Wilma's Wine World

With all of the pomp and circumstance of the weekend, my time commitment has now turned into four days of build up to the Sunday night culmination.   One of the great opportunities for us to share our story with the media is actually on the Thursday before the show at the behind-the-scenes media day at the Shrine Auditorium.  This is quite a scene all to itself.

As I am part of the "talent" for the day, it is a long and rather grueling day full of flurries of activity and sometimes hours of boredom.  By the way, I am told this is typical of any Hollywood production - lots of waiting and waiting and waiting....  Anyway, media day can be a great opportunity for me to share my family story and wines with media who otherwise would not cover a winery.  Outlets such as Entertainment Tonight, news crews  and others are on hand to shoot b-roll and gather sound bites for their evening shows.  The whole thing is kind of surreal and really puts me out of my element in a lot of ways.  For one, I have to be really aggressive.  If you are a wall flower at these kinds of things, the press will march right by you and not give you a second look.   You have to confidently walk up to them and say who you are and why they should care.  This is not easy, trust me.  I've never been an overt self promoter so I really have to muster up some intestinal fortitude.  Another challenging aspect of the day is trying to involve myself in as many still photo shoots as possible.  Stills are an important way that the media conveys a story.  Once again, I have to elbow my way in to make sure that Dry Creek Vineyard wines are being well represented.  Ultimately, the entire media day is exhausting but well worth the time and a major perk for being the official wines of the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

As for the show, it airs this Sunday, January 29, 2012 and is televised live on TNT and TBS at 8 ET/5 PT.  I hope you all will be able to tune in to see Dry Creek Vineyard wines on national TV!

Can I still say that even though we're already 18 days into 2012?

I hope everyone reading this had a joyous and restful holiday season. For many of you, I know the holidays are probably anything but that. If you host family and friends, the pressure is on to show them that picture perfect Xmas that they probably never had in the first place. If you're running around from one house to the next, trying to make both sides of the family happy, oh boy-do I feel your pain. Or, if you are simply by yourself and find the holidays a subtle reminder of being alone, then I sympathize--although many of my friends would say, enjoy it!

For me, the holidays are always capped off by my wedding anniversary which occurs shortly after the New Year. Normally, we don't do a whole lot to mark the occasion. Who's up for it? By then, we're usually out of energy and out of money. However, this year was different as we are celebrating our 30^th anniversary. Yep, you heard that right, thirty. Not too many people can brag about such a milestone, especially when they've been working with their spouse for a good 2/3 of that time. So, we decided rather spontaneously to kick up our heels and do something unexpected and memorable.

Thanks to a promotional email I got from Windstar cruises, (yes, a marketer got suckered by marketing!) we booked a cruise through the Grenadine Islands on their small ship the Wind Spirit. Oh, what a glorious 7 days we had. Snorkeling, sightseeing, snoozing and just sailing along. Now, it's back to reality, and back to work.

2012 is a biggee for me. I'll be playing an important new role--one I've been gearing up for my whole life, judging by this picture. I am taking my husband's place as President of Dry Creek Vineyard while he takes a temporary sabbatical to fulfill some personal goals. Now don't go getting all alarmed, it's nothing like that. He's not sick and there's no mid-life crisis. On the contrary; the timing couldn't be better. After a decade of rebuilding our business from the ground up, he deserves time off and some much needed R and R. Besides, he's got a "honey do" list a mile long!

So, a very belated Happy New Year to all. Thank you for your readership, comments and support over the years. May 2012 bring an abundance of prosperity, peace, and promise- and plenty of delicious moments with Dry Creek Vineyard wines!

This will be my last post of the year. Like the grapevines that surround me, I need to go into dormancy mode!

The big bad wolf came up again. It's a sign of the changing times in this industry. Distributor consolidation.

30, 20, even 10 years ago, many of our U.S. distributors who market and distribute our wines were privately owned businesses. Some were like Pat Ellsworth at Vintage Wine Marketing. Pat was our distributor in Northern California throughout the 70s and 80s. It was through working with him and his people that I learned the fundamentals of wholesale wine sales to the trade. Eventually Pat got out of the business and we selected a larger more powerful distributor to take over the entire state for us. It happens to be Wine Warehouse and they happen to be an excellent distributor. Over the years, we've made similar changes throughout our distribution network. But, there were small pockets of hold outs...where the little guys still prevailed and, in those wholesalers, we formed long and lasting relationships. We're kindred spirits, those of us who have privately held family owned businesses. Duking it out with the big boy distributors of the world of wine.

