Simple Hedonisms

Posts Tagged ‘Wine Road’

Summer in Wine Country continues to pick up, with a wide array of fun events to chose from this weekend. Contributing Writer Katherine Parker already wrote this week including the Eighth Street Winery Open House (and ticket contest) about whats going in Sonoma proper (also know as “the island’ by locals), so I can focus on the North Sonoma areas and the Wine Road.

Windsor Oaks – Nature Walks & Wine – 3 Days!

Friday August 6th – Sunday August 8th

Wine Tasting and Picnicking: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.

Windsor Oak’s vineyard and winery team are ready for more summer fun!  They are only open to the public 18 days each year, and these are the last 3 before harvest preparations begin.

Trail levels for all guests! Scale the rugged summit or stroll casually through vineyards with a glass of wine in hand, or do nothing but relax by our winery pond.  Hikes begin as early as 8:30 am. Come early to beat the heat if you want to cover some ground.  Hiking snacks and beverages will be available for sale. Click Here for Hiking Details

Wine Club Members may sign up for a “rare” 4-wheel-drive truck tour with Douglas, through our 350 acres Forever Wild Preserve. After your outdoor adventure, sit back and relax as you sip our award-winning artisan wines! Tasting fee is $10 per person, refundable with 2 bottle purchase. Wine Club members and their guests are FREE!  Wine tasting hours are from 11:00 to 5:00. Enjoy new wine-by-the-glass or bottle options for a perfect lunch! Picnics are also welcome! They’ll have the tables, umbrellas and Riedel glasses waiting for you at our picnic site that overlooks the winery pond.  Choose from our list of our gourmet lunches, or bring goodies from home.  Please contact Jil to reserve a table or order a lunch! Please place orders 24 hours prior to arrival! Click Here for Picnic Lunch Options

RSVP: Jil@windsoroaks.com – wine@windsoroaks.com – 707-433-3810

Friday Night – Napa  Cheers St Helena

(Ok, I know its not Sonoma, but its a great event)

Cheers St Helena is a fun event May to October, the 1st Friday of every month on Main Street in St. Helena. Head there from 6-9pm for a kicked-up Social as they toast friendship and wine in the heart of the Napa Valley! Over 100 of Napa Valley’s Top Wineries will be pouring! Attendance is free, only $35 to taste wines from participating wineries.

Eastside Bunch Summer Wine Experience

Eastside Bunch Wineries of Russian River present the  2010 Summer Wine Experience, Saturday, August 7 11am- 4pm

Explore the exceptional family-owned wineries on the eastside of the Russian River in Healdsburg.  Enjoy a fantastic day of special wine tastings, food pairings, and day only event specials. $20 per person, includes a logo tasting glass.

Participating Wineries: Acorn Winery, Christie Vineyards, Christopher Creek Winery, Deux Amis Winery, Merriam Vineyards, Mietz Cellars,  Mutt Lynch Winery

Kendall Jackson Farm Stand – Saturday August 7th

Visit the Kendall Jackson Wine Center and Farm Stand - culinary gardens that are home to hundreds of fruit, vegetable and herb varietals from around the globe. It’s the source of fresh produce for our own culinary team and many exclusive restaurants in the Bay Area.

• Purchase Heirloom Vegetables from the Gardens
• Chef’s Cooking Demonstrations
• Garden Seminars with Master Gardeners
• Wine Tasting and Education

Bring your shopping list and your palate to the Wine Center on the first Saturday of each month May through October.

3rd Annual – Petaluma Music Festival – Saturday August 7th

Benefit for Music Education Programs in All Petaluma Area Schools

An intimate, relaxed, and upbeat celebration: The 3^rd Annual Petaluma Music Festival on Saturday, August 7^th, 2010, at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma with performances by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, ALO, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums, Sol Horizon, Zydeco Flames, the Peter Welker Sextet featuring Jeff Oster, Hillside Fire, and The Artifacts.

This year’s festival will also feature:

• The fine beers of the Lagunitas Brewing Company, and an extensive selection of award-winning wines for tasting
• A unique silent auction and raffle featuring celebrity autographed guitars
• A shaded VIP seating section with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer (where you’ll find Simple Hedonisms covering)
• A variety of specialty food, craft and local business vendors

The large grassy area and park-like setting of the festival grounds are perfect for blankets and low-profile lawn chairs, and the two performance stages guarantee the music never ends.

Because funding for the arts in California is problematic, there is never enough for school music programs.  Festival attendees will help ensure that our children will continue to enjoy the positive influence of music in their lives.

Tickets: $25 General Admission, $75 VIP Premium (shaded reserved seating with complimentary wine, beer, and light appetizers), children 12 and under free with paying adult.  Tickets are available for purchase online at www.petalumamusicfestival.org.  Gates open and music begins at 11:00 AM, wine tasting from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, festival ends at 8:00 PM.  Festival location is the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952.  For more information about the Petaluma Music Festival please visit their website.

Rodney Strong Concert Series – Saturday August 7th, 5 p.m.

