Thanksgiving is almost here, which means that in addition to planning a meal, you’re probably planning decor and polishing the good silverware and china. Odds are good that you’re starting to feel the holiday crunch. Not that you need a reminder, but turkey day is in T-minus 10 days.

We put on our thinking caps to figure out a way to de-stress your holiday meal and, short of coming to everyone’s house and strapping on an apron, we figured that it’s the small details that you probably wind up putting on the back burner and we hope not literally.

This year, why not dress up your turkey table with a little faux finish in the form of our made-to-look-homemade place cards? We designed six Thanksgiving-themed place cards to jazz up your table. And it’s easy to get your hands on them. Just check out these PDFs (which open on most computers but if you need it, you can download Adobe Reader for free here) pick out a favorite (or two) and print them out. There’s 4 to a page so just print and cut, fill in your guests’ names and you’ve got your own place cards for your table.

Now if we could just figure out a way to help you wash dishes via the internet…

The holidays are almost upon us (my local shopping plaza already has Christmas lights up-yikes!) and while many of us are playing phone tag with various aunts, uncles and cousins to plan where we’re spending Thanksgiving (”no, I’ll bring the mashed potatoes, you bring the yams…”), we back at the ranch, er- I mean winery, got to thinking about how nice it is to have such a problem as deciding at whose home to spend the holidays.

And with that thought, it’s time we start spreading the word about the house we’re building. Yep, you heard me, a whole house (with walls and everything!) We have partnered with Habitat for Humanity and the Charlotte Checkers and we’re gonna put a roof over the head of a family in need in the greater Charlotte area so that when Thanksgiving rolls around next year, they have a home in which to host.

We need to raise $60,000 in order to build the house and for those of you in North Carolina interested in helping out, we are putting out snazzy displays in your local grocery stores with details on how you can get involved and how your actions will help raise money for the Home fund. For those of you who are interested in helping but live outside of the North Carolina area, you can still help, just shoot us a note asking us how to get involved.
Once we have the $60,000 needed to build our home (which is being raised through the help of the Checkers and our North Carolina SH fan base), we can break ground and tah-da! 12 weeks later, we will have a house for a family in need of a place to call home.

Sutter Home, along with a little help from some of our friends, will even be pounding some nails in to make our mark on the house.

Those of you in the Charlotte area (and those who always wanted to visit!) will also want to mark your calendars for April 4, 2009, as that is the date of the Checkers game in which a portion of the ticket proceeds will also go to our Home fund.

So yes, the whirlwind of holiday activity is upon us and I know we’re all busy making plans on how we’re spending the season, but we’ve got some easy ways to make sure a North Carolina family in need has a memorable season too, so help a sista out and help us make this holiday a sucess. Now will someone please pass me the chardonnay?

No Bah Humbug for you!  This year Sutter Home has put together a package to help banish your inner Grinch.  Browse through the entertainment tips to help plan a stress-free holiday party.  Peruse the wine guide so you can show off to your friends how much you know about wine.   Check out the recipes for delicious and easy holiday meals.

And one more thing…Haz click aqui para recetas en Español.  That’s right.  We have recipes in Spanish!

Build a Better Holiday with Sutter Home

The new millennium called, and Sutter Home Winery has joined the ranks of Facebook players!  Yes friends, we’ve created a Fan Page to keep you abreast on promotions, sweepstakes, updates, news and events! Please join us.  We’d love to have you.

See you on Facebook!

Who wouldn’t want a fancy new wine fridge for all their holiday wines?  This year Sutter Home is giving away a free Danby Wine Refrigerator!  All you have to do is enter.

Click here.  Enter your info.  That’s it.  The ultimate in cool, our grand prize features two separately regulated compartments designed to hold 166 bottles—wine is not included, but you’ll have lots of fun filling it! May I suggest browsing our store for that wine?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Every year Sutter Home renews its commitment to supporting breast cancer research. Since 2001, Sutter Home for Hope has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research, treatment and education. This year Sutter Home has launched its newly redesigned website… SutterHomeForHope.com. Please visit us there to see how you too can help support breast cancer research.

Woot woot!

And congrats to George Graham, our 1st runner up and Sonali Ruder, our 2nd runner up!

Thanks to all of our participants this year! Here’s to another great BBB!!!

The votes are in!

I am pleased to annouce that Susan Scarborough is $10,000 richer!!!

Special congrats to our 1st runner up: Sharyn Hill from region 5 and our 2nd runner up: Lisa Huff from region 3!

The audience weighed in in our Great Burger Debate of 2008 and the results are in.

Hooray for People’s Choice Beef Burger winner:

Kristine Snyder and the Hawaii Da Kine Burgers with Sweet-Chili Glaze, Ginger-Goat Cheese Spread, and Hot Watercress Salad!

And we have the results of the People’s Choice for the Alternative Category!

Congrats go out to:

Valerie Szlatenyi for her Ocean State Swordfish Burgers with Tangy Apple Tartar Sauce!