I am frequently confronted with how vividly things have changed in this industry in recent years and never more so than in a recent meeting with our national sales partner, V2 Wine Group.  This talented group is charged with managing and ensuring sales execution at the distributor level.  It's no easy task and we are thrilled to have them on board.  That being said, as part of our review meeting and business planning for 2012, the sticky issue of distributor changes was brought to the table by V2.  Now, I'm not going to name any names here, but let's just say that V2 made some recommendations about where we should consider changing distributor partners.  The Husband and I were less than happy.  In one case in particular, we would be ending a 40 year relationship that dates back to when my father first founded the winery.  Ouch.

And really, this is the ugly truth of how things are these days.  V2 is right.   This particular distributor is too small to grow our business to the next level.  And yet, how can we walk away?  These people are like family.  Is business really just business, as they say?  Honestly, I'm torn and see both sides.  I wish it wasn't like this, but there is a cold reality to getting business done. 

I'm not sure what the outcome is going to be.  But sitting in this meeting, I was struck with just how much things have changed since the days of my Dad and hand shake deals.

It's that time of year again.  I know what you're thinking...the holidays. Wrong!  It's the dreaded season of budgeting.  While most people are enjoying this short week, looking forward to quality time with family and friends, I am knee deep in our annual fiscal planning for the winery.   Oh joy!  As someone who generally loves her job, the budgeting season is more like a painful trip to the dentist.  Endless meetings, haggling over this and that and presentations to our Board of Directors are pretty much how the budgeting process goes.  And while it's obvious this is not my cup of tea, I do appreciate the process and understand its importance to our business.

You see, 2012 is an especially important year for our family winery.  As the calendar turns to January 1, 2012, it will mark our 40^th year in business.  That means we have big plans that are going to require some significant marketing and sales investments.  In putting our budget together there are a lot of considerations - how much wine do we think we will sell?  What is our selling strategy?  How does our Direct-to-Consumer business look for next year?  All of these are key questions - after all, we don't have a money tree in our backyard from which we can pluck marketing dollars.  Everything needs to balance out and come together like a big puzzle.  It's a system of give and take, pros and cons, and ultimately doing what gives us the most bang for our buck.

So, I'm off again to yet another budget meeting.  There is light at the end of the tunnel though.  Come Thursday, I'm shutting down, grabbing a glass of Heritage Zinfandel and putting my feet up by the fire.  Even this wife, mother, marketer, business owner, and blogger needs some R&R!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2011/11/2009_dry_creek_vineyard_herita.html

What's special for me is that the article and accompanying review on our 2009 Heritage Zinfandel was completely unsolicited. It appeared out of nowhere. Yet, it tells the story of our early days along with our vision for the future in a way that makes me proud. And to my way of thinking, it's a sign that we're finally turning the corner and making a name for ourselves with a completely new audience. It sure is exciting to be on the radar screen of one of the most prolific and successful wine bloggers in America, Alder Yarrow of Vinography.

Thanks Alder. You just made my day and inspired me to write!

As Dry Creek Vineyard's Wine Club Administrator, this is a question I am asked at least two to three times a week. My usual response is: "It's going well, the grapes are coming in and the juice is happily fermenting in their respective tanks and barrels."  After answering the same way for several weeks, I exchanged my business attire and my comfortable climate controlled office for what I like to call my "grubby" clothes and the outside.

On Wednesday morning the cellar crew did not hesitate to put me right to work. I started my morning assisting our interns with pumpovers, which is the process used to circulate the juice to increase the flavor and color in our fabulous wines.  Then I got my hands dirty clearing the sump (a strainer used to keep the wine and skins away from each other) of the skins and seeds. After pumpovers, I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the floors of all the runaway grapes and miscellaneous debris.

The afternoon brought in a large load of grapes from the Rafanelli Vineyards and I was summoned by the Cellar Master to carry a load of dry ice to the top of the tank to give our new grapes some much needed CO₂.

Finally, I was tasked with rehydrating yeast for one of our tanks. The yeast smelled like fresh bread right out of the oven. Feeding the yeast was an entirely different experience. While taking some wine from the large tank, instead of closing the valve, I opened it all the way and was sprayed from the head down with freshly pressed Zinfandel.  Needless to say, I did not go home as clean as I had arrived!

It was definitely a learning experience and I am glad to have a better understanding of what Harvest entails. I also have a much deeper respect for all of the hard work our cellar crew goes through to produce our fabulous wines. Now, back to what I do best; providing assistance to our club members in my nice clean and comfy office. I can honestly say that I am more than prepared to talk about how Harvest is going. I await your calls!