This Saturday the Rodney Strong Concert Series continues, and with a handful of tickets remaining for the  Dave Koz & Jonathan Butler – Together Again Tour
Featuring Shelia E.

Enjoy Amazing wines, breathtaking views and concerts with contemporary artists – there’s no better way to enjoy a Sonoma County summer than at Rodney Strong’s annual Summer Concert Series. Be  surrounded by acres of beautiful vineyards, guests enjoy top performers while picnicking at the winery’s intimate concert venue, The Green.

Doors: 4 p.m./ Show Time: 5 p.m. Tickets VIP: $75 / General Admission: $50: Tickets are here.

Live Music – C. Donatiello Winery.  Sunday 1-4 p.m.

I almost want to not share this one, as its one of my favorite Sunday events to sneak away to, enjoy their great wines, music and beautiful grounds. C. Donatiello offers free live music every Sunday, with a great list of artists. Grab wine by the glass or bottle, buy local cheeses and snacks, and sit at a table or bring a blanket and enjoy the sights and sounds. This Sunday is Chris O’Brien, who has made quite a name for himself in Boston’s competitive music scene. Enjoy!

Enjoy a GREAT Sonoma (Or Wine Country) Weekend, no matter what you do – cheers!

Ever have one of those weeks you wanted to clone yourself to get more done? As a lover of Wine Country Events, its a weekend like that, starting tomorrow. Just North Sonoma alone is a hotbed of activity.  Featured below are some of the highlights.

Taste Alexander Valley – Saturday & Sunday 11-4

The folks in Alexander Valley, a wine region in North Sonoma, have outdone themselves with a stunning array of food and  wine pairings, and entertainment to boot at many. 35 wineries, some open only for this event, are pouring great wines, pairing savory wine country food.  Check out previous articles for details. Tickets are no longer available online here, are $75 at door. That’s a bargain for ten hours of Sonoma entertainment.

The event kicked off last night with the Opening Night Gala at Rodney Strong’s rarely open Crown Vineyard. It’s sold out, sorry, I did say to buy early!

Plan your day using  Tips & Suggestions for June 5&6 Taste Alexander Valley.

Russian River Single Night (Single Wines, not people) – Saturday 630-10pm

C. Donatiello Winery
4035 Westside Road
Healdsburg, CA  95448

The Russian River Wine Growers are hosting a new event, this Saturday night, Singles Night. No,  its not a meat market, its for everyone, the ‘Single’ being single varietal (grape ) wines. This fun filled, unique is at C. Donietello Winery. Get there on time for the special tasting in the cellar room that starts at  630. Bring friends to bid on the very cool auction lots, specially designed to win/share with friends. Details here and here. The list of Single Night participating Wineries is pretty spetacular. As of now, some tickets are still available, but have been selling briskly.

8 at the Gate – Sunday, June 6th  11am to 4pm.

8 at The Gate is a special treat if you are a club member of one of these 8 wineries: Balletto Vineyards, Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Dutton Estate Winery, Hanna Winery, Iron Horse Vineyards, Marimar Estate and Taft Street Winery. I am a little miffed about short notice for this event, (I am a member) and overlap to the Taste Alexander Valley event. I know overlap is sometimes inevitable, but it would be nice to see the North Sonoma Wine Road appellations try and co-ordinate; I’d have liked to attend, and spend money at both events.

The event is a traveling farmer’s market with each winery pouring their best wines, offering irresistible wine club discounts and showcasing a local food purveyor and fresh produce from their own winery gardens. For this one special day, you can visit the 8 neighboring wineries, and receive all the privileges of being a member for the day. The wineries are within three miles of each other at the gateway to the Russian River Valley, so it’s a perfect fit for a one-day excursion. Each membership 4 accompanying guests to share in the fun.

Windsor Oaks: Chillin by the Pinot Pond – Saturday & Sunday  11 to 4

Windsor Oaks Vineyards, 10810 Hillview Road, Windsor, CA

Another great venue, only open 18 days a year. Chill Out by the Pinot Pond at Windsor Oaks Vineyards and Winery on Friday June 4^th, Saturday June 5^th and Sunday June 6^th from 11 to 4!  If you have a passion for Pinot, you will love tasting and comparing several their artisan Pinot Noir’s.  Other award winning wines will also be poured.  Order a gourmet box lunch to enjoy pond-side or bring goodies from home.  $10 tasting fee waived with purchase.

Kendall Jackson Farm Stand – Saturday 10-2

The Kendall Jackson Wine Center culinary gardens are home to hundreds of fruit, vegetable and herb varietals from around the globe. It’s the source of fresh produce for our own culinary team and many exclusive restaurants in the Bay Area, and now  sharing their bounty  at the Kendall-Jackson Farm Stand!

• Purchase Heirloom Vegetables from the Gardens
• Chef’s Cooking Demonstrations
• Garden Seminars with Master Gardeners
• Wine Tasting and Education

The first Saturday of each month May through October, starting on Saturday, May 1.

