Results matching “Dry Creek Valley” from Wilma's Wine World

There's been a slow transformation taking place behind the winery and my house these last couple of months. If you've driven over Lambert Bridge you might have even seen it. In a way it looks like a moonscape...or something otherworldly. Tall trees stick out of the earth with their roots reaching to the sky. Large pieces of equipment are scattered here and there. Boulders are bolted together in piles.

The Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement Demonstration Restoration Project is a partnership between the Sonoma County Water Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and landowners along the Dry Creek designed to build a fish friendly habitat. It includes bank stabilization and erosion control along with the development of environmentally friendly spawning pools for endangered species such as Steelhead Trout and Coho Salmon. So far, they've completed one mile--not a small feat when you consider 1000s of cubic yards of dirt were removed from a once abandoned channel. That's a lot of truckloads. Eventually, the county plans to complete a six mile corridor spanning the Dry Creek.  

This federally funded project is a perfect example of the government and the private sector working hand in hand for a positive outcome. The project commenced some years ago when the county first approached The Husband to flesh out their ideas which included access to our property. Many meetings and negotiations later, access was granted along with an overwhelming endorsement from dear old hubby. At first I was skeptical, but why not? What's good for the environment is surely good for us and there's no doubt this will have a positive impact over time.

As a child growing up on West Dry Creek Road, I remember the fears of flooding and erosion that we had about the Dry Creek. Bank reinforcement was illegal yet farmers who owned land along the creek often placed old car bodies, tires and other material along the edges to avoid erosion. It was not a pretty sight let me tell you!  

Today, we are fortunate that in addition to creating an environmentally friendly fish habitat, we also benefit from the anchored log jams and bank stabilization that will prevent our land from washing away.

The project came to fruition today with the release of 2000 juvenile salmon into the creek. What a sight to behold! By 2020 when the total project is complete, Dry Creek Valley may be known for its wine - and its fish.

I can honestly think of no better place on earth right at the moment than being here in the Dry Creek Valley.  The vineyards have begun their seasonal growing cycle and new green buds have leaped toward Mother Nature's warmth.  The hillsides are aglow with emerald green from winter rains and warm temperatures have greeted us early this year bringing out an abundance of wild flowers.  Sometimes it takes getting away to truly appreciate where you live.  

This past week, I was traveling back East for business. The weather was still a tad cold and gray. My family in the northeast has experienced an especially difficult winter with record snowfalls. I'm glad to have missed all that excitement, but heading "home" always reminds me of what a crazy, busy bustle other parts of our country are. I think sometimes I take for granted living where we live. It's really a cornucopia of life's best things - wine, food, agriculture, art and people. Of course, my roots are from the East Coast, but let me tell you, getting on that plane to come home to California never felt so good! 

Throughout the year, we've been talking a lot about our 40^th anniversary. It has been a big focus of our marketing efforts and has pretty much dominated 2012. But, I realized in the middle of the night last night that I haven't bragged much about it on this blog. Plus, I haven't shared with you the cool new video we made highlighting the occasion.

First, let me say-I'm really proud the winery is celebrating 40 years of family winemaking in the Dry Creek Valley. We have been through a lot (and I mean a LOT!) so this milestone is very near and dear to my heart. I literally grew up at the winery, as did several other people still in our employ, and we've seen the wine industry grow from the growth and glory days of the 80s and 90s, to the slug fest of international competition it has morphed into nowadays. I've seen the dreaded neo-Prohibitionists be replaced by a nation of wine-friendly folks with a fascination for the grape. Tourism and tasting rooms have become big business. Distributors have become wholesale behemoths with far too many brands competing for far too few slots on the retail shelf and restaurant wine list.  Winery travel is still essential. Good press and high scores are helpful. Producing high quality wines is non-negotiable.

But the real key to success is the ability to stick it out. Persistence and patience are vital. And at the end of the day, it has to be a labor of love. You simply have to make wines you are passionate about sharing with the world. How they end up on the dinner table is the hard part.

Oh yeah, and a good dose of humor helps too.     

I don't often play hooky. There's just an endless amount of work to get done around here and nonstop responsibilities that are always pressing. Besides when I get a day off I'd rather spend it with my kids and family.

