MARCH 2, 2010

Barrel Tasting: Disneyland for Adults

By TR

Barrel Tasting advance ticket sales ended yesterday with excellent response-that bribe of $10 off per advance ticket really seems to work-all part of trying to make the Event run smoothly for our guests and wineries so that we avoid check-in bottlenecks and can better gage how to stage the Event- where to send the correct amount of Event glasses, wristbands and other supplies.  Without this advance knowledge, would be like waging a war with no idea where to supply and protect the troops and gird them for success!

Speaking of tactical assistance, we just received, hot off the presses, the 2010 Wine Road Map- gorgeous-reminds me of the Disneyland map showing all the enchanted lands, but with our AVA’s instead.  Sometimes answering our 800 Wine Road line I do think of Disneyland staff answering the same or similar queries on a daily basis, which brings me to something I like to think of as “Wine Road Favorite Queries”:

Barrel Tasting does not sell out, so now guests who did not purchase in advance online can just show up at any participating winery the day of the Event- $30 per person per weekend, $10 for Designated Drivers.  Here is my favorite from BT 2010- this is quite a common query no matter how we phrase the bit about the Designated Driver Ticket being $10:

Hello,
I see we can get a designated driver for $10.  How does that work?  Does this driver supply the car?  Does this driver take us to all the wineries in the area?
I look forward to your response.
Thank you,
Name changed to protect the innocent

I felt like saying that the kind of driver you get and the kind of vehicle would be more than suspect and less than deluxe- but probably best, in this case to “don’t speak, don’t speak.”

Here is an inquiry I received from one of our member wineries asking me about places to stay along the Wine Road; I referenced our 56 Associate Lodging Members and how they appear on wineroad.com and on the Map.  The winery person then asked me:

“What is a ‘lodg-ing’?”

It is very difficult to make information clear-for example, this year we tried setting allocations on each winery location for ADVANCE CHECK-INS- not for participating or visiting, but merely for ADVANCE CHECK-INS- and no matter how we phrased it, we still had people try to submit their itineraries to us for the whole of the Event, asking me where on the ticketing page they could let me know their exact plans for the whole day- and even now, just had a question about which of our wineries are selling tickets at the door when some of them were “SOLD OUT”- must again reiterate, with a smile on my face, that NO WINERIES ARE SOLD OUT- all are selling for $30 at the door.  Yes, all of them- and no, limos are NOT the same as buses- at least not to the best of my knowledge.

2^nd Barrel Tasting Ticket Give-Away….Simple Hedonisms contest

It’s been fun having people write in with various wine related questions.  Love the opportunity to do something a bit different from my normal work day…fun to some share my ideas and do a little research.  As an extra bonus, it gives us a chance to give away a few more Barrel Tasting tickets!

Cathy Piggott - Question: I want to show off  Sonoma County wines to my out-of-town friends. What is the best varietal to serve with a cheese tray?

Had to answer this question for sure…working for the Wine Road I attend multiple press tours a year and often visit local wineries that offer amazing wine and food pairings. They ALL seem to offer a variety of cheeses with their wines.  So here is what I’ve observed and tasted along the way;

Semi soft cheeses or mild brie are perfectly paired with bubbles or chardonnay.  If you’re a fan of goat cheese or herbed cheeses, try sauvignon blanc.  For red wine fans; cabernet sauvignon or merlot, try pairing with Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, Gruyere or a Mild Parmesan.  At my house, we’re fans of syrah and zinfandel so we match them up with stinky cheeses…just have to make sure everyone has some!  This is a general starting point – but experimenting is part of the fun.  Locally find a Whole Foods, or a small upscale deli and they’ll be more than happy to give you some ideas and share the new cheeses they are trying. Most cheese vendors love to get your feedback when you try their “new discoveries”.

http://www.traversos.com/

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=-&fb=1&cid=10123978035045010021

http://www.yelp.com/biz/molsberry-market-santa-rosa

Patti Kruse - If pinot noir is a thin skinned grape, what varietal is known as a thick skinned grape? And, are many of the thick skinned grapes grown in Sonoma County?

Pretty sure this is not Patti, but it's the photo she has on Facebook!