Kickoff of 20th Annual Summer Concert Series at Rodney Strong Vineyards  – Kenny Loggins, Saturday 4 pm

This year’s Rodney Strong Concert Series includes returning greats and winery first-timers that make a stellar lineup for the winery’s 20^th annual concert series.

The season will kick off on June 5^th with Kenny Loggins. As a solo artist Kenny went on to stardom with such top hits as “Whenever I Call You Friend”, “I’m Alright”, “Footloose” and “Danger Zone.” I ran into the head of PR last night at the TAV Gala Event, and was told a few tickets ere still left.

Season passes and individual concert tickets are available here or by calling (707) 869-1595 ext. 4.  Tickets can be purchased in person at the Rodney Strong Vineyards Tasting Room. Doors: 4 p.m./Show: 5 p.m. Tickets VIP: $110/GA: $75. For more information click here.

For additional events, check out the Wine Road and Inside Sonoma websites.

Have a GREAT Weekend enjoying the Simple Hedonisms of Wine Country, cheers!

I am a vocal fan and proponent of the Northern Sonoma Wine Road – a fantastic organization that markets the local wine and hospitality venues in North Sonoma. I generally track their events, try to attend, and write. One that I had seen, but wasn’t sure about, was last Saturday’s Pick of the Vine.

It’s held at the Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa; I have attended a few wine events there, and wasn’t bowled over, especially with the Harvest Fair Wine Awards Banquet, which is crowded, hot, noisy, and expensive for what it delivers. A friend I trust who shares a similar view, said this Pick of the Vine, was different, and I would enjoy it. We had no plans Saturday night, it was reasonably priced at $55, so I said what the heck. I also enjoy silent auctions, especially when wine related items are involved. Its also for a good cause; The Senior Advocacy Services program.

We got there a bit late, so it was in full attendance, but the getting food and wine was never an issue at any table; the only real backup was around the auction tables, especially as each was near closing.

As much as I taste local wines, visit venues and events, there seems a large list I haven’t tried yet, so I took the opportunity to taste broadly and some new ones. As my circle of Sonoma wine friends grows, my productivity level seems to diminish as I spend as much time talking, networking, and catching up as I do getting to wine and food – but that’s what makes Sonoma County such an amazing place, the passionate, friendly people.

• I did visit a few familiar faces; Erik Miller the owner/winemaker of Kokomo Winery, was there. I had yet to try Erik’s (new) Grenache Rose, nor had ever tried his Chardonnay. Kudos to both, Erik continues to shine as a winemaker.

• Ever the Sonoma County advocates, Bill and Betsy Nachbaur of Acorn Winery were there. Is there any local event they DON’T support? Check out their updated website, and of course their great wines – their Medley blend is one of my favorite local red blends.

• Lana and David Mounts of Mounts Family Winery were pouring at another event, so Dry Creek Valley veteran grower Rich Mounts, and Dad, was pouring for Mounts. Their new grenache is amazing, released in June. Grab some before I buy it all. Will see them at the upcoming Hospice du Rhone event in Paso Robles end of month.

• Also a constant supporter of local events, Erin (and occasional helper Lori) were pouring for Harvest Moon.

• I finally got to meet Facebook friend Sue Bonzell of Graton Ridge and sample their great pinot.

• Its been eons since I made it to Thomas George Winery. I had missed them during Barrel Tasting so finally got to try their new Viognier, and of course their flagship, Pinot Noir.

• I didn’t get to every single table (and didn’t notice a few I’d have liked to until seeing the program next day) but was able to sample from D’Argenzio, Route 128, Hop Kiln, Sbragia, Toad Hollow, Martin Ray and Bacigalupi as well.

The food offerings were great quality, and in good supply, and kudos for serving and not running out halfway through the event, as happens at others. Its annoying (and rude) when wine or food vendors leave halfway through a paid event.

BBQ Smokehouse Catering, was one of my top faves. This is a great find from Sebastopol.  There were so many great tables of food I couldn’t get to half of them, including from The Zinful Chef, Nectar Restaurant, BlueWater Bistro, A La Heart and more. Amazing cheeses, breads and deserts abounded from Alvarado Bakery, Costeaux, Redwood Hill Farm, Clover and more.

Overall, the event was well laid out and organized, was never a wait for food or wine, and generally able to chat and interact with the vendor. Traffic sometimes got backed up around the Silent Auction tables; these were interspered with the food and wine. Personally I’d rather they move the action tables to the side, but they were likely integrated by design. It wasn’t really a big deal, although roping them off later made transversing the room a bit more of a challenge.

There were many great donated gifts for the Silent, and Live Public auction – the latter fun, albeit done to the cadence of a livestock auction! Some of the Live Auction prizes were won for a very reasonable price – one that caught my eye was a chance to make Six cases of wine with a Russian River wine maker. The winning price was $1000, 166/case, very reasonable. I was tempted to swoop in, but with my wine cellars overflowing, and the winery not named, resisted.

All in all, a well done, fun, event that I will definitely attend again next year. Cheers!