Salina Littleton, Wine Club Administrator

I have to say that with all life can throw at me - the winery, the kids, the bills, the family BS in a family business, well, sometimes things can get pretty overwhelming.  Sometimes I wonder out loud about hanging up my winery hat and trying something different.  And then, in an instant, I am reminded why I love the wine industry so much. 

Last night, we hosted our annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair judges' dinner at our home.  Each year, on their "off night" we invite the judges and their dates for a casual dinner.  This has become something of an annual tradition and, over the years, we've made lifelong friends with many of the attendees who are invited to judge year after year.  I always like to bring out a "moldy oldie", a treasure from our cellar. This year it was our 1999 Estate Fumé Blanc DCV3 Vineyard. Wow. Breaking bread together is always a terrific way to get to know people and it's great for the winery because we get to share our wines with a mixture of trade and media personalities.

But, that's not really why we have the dinner.  I've come to realize that some of my greatest friends are also a part of the wine industry.  It's so special for us to reconnect over a wonderful meal and some delicious wines all the while enjoying a warm autumn evening in wine country. Sitting around the table last night listening to the din of laughter, clinking glasses and friendly chatter, I took a deep breath and felt very thankful for all that I have. 

Because, at the end of the day, isn't life all about your family, friends and those you cherish?  I think what makes wine so great is that it binds us together in common purpose to share memories and experiences that last a lifetime.  Last night, was one of those memories I will always cherish.

Note to self: Avoid flying home on 9/11.

Despite a poorly planned departure date, I made it home from my New York sales trip without a hitch. And just in the nick of time! Yesterday we received our first load of ripe grapes. As is the tradition around here, everyone gathered around the crusher to witness the big event. Even my father was there, to ceremoniously shovel grapes into the shiny stainless steel hopper. A glass of bubbles was raised as we toasted the safety, success, and serendipity of this annual event that is the lifeblood of our winery.

The 2011 harvest is important for a number of reasons:

1. The resulting wines help us pay the bills. Duh.

2. It's about time we started, after all it's already mid-September.

3. The 2011 harvest marks several important milestones. 

Now about those milestones...

This is our 40th harvest.  It's also the 35th harvest for longtime employee Gary Emmerich, and it's the 1st harvest for newcomer Tim Bell. Tim joined us earlier this summer as winemaker. Now don't go getting all worried that massive changes are ahead: on the contrary, Tim's exacting nature and attention to detail will help us ensure the continued high quality and consistently delicious nature of our wines. Longtime consulting winemaker Bill Knuttel remains part of the team and will be working closely with Tim throughout the harvest.

We have a few other newcomers in the cellar too. Donovan Ackermann and Kosie Van De Merwe are our latest harvest interns (both hail from South Africa) to add to a long list of international talent who have worked crush at Dry Creek. They are joined by veterans Nova Perrill (assistant winemaker), Jerry Smith (cellar master), Abel Garcia (cellar foreman), Mike Gillian (mechanic), and Tarcicio Garcia (Abe's brother).

To say we have an awesome team is an understatement. Just look at this picture… there's enough brawn, brains, and bravado to make some seriously hard core wines! As the work on the crush pad begins to pick up the pace, the work continues in our vineyards. Besides the actual picking process, our vineyard crews are busily dropping fruit, eliminating clusters that don't look good and encouraging maturation and ripeness in the remaining clusters. Monitoring sugar levels is a daily to-do while waiting patiently for Mother Nature to do her thing. Harvest generally starts out rather slowly, but nearly always escalates to a frantic pace that somehow everybody manages to survive.

No wonder they call it CRUSH!

Our family is in a state of transition.  My eldest child, Taylor-whom many of you know from the wine named after her, (Taylor's Vineyard Sauvignon Musqué) as well as her annual singing performances at our Summer Lobster Fest, recently headed off to college. Packing her up (three cars full!) was a surreal experience as any parent who has been through this transition knows. Happily, she is loving college life and has made many new friends.  Her grades better be positive too as we sure are going to have to sell a lot of wine to help pay for this! Our family life is slowly adjusting to a slightly less complicated existence with one less person in the house.

The winery is in a state of transition too. We have several new faces around the cellar and we are rapidly gearing up for our 40th harvest. With all the cold weather earlier this year, we're already behind schedule by a few weeks. But most winemakers I know secretly welcome a little delay as they finish up their last minute preparations before the first load of grapes arrive. This year, we will most likely start picking Sauvignon Blanc first. Quality looks good, but yields, especially in Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel are light. A bit of last minute scrambling is going on as we search for added vineyards to shore up our estate fruit supplies.