Well Patti, checking all of my reference books for grapes with thick skins, these are the five that seem to always appear; Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, Nebbiolo. Tempranillo, and Malbec.  All of which are grown in Sonoma County to varying degrees.  Because vineyards are a bit of a moving target, with some always being replanted, I have no firm number on the total acres, but here is a ballpark estimate:

Sonoma County Acreage: Cabernet Sauvignon an estimated 12,600 acres.

Sonoma County Acreage: Syrah accounts for 1,820 acres in Sonoma County.

Sorry to say I couldn’t find any numbers for Nebbiolo, Tempranillo or Malbec.

I do know that about a dozen of our member wineries grow these varietals.

For the most part having a thick skin makes them a bit more resilient to various growing conditions but they all perform best in slightly dry and warm climates with soils that allow for good drainage and requires the grape to struggle a bit to become concentrated. The thick skin results in higher tannin concentration.

Here are the bacis grape descriptions for each from taken from:

http://www.wineonline.ie/winery/varietals1.htm and

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/advisory/tasteclassicgrapesred.shtml

Cabernet Sauvignon

It has small, blue-black berries which have thick skins, providing necessary tannin, colour and flavour.

Syrah/Shiraz

This thick-skinned grape may produce potentially tannic and long-lived wines. It is also late-ripening, explaining why it has gravitated towards warm regions such as the Rhône and Australia, although it is also producing good wines in South Africa, Chile and California.

Nebbiolo

It would seem ideally suited to planting in warmer climes, as this thick-skinned variety is late ripening. Indeed, the name Nebbiolo may be derived from nebbia, a fog which hangs over the vineyards during the Autumn harvest.

Tempranillo

By far Spain’s most noble indigenous grape it has similar characteristics to the Pinot – strawberries when young, earthy vegetal when mature – and it ages very well. It ripens early (’temprana’ is the Spanish for ‘early’) is thick-skinned and gives good colour and extract but low alcohol and acidity.  It is grown throughout Spain but very much as a grape for blending as opposed to a straight varietal. Outside Spain the grape is quite prolific in Argentina and to a lesser extent in California.

Malbec
A small, dark, thick-skinned grape, it gives intense colour, big tannins and lots of structure to the wines and is generally blended with a little Merlot for subtlety. Has become very popular in Argentina where it adapts well to the hot climate.

Cheers, Beth

We were thrilled that so many people logged on and asked questions for our Barrel Tasting ticket contest. I didn’t seem right to only select one. Although William Allen, one of our favorite bloggers (Simple Hedonisms) did a fantastic job selecting one to answer, we wanted to pick a few more. William’s answer was very informative and in-depth, but I’m going with my standard, brief/quick, answers. But hey, we’re still going to send each of these people two tickets to Barrel Tasting!

John B

This will be the 32nd ‘Barrel Tasting’ event on the Wine Road. This year there are more than 160 wineries along the Road, and well over 100 are participating in the event. How many wineries were there thirty-two years ago, and how many participated in that first Barrel Tasting event?

Well John, I did manage to find a dusty old filing box in our warehouse, with some great info to help me answer your question.

So, here’s the scoop…the Russian River Wine Road was formed in 1976.  At the time these were the founding wineries…

1. L. Foppiano
2. Cambiaso Winery and Vineyard
3. Geyser Peak Winery
4. Nervo Winery
5. J. Pedroncelli Winery
6. Simi Winery
7. Souverain Alexander Valley
8. Trentadue Winery
9. Pastori Wnery

Their mission was to work together to promote the wineries that literally were along the Russian River, thus the original name, Russian River Wine Road.  Their first order of business was to produce a map, which would be for visitors, hotels and visitor centers.

As you can see here, after a few months of brainstorming the first map was designed and it also listed, Johnson’s Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Vineyard, and Sonoma Vineyards, so 12 wineries all together.

By the time Barrel Tasting was launched there were about 16 wineries involved and it was promoted by word of mouth, which drew about 100-200 people, mostly locals.  Since it’s inception Barrel Tasting has been the first full weekend in March.

Beginning in 2007 we extended the event to the first TWO weekends in March and as you noted, we now have over 100 wineries that participate each year.