Simple Hedonisms enjoyed a great first weekend of Friday and Saturday Barrel Tasting! This was made especially fun by running around with  Wine Writers Allie and Peter of  My Wine Words. I am looking forward to this 2nd final weekend, and plan to go out all three days if I can. If you haven’t bought tickets, they are available at the door of participating wineries, 103 of the 160, participating this 2nd weekend.

For those of you going this weekend, who didn’t catch my 4 articles, check out these for hints and tips.

Planning for Wine Road Barrel Tasting – Tips Inside

Barrel Tasting Insights – What am I Tasting & Do I Get Splinters? What should I buy?

also for Wineries:

Wine Road Barrel Tasting & Social Media – Optimizing Your Event

Since not all wineries participate both weekends, and I learned of some new additions, here is an updated list of the Wineries offering special incentives on existing inventory. (Different than futures discounts.)

New Promotions:

Special Joint Promotion at Trione and Stryker Sonoma:

David Coffaro Winery

• In addition to their renowned “Crazy Coffaro Futures Program,” David Coffaro will be offering the following for $20 each:
  • 2006 My Zin, 2006 Cabernet (Sonoma County), 2006 Petite Sirah, 2006 Escuro

Mueller Winery

• Mueller Winery is offering Mueller Winery is offering a 15% discount on all current release bottled wines, Friday through Sunday. They are also releasing our 2007 Mueller Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir tomorrow. (92 cases produced)

Manzanita Creek Winery

• Manzanita Creek is offering their 2006 MC2   (squared)  Zin for  just  $64 per case (SRP $14), and we have their 2005 Stealth Zin, Sweepstakes winner  at the International Pro Wine Buyers Competition at the other extreme for just $396 per case (SRP $55.)

J Keverson (revised)

• J Keverson has a special offer: 2007 Starkey’s Court Dry Creek Zin On Friday 10 cases $99.00 Reg. $300.00. After the 1st 10 are gone $150 (50% off retail.)

Previous Weekends Offers Still Going (To best of my knowledge)

Lynmar Estates

• Lynmar is offering Purchases including these four wines: 2004 Quail Hill Estate Chard, 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir, 2006 Russian River Chardonnay (almost gone) & 2006 Sonoma Coast Syrah are priced at the following discount: 3btls: 20% off, 6btls: 25% off, 12btls: 35% off.

Longboard Vineyards

• Longboard Is offering a a mix-and-match discount special for your-choice combination of our Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Point Break Red.  3 bottles for $60, 6 bottles for $120 and a case for $240.”In addition Longboard has just put out a Magnums only library release with prices starting @ $100. (Club discounts apply.) Their 2005 Syrah is also on sale by the case.

Mounts Family Winery

• Mounts is offering special discounts on its existing inventory, which includes Rose, Cabernet, Petite Syrah, Syrah and Zin.10% on half case (normally 5%), 20% on full case (normally 10%) You can mix and match for full case discount – no minimum per varietal required.

Trione

• Trione  Is offering  a special case discount on the  2007 Sauvignon Blanc of $138 to people who mention the hashtag #barreltasting,  check in on Foursquare, or  Twitter/Facebook/Blog promotion.
• Also, each day they will be drawing  a prize to every 100th customer who comes. The prizes will include but are not limited to hats, T-shirts and VIP tour and tasting for 6 people with a wine educator.

Kokomo

• Kokomo is putting  2006 Dry Creek Zin on special. It normally retails for $27, but for the weekends only during the event, it will be $22.50.

Sausal

• Sausal Winery is offering a 15% discount on any purchase of our 2006 Private Reserve Zinfandel (100% Estate Zin from 90 year-old vines) and a 15% discount off any purchase on our Sogni ‘d Oro (Italian style blend of Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah.)

• They will also be doing a 15% off discount off any 6 bottles purchase (mix and match) or 20% off a case (mix and match).

Acorn

• Acorn Is offering 15% off 6-11 bottles, and 30% off a case, of their 2006 Sangiovese, Axiom Syrah, and Heritage Vines Zinfandel. Mixed Cases ok.

Dutcher Crossing

• Dutcher Crossing is offering a 4 pack special in the tasting room for 15% off.

Other Interesting Offers

D’Argenzio Winery (both weekends)

• D’Argenzio is holding a raffle to win 2 complementary tickets to winemaker dinner at Inn at the Tides, May 21 Friday night $79.00 each, Each purchase of a case of wine earns an entry into drawing and winners at the end of each weekend.

Have a Great Barrel Tasting weekend! Be safe, stock up on wine, and let us know on our Facebook Fan site, where ya want!

Cheers!

Article 4 of 4: Barrel Tasting Sales Promotions  – Existing Inventory Sales (of wine, not barrels)

In the 3^rd article we discussed the basic concept of barrel tasting and how some wineries offer discounts on unreleased wines. Some wineries also take advantage of the event to offer sales incentives on existing inventory, special offers for new club members, and other limited offers.

Following are some of these offers:

Lynmar Estates (both weekends)

• Lynmar is offering Purchases including these four wines: 2004 Quail Hill Estate Chard, 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir, 2006 Russian River Chardonnay (almost gone) & 2006 Sonoma Coast Syrah are priced at the following discount: 3btls: 20% off, 6btls: 25% off, 12btls: 35% off.

