President's Wine Weekend in Murphys! Mark your Calendar ...

Hot off the Press! ....

Press Release: Calaveras Winegrape Alliance -Presidents' Wine Weekend

February 15-16, 2014 – President’s Wine Weekend – The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance presents the 18th annual Presidents’ Wine Weekend at all 22 CWA wineries from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a great opportunity to sample the fine wines of Calaveras, celebrate with friends old and new, and take advantage of special discounts. With the purchase of a $20 commemorative wine glass, you are entitled to a free 'limited-tasting' flight at all participating member wineries, Saturday through Sunday. Full tastings will be available in each tasting room for an additional fee. Wine glasses will be available on Main Street in Murphys, on Saturday only, in front of the Native Sons Hall. Or get a glass all weekend long at locations in Calaveras County: The Calaveras Visitor’s Bureau in Angels Camp, Chatom Vineyards on Highway 4 in Douglas Flat , Frog’s Tooth Vineyards in Murphys,  Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, and Val du Vino Winery on the corner of Main Street and French Gulch Road. Wine Glass sales are cash only, no credit cards will be accepted. No reservations are required.  For more information, call 728-9467 or visit calaveraswines.org.

Deadlines approach! Call to Artists!

It is time of year again for Ironstone's 17th Annual Spring Obsession Art Show entry deadlines.  This year we are offering a complimentary Deli Lunch for the first 3 artists to submit their entries. 

Theme Division deadline is Jan. 3rd. Theme Division Winner earns $500 plus the winning image is used with artist recognition on the annual poster celebrating the newest release of Ironstone's Obsession Wine.

OPEN Division entry due Jan. 31. Winner receives $1000, 2nd place winner receives $500 and third place winner receives $250.  Open division art is any subject matter, any media except photography and digitally enhanced images. Works of art may not protrude more than 3" out from the wall. 

Go to the respective pages above for the complete prospectus and entry forms.  Should you have any questions, please feel free to email cgomez@ironstonevineyards.com with your questions. 

Last years winners:

Ironstone Vineyard’s 2013 16^th Annual

Spring Obsession Art Show

Theme Division Winner

Lorraine Lawson, “Sunny Disposition”  

Poster available in Museum & Tasting Room $10

1^st Place Open Division – Debbie Gualco, “Pompano and Circumstance”

2^nd. Place Open – Melinda Shook, “Retired 298”

3^rd. Place Open – Stephanie Benedict,  “Lighthouse Keeper’s House”

Ghost visitation!

Our visiting ghost has been a busy guy!  With many visits, the latest being this last Saturday evening. Seems our fellow dropped into the warehouse and set off the motion sensors. As the story unfolds, seems one of the cellar workers met our friendly but busy ghost early one morning just prior to the first reported visit. The claim is he is an older gentleman with Victorian style clothing, walking with a bit of a limp. It is said he tipped his hat and moved on, out of sight.  This is actually the only true sighting where as the other visits have been less sightings and more activities.  Will keep you informed as the story unfolds...

Covellite Jewelry Coming to Ironstone!

Covellite Jewelry Coming to Ironstone’s Heritage Museum @ 50% off for the Holidays! Here this coming weekend just in time for “Shop Local Saturday” & “Sunday Funday”.

 Check out the properties this mineral is supposed to contain….

“Covellite is a stone to transform your dreams into reality... by enhancing a positive outlook. It has strong metaphysical properties and by utilizing its energy correctly you can bring miracles into your life.

This stone is said to also help to open a doorway to the past and help you remember the wisdom you obtained in past lives.

It may help to trigger psychic gifts such as clairvoyance... and may help to enhance lucid dreaming, astral travel and past life recall.” And also used as a powerful healing stone.

Wow!! With properties like that, we can't afford not to have at least one piece on all the time! Can't wait till this weekend to see the pieces...  will post photos on twitter as soon as we can!

Sold! Vaughn Pottery recent sales...

We love Vaughn Pottery and so do our Collectors!  

Below are images of a few pieces that have found new homes recently.  

Congratulations!

Ghost sightings?

Seems a week ago last Saturday, we had our first experience with a "ghost sighting". Now, it wasn't exactly a sighting, but seems said ghost gently touched the shoulder of one of our managers early that morning leaving a cold spot where the touch was felt. Within the next 30 minutes, the radio was turned on by "no one" up in the tasting room as the security arrived to open up the doors and turn lights on. "No one" was up there when the radio came on... , or when it was again turned on and off again just this past weekend. 