Sadly, I'll miss the arrival of our first load as I'm on a plane headed to New York for a week of market work. You certainly wouldn't have had that forty years ago! Nor, would you have had the overcrowded marketplace, distributor consolidation and a lagging economy to worry about in addition to harvest. As a matter of fact, harvest forty years ago was a very different matter.

The summer of '72 was very hot and dry. A serious wildfire had occurred on Bradford Mountain, just off West Dry Creek Rd. I was 9 years old at the time. The California Division of Forestry Services had set up camp in our newly cleared field- in what would soon become known as DCV 3-the birthplace of Fumé Blanc and the first vineyard planted to Sauvignon Blanc in the region. Dad was fresh out of UC Davis and excited as hell to make his first vintage of wine. The winery itself had not been built, so our first load of grapes was actually crushed over at Cuvaison Winery in Napa where good friend Tom Cottrell was winemaker. Many of the industry's legacy vintners were also getting started that same year—Bernard Portet, Jim Barrett, and Tom Burgess to name a few.

It was an era of trial and error, of teamwork and innovation—most winemakers were new at this, and they were such early pioneers! One of my favorite family stories involves my father using chewing gum to plug up a leaky radiator hose during the long slow drive over the hill to Cuvaison. With 100 degree plus weather, the grapes were at risk of being scorched and a solution had to be found quickly.  A couple of wads of Wrigley's soon repaired the problem and Robert Young's old red truck eventually made it over the hill with our precious first load. Hopefully, we won't have similar problems this year although I'm sure there will be a few snafus...there always are.  

So much has changed in the nearly four decades of our existence. We now have dozens of fermenters, three presses, and thousands of barrels that fill the walls of the winery. Our cellar crew has grown to 9 and we have a full time maintenance man to repair radiator hoses instead of using chewing gum. I've grown up and so has the winery. What will the next forty years bring? Who knows, but I sure feel blessed to have been a part of the winery's early days as well as that very first harvest.

Sometimes I really can't think of what to write. My days are jam-packed at the winery and then at the end of the day, I move into my "hey Mom, look at this!" mode.  Combining a demanding wine business and all of its ongoing challenges with being a good mother is well... not for the faint of heart.  It requires enormous amounts of energy, lack of sleep and patience beyond your wildest dreams. I've also found that generous doses of wine can provide some assistance.  Turn up your sound.....

Don't get me wrong. I do not drink excessively. Nor, do I use wine (alcohol) to sooth my troubled soul, the first sign of problem drinking. However, I do find that sipping very slowly on a glass of wine (yes, it helps when it's free for me!) while sitting outside watching my son perform his latest trick on the trampoline or bicycle is a nice way to transition from the "crisis du jour" at Dry Creek Vineyard to a more peaceful existence in my back yard.

I especially love this time of year. The "Dog Days of Summer" as they call 'em.  The kids are still out of school and the structured pace of the Fall selling season with its yearend business travel, emphasis on OND sales performance (translation: October, November, and December had better be strong!) and the frenetic and unpredictable nature of Harvest nearly upon us, is still a blissful few weeks off. Normally, I'd be in Maine, visiting relatives and chilling out. This year, I had to cancel my plans due to work related responsibilities, and let me tell you, I am feeling a little bit sorry for myself!

So, for the rest of you "End of Summer" vacationers, I thought you might like to know about a special promotion we're running. We call it our "Back to School" special. It's a 2 bottle offering of two of our favorite but lesser known wines, our 2008 Foggy Oaks Vineyard Chardonnay, and 2007 Meritage. They are both perfectly delicious and great accompaniments for this time of year. Save 25% with shipping included (or better still, join our Wine Club and Save 35%).

And, they just might make the end of day transition in your family a happier time too!  

I like dirt.  For as long as I have been in the wine industry, the concept of soil, sun and geography (that pesky word terroir) has fascinated me.  And really, for any wine geeky person like me, why wouldn't it?  How amazing is it that the very same grapes, grown right next to each other, can literally taste different! I've experienced that first hand, walking through vineyards during harvest and tasting different blocks of Zinfandel grapes.  It is quite remarkable.  