Longboard Vineyards (both weekends)

• Longboard Is offering a a mix-and-match discount special for your-choice combination of our Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Point Break Red.  3 bottles for $60, 6 bottles for $120 and a case for $240.”In addition Longboard has just put out a Magnums only library release with prices starting @ $100. (Club discounts apply.) Their 2005 Syrah is also on sale by the case.

Mounts Family Winery (both weekends)

• Mounts is offering special discounts on its existing inventory, which includes Rose, Cabernet, Petite Syrah, Syrah and Zin.10% on half case (normally 5%), 20% on full case (normally 10%) You can mix and match for full case discount – no minimum per varietal required.

Trione (both weekends)

• Trione  Is offering  a special case discount on the  2007 Sauvignon Blanc of $138 to people who mention the hashtag #barreltasting,  check in on Foursquare, or  Twitter/Facebook/Blog promotion.
• Also, each day they will be drawing  a prize to every 100th customer who comes. The prizes will include but are not limited to hats, T-shirts and VIP tour and tasting for 6 people with a wine educator.

Kokomo (both weekends)

• Kokomo is putting our 2006 Dry Creek Zin on special. It normally retails for $27, but for the weekends only during the event, it will be $22.50.

Sausal (both weekends)

• Sausal Winery is offering a 15% discount on any purchase of our 2006 Private Reserve Zinfandel (100% Estate Zin from 90 year-old vines) and a 15% discount off any purchase on our Sogni ‘d Oro (Italian style blend of Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah.)

• They will also be doing a 15% off discount off any 6 bottles purchase (mix and match) or 20% off a case (mix and match).

Acorn (both weekends)

• Acorn Is offering 15% off 6-11 bottles, and 30% off a case, of their 2006 Sangiovese, Axiom Syrah, and Heritage Vines Zinfandel. Mixed Cases ok.

J Keverson (both weekends)

• J Keverson will be offering their 20066 Old Vine Zin Hales Vineyard on sale 50% off by the case. ($180.)

Dutcher Crossing (both weekends)

• Dutcher Crossing is offering a 4 pack special in the tasting room for 15% off.

Hart’s Desire (first weekend only)

• Hart’s Desire is offering their Double Gold 2004 Syrah on sale for $94 case.

Pellegrini (First weekend only)

• Buy one bottle of the 2006 Malbec or the 2007 Merlot, and receive a bottle of the Cuvee 107 for free.

• Also offering $1 shipping per case, mix and match ok.

Other Interesting Offers

White Oak Vineyards and Winery (first weekend only)

• White Oak has a 20 year old tradition during Barrel Tasting – BYOZ (Bottle Your Own Zin.) of their Estate Old Vines (85 year) Zin that is available only in the tasting room, around 300 cases a year. BYOZ offers the opportunity to bottle and label your own bottle in the ‘Zin Zone’. The cost for BYOZ is $25. Entrance to the Zin Zone also offers a full tasting of all wines as well as have appetizers, meet our owner and also our cellar crew and of course experience hand bottling. It’s a fun tradition they share with fans old and new only once a year.

D’Argenzio Winery (both weekends)

• D’Argenzio is holding a raffle to win 2 complementary tickets to winemaker dinner at Inn at the Tides, May 21 Friday night $79.00 each, Each purchase of a case of wine earns an entry into drawing and winners at the end of each weekend.

WoodenHead Vinters: (first weekend only)

• Will be offering a 15% discount for anyone that joins the Wine Club!  Space is limited.

I will repost this next week with any updates, changes I get for the second weekend.

Have a Great Barrel Tasting weekend! Be safe, stock up on wine, and let us know on our Facebook Fan site, where ya want!

Cheers!

2010 Wine Road Barrel Tasting: Article 3 of 4

It’s almost here! The first weekend of Wine Road Barrel Tasting. Yes its TWO weekends: if you live in the Bay area and love wine, plan for both weekends, at only $30 a weekend, it’s the best bargain in town! (Personally I think the price is too low, but that’s me.)

What exactly is barrel tasting?

Won’t licking barrels give me splinters?

In all seriousness, consumers can benefit in understanding the underlying premise that shapes this 32 year old Wine Road event.

What Barrel Tasting Is:

The premise of barrel tasting was to let consumers have a sneak preview to an early wine still in production, and in some cases (not all) also buy ‘Futures’ or advance sales of the future release, at a discount, or in cases of allocation, ahead of release. This is a win-win; the consumer can save substantial money on varietals or brands they buy regularly. The winery gets cash earlier in the process. Cash flow has always been key to winery operations, and certainly is as important as ever in today’s financial climate.