But I recently joined my out of town cousins for a day of winery hopping in Napa. I forgot how fun it is to taste wine, hear the stories, and visit the unique properties so reflective of their owners. Plus I figured it was an ideal opportunity to do some spying on the competition!

Pride Mountain Winery is a beautiful drive up Spring Mountain Road outside the town of St. Helena. Open only by appointment, we were treated to a tour and tasting in their caves and tasting salon overlooking the vineyards that span the Mayacama Mountains. Of course, none of this came cheaply; the fee was $75 per person. But then again, that's Napa for you. The wines were delicious albeit very expensive. I still can't believe I plunked down an astounding $130 for a Cabernet. Our host was superb, passionate about wine, and extremely knowledgeable overall. Nothing was canned or rehearsed, and she made us feel like old friends of hers in no time. She gets an A+ in my book.

I was planning to go back to work after our picnic lunch, but suddenly decided we should visit Raymond Vineyards. This is one of the wineries that Jean Charles Boisset has purchased, adding to his growing stable of California wineries. He's been getting a lot of press as the "new Robert Mondavi of our generation" and so I was dying to see what he had done to the venerable Raymond family estate. Good grief. It's hard to describe but I'd say it's a cross between a "Napa Valley Night Club" and "Alice in Wonderland." Talk about over the top. From the bizarre hall of senses to the crystal cellar with mirrored tanks and scantily clad mannequins hanging from the rafters, I felt like I was in a high end strip club (I've never actually been to one, but this is what I imagine if I had!). While the wines were nice, the most striking observation was how five generations of Raymond family efforts have been wiped clean from the visitor experience. There was simply no connection to the heritage of the family or mention of the history of the winery. I felt sad and somewhat baffled since it seems like there must have been something relevant the new owners could salvage from the past. It also was a bold reminder of the importance of authenticity. And that's where Dry Creek Vineyard shines. There's nothing contrived or overtly "forced" here. We don't put on airs and we don't try to be something we're not. A visit to Dry Creek Vineyard should ALWAYS include the story of our past along with the innovative changes we've made that have resulted in the superb quality of our wines today. It should NEVER be about form and ALWAYS be about substance. In a nutshell, it's about wines that express the nuances of their appellation and the people who work so hard to create them. No mannequins, no crystal chandeliers, no fluff.

And if that's not the case, then, please, please, please I want to hear about it. Ok? 

We are finally installing some much needed shade sails over our secret garden area. This is the space directly in front of the winery that has gone largely unused over the years, yet we feel will make a great outdoor seating/lounge area.

I looked into a variety of ways to transform the area. As with most decisions, it all comes down to money. While the shade sails weren't inexpensive, they seemed to be a good solution that also subtly ties into our connection with sailing. So, I suppose it's the closest thing we'll ever get to hoisting the sails in Dry Creek Valley!

The next step is setting up outdoor furniture and creating an attractive and inviting space for wine club members and guests to enjoy our wines. I envision using this space for small groups, events, and quite possibly down the road...weddings. Yep. I said it - the "W" word.

While decades have gone by without a wedding here (my sister's was the last and that was 14 years ago) I am definitely seeing growth and demand for beautiful wine country wedding venues. And, I must admit, I'm intrigued. Not because I fancy the notion of more work or more hassles (have you ever dealt with the mother of the bride? Ugh!), but leveraging our beautiful setting and unique location, along with our amazingly high quality wines, might just be one more way to weather the storm of such a competitive and challenging industry.  

I have some pretty good excuses why I haven't written in a while. Hmm, let's see...

No time? Too tired? More pressing projects? You get the picture. My plate is very full these days. But I love my new role and feel invigorated despite the long hours and constant frustrations of the wine business.

I know what you're thinking..."yea right, what frustrations?" Isn't it all about the bucolic, wine country lifestyle? On the outside, it might look like that. But the truth is despite the many wonderful aspects of the wine industry, it can be frustrating as hell.

Let me give you some examples. I just returned from Los Angeles where I participated in the Sonoma County Vintners "Sonoma in the City" events. These are a series of trade and consumer tastings intended to showcase the many wonderful wines of Sonoma County. As the flagship winery of the Dry Creek Valley, it was important for us to be there.