One of the (many) cool things about working at a family owned winery is that decisions can be made with an eye toward the future and without all that corporate winery mumbo jumbo.  A prime example of this is what is going on at our iconic DCV3 estate vineyard.  Planted by David Stare in 1972, this was the first vineyard planted to Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley.   Not only is this vineyard historically relevant for our winegrowing region, we also see it as our crown jewel in our Sauvignon Blanc program.  Like any vineyard, eventually it needed to be replanted.  First, we let the ground lay follow for almost 5 years.  Not an easy decision and not exactly profitable but completely necessary to allow the soil to naturally regenerate itself.   Then, rather than plant vines that will maximize yields (and thereby ROI) the family took a decidedly different track.  They planted 3 different selections of Sauvignon Blanc - Sauvignon Musqué, Sauvignon Gris and Sauvignon Blanc clone #378.  Is this the most economically profitable way of doing things?  No.  Is this really cool and going to give us the ability to work with small lots of interesting wines that we could potentially bottle exclusively for wine club members?  Yes.  How fun is that? 

Another exciting project is the new Zinfandel vineyard planted in front of the winery.  Three years ago, when this vineyard went in, I think our neighbors thought we were nuts.  Who in the world plants a head pruned Zinfandel vineyard these days?  Answer:  Dry Creek Vineyard.  Again, this is not cost effective and produces extremely small yields, but this vineyard is a throwback to a bygone era.  It's just about 3.5 acres but it has 4 different clonal selections of Zinfandel all planted on St. George rootstock.  This year we will receive our first crop and our winemaking team is so excited they can hardly stand it!

As the years go on and new vintages are released, I am excited about what the future holds.  I'm not sure any of us know exactly what we will we get from these newly planted vineyards.   But isn't that what makes wine so special?  Finding that unexpected gem or new thing that keeps you learning and appreciating all that the wine industry has to offer!

Bill Smart, Director of Communications

Dear Readers,

Announcements have been made and it's time for a round of applause for the winners of the 2011 Wine Blog Awards. While the blog you're reading didn't make the list (boo hoo, weep weep, sigh, sigh...) a hearty congratulations goes out to all the lucky winners! I know first-hand the commitment and time it takes to be a dedicated wine blogger. Thank you for your efforts. You ARE making a difference in the world of wine!

Wilma

And the winners are...

Best Wine Blog Graphics, Photography, & Presentation: Vino Freakism

Best Industry/Business Wine Blog: Fermentation

Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog: Enobytes

Best Single Subject Wine Blog: New York Cork Report

Best Winery Blog: Tablas Creek

Best Writing on a Wine Blog: Vinography

Best New Wine Blog: Terroirist

Best Overall Wine Blog: Fermentation

I am feeling a tad blue. I am also feeling a tad left out. Because I didn't get "the call." I was secretly hoping to get some kind of a call or clue that I was desperately needed to accept an award at the 2011 Wine Blog Awards which will be announced Saturday evening at the annual Wine Bloggers' Conference in Virginia. I kept postponing making my reservations for attending the conference because frankly, I have a million other priorities here at the winery that are more pressing. Add to the top of that list, the fact that my 13 year old son Spencer wants to go to a mountain biking camp this weekend and well, I just couldn't justify a trip to Virginia right now. As much as I'd love to expand my knowledge about social media, network with other wine bloggers, and learn about wines from the Virginia region, it just didn't factor into a high priority for me...unless, that is, I got "the call." Which I didn't. So, I'm making the assumption that the winner of the "best winery blog" will be bestowed upon some other well deserving person, of which I'm honored to be among the chosen finalists.  Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I can begin to sigh.

There's a lot of that in the wine business. Sighing that is. Because, there's always some challenge you're faced with; problems in sales, problems in production, problems with Mother Nature, The Family, whatever. Rarely does a day go by when everything goes just perfectly. So, I've taken to trying to meet and chat with at least one tasting room visitor per day. It's my new form of attitude adjustment. I figure these folks are on vacation so they must be having a better day than me! I love getting up from my office, walking outside and strolling up to a picnic table to say hi. Sometimes I just want to make sure they've had a good time. Other times I inquire about their favorite wine. I often enviously eye their picnic fare thinking hmmm, I really must get out and do that picnic thing myself sometime. People seem to enjoy meeting me and mostly, I experience first-hand the wonderful feeling that comes with making and selling a product that makes others happy. In these moments, I remember why I do what I do and how fortunate I am to be in this business, no matter how many challenges we have.

We have several open/new positions. Michael Longerbeam just joined us, heading up our wine club programs. He's a savvy marketer with years of experience in direct marketing and wine club management. I'm also looking for a new marketing administrator, and we have an important winemaking position in the cellar that is open as well, not to mention an opening on our Board of Directors.

Some days I feel like all I do is literally sift through resumes, meet with applicants, check out references, etc. It doesn't make for the most rewarding work, but one that is so vital to building an organization of passionate, knowledgeable, and likeminded people.

