Patricia and Jim Thielman

Patricia and Jim Thielman have the very distinguished honor of being our first Key Club members. When presented with this fact, Patricia tells us, “I became a Key Club member as soon as memberships were offered. The reason was simple. It assured us that we get the wine we want and are not faced with sold out items.” Even before Long Shadows Vintners had begun, the Thielmans were familiar with Allen’s work and intrigued by his new plan to gather winemakers from around the world and bring them to Washington. They’ve been loyal enthusiasts and frequent visitors since the very beginning.

Long Shadows wines tend to find their way onto the Thielmans’ table fairly regularly for both momentous milestones and daily celebrations. Patricia recalls a particularly fond memory of celebrating her sister and brother-in-law’s fiftieth wedding anniversary with a 2012 Cote Nicault magnum and “Duck Nicault” at one of their favorite local restaurants. While they love all of the Long Shadows wines, when push comes to shove, it’s Pedestal Merlot for Jim and Feather Cabernet Sauvignon (but Sequel Syrah when dark chocolate is involved) for Patricia.

Since COVID-19, Patricia and Jim have pivoted a long standing Friday night double date to a ZOOM dinner party where they frequently enjoy Long Shadows wines. When asked when the next time they planned on enjoying a bottle of our wine, Patricia’s response was our absolute favorite, “In about five minutes we will open a Pirouette to go with dinner.” Cheers to what we hope was an excellent dinner and Pirouette pairing, Thielmans!