It felt a bit like Groundhog Day as I looked around the room and recognized vintners who have been doing this for just as long as me: Julie Pedroncelli, Michael Deloach, Joy Sterling, to name a few. We are the hard working descendents of pioneering family owned wineries that helped shape the California wine industry.  So here's where the frustrating part comes in. I can't tell you how many people came up to my tasting table and said they had never heard of Dry Creek Vineyard. Furthermore, they didn't know where we are located. Ahem, doesn't the name Dry Creek give any clue? With SO MANY new wineries in the county today, (let alone the world) it's easy to get lost in the shuffle if you aren't careful. And apparently, it doesn't much matter that we've been at it for 40 years.

Twenty four hours later the converse occurred.  Fussy wine buyers are fixated on the obscure and unknown. Suddenly, it can work against you if your winery actually has a reputation and a loyal brand following. I experienced this first hand as I made a presentation to a very important buyer for a series of popular LA restaurants. While he was very impressed with the quality of our wines, the fact that our wines are distributed nationally, have decades of successful vintages under their belt, and a trusted brand reputation, in his mind's eye--these are a deterrent for adding our wines to his wine list. We are simply too well known.

Go figure. One minute no one has heard of us, the next we're too popular. Talk about frustrating!

Happily I returned to my office with a big surprise on my desk. A 2 page spread in Wine Spectator featuring our Fume Blanc and Heritage Zinfandel in their "Best of the West Under $25" story. 

Oh yea baby, that sure feels good!

"Dry Who" my arse...

Alright, we'll admit it - we are a slightly competitive group at the winery.  And so, when we set out last Friday (February 24) for the annual Vineyard Pruning Championships sponsored by the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission we definitely had ideas about beating out our other competitors.  

The day began warm and friendly.  Coffee and donuts were served and the rules were provided to each team involved in the competition.   Really, there were two competitions happening - one for the "real" pruners - those hardworking guys who actually spend endless hours hand pruning vineyards all over Sonoma County.  Then there was the "other" competition - a friendly contest pitting appellations against each other with a winemaker and vineyard manager on each team.  Representing the Dry Creek Valley (and Dry Creek Vineyard) was Nova Perrill our Assistant Winemaker and Matt Vogensen our Vineyard Manager from Bevill Vineyard Management. 

As we walked out to the vineyard the friendly banter began about who was going to win and why.  It's not often we all come together for some spirited competition so everyone's juices were flowing and of course, ultimate bragging rights were on the line!   The agenda for each team was simple - prune two vines perfectly and do it in the fastest time possible.  Points are added (or subtracted) for how the vine is cut, if the correct spur is left and whether or not the canes are properly removed from the wire.  Only about 1/3 of the total score is based on how fast the teams completed the challenge. 

When the gun sounded, team Dry Creek feverishly started pruning.  Nova and Matt were the first to finish completing two vines in just less than 1 minute.  Just to give some perspective, a seasoned and skilled vineyard worker can prune that amount in half the time - pretty remarkable!

After the competition, lunch was served at the beautiful Shone Farm in the Russian River Valley.  Awards were distributed and ultimately, Nova and Matt were given first prize!  Check out the video to watch these champions work!

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

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

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.

Yesterday was the culmination of many months of work. On the outside, it may not have seemed like a big deal, but between you, me and the lamp post, it reflected a lot of work, study, analysis, and more. What I'm talking about is our DTC Retreat. DTC is the acronym that the wine industry has dubbed the Direct-To-Consumer sales channels, i.e. tasting room, wine clubs, and e-commerce. These channels are separate from the traditional way wineries sell their wines which involve finding nationwide distributors and selling through the 3 Tier system. (Winery:Distributor:Retailer)

DTC has been an increasingly important buzzword for some time now. The most obvious reason is profitability. When you don't have the middlemen in there, it's a much more profitable way of doing business. However, more important is the fact that it's the only sales channel where we can FULLY control the customer's experience with our wines. Here's an example. Pretend you go out to dinnerÂ… you order a bottle of wine. You have an amazing meal, a great server, etc. Maybe you just got some good news or a promotion at work or your teenager actually picked up their dirty clothes, so you're in an even better mood. It's highly likely that all these positive influences will add up to a great experience with the wine you selected. But the converse is true too...

You're in a rush to get ready for dinner. You head to your corner liquor store to pick up a bottle. The sales clerk is non-existent or doesn't know diddly squat about wine, you have no idea if it's going to be food friendly and the lack of service and rush hour traffic makes the whole experience rather unpleasant. This could, in theory, negatively impact your perception of the wine, no matter how good it is.