What Barrel Tasting Isn’t:

What it isn’t meant to be: a drunk-fest. This event obtained a bit of a reputation for being a party festival (in part to the low ticket cost); which is a shame, given its deep tradition and intent. I implore consumers to have fun, behave respectably. All in all the number of incidents are few, but it only takes one to sour everyone’s experience. This isn’t charity folks – many of the Wine Road wineries are small business, family owned, working long hours as artisans to make  a living. They are here to pour for you and to ultimately sell some wine.  Stick to Happy Hour for drinking specials and parties.  Wineries shouldn’t hesitate to promptly deal with inappropriate behavior. FYI it’s a criminal offense, that can cause them to be shut down, to serve someone who is visibly impaired. There are a few extra California Highway Patrol on duty that day for the added safety of all, for those rare outbreaks of rash behavior.

Ok, What exactly am I Tasting?

Barrel samples are unfinished wine tastes, that’s why its coming from the barrel. I have heard complaints of  ‘Its not good wine’ or ‘I don’t care for the taste.’ Look at what I just wrote – it’s unfinished. It may be nearly ready for bottling and taste familiar, it could be another year+ in barrel still.  I do encourage everyone who is learning about wine (you never stop learning by the way) to try a few,  experience it, and gain an appreciation for wine as it evolves and changes. Some wineries even do interesting things, like Kendall Jackson is, to sample the same pre-release of wine, in different barrel toasts, for comparison.  Ask the winemaker questions; don’t worry about if it may seem basic – most wine makers love to share knowledge on wine making.

I think a few samples suffices for many; don’t hesitate to skip varietals (wine types) you don’t like, dump, or spit. You aren’t offending the wine maker, if anything he knows you are more serious taster then.  So then why would I be going to wineries if I don’t try the barrel samples?

It’s ok to skip a barrel sample at some stops; all wineries are still pouring something else, and many offer food pairings and other fun activities.

‘Other’ Tips

Of course there is my usual diatribe on using a Spit Cup; both encouraging wineries to hand out, and people to use. After two winery stops, your palette is now influenced by alcohol and you are drinking, not tasting. At least dump wines you don’t like; wineries aren’t offended.

You can also consider driver services like WeDriveU, where bonded drivers drive you in your car. Similar local services can be seen posted on Craigslist (check references). For that matter, press your unemployed 18-24 year old into driving you around for a reasonable hourly rate, and buy them a $10 Wine Road DD bracelet.

Buying Futures

Not all wineries participating in Barrel Tasting sell futures. There is additional work, tracking involved that some opt not to due. The reputed Wine Road King of Futures is David Coffaro Winery. If you are interested in futures, you should plan a stop here and check out the “Crazy Coffaro Futures Program.”

If you are new or hesitant on buying futures, start with wine producers whose wines you have drunk regularly, and know it appeals to your palette.  (In which case you should consider the wine club anyway.) You may also be offered to compare the current release with the barrel sample – this is a another great way to buy samples, if a winery or winemaker is new to you.

Feel free to ask the wine maker questions: has the wine changed much in where the fruit came from? Russian River zin is very different than Dry Creek. Did the vineyard source change, even in the same appellation? Have you made any substantial changes to the wine production methods; barrel program, yeast, cold soak etc etc.

Ok, decided you like the wine, want to save some money, and stock up. (Usually a minimum purchase is required.) Now what? The winery will collect the money for the purchase, and record your name, contact information, and give you a receipt. Wineries keep good records, but as a precaution, SAVE it. If you use a online or smart phone calendar for reminders, put a reminder appointment now to prompt you for the expected pick up month, so you have peace of mind you won’t forget. The winery is of course going to contact you, but this way you are double covered.

When its ready for release, pick it up, crack open a bottle to celebrate the money you saved, and the support you gave to your favorite winery – win win!

Come back tomorrow for a special article on selected Wineries offering special incentives on sales of existing inventory (aka bottled wine.) Take advantage of special pricing and stock up now too!

Cheers!

I generally try to keep my articles focused on Consumers, and not tie in the occasional Social Media, Marketing consulting that I do. However given that the blog does have many Winery readers, I thought I’d share a small excerpt from a recent presentation.

I have a more detailed presentation on the relevance of Social Media, branding, and consumer interaction. I’ll Cliff Note it here to say: if you aren’t actively communicating with consumers via Social Media ask yourself why. Facebook has 400 million users, who spend an average of an hour a day, 4+ times a week, with an average 130 friends each.  Numerous case studies show the positive financial benefit, and increased customer loyalty via a well run Fan page.

The last Wine Road event; Winter Wineland had many success stories, attributed to heightened consumer awareness, via Social Media. It was my personal experience from polling wineries: those active in Social Media achieved positive sales and growth attendance over the previous year.  Catch the wave!

Wine Road Barrel Tasting is widely attended both by the local Bay area, as well as people who fly in from all over the US, many on a ‘stock up’ buying trip. Here are some suggestions to help increase ‘buzz’, traffic, and perception.

Pre-Event:

• Facebook: Promote your event on Facebook with an ‘Event’ and via Status Updates. Too many businesses overlook the value of the Facebook event feature: Consumers can RVSP to an event; Share it on their Wall, or even Export it right to their Smartphone calendar. (This is how many events get on my Blog Calendar.)