I often wonder how larger companies do this. I know human resources is involved, but there's nothing like looking someone in the eye when determining if they're a good fit. My secret weapon is always shoes. You can tell a lot about someone by the shoes they wear. For some, sensible and basic is the name of the game. Others demonstrate a sense of savoir faire simply by the choice of footwear they select for their tootsies.

Meet the newest member of our winery staff. She's smart, she's pretty and best of all, I can hug or kiss her anytime I want without getting sued! 'Cause I'm her mom.  

Welcome Taylor Love Wallace. Our daughter recently graduated from high school, and is now working part time over the summer for our human resources dynamo, Sally.

Taylor is doing a hodge podge of administrative tasks and boy, talk about bringing back a flood of memories...

I can vividly remember being the same age and working for Lynda Honeysett our office manager at the time. Like Sally, she was very kind and loving, taking me under her wing to show me the ropes. I thought I was such a big shot learning about credit memos, and helping her (this was before the winery had its first computer) hand enter debits and credits into the general ledger. It was the late '70s and there was another youngster working here at the time, Gary Emmerich. Gary is our Director of Sales Administration and is still with us today. He and I sort of grew up at Dry Creek together and I have nothing but the upmost respect and gratitude for his many contributions and long tenure with our family business. I can't imagine the place without him.

It makes my heart warm thinking about those early days, and how another generation of youngsters is sticking their toes in the water at Dry Creek. Who knows, maybe Taylor will end up running the place someday. If she does, watch out everyone. This is a girl with shrewd negotiation skills, a keen mind, and leadership qualities up the wazoo. Frankly, she makes mom look like a pansy. Her favorite bit of advice for me?  "Why don't you just fire them?"

Good grief!

I am grinning from ear to ear! Wilma's Wine World has been selected as a finalist in the "Best Winery Blog" category for the 2011 American Wine Blog Awards.

I am so incredibly honored. There are some great blogs in the world of wine and to be considered among the very best is extremely gratifying. But, the contest isn't over yet.

Please cast your vote! Public voting ends Monday, June 27 (Ahem, that's only 4 days from now, so please don't procrastinate!!) and the winner will be announced July 23 at the North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia.  

Click on this link to cast your vote: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CNTK5P8. I promise it will only take 10-15 seconds of your time. In addition to Best Winery Blog, you can also vote for Best New Blog, Best Writing, Best Single Subject, Best Industry Blog, Best Wine Reviews, Best Overall Blog, and Best Graphics, Photography, and Presentation.

I was a finalist in 2009. Then, in 2010 I missed the nominations because I didn't make the 52 posts per year requirement. This past year, I busted my behind to exceed the 52 post minimum which ironically now, has been eliminated. So, I would REALLY LOVE TO WIN THIS AWARD! Thank you for helping me out.

Thank You! Gracias! Merci! Danke! Grazie! Obrigado! (Just thought I'd throw in a little Portuguese to keep you wondering...)

I absolutely love this time of year.  The grass seems greener, the sky seems bluer, and the wine tastes delicious.  Maybe it's just a touch of summertime fever but I doubt it.  Living and working in wine country is a lifestyle like no other.  This time of year, there is an endless amount of abundant sunshine and activities galore.   And that got me to thinking - I live and work so close to nirvana (and I am certainly blessed to do so) but what about folks traveling to wine country for the first time or making a short weekend or day trip?  Talk about overwhelming!  Hundreds of wineries, events of all kinds, shopping, restaurants, and outdoor activities - the list of things to do are endless.  How can one possibly narrow it down to a more manageable list? 

So, without further ado, here are some of my basic wine country 101 pointers that I hope will make your visit more enjoyable. 

1. Take your time.  It's not a race. Enjoy yourself and map out a reasonable itinerary.  I recommend that people never try to visit more than four wineries in one day.

2. Stop and eat lunch.  You'll be glad you did.  Lots of wine on an empty stomach never yields good results.  The Dry Creek General store across the street from our winery serves terrific sandwiches and other nibbles and or course, we have beautiful picnic grounds.

3. Consider your route.   Don't try to start in Sebastopol and end up in the Dry Creek Valley.  It's too much driving  and you don't want to spend a beautiful summer day in wine country in your car!  If you come to the Dry Creek Valley (which must include a stop at Dry Creek Vineyard - shameless plug - yes I know) then plan to spend the day here. 

4. Look for something different to visit while in wine country.  For example, DaVero has a killer place to taste olive oil and Dry Creek Peach and Produce is a fantastic stop for fresh peaches right off the tree.