Now, take a DTC experience.

Someone visits wine country. It's a glorious day in the valley. They stop into the tasting room on a relaxing summer afternoon and discover firsthand the delights of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Or, they just received their latest wine club shipment and eagerly curl up in their easy chair to read the accompanying newsletter. It's all about Old Vine Zinfandel. The gnarly vines and history of the region nearly come to life with every sip they take. In these examples, practically every interaction they have with the winery, every impression, every conversation, every word they read, in essence EVERY ENGAGEMENT they have with the brand is fully controllable. It's all up to us. It's on our backs.  But herein lies the problem. As an owner, I can't control everything. I can't script exactly what they'll experience when they walk into our tasting room. I can't fully know that the tour or tasting that has been set up for them is being conducted exactly as I would like. Because, I have to rely on others. While I can teach, train, mentor, share, rant, rave, and jump up and down, there's no way I can be 100% sure that what I want our customers to experience is actually happening. Unless you tell me.

So that's why we had the retreat. To get everyone together for a detailed look at how we do things. We then asked ourselves, how can we improve? It sounds trite, but what can we do to SURPASS our customer's expectations? WHAT CAN WE DO TO WOW 'EM?

Three themes kept coming up. Family, Heritage, and Authenticity. These are the three core elements that are at the very heart and soul of Dry Creek Vineyard. They're the three things that we alone OWN and that must come through in everything we do and say.

We spent the morning revisiting our vision, mission, and core values. The afternoon was dedicated to team building and brainstorming. We threw in a few Kumbayah moments for good measure, but by and large we focused on how to better infuse FAMILY, HERITAGE and AUTHENTICITY into the tasting room, wine club and ecommerce. The team came up with some great ideas. We concentrated on the "what" not the "how," so people wouldn't get bogged down with logistics. No idea was too silly or grandiose. Everything from buying a golf cart for giving vineyard tours to hanging more family  photos was thrown on the white board. Here's one of my favorites: fly members of our hospitality team to people's homes to conduct private tastings and wine education.

I couldn't help but wonder...now, how am I going to sell that idea to The HUSBAND??

Now, I'd like to get your feedback! What are we doing right, and where are we missing the mark??  Are we spot on, always exuding warm, gracious hospitality? Or are there a few grumps in our employ that are making a bad impression? What about our customer service? Is it timely and helpful like the good folks at Nordstroms? Or, do you get the run around leaving you frustrated and sour faced like the last time I contacted our internet service provider.

Please tell me, what do you want??? It's the only way I'll know.

In the cellar, we've spent a boat load (pun intended!) making improvements on barrels, equipment and the like, so having a fancy schmancy production area is just not a necessity.  Offering extraordinary wines at exceptional prices is. Hence, no hand dug caves, no antique wine libraries, no brass trimmed hoses.  That will be up to the next generation. But having an attractive, fresh, and updated tasting room is top priority, especially with so much competition right around the block.

So, for the first time since our tasting room was originally built we are remodeling. New counters, new lights, new paint, and a whole new look await the Dry Creek Vineyard tasting room guest. We are all very excited about the change and can't wait to share it with you. After all, there's something about a new look that signals a new day. Which is exactly what you'll experience on your next visit to the winery!  Note: we've set up a temporary tasting room in our cellar which is a unique experience in and of itself.

Today marks the beginning of my 4th year as a blog writer. When I started Wilma's Wine World, I never imagined the direction it would take, nor the impact it would have. Back then, I questioned my voice. I questioned my ability to write in a meaningful way. And, I questioned whether or not anyone would really give a damn. Today, I have over 15,000 visits per month, scores of loyal fans regularly email me and comment on my posts, and more importantly, I've found an outlet to recount in an honest and straightforward way, the trials, tribulations, and tales of a lifetime spent in the wine industry. I've debunked myths (no we aren't all pinky waving trust fund kids like some would think!) and I've probably told more than I should about our business and the wine industry at large...but then again, I've never been one to mince words or misrepresent myself.