• Twitter: If you are only using Twitter on a web browser, you are missing 90% of its intrinsic value. Use the Tweetdeck application to scan for attendees via hashtags and key words #barreltasting, #sonoma, #drycreekvalley etc. This is fast and easy, and websites like Mashable offer tips on how.

• Put event details, info on your website, email your wine club members, and your consumer Newsletter lists, since they Opted in to receive email.

• Offer sales promotions on excess inventory for larger purchases, and additional incentives for new Wine Club members.

• Offer a 4Square Promo for checking in: Visit Discounts, Event drawings, etc

General Tips (not Social Media related)

• Have knowledgeable staff on hand, and train them how to pick out the serious wine enthusiast from the party-mongers.

• Have a Pep talk with staff, set expectations. The tasting room experience defines the impression of each visitor, what they buy, if they join the wine club, or will ever return. Yes, barrel tasting gets crazy, but customer service must remain a top focus. At least if you hope to sell some wine.

• Get some volunteers to help with parking guidance, greeting, tracking visitors.

During Event

• Social Networking is viral; its success is based on others spreading ‘your’ words, posts. Make it easy for them.

• Many areas in Dry Creek, others have poor cell coverage. Most smartphones can use WiFi when cell coverage is poor. Consider spending $50-$100 at Best Buy and install second basic WiFi router that’s open for attendee.  You can share the same broadband Internet connection, but do  keep it separate and secure from your work network. Get your local IT person, or Geek Squad to help, it’s not hard.

• Get a PC or Laptop and set up a customer Social Media Station; encourage them use Facebook and Twitter and share their experience. You can also create a sign-up page for mailing lists.

• Have an employee (or you) occasionally post on Facebook and Twitter; pics, fun comments. The occasional promotional post is ok, but your primary goal is interactivity and audience participation.

• Track attendees, sales, wine poured, new Wine Club Members: create an ROI. Also track post event, correlated DTC transactions. How can you measure the benefits of marketing initiatives if you don’t keep track?

• Offer sales incentives on inventory, Wine Club: upsell.

• Promote but don’t hard sell the Wine Club. People should hear about it, but don’t be overly aggressive, it’s a turn-off.

• Get visitors to sign up for email updates

Use as many consumer touch points as you can!

It will be busy, but have fun, and more importantly make sure you visitors will have fun. Remember, for the visiting consumer, it’s often as much about the personal experience as the wine, so do the best you can to ensure visitors have a positive experience, so they will buy wine, tell friends, and come back!

Hope that was helpful; questions, comments always welcome.

Cheers!

It’s almost here! The 32nd Annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting.  Two weekends of barrel samples, new wine releases, wine discounts, food pairings, and entertainment, for a pittance of $20 a weekend (in advance, $30 at door.)

This event is a little more complicated and unique than your typical ‘bracelet’ event, so more than ever, I encourage a little time for thought and planning.

Here’s Why You Need A Plan:

• The event spans two weekends, but some wineries are only participating the first weekend.
• Some wineries pour early, starting Friday afternoon, others don’t.
• Most, but not all, Wine Road wineries participate.

The Wine Road has a comprehensive short list (scroll down first page)  and a long list of the details on above.

I always recommend printing out the detailed program, grabbing  glass of wine, and perusing the whole thing. Make a theme: New wineries one day, familiar favorites the second? Focusing on one appellation like Dry Creek, Russian River, or exploring Alexander Valley and Geyserville? Chasing down new zins or pinots? Use concepts like this to drive a plan, make it more fun, and feel like you accomplished more in your exploration of wine, and North Sonoma wineries.

This is a very busy event, at certain times of the day. If you are like me, standing in a crush of people, waiting for a pour, isn’t always an enjoyable experience, and with some planning, can be minimized.

Some basic tips:

• Saturday is generally busier than Sunday.
• The event gets gets busier as the day progresses.
• Dense areas like Healdsburg get snarled with traffic, pedestrians, as an area with high concentration of tasting rooms, in a small area.

Factor that in when you are laying out your route, and don’t want to wait in line for an hour at A. Rafanelli to sample.

Other suggestions To Enhance Tasting:

Work into your agenda some of the non- participating Wine Road wineries, especially mid afternoon during the peak. There are many great wineries just open for normal business; why not stop at a few.  I am taking my out of town guests for the Wine & Food pairing at Seghesio, Saturday afternoon, as one example.

Glass and Bracelet Pickup Details:

I thought I’d help clarify a few of the check-in and pick up details, as well as a few tips on this.

• If you pre-purchased tickets, you have to  pick a ‘check in’ winery. After 150 check-ins, a winery is taken off the list as eligible for check-in. This is to help you the consumer, and disperse crowds. What if your friends are checking in at ABC Winery and its full? Check into the one next door, both of you get your glasses, try the wines, and then connect.

• “I picked a winery for check-in that isn’t pouring Friday, and we want to taste then.” That’s perfectly ok – all wineries will have their glasses (make sure they are open to public) and wristbands. Just go there and check-in, and then head out. Or better yet, since you are there, experience whatever their normal wine tasting experience is, sans barrel samples.