5. Make a dinner reservation and stay awhile.  In case you didn't already know, Healdsburg is a culinary mecca.  The restaurant scene is outstanding with not less than a dozen world-class eateries to choose from.   There is affordable wine country casual all the way up to 2-star Michelin rated.  You can't go wrong!

6. Take advantage of some local fun and flair.   All summer long, on Tuesday evenings, almost the entire town of Healdsburg shows up at the plaza for music from 6pm to 8pm.  Yes, it's busy and crowded but talk about an incredible piece of small town charm!  Families, friends, co-workers; you name it,  enjoy wine, food and casual conversation.   It's a blast.  Also, there is a Saturday morning farmers market behind the Hotel Healdsburg that is fantastic!

Whatever you decide, I hope your plans will take you to Dry Creek Vineyard this summer.  If you do plan to come, give us a shout ahead of time - we always like to have something special for our friends of Wilma!

Happy wine tasting!

Bill Smart, Director of Communications

I woke up to something completely new today, blue skies and sunshine. Hallelujah! This is the first we've had in days. Actually, I can't recall the last time we've had so much rain late in the season. Everyone has been talking about it, and trust me, it hasn't been good.

But, here at the winery we're not letting it get us down. As a matter of fact, we're gearing up for a great summer with the 2010 release of our flagship white wine, Fumé Blanc. She's all dolled up in a snazzy new package that flaunts a clear bottle and a completely redesigned label. The sailboat imagery is still very prominent but it's been freshened up for a more modern, youthful feel. Of particular note is the innovative QR code on the back label. With a click of your smart phone, you can view a short video about the making of this wine and the history of Fumé Blanc here at Dry Creek Vineyard. You can hear founder (my father) Dave Stare tell his story and meet the next generation too...even if you're in a grocery store in Arizona, or a restaurant in Boston. Pretty cool, eh?

Who would have known that technology like this exists? When we first started the project last year, we were among the first. I'm now seeing QR codes pop up on everything from flowers at Home Depot to furniture advertisements in House Beautiful.

What's particularly amazing is that we can "redirect" the link (currently it points to the YouTube video below) to somewhere else. So, for example, if Robert Parker proclaims this wine "a stand out of the vintage" and a "95 pointer", (not sayin' it's gonna happen, just putting it out there!) then before you can say, "let me buy a case!", our brilliant marketing team can redirect the link to a PDF flyer of the review. Since Parker hasn't reviewed our wines in years, I doubt that will happen. But, you get the point.

Watch for more QR codes on upcoming releases. But most importantly, watch for the availability of this wine in a location near you. It's brilliant. Really. The cool weather of the 2010 vintage brought out the racy lemon/lime flavors, bright acids and herbaceous nuances to make a wine that is oh so refreshing, you will almost think it's summer.

Which thankfully, it finally is beginning to resemble.

My jaw dropped about 3 feet last night. I was attending the annual Wine Spectator Big Bottle party (a schmooze fest of mass proportion!) and learned that our good friends and longtime neighbors The Seghesio's, have sold their family winery. To hear that this historic, 4th generation winery of Italian descent, which has survived some of the toughest periods in American history (World Wars, the Depression, a Recession, the Civil Rights movement, and even a catastrophic fire that nearly destroyed the winery in 1996) has sold out to yet another corporate entity whose name I can't remember because they all sound alike, is well...rather sad. On the one hand, I'm happy for Pete and Cathy, Ted, Camille, Cousin Dave, and all the other family members I've known over the years. They have worked tirelessly to modernize their winery and become a leader in our industry. Their turnaround from a mediocre jug wine producer in the 70s and 80s to an upscale and elite producer of some of the most respected wines in California is nothing short of miraculous. I admire them greatly and have enjoyed watching their success. But, I can't help wonder if selling the family business had more to do with a growing dissent among the family than a desire to retire rich or live the good life after so many years (and generations) of extremely hard work.

It makes one realize how RARE the mid-sized family winery (like ours) is becoming. A dying breed, really. And, it's one that if not honored and supported by loyal wine enthusiasts could become even rarer. Because this business can slowly suck the life out of you. While there's a notion that it's all fun and games (or sipping and spitting as the saying goes) the truth is that making and selling great wines year after year, is very difficult. Take the growing cycle. That alone can make grown men weep, as I've seen a few do lately with the late season rain storms we are having. Then there's always the threat of phylloxera, eutypa, and a host of other farming maladies that can occur. Once the grapes arrive at the cellar, there's a plethora of winemaking and cellar practices that can go awry if just the right person isn't shepherding the process every step of the way. It takes enormous attention to detail and a meticulous approach to winemaking right up until the time of bottling. Actually, even the bottling process can foul things up if a bad cork is used or the wine is stored or shipped improperly. Then think about the marketing and selling of wine. Try finding a distributor these days that will make your brand a priority. Good luck! The four P's of marketing (product, price, place, promotion) are just the tip of the iceberg for seasoned marketers. Throw in public relations expertise, social media, hospitality, special events, e-commerce, online marketing, consumer direct sales and endless amounts of sales and promotional travel all around the country and you are only lightly scratching the surface of what is required to sell wine. Of course, you can't forget about the day to day operational challenges: financing, planning, forecasting, environmental and political issues, staffing, human resources, etc.  Quite simply, the work is never done.  You just hope you have the energy to keep on going and the right people to help take you there.