It all started over lunch and a glass of wine with Jim Laube. As I passionately shared my vision for the kinds of wines he could expect to see from us, my excitement mounted...and so did his. I told him about our struggles as a family (not all, of course) and our vision for bringing the winery to an entirely new place in the world of wine. I talked about my pride in my father's accomplishments as well as my vision for where my husband and I would take the business. I talked about the people we would hire. I talked about the vineyards we would plant. I talked about the shift in mentality that we were slowly but surely shaping from within our organization as we reinvented ourselves for the future.  We then tasted our newest releases, reflective of the many shifts we had made since taking over the business: drastically reduced production, enhanced winemaking techniques, appellation driven wines, a focus on 100% Dry Creek Valley fruit, new barrel programs, new winemaking equipment, new packaging, etc. As our lunch progressed, I found myself also telling him about how difficult it is to do all this while keeping family harmony. (Generational transitions are never easy, hence the pitifully low success rate in this country.) I recounted the joys, the struggles, the frustrations, and the enormous amount of resiliency it takes to be able to go home at the end of the day and say "I love you" to the person or people who just drove you crazy at work. I told him how far we had come, and how far we were going, no matter what, no matter how long it would take. And, that's when he said, "You need a blog."

Huh?

So it was with that advice that I embarked on my “blogdom”.

158 posts later, I am still blogging. My voice has been “found,” and I'm even contemplating a book. It might take a while… but someday I just might make it happen! In the meantime, I will continue to plow along one post at a time…brainstorming for topics, editing my writing so I don't piss off too many people (think of the subjects I haven't yet covered… why do winemakers think they're God? How come distributors say one thing yet do another? And one that continually eats away at me… who made wine buyers so big for their britches???)

As I ponder these subjects, along with many others swirling around in my curly haired head, I'm reminded of the words of the late great Erma Bombeck:

“If you can't make it better, you can laugh at it.”

And that, my friends, is the real ticket to success in the wine industry.

Being in the wine industry has some really cool perks and this past week was one such occasion.  I was honored to join more than 50 of my industry colleagues as a professional wine judge at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.   This is the largest wine competition in the U.S. with more than 5,000 wines submitted this year alone - a new record.   For three straight days, we sipped, swirled and yes SPIT, wines in every imaginable category.  Judges from around the country including wine writers, retailers, sommeliers, winemakers, PR people (like me) and industry veterans were chosen to evaluate the entries.

There's a lot to say about the actual judging experience but I want to take a minute to acknowledge the breadth, depth and detail of what goes on behind the scenes to pull off a commercial wine competition of this magnitude.  Held in Cloverdale, CA at the Citrus Fairgrounds, wines began rolling into Cloverdale in October.  Every single wine is recorded in a computer including retail price, producer, winemaker, technical info, etc.  This, in and of itself, is a massive amount of work all done by a volunteer.  During the competition, a literal army of incredible volunteers makes sure all of the judges needs are met including a full hot breakfast and delicious lunch.  During the competition, more volunteers wheel in flight after flight of wines to us judges as we evaluate and score each wine.  They clean glassware, keep track of our scores and empty spit buckets (not a fun thing to do) all with a smile.  They are an amazing group and the level of detail and professionalism was second to none.  It was a privilege to work with them.

The judging experience itself was fun, interesting, and at times a tad frustrating.   I was on a panel with four other judges.  Each of us brought a unique insight or perspective to the wine industry.  There was a wine writer, a buyer for a large steakhouse, a tasting room professional as well as an industry veteran of more than 25 years in many different facets of the business.  From early morning to late afternoon, we tasted and evaluated hundreds of wines.  I lost count at 325 wines.  Surprisingly, my palate was able to withstand the beating as I chewed on bread, roast beef and sparkling water to help keep things clean and ready for a new flight of wines. 

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the quality of wines.  From Sauvignon Blancs to Sangioveses, the wines were across the board very good to excellent.  There were some tired not so good wines as well but those were few and far between.  I thought our panel worked very well together.   We were thoughtful, collaborative and fair with the wines we judged and scored.  Ultimately, we sent up several delicious wines for Sweepstakes consideration.  On the last day, all of the judges reconvened to taste through all of the Sweepstake wines in an effort to find the Best of Class white wine and Best of Class red wine.   When the winning wines were revealed, the Best of Class red wine was a wine that our panel had sent up for consideration - it was a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paso Robles region.  The producer was Ecluse Winery and the wine was in the $30 to $34.99 price range.  It was a terrific wine and I was glad to see it win considering it came from our panel. 