Save $10, Last chance to Win

Tonight at 9 p.m. is the last chance to get tickets in advance and save $10.

Tonight is also the final drawing for free tickets, or a Wine Road Cookbook. To enter to win, simply register for secure, no spam, email updates of new blog posts, in the top right corner. One will be chosen at random at 11 pm Pacific, tonight.

Look for more helpful articles this week, including a special edition of Winery promotions on current inventory.

cheers!

Last week the Wine Road and Simple Hedonisms held our second round  0f”Question of the Week” for free tickets to Barrel Tasting. (or a Wine Road cookbook.) on the Wine Road Facebook Fan page.

The winning question, from Robert Henry Hartley Jr, was:

Question: Some of my wine club wine say enjoy next spring, others say keep for decades. Why the big difference?

WineMaker Recommendations

When you purchase your wine, as you noted, often the Winemaker or Wine Club notes will often say “drink this year” or “Can drink now but will hold well for xxx years.”

He or She is making these recommendations based both on their personal knowledge of the varietal, as well as the influences of methods they may have employed, so following their advice is recommended.

It is a myth that all wine gets universally better with age; the  majority of wine is consumed soon after purchase, and some wines were crafted specifically to be drunk young, and enjoy the full fruit characteristics. While there are no universal rules, rose and white wines are often in the category. Less expensive wines often also are as they may not have gone through barrel aging and other (more expensive) methods that may add structure for aging.

Many red wines are often higher in tannins, which  come from contact with the seeds and skins during fermentation, as well as contact from oak during barrel aging.  (White wines do not have skin or seed contact after crush.) Tannins act as a natural preservative, and help a wine age. A young red wine high in tannins, will benefit from aging; in fact it may be bitter and unpleasant drunk too early, as the tannins can be unpleasant in  the mouth at too high a level. Over time the tannins soften and breakdown, making the wine more complex.

Other Factors That Impact Aging

Wine is very sensitive to outside factors, especially light, temperature, and vibration.

• Newly bottled wine, or wine subjected to adverse travel conditions, often goes through ‘bottle shock’ and should be stored for a few weeks to allow it to regain it natural harmony of its components.
• High temperatures are wine’s mortal enemy. Just a few hours of 80+ temps can take years away from the wine’s aging capacity, if it doesn’t also negatively impact the wines present quality. People visit wine country in July, and leave their purchases in the car, and wonder why when they get home, they don’t taste the same. Same goes for wine club shipments. You guys in Texas in August, ever feel how hot your wine box is….if  it’s been riding around in the brown UPS truck all day, don’t plan on cellaring it for 5 years. Ask your winery if they will hold shipments during inclement months, or pay more for better, non ground shipping. When visiting wineries, always bring a cooler.
• Equally bad is temperature fluctuation. Your house that doesn’t have AC and spikes to 90s during that heat wave…guess what it’s done to your wine. I highly recommend a small wine cellar for anyone who holds wine,at least for those special bottles. Lacking that, try and find a place closest to the ground that keeps a stable temperature. I have 3 wine cellars now, and put overflow cases in a closet with wood floors, thats low to the ground, and always cool.
• Light and vibration. Wine doesn’t like excessive exposure to direct light, especially florescent. It also doesn’t like vibration. So that wine rack on top of your fridge with sunlight streaming in all day….move it!
• Moisture: in order to keep a seal, the cork must stay wet. That’s the reason bottles of wine are laid down, not stored upright. The cork stays wet, and keeps a seal. Ideal cellaring conditions have a bit of humidity as well to help with cork moistness. For your average collector, laying the wine down and at a proper temp are the highest priority, unless you live in an especially arid climate.

I hope that was useful. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for more articles on Barrel Tasting, and a special article on winery promotions. We will have one more drawing for free tickets for Blog email subscribers, end of this month, so sign up today!

cheers!

William

Its that time again: today through Wednesday go to the Wine Road’s Facebook Fan site, to submit your wine related “Question of the Week.” We will choose a question, answer it Thursday in a blog article, and the selected person will win two tickets to Barrel Tasting, or a Wine Road cookbook.

To post your question, please go to the Wine Road Facebook Fan page, and under today’s post, write your question.  Wednesday afternoon we will pick. (And last week, Beth gave out 3 more pairs of tickets for runners up!)

Also don’t forget two more chances to win: at the end of today, and end of this month, we will have a drawing for email subscribers of Simple Hedonisms, for more Barrel Tasting tickets.

For those of you that followed our contest two weeks ago, we asked for your thoughts and prayers for winner Melissa Martin Mayorgas, whose son was about to have  a muscle biopsy at Children’s San Diego Hospital to determine what type of muscular dystrophy he has.  Melissa was concerned as little boys with MD are susceptible to malignant hyperthermia during general anesthesia. I am happy to share that her son Parker came through great!

In the next few weeks, I will be writing more articles for Barrel Tasting to help for consumer planning and enjoyment. Ultimately this blog is for you, the wine consumer. If there are any topics or areas of assistance you’d like to see, let me know in comments.

cheers!