Did the Seghesios just get fed up and burnt out over time? Did they get an offer they simply couldn't refuse? Or did they get to a point where they were tired of the family squabbles (known as FAMILY BS) and wanted a break. Whatever the case, I'm driven more than ever to assure we don't end up in the same boat.

Long Live Dry Creek Vineyard!!!  

This is my 164th post. Throughout my 4+ year journey of writing a blog, I've been blessed with the most wonderful and supportive readers...you!! Now it's time for me to ask a favor. If you're a fan of Wilma's Wine World, please click this link to visit the 2011 Wine Blog Awards web site and nominate my blog.  The nomination period lasts one week and ends on May 31, 2011.  The categories include:

Best Overall Wine Blog

Best New Wine Blog

Best Writing on a Wine Blog

Best Winery Blog

Best Single Subject Wine Blog

Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog

Best Industry/Business Wine Blog

Best Wine Blog Graphics, Photography and Presentation

I'm not very good at asking for help. Nor am I one to beg, plead, cajole, or beseech. I am however, humbly asking for your help to get Wilma out there in nomination land. I'm not the most techie of blogger types, nor am I as active in the blogosphere as some of my fellow wine bloggers. What I am however, is totally committed and passionate about sharing the ups, downs, successes, failures, trials, and tribulations of a lifetime spent in a family wine business. Sometimes I find myself brimming with story ideas and can hardly wait to share them with you. Then I remember, oh yea, that might piss off The Husband, The Father, The Staff, The Distributors, The Customers, The Bank, The Kids, and the myriad of other people/entities I interact with on a daily basis. Other times, Wilma is simply too busy, tired, or overwhelmed to find time to write. In the end, it's my desire to entertain, educate, shed light and inform that keeps me going. (That, and my extreme sense of guilt!)  

Thanking you in advance, I remain your dedicated wine blogger…Wilma.

Sometimes it pays to be in debt. Up to your eyeballs. For a really long period of time.

No, I'm not talking about Greece. I'm talking about being a preferred banking client of a major lending institution. As you might surmise, running a winery, owning vineyards, and producing, selling and marketing wine is a highly capital intensive business. It takes several years before the product we produce can "go to market" and several more before the inventory cycle completes a full turn. Most wineries operate with a revolving line of credit to offset operating expenses that cash flow doesn't easily cover as well as provide working capital for some of the more cash intensive aspects of the business, i.e., replanting vineyards, buying barrels and equipment, etc. 

As part of our "We're Going to Kick the Recession in the Pants Plan", also known "We Will Leave No Stone Unturned To Get Ahead Plan," we recently completed a major refinance of the winery's long term debt structure to take advantage of lower interest rates and preferred lending packages. It was a highly labor intensive and time consuming project that made our normally calm and mild mannered CFO Dru, unusually stressed out and anxious.  But his diligence and hard work paid off and we are happy to have a wonderful new banking partner, Union Bank.

Here's where the fun part comes in. As a "preferred" banking client (i.e. someone who is up to their eyeballs in debt!) we were invited by Union Bank to see Sheryl Crow perform live at the Sonoma Valley Jazz+ Festival this past weekend.

Can I just say right now, there's a reason Sheryl is a rock star. She is quite simply, A ROCK STAR! As a breast cancer survivor and single mother, she's already got Diva written all over her face. Add to that, the fact that she's an amazing singer, songwriter, and musician playing a multitude of instruments throughout her set, and you can imagine how powerful and soulful her music is when enjoyed in person. I felt mighty lucky to be so close to such a legendary female rocker and had a fabulous time reliving my younger days as a wannabe rock star myself. (I actually never wanted to be a rock star, but I sure did and still do love great classic rock and roll.)

Union Bank outdid themselves in sponsoring the concert and I am so grateful to have been among the invited patrons.  Thank you New Banker Friends!

Maybe debt isn't so bad after all.