In tasting all of these wines from around the country, I also came to realize that there is a lot of great wine being made these days.  At Dry Creek Vineyard, we always strive to put the best wine in the bottle possible, and for my taste, I think we do an extraordinarily good job of this.   Our wines are balanced, food friendly and most importantly, taste like the grape (you'd be surprised how many Pinots I tasted that tasted just like Syrah).  With my admittedly California palate, I was surprised to find out that my two favorite wines of the competition came from Washington State -  a Sauvignon Blanc and Primitivo from the Columbia Valley.  It just goes to show that great wine can be made anywhere - as long as there is a passion and commitment to the vineyard and grapes. 

Bill Smart, Director of Communications

In keeping with my New Year's Resolution "drink champagne more regularly," I recently stopped in at the Roederer Estate tasting room in Anderson Valley. We were headed to one of our all time favorite places on earth, The Harbor House on the Mendocino Coast, to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. Ok, stop right there. How many people do you know who have actually been married that long? And of those, how many are partners in life as well as partners in running a business? And of those, how many are actually still in love? Exactly! That's why I figured it was perfectly OK to be drinking champagne in the middle of a Friday afternoon.

Sipping through the Roederer line-up of bubbles was a delightful way to kick off our special celebration. They have numerous bottlings at various price levels, but by far the best is the 2002 L'Ermitage. If you like traditional French champagne, this one is for you. It is delicate and creamy, with exactly the right combination of fruit and richness.  It's not cheap, at $50. But when compared to the cost of a large pizza and a pitcher or two of beer, well, it wasn't hard to justify the investment.

A little later, it was time to open the Bollinger Brut Special Cuvée that I had picked up at my local grocery store. A shelf talker boasting a 94 point score from Wine Spectator caught my eye so I figured it must surely be worthy of our milestone. It too falls into the pizza and pitcher of beer price range.

"The bubbles are a little big for me" commented The Husband. Huh?? His comment seemed snobbish at first, but upon closer examination, I realized he was right. While the wine was creamy and yeasty, it was not seamless. The bubbles are so big that they fight with the subtle richness and savory nature of the wine. It was like the wine had two distinct personalities and they were definitely not getting along.  

I'm no champagne critic, but this was getting fun!

Our next selection was the Krug Grande Cuvée non vintage, ordered right off the Harbor House wine list. Ahhh, heaven on earth. Now here was champagne with tiny bubbles, complex flavors and a delicate yet sophisticated mouth feel that scored very high on the Yum Factor! It paired magnificently with Chef Adam Able's petrale sole with French beans, onion rings and sauce hollandaise. Talk about sublime. (Note: at this point in the evening I was in direct conflict with New Year's Resolution # 8, Lose Some Weight.) For you foodies, Adam is definitely a chef to watch. Trained in the south, he did a stint at Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg before taking the Executive Chef position at Harbor House. His cuisine is marvelous. Besides, anyone who finishes a meal with homemade beignets is a star in my book.  

As the evening progressed, I realized we were having an all champagne meal. Oh boy, I could get used to this.

Other champagnes we tasted were a 1996 Veuve Clicquot (oxidized with no pop), Roederer Estate Brut Rosé, (also high on the Yum Factor) and an old standby, J Vintage Brut, Late Disgorged.

As for my New Year's Resolution, I've added to it slightly:

“Each and every week, I shall enjoy some type of bubbly grape-based beverage to celebrate the basics of life: love, marriage, family, friends, health, happiness, and harmony. If those don't seem fitting, there's always feeding the dog, folding the wash, or emptying my in-box... 

I finally put away my suitcase last night.  After umpteen trips in 2010, it was finally time to stow the battered old thing away until next year's sales and marketing travel kicks back in.

That is just one of many items we'll be discussing at our national sales meetings today. Each year we have our small but talented team of regional sales managers out to the winery for a series of meetings and planning sessions focused on our wholesale sales. We review our business territory by territory, discussing the pros and cons of each distributor, overall market conditions, and the winery's goals and objectives. We give ourselves a pat on the back and convey our deepest appreciation for a job well done. This year, we'll exhale a collective sigh of relief. After all, we just survived the worst conditions for wine sales since the Great Depression.  