As much as the event has grown, the initial objective has not changed – Barrel Tasting is designed to give visitors a unique experience of visiting wineries and getting into the cellar.  Just as the early days, wineries gear up to sell “futures” of their barrel wines.

Most of the wineries I have spoken to about the early days of Barrel Tasting say it was pretty a low key event.  Most rolled out one or two barrel to pull samples from, along side their current release, bottled wines.  With just a few hundred attendees, it was a festive weekend, but not crowded.  Wineries had plenty of time to really talk with visitors and build some long lasting relationships.

Every year we hear from one or two customers who have been attending for 25 or more years.  Most of those folks love the event because they enjoy buying “futures”.  Many wineries plan their bottling so that if you buy “futures” this year, they will be ready for you to pick up the following year during Barrel Tasting.

I loved this question so much, I’m going to do some more research and make our Wine Road history an ongoing post.

Veronica Martinez

What exactly is Tannin? I would like to know also how Tannins affect a wine’s taste and how it pairs with food.

I always hear people using the term “tannin” when talking about or describing a wine, but I’m not sure everyone really knows what it is.

Here are my “beginning to understand wine” answers: Tannin is phenolic compounds extracted from the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes. They also contribute to the taste of wine. The longer the wine stays in contact with the skins, stems, and seeds the more tannin that is absorbed.

I wouldn’t say there is a specific taste to tannin, but more the feeling in the back of your mouth when you drink red wines…sort of a dry feeling on your tongue and mouth.  When you swallow, that’s typically when people will say, “there is so much tannin in that wine”.  It’s the mouth feel.  For the most part, wines without enough tannin are described as flat. Wine without enough tannin may taste more like fruit punch than a great wine.  If you’ve ever sampled a wine and felt your cheeks suck in and your lips pucker, you know instantly – too much tannin!

Since tannin can be extracted from the seeds of the grapes – experiment.  Bite into a grape seed and you’ll know what tannin is!

Tannin is an astringent that occurs naturally in grapes and acts as a natural fining agent. Proteins combine with tannin to form heavy solids that sink to the bottom of the barrel or bottle. This process is called flocculation and is a natural clearing process in wine. Wine that is cloudy is often in need of tannin.

For a full-blown, more detailed chemistry lesson on tannins, you should check out this article: http://www.wineanorak.com/tannins.htm

When you’re trying to pair your wines with food, some simple rues of thumb;

• Sweet foods taste less sweet with tannic wines
• Salty foods emphasize tannins
• A wine high in tannin, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon matched with a tannic food such as tomato sauce will produce a very dry and astringent flavour.

Courtney Paige Bransford

What country did the varietal Zinfandel originally come from?

When I began in the wine industry about 20 years ago, I learned that zinfandel originated in Croatia.  Other research connects it with southern Italy’s Apulia region, where the genetically related Primitive variety is grown. Now most researchers agree that the roots of Zinfandel (as well as Primitivo) are most likely in the Dalmatian province of Croatia (in the former Yugoslavia) where DNA matches have been made with a variety locally known by the name of Crljenak Kasteljanski (also Pribidrag or Tribidrag). The genetic linkage and similar origins of Italy’s Primitivo and California’s Zinfandel has been supported by the work of both Croatian and UC Davis researchers.

I’m confident if you were to pose this same question to various zinfandel growers throughout our Dry Creek Valley, you would get a variety of answers. This is my answer, and I’m sticking to it!

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with questions – this was fun!

Cheers – Beth

WINTER ALONG WINE ROAD

By TR

Photos by Marta Hayden

Came off of Winter Wineland into some spectacular, driving, much-needed rain, which cooperatevely held off, more or less, until WW was done- and then it hit, trees down, power out, Russian River UP, as high as it has been in quite some years.  This was a record year for WW- more tickets purchased in advance than ever before in all these 18 years- 5400- so most likely we had well over 6000 attendees.  Wow!  Smooth sailing and positive experiences for our guests, wineries and lodgings- and for me and Beth, too- no fires!

