.
The Move Your Money movement is a simple idea that doesn’t need a constitutional amendment to make it work.
Keith Olbermann has an overview of the movement in a video you can access by clicking on the photo below.
The Move Your Money Movement is a grassroots effort to shift the power in the financial system away from Wall Street and to Main Street. Wall Street has done nothing to warrant our trust; they need to earn it back. Maybe this movement will stir a new beginning; we need to bring this country back to its roots!
Whidbey Island Bank is one of the community banks that is listed on the Move Your Money website. You can go the the website and explore the other community banks or credit unions that are named. They have identified the banks and credit unions that have a sound financial base; those that were not involved in the practices that took down some of the biggest banks.
If your looking for a Nursery in Langley the Bayview Farm and Garden is the one for you. I had a chance to meet with the owner Maureen Murphy and I was immediately impressed by her love for her business, her employees and the community that she serves.
Maureen is a hard working owner who enoys the physical and outdoor aspects of her business. She talks about her flowers and the interaction that takes place with visitors; “following the color and the light.” It is their job to be the caretaker and then let the plants do all the work; grabbing your attention.
The Christmas trees are ready for you!
Wow! This is the spring time view; pretty special place.
There is a farm center on the site as well; fresh hay and just things for the farm and home.
This is a green garden facility with a non-toxic approach to gardening. There is a good flow to the nursery and the coming of Spring will enhance everything in a wonderful fashion. Maureen takes prides in the health of her plants; if the plants aren’t healthy “they go away.”
You’ll want to make a point of stopping by by the nursery during this Holiday season. The nursery has everything you need: unique gift items, wreaths, holiday greens and garland, and living and cut Christmas trees!
The Bayview Farm and Garden is located off Hwy 525 at Bayview Corner at 2780 Marshview Ave. Langley, WA 98260. Their phone number is (360) 321-6789. You can visit there website by clicking here.
You might also enjoy this video from Maureen.
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