These can be painful meetings. Sometimes they are peppered with thoughts and suggestions that are hard to swallow. Other times, there's an abundance of creative dialogue that contributes to out of the box thinking and successful strategies for the coming year. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there's more of the latter than the former this year.)

More often than not, we are told we need to lower prices in order to sell more wine. After all, they're salespeople!  And we, knowing the fiscal realities of running a winery and being responsible for the livelihood of some 35 plus employees, sit there wondering how we're going to make it all happen. But somehow, we always do. One thing we never budge on is wine quality. No matter what, we simply won't compromise on this one bit.

This year I'll be unveiling our new Fumé Blanc package which I'm pretty excited about. You might recall that not too long ago, (view my post -  http://www.wilmaswineworld.com/2008/03/to-fume-or-not-to-fume-that-is.html) there was a lot of grumbling about the name Fumé Blanc. Never mind that it's the flagship wine that put us on the map. Or, that we were the first in Sonoma County to introduce a crisp dry California version of the great Pouilly Fumé's. The majority of our sales team felt we should discontinue it altogether. "Old Fashioned." "Confusing."  "A Dying Category."  That's when I exercised my veto power, feeling strongly that killing off Fumé was a bit like GMC discontinuing the half ton pickup.  Thank goodness everyone listened as this is now one of our bestselling wines.

One thing we know for sure is the paradigm is shifting. Just like every other aspect of our business, we are always looking at ways to improve. If we do it right, maybe, just maybe, I might be able to keep the old suitcase stowed away for a little while. If not, well...

I don't want to think about that right now.

Note: As an alternative to Fumé Blanc, we also produce a 100% Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc to showcase the subtle nuances of our home region. With a dash of Sauvignon Musqué in the blend, this wine is altogether different than our traditional Sonoma County Fumé Blanc, yet celebrates the intrinsically refreshing flavors of my favorite white wine variety.

Ah, Thanksgiving - one of my absolute favorite holidays.   There are so many reasons to love this rich American tradition.  The house is full of wonderful smells.  Family and friends gather for a full day of food, drink and merriment.  I especially enjoy watching The HUSBAND work his magic in the kitchen.  Each year, he seemingly tries to outdo himself from the year before. 

As for me, I usually play the role of Sommelier.  It's always exciting for me to pick out what we are going to drink from our cellar.  Sometimes, days before Thanksgiving, I'll find myself day dreaming about what magical wines we should select.  In my view, there are never any wrong choices.  I've read countless articles about what does and does not pair well with turkey and the traditional accompanying side dishes.  For me, it's simply about pulling corks and setting out the bottles for everyone to enjoy.

I am a self-admitted bubbles person all the way on Thanksgiving.  My absolute favorite champagne of all time is Billecart-Salmon, a medium-sized Champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Ay, France.  It's one of the few remaining family owned champagne houses left in France.  I suppose I feel a sort of kinship with them. Not to mention, The HUSBAND and I have enjoyed several bottles during magical moments in our 28 years of marriage.  When the bubbles are gone, I move on to a glass of white or perhaps a red – whatever tickles my fancy.  We always have our wine on the table too – usually a bottle of Dry Chenin Blanc and one of our deliciously fruity Zins, one of my favorite Turkey/cranberry sauce/red wine pairings. (Caution: be sure to avoid Zinfandels high in alcohol.)  But there are other wines too.  Pinot Noirs from the Russian River and Anderson Valley are my favorite.  We might have something unusual like a Riesling from Germany or a Cotes du Rhone from France.  Perhaps Spain might even show up on the dinner table.  We're not country biased - everyone gets their fair share! This is a particularly good time to open any magnums or large format bottles that might be collecting dust in your cellar. What are you waiting for?

Try not to worry about the perfect marriage of food and wine. If you keep one simple tip in mind, you'll be fine.  Think fruity with fruity. In other words, the sweeter tendencies of traditional Thanksgiving fare such as cranberries, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkins, etc. naturally lend themselves to fruitier styles of wines.  Just be sure there's a good backbone of acidity so the wine isn't overly sweet or cloying.

The bottom line is be bold.  Pull what you enjoy - something you've been thinking about opening for a long time and share it with your close friends and family.  After all, that's the best way to enjoy wine - in the company of those you love.

Please enjoy this video montage we put together and join us in a toast to Harvest 2010.  Another new vintage is here!

Cheers!