Quiet time along Wine Road now, weather is wet, cold, gray, but some sun, too.  Plants show heavy evidence of the hard frosts of last December, but daffodils and paper whites are up- looks like acacia and other flowering trees are starting to get a wee bit ready to bloom. Vineyards are sleeping, but mustard is up, perhaps waiting to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow.  Valentine’s Day, the holiday oasis in the gloom of winter, is approaching- many of our wineries and lodgings plan specials and events around that three day President’s Day Weekend.  This is a great time to plan a romantic getaway to visit us- cozy up to your sweetie by a roaring fireplace, sip and savor wine and dream.

Barrel Tasting, the first two weekends in March, including the Fridays, too, at many participants, has already gone up on sale on our website and is taking off, too:  http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/3 .  This year most guests are purchasing advance tickets online – and we are trying to spread out our guests to all of the participating wineries to avoid any clogs or slow-downs at check in- you will see when you click over to the event page.  Tickets purchased in advance save you money and help us better stage the event. This is the 32^nd annual BT- amazingly long-lived, popular, and traditional, memory-laden- many guests have been coming to it since they turned 21 and many new guests call to ask just what in the world IS Barrel Tasting?  (Beth put it well: “Barrel Tasting is EXACTLY what it sounds like.”)  It is definitely our largest Event with the most guests- a few years back we had 35,000 attend over the two weekends- we are excited to see what this year will bring.

What could be cooler than heading into the cellar to taste evolving, not-quite finished, incipient wine thieved directly out of the barrel- truly Tasting & Purchasing The Future!   Pricing on Futures is a great deal and it allows you to make sure that you get your share of wines that will sell out before even being bottled.  Then you get to come back for another visit in 6 – 18 months to pick up your bottled, finished wine (or it can often be shipped to you).  This year we have just about 123 wineries participating- a record-breaking number.  Come on Friday (if you do, make sure that the winery you have chosen for check in is participating on Friday) and make a whole weekend of it- stay with one of our lodging members and check out our great restaurants!

If you’ve never attended a wine event before, here are some guidelines to help you make the most of your adventure.

It does take some planning…here are our recommendations…

DO – bring your checkbook, Amex, Visa…whatever – Wineries pull out all the stops sampling wine so you can make informed wine buying decisions.
DO – bring your ticket or event voucher – seems obvious…I’m just sayin’…
DO – bring your ID if you’re 30 years or younger…at some point you will be asked to show it and if you don’t have your ID, your wristband will be removed and you’ll be done tasting. It’s a law.
DO – read the program in advance. Some…NOT all wineries offer food pairings, some have music, some do tours…they all do something different and the program spells it all out.
DO – map out your route in advance – at least to some degree…it’s a large area, so start with a plan so you don’t miss the one or two wineries you really wanted to visit.
DO – make notes as you go. At the end of two days you will visit several wineries and it’s hard to remember all of your favorites – which wines you liked, where you joined their wine club etc.
DO – limit your tastes…drink water, pack a lunch and picnic at some point.
DO – share what’s happening on twitter – use the hashtag #WinterWineland
DON’T – rent a limo and party like a rock star between tasting rooms – no one appreciates a group of loud drunks!!!
DON’T – bring beer or other alcoholic beverages along for the day. Should need no explanation.
DON’T – bring your children. The wineries have requested that our events are for adults only.
DON’T – bring your dogs – this is a Health Department violation, and inspectors are out in force during events checking on the wineries…can’t have dogs and food in the same room.
PLEASE…have a great time! It’s a wine event. You’ll taste new wines, meet interesting people, enjoy SPECTACULAR surroundings, sample tasty treats – so take your time and enjoy it all.

If you’re a regular on facebook, we’d love for you to become a fan! http://www.facebook.com/WineRoad

We look forward to seeing you along the Wine Road…

January 2010 Blog: Winter, REFB, Wineland

Winter Along the Wine Road

I am writing this in late Fall- true frosty December weather- some of the coldest temperatures of recent record here in Northern California and along Wine Road – not used to so much ice, frost and snow dusting the hills and peaks in the Alexander Valley—even have ice along the edges of the Russian River itself which is beautiful to see- and makes the drinking deer sound so crunchy- very unusual for us- the cold, not the crunchy deer sounds. This cold will make the vines even more dormant- certainly makes me sleepy, too.  Our Wine Road offices and warehouse have been hovering around 54 degrees- after 7 hours of small space heater and forced air, temp just peeked at 72- Beth and I are just freezing lately in here!

