We're Off to the Races

In my experience, success in the wine industry takes a long term view. From growing grapes, to making wine, to all the sales and marketing expertise that goes into getting the bottles from the winery to the market, well...it doesn't happen overnight. So it was with much pride that I finally experienced the results of nearly 2 years of effort that went into getting Dry Creek Vineyard involved with the America's Cup.  Just last month, we announced our partnership as the official wine for Artemis Racing, Challenger 34^th America's Cup. This was a personal mission of mine as the "Official Wine for Sailors" with over 30 years of sailboats on our wine labels and involvement in the sport.

On Sunday, I entertained a group of handpicked winery VIPs at the exclusive digs of the Artemis Racing Hospitality Club at Pier 27 of America's Cup Park in San Francisco. Talk about fun! We learned the history of the world's oldest sporting event, chatted with legendary sailor and team CEO Paul Cayard and watched Team New Zealand kick the pants off of Luna Rossa from Italy. (I'm not sure that's the language I should be using but you get the point!) In between, we were wined and dined and served none other than an array of delicious Dry Creek Vineyard wines. I felt like a mom bursting with pride. While it's just the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup, already I'm feeling good about our partnership with this team. They have worked hard to bounce back from the tragic death of one of their sailors and untimely destruction of their boat. Now, their hope is to begin competing next week in the Louis Vuitton Semi Finals. Are they the underdog? You bet. But in many respects they remind me of our family winery - a team dedicated to the absolute integrity of their product, filled with passion and commitment to survive the choppy waters ahead. And like us, you just never know...they might go on to surprise the world!