Tasting room security cameras also saw one of the registers start a ZZ run the next day, spitting out rolls of register tape when "No one" again was anywhere near said register.  Add to that reports of slamming doors and a few other possibly related incidents, and we may have an extra guest visiting these days!

Now, normally, I am one to ignore such things, although when a kid, my sister and I swear we did see the ghost up in her room at the old Museum in Jackson, Ca. We were hiding in a bush outside one night while visiting Grandma & Grandpa, curators that lived in the old house next to the Museum... but, I've always thought that sighting a direct result of a frightening story told by an outstanding Grandpa story teller that put the fear in us. A huge rush of adrenaline brought on by sneaking out the bedroom window in the middle of the night and hiding behind an old bush under a full moon with glowing reflections on the old museum windows, and well, you get the picture.

But, here at Ironstone, those reports made were by some pretty stable, reputable staff members minus the full moon, adrenaline rush and the great Grandpa Storyteller.

So, there you have it! Take it with a grain of salt, but, if I hear more, I will let you know!

Historic Trivia from the Gold Country

 This wonderful old safe has been here in the Heritage Museum for several years now.  Showing signs of wear with a lock that has been drilled open, this old boy seems to have an awful lot to say.  But finding the time to search out his voice has always been lacking.

Well, with a short concert season, we have found ourselves with a little bit of time on our hands and what an amazing story is emanating from this old timer!

We know it came out of what had been the Wells Fargo Office in Angels Camp, California, just down the road from us. Each of the Wells Fargo Agents that either worked or owned that office had signed the door of this safe with the dates they had been the official Wells Fargo Agent.

(Note: we had to wrap plastic over the door where the signatures were to protect them from being rubbed off by a curious on looker. Why someone would do that is beyond me, but, luckily we caught the offending finger before it could do too much damage! A Plexiglas cover is being designed to replace the plastic wrap.)

The first signature belongs to a J. C. Scribner who was the first agent from 1856 to 1892.

Having seen that name before, it was time to dig. In the back office reference library is a reprint of a book printed in 1885 titled "Calaveras County, Illustrated and Described 1885."
Page #72 ... 

"At Angel's, J. C. Scribner keeps a general merchandise store, and a good line of drugs. He also acts as agent for Wells, Fargo & Co.'s express. He came to Calaveras County as early as 1849, and purchased the business formerly conducted by Mr. Angel, the founder of this camp. The wooden building occupied first by Mr. Scribner was burned in 1855, and he replaced it by a very substantial stone building the following year (1856). He has remained in business at this place ever since."

This lovely book also has an etching of said store as it looked in 1885.

At the California Historic American Buildings Survey website, we found the photo below of a later version of Scribner's store & Wells Fargo Express office taken prior to 1941 when the building burnt down and became what is now a parking lot across the street from what was the old Angels Hotel. 

According to the Survey card, J. C. Scribner was: 

"Dear to hearts of Angels Camp citizens because of folk lore around Scribner, practical joker of old school. Said to have been the one who furnished the grapeshot that decided the race in Mark Twain's famous story "Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

Now, this story was an actual event that occurred downtown Angels Camp sometime between 1856 and 1865. Samuel Clemens heard the folklore while socializing in the Angels Hotel, just across the street from Scribner's store. Maybe we will have time for that in another blog.

May, 1892, the Wells Fargo agency was taken over by R. Rasmussen.  At this time, I am still looking to see what happened to J. C. Scribner. If I find anything interesting, I will most certainly post an update.

Hope you have enjoyed this little bit of historic trivia.

Trivet Time for the Holidays!

Coinciding with the current "History of Iron" display, Ironstone's Junk Junkies have just received bags full of vintage trivets!

These go on sale this weekend for $5 each!  Research on just the first bag revealed value of just one of the trivets to be around $25.00.  

Many of these are collector pieces, so best come on in and gather up the deals.

This is a one time opportunity as well. From a recent estate sale, the collector's heirs don't see any value here, so the catch is yours.

While you are in, take a look at the "History of Irons" display as well.

Those are all available for sale as well. An outstanding value for the collector or just those of us who remember the doorstop at Grandma's house, and want to emulate the connection for our kids.

Remember, with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, these can also be great White elephant gifts or nostalgia mementos for your loved ones.

At the very least, stop in when you are out to put a smile on your face!

Updates to come from the Junk Junkies!