Winter Wineland

Winter Wineland ticket sales launched right after A Wine & Food Affair- moving along briskly to the big event on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Holiday Birthday Weekend- 16 & 17 January 2010- you know, where you can escape from those winter blues as over 100 wineries treat visitors to library wines, vertical tastings, food pairings, educational tours…and so much more!  All the details and ticket purchasing info at http://www.wineroad.com/winter_wineland/annualevents/1 .  Purchase in advance online by 1.11.10 and you will save $10 per ticket!  Prices rise at the door-  and, if you are looking for the perfect related dinner for Saturday night, check this out:

Wineland in Paradise

An evening with Russian River Valley Wine Stars

Saturday, January 16th, 2010 – From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

For information contact:  Lee Hodo at RRVW  -  707 .521 .2534 – or email info@rrvw.og  -www.rrvw.org

Food Bank Donation Day

Speaking of Events, in this case A Wine & Food Affair, Wine Road recently donated $5000 ($1 per ticket sold) to the Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa, CA!  Also, when tickets are purchased on our ARES ticketing pages, guests are able to donate to REFB at that point too, and that check from ARES for AW&FA guest donations totaled $720.  Please note this donation option when purchasing Ticket to the Wine Road or tickets for all our events- in tough times the need is even greater- REFB does a fantastic job.  Please donate as you purchase your tickets- remember, for every $1 REFB spends, they are able to purchase and distribute $4 worth of food.   That is an excellent bang for the buck(s).

Wine Road donates $5000 to Redwood Empire Food Bank from AW& FA sales.

Lee Bickley & David Goodman, REFB; Beth Costa & Tracy Logan-Immordino, Wine Road

Along Wine Road on any day except during our Annual Events we have our new program, Ticket to the Wine Road- it comes in One Day and Three Day Pass sizes to fit all- a potpourri of special discounts, offerings, specials and such at participating wineries and lodging members- complete scoop at http://arestravel.com/3400_attraction-tickets_a699.html?agent=973.  You can donate to the REFB here, too, as you purchase the Ticket to the Wine Road.

As Winter Wineland comes to a close, up will go the tickets for our 32^nd Annual  Barrel Tasting- March 5, 6, 7 & 12, 13 & 14, 2010; info  at http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/3.   True March Madness of the finest kind!

Photo credit Laura O’Hanesian   laurao14@comcast.net

Holidays Along Wine Road

Writing this just before Thanksgiving, still on a high from the most incredibly well-received, successful A Wine & Food Affair we have ever had!  The cookbooks actually sold out with the advance pre-sale tickets- that has never happened before in all these 11 years of the event.  Wineries and guests alike were very happy with the success of the event- it was great fun!  Suspect that being on Facebook may have spread the word about the event better than ever before- and also, with the economy in such a state but starting to right itself, the event may have been recognized as a great deal- an economic way to have a great time up here.  Next stop, Winter Wineland- tickets went up on sale just as soon as AW&FA ended- so we are in the midst of our busiest Wine Road time as we careen towards Barrel Tasting in March—but first, must have the holidays!

Just spent a great day out in the Alexander Valley last week with a great group of concierges from the Bay Area escorted up here by Rick Spear of Blue Heron Tours- Wine Road has worked with him for years to spread the word about our lovely Wine Road.  I guess I just don’t get out enough- visited Field Stone, White Oak, lunch at Jimtown then up to deLorimier- wow- I had a blast, as did they- and it made me feel so grateful to actually live here- the vines were brilliant, the sky was hard, cold blue- and we were sprinkled with rain.  I realized today that the weather really has turned colder- at least for here.  We have had great color in the vineyards and surrounding foliage- even have had guests inquire about Leaf Peeping which I really thought was only East Coast, but I guess it occurs now wherever leaves become inspiring- always makes me think of Pookie Adams in THE STERILE CUCKOO who opined that the leaves were only lovely because they were dying—and that is true, though they will be back in the Spring.  For now the days are growing shorter and the weather calls for comfort foods, wines, warm fireplaces and celebrations with family and friends.

