The Perkins Variety Apples and Eagle Haven Winery were selected as our business of the month for their long-term business presence with added new twists. Striving to keep our valley agricultural, Jim Perkins recently partnered with Brian Sakuma (Sakuma farms and Alan Merrit (Merrit Apples) to find a use for less than perfect fruit.

Through Northwest Agricultural Business Center, the partners found the resources, grants and talents to launch a new product line. The NABC website states that they provide “… farmers with the skills and the resources required to profitably and efficiently supply their products to     consumers, retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators and food manufacturers.” The trio received grants and advice and Skagit Fresh was born. You have to check out the marketing website, another perk they received from NABC, www.skagitfresh.com. The website claims “Skagit Fresh Natural Beverages are a refreshing alternative to soda that is all natural sparking juice beverages … squeezed from Jonagold apples grown by three entrepreneurial farmers on their family farms …”

“The four Skagit Fresh flavors are:

Ramblin’ Raspberry, Big Bad Blackberry, Sassy Strawberry, & Bodacious Blueberry.”

The Perkins moved to the farm on Sims Road just east of Sedro-Woolley off Highway 20 in 1968. The Perkins family planted their first apple orchard at the site in 1972. Gradually acquiring properties until they now have 35 acres of apples, 5 acres of grapes, and another 5 acres in other crops. Most of the apples are sold directly from the farm with 20 percent being sold off farm at produce stands and to some school districts. Jim says despite his passion for wine his primary source of income is the orchard.

The orchard may be his “day labor” but nine years ago, Jim began his vineyard, and Eagle Haven Winery, offered its first wines in 2004. Jim admits the winery is “more fun.” For a new entrant on to the wine scene, Jim is particularly proud of the medals his wines have earned at the Mount Hood Wine Summit. Out of 1200 Entries, our own Sedro-Woolley vintner can boast of these awards in the past two years.

• 2009 Eagle Haven Winery & Vineyard -Silver NV Madeleine Angevine WA Puget Sound – Bronze 2004 Syrah WA Puget Sound
• 2008 Eagle Haven Winery – Silver 2006 Madeleine Angevine-Siegerrebe Puget Sound – Bronze NV Apple Washington – Bronze       2005 Sangiovese Yakima Valley

What makes good wine according to Jim is climate and Terrior. Terrior was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon particular varieties. Want to sample these wines? The winery tasting room is open Friday through Monday, along with the orchards and several acres of vines on sandy, rocky, fertile soil that is “perfect for vines” says Jim Perkins.

Eagle Haven produces Siegerrebe, Madeline Angevine, Siegerrebe Madeline Angevine, Pinot Noir, Apple, Blackberry and Winter Pear wines from fruit grown at the vineyard. This year they are introducing a new fruit flavor, Peach wine as well. Its Syrah and Sangiovese wines are made on site from grapes selected from the Yakima Valley area.

Eagle Haven Winery is also available for parties, weddings, reunions and other events. This summer new partner Chris Doorn, Marketing & Events Coordinator, helped produce a music and education program. The Summer Music Series started off June 26 featuring a Northwest Washington favorite, “Gertrude’s Hearse”.  Not wanting to miss out on the fun we caught the music of the Gadjo Gypsies on August 21. They presented “some of the Puget Sounds freshest and most inspiring gypsy music.” According to the Eagle Haven website “Their style is indicative of the French “Quintette du Hot Club de France”; a jazz group founded in France in 1934 by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli. One of the earliest and most significant continental jazz groups in Europe, the Quintet was described by one music critic as “one of the most original bands in the history of recorded jazz.” In the same vein as the Hot Club, the Gadjo Gypsies perform a mix of American Swing, Gypsy and French Musette songs with a jazz flair and nuances of European and Gypsy flavor.”

If you get a chance, go out to the winery on the weekend and sample and purchase some of their wine, you won’t regret it.