Many of our member wineries and lodgings really deck the halls with festive decorations, warm fireplaces, wine specials, lodging specials- you name it- all on our website, www.wineroad.com under Events and also Lodging Specials- members add to the stuff all the time so check back often to get the latest information.  We also have the Holiday Hours up on our website so that you can better plan your trip up—always best to call ahead when in doubt as holiday times can be changeable and everyone wants to take the time off to see family.  It is a fun time to visit us- so quiet, velvet dark nights, the smell of the earth resting as the solstice approaches.  Then comes the New Year- remember: wine is the soul of the Wine Road- be sure to toast the holidays with a remembrance of us in a bottle!

Vines just starting to show their autumn colors - across from Pedroncelli Winery

Heading Out Along the Wine Road…

I am writing this in mid-October during the first in-earnest storm of the Fall – amazing amounts of rain and wind- such a contrast to the easy-going weather of just days ago. I am in Summer Shock- cannot believe it is gone – I was swimming in the River just days ago. Farmers are scrambling to get grapes in and at our next-door neighbor, Optima, they are crushing crazily round-the-clock. The crew is hearty but they must be tired out. It is so exciting to see the bins arrive. Beth and I really get a kick out of it.

Daniel moving grapes at Optima Winery, right outside our office door!

Looks like Fall is here with a bang, which means it is time for the three Wine Road Annual Events to now fall into place in the quieter, at least agriculturally, months of November, January and March. A Wine & Food Affair will be the first weekend in November- and then between that and the end of the year, many holiday-geared events occur along the Wine Road at our wineries.

Holiday photo shoot... wine country style

Wine Road is a year-round destination and each season brings new things of interest. The Thanksgiving Weekend is the    traditional    kick-off to the holidays and also marks the end to the busiest time along Wine Road. Most wineries are closed for Thanksgiving to allow family and friends to spend this most delicious of American holidays together. (We always post as much information as we can gather from our wineries about Holiday Hours and Schedules on our website.) The Friday following Thanksgiving, the biggest retail day of the year, is an exciting day here, too. Many of our wineries have their holiday open houses with great decorations, special foods, gifts, pairings and SHOPPING. Warm fireplaces, friendly staff, seasonal treats and the excitement and anticipatory feel of the season changing to winter make this a special time along Wine Road. Not only is it fun to head out on Wine Road bundled   up for the merriest time of year, but it is a great place to shop for wine for the holiday dinners to come and for gifts. Wine is the embodiment of the romance of Wine Road, the music of its soul. What better gift?

Cave at Bella Winery decorated for winter events...photo by Nicole McKee

The city of Healdsburg holds their Downtown Merchant Holiday party on that Friday following Thanksgiving with the annual Tree Lighting on the Plaza on that Sunday, sponsored. Events are added daily to our wineroad.com by our members and show on the Events section. December is lovely here- not too cold with empty vines with green grass sprouting in the rows after the browns and umbers of autumn. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are quiet with some closures (see our website or just give a call ahead). With the New Year, we will gear up for Winter Wineland (January 16-17, 2010- MLK Holiday Weekend) followed closely by our 32nd Annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting the first two weekends in March- 6-7 & 13-14, 2010.

Winter sunset along the Wine Road...photo by Susan Williams-Pellegrini

A WINE & FOOD AFFAIR

Fall in the vineyards along the Wine Road...

Fall is finally here.  The days are still very warm, but the nights are much cooler than during the summer; harvest and Crush are in full-swing.  The cool, green Russian River, unfettered by summer dams is crystal clear and sparkly.  There is an almost electric anticipatory feel in the air these days- so much activity with the grapes and in the wineries.  The Wine Road has more visitors this time of year than any other.  It is an incredibly lovely time along the Wine Road.   With the advent of fall and less daylight and a settling down towards the winter, thoughts turn to comfort foods.  Comfort foods are oh-so-much more comfortable when paired with wine- the perfect recipes for the best of life, each and every day.

Our newest cookbook...Volume 11

Which is such a great segue to our next annual Wine Road event, our 11^th annual A Wine & Food Affair, always held the first weekend in November, this year November 7 – 8.  The event planning has been going on for months.  Each winery participant chooses a special recipe that they will prepare for the Event and pair with their perfect wine(s).  This recipe needs to be chosen way back last April because of the editing and printing demands for the TASTING ALONG THE WINE ROAD Cookbook Volume 11.  It is a big production- right down to the professional editing each recipe undergoes, to the winery photos by Lenny Siegel to the special foreword done this year by Chef Tom Schmidt of John Ash & Company at Ferrari-Carano presents Vintners Inn.  Our cookbook also contains recipes from some of our member inns where many of you will be staying.

Ticket sales are off to a grand start- I love seeing each and every order come through my email- folks are going to attend from all over the US and Canada.  I have such fun helping guests plot their itineraries and find their lodgings.  For me, it is like travelling Wine Road vicariously, because during the Event, Beth and I are pretty much here in the Wine Road office/warehouse, “womanning”  the telephones and emails.  Our eticket voucher ticketing system generates an RSVP list that allows us to logistically plan and “arm” our wineries with the correct amount of wristbands, Wine Road glasses and cookbooks.  The Wednesday prior to the Event we hold a Event Meeting to inform the participants of what to expect and the Standard Operating Procedures.  We hand out all the glasses, wristbands, cookbooks, RSVP lists, programs, maps and the Calistoga water in the 5-gallon bottles to hydrate our guests.  Our warehouse is buzzing with activity- we often do hire some “young man” help with the heavy lifting- 80 participants coming on through is amazing- an orchestra of organization.  Beth often gets a wee bit cranky with me because I tend to chat and hold up the assembly line- but hey, I only see a lot of our members during our three annual events, and I have thoughts I really want to impart.   But that you may already know.

Check it out:  http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/2 .

Social Networking or Social Disease?

Instantaneous, easy e-communication is addictive. You are never alone.  There is always something new.  There is a feeling of forward motion.  My Wine Road, winetimewithTR.com, facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, wineroad.com, email, youtube- yikes- alternative reality!   As the Jets told dear Officer Krupke, “no one wants a fellow with a social disease”.  And yet this is an epidemic of immediate, constant, never-ending e-communication, and we are all caught in it.

My children say that facebook is ruined by all the businesses and “older” people jumping in there.  When facebook started, only students with a legit university or college affiliation and email could be on it- and it was ALL personal stuff- pure social networking.  All that changed with the influx of businesses into e-communication- facebook was just way too good to pass up as a fantastic way to conduct business.  After all, is a Cookie Lee or Weekenders party really a PARTY?  Or are they all merely business opportunities masquerading as personal events?  I thought that friends do not ask friends for purchases.   Weaving spiders come not here, even if all this is on the aptly named World Wide WEB.

Now we have Wine Road on facebook for all to follow who wish to become fans. My blog is there and our featured wineries, lodgings, events and such.  When I became a fan, I had to sign up to be a member of facebook- and my kids allowed me to “friend” them.  Eerily, I often learn more about my daughter’s life in Seattle from what her friends write on her wall than I do from her.  I have become friends again with kids from my high school class of 1974- people who I have had no contact with in 35 years have found me and I have had a peek into their lives.  Reminds me of that scene in ANNIE HALL where Alvy Singer, as an adult sitting in his former classroom, asks the children where they are today: “I used to be a heroin addict- now I’m a methadone addict.”  Well, it is addictive, seeing all those photos, comments and wall-writings.  Oh yeah, and I follow Wine Road, of course.  But I sometimes feel like I emerge from facebook after days have passed and I am engulfed in a separate, more attractive reality.

Our ED, Beth, pictured (ahem) at left, is also on twitter where she tweets. (Why is it “tweets” when “twitter” is itself a verb or a noun?  Why does one not simply “twitter”?)  We often joke that I am the ‘friendly one”, but there is Beth tweeting away.  And she is LinkedIn as am I.  All this instantaneous, immediate communication is informative- but it is also time-consuming to not only read but to produce and post.  People have just got to get tired and tune out sometimes.  Wine Road is a fun place- so our fans enjoy seeing what is going on along it- and can immediately follow their favorites.  We never want to intrude- merely offer.  With Wine Road, it IS personal.