Wilma's Wine World

Mother Nature has been acting rather hormonal lately. Erratic weather conditions and unpredictable swings in temperature have left even the most seasoned grower/vintner guessing as to when harvest will start. Honestly, I can’t remember an odder summer. (I actually experienced better weather in Maine than we’ve had here.)

As everyone scrambles to get ready for the 2010 harvest, most are speculating that things won’t really get started until mid-September. That’s a good 3 weeks later than normal. Of course, first to get picked is always Pinot Noir and Chardonnay intended for sparkling wine production. My good buddy Judy Jordon over at J Wine Company brought her first load of fruit in last Wednesday. In the still wine business, most of us are still waiting patiently on the sidelines.

Postponing harvest isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In theory, the slower the grapes ripen, the more complex and concentrated the fruit will be. Maybe that’s why Ken Wilson, friend and grower of our Wilson Ranch Chenin Blanc is so optimistic. In his words, “I don’t know what everyone is all worried about, we’ve had fabulous growing conditions.” Easy for him to say…he’s over there in the Sacramento Delta where they’re just happy to be growing grapes!

Here in Sonoma County, many of us are still recovering from the blistering heat that bombarded us last week. (It spiked to over 110 degrees within a 24 hour period.) Those who were overly zealous in their spring leaf thinning (in order to get better air flow to minimize the possibility of mold and mildew) really got nailed, losing up to 50% of the crop to sunburn damage. Fortunately, we’ve got a seasoned captain at our helm who made sure we didn’t end up in this boat. (Boating pun intended!)

While Mother Nature might be menopausal, and winemakers are getting a bit skittish, it’s the growers who tend to be the most anxious of all. For them it’s all about harvesting their grapes as soon as humanly possible.  Their livelihood depends on it. Which is why it’s a constant tug o’ war. Growers want their crops off early so they can get paid as soon as possible. Winemakers want to prolong the arrival of fruit until conditions are ideal and ripeness is optimal. If you happen to be BOTH the grower and the producer, like we are, you pick when you’re darn well good and ready and try to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature, after all…

Everyone knows not to mess with Mother Nature!

Last week I had the chance to spend a little time in Denver, CO.  I was there with a friend on a business trip, which left some time for me to explore the city solo.  In order to capitalize on my short stint there, I decided to be the tourist (as opposed to host the tourist).  It was interesting, walking around downtown, visiting hot spots per local recommendations.  After two days I felt like I had a genuine impression of the city.  On the flight home I started thinking, and I have mentioned this before; working behind the bar at a premium California winery is like traveling.  Every day I meet people from various states and countries, and each interaction leaves a unique mark. 

As a lover of language and culture I am always thrilled to host international guests.  About two months ago, on one such occasion, I met a family from Strasbourg.  They were on a tour of the United States, and they came to Dry Creek Vineyard per suggestion from their hotel concierge.  In my broken high school French I welcomed them, and did my best to explain the DCV profile.  Four wines later, our flagship was deemed the favorite.  After ringing up a chilled bottle and handing over a couple picnic glasses, the gentleman said, “Merci, votre Blanc Fumé est excellent!”  Even I understood that one, “Thank you, your Fumé Blanc is excellent!”  The visit was brief but his sentiment was imprinted.

Erin Ginder-Shaw, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

It was like any other typical morning.  First, an early morning walk through the vineyards with our Golden Retriever, Truman.  Then a cup of coffee, a few minutes of news on the tube, and a quick shower before heading out the door for my ridiculously short 8 mile drive to the winery.  NPR on the radio and still a bit bleary eyed, I was traveling down Dry Creek Road when I was literally forced to pull over.  The beauty and majesty was breathtaking.

It was relatively early and the morning fog clung to the valley floor like a hand reaching down from the heavens.  A flock of birds circled over the evergreen vineyards, the sunlight dancing across the top of the vines.  The sky above was the most amazing shade of blue and the air was cool and crisp.  From the side of the road, I took a few deep inhales of the pollutant free air and I thought to myself, I live in the most beautiful place on earth!

It’s funny how one can go through life’s motions, practically oblivious to the surroundings.  Then, in an instant, you are awestruck by God’s creation and Mother Nature’s brilliance.  Those of us that live and work in the Dry Creek Valley, I’m sure, have had similar experiences.  On this morning, I was reminded of how very fortunate I am to call the Dry Creek Valley, one of the most beautiful places on earth, my home.

I have been up to my eyeballs in training new employees these last few weeks. First with my new “dream” assistant and marketing administrator Jennifer, who has been on the job exactly one month. So far she keeps coming back so I guess that’s a good sign! And now with John, our new Director of Retail Sales and Hospitality, one of the nicest people I’ve come across in a long time.

It’s incredibly hard to transfer information learned over the course of a lifetime into someone else’s head. I’m always afraid I’m going to forget some important detail. Like the time we won the Grand Prix d’Honneur in Bordeaux France out of 4,200 wines worldwide, which by the way was 1995. Or the time we printed Cabernet labels that said Sonoma Couny-and that’s why I’m so anal about proofreading. Yet this is what I must do if I’m to be able to relax on my vacation in a few days. It’s probably not the best time to go, but my kids desperately need some “mommy” time and I’m in grave need of some down time. I’ve begun to have a permanent buzzing feeling in my head along with circles so deep beneath my eyes that no amount of fancy make-up can make a difference.

So off I’m going to one of my favorite haunts, coastal Maine. I’ll be making the rounds to see my grandparents and meeting up with my dad who recently bought a small cottage a stone’s throw from the water’s edge. I’m planning to read plenty of trashy magazines (nothing on wine!) and eat pie. I might play tennis, and then again- I might not. And, I will relearn for the hundredth time how to do a controlled jibe in heavy winds. (That’s sailing talk for turning the boat when the wind is behind you.) For a chronic list maker and goal setter, I’ve got one very important objective: CHILL OUT. Naturally, I’ve thrown in some time with our Maine distributor, Pine State Beverage but other than that, I’ll be incommunicado. And you know what that means, no blogging.

I’ll see you in a few weeks folks.  Thanks for the comments, friendship, and support. (I’ve invited some fellow Dry Creekers to wear the Wilma hat, so we’ll see who’s up for the challenge!)

We got some awesome news last week that I don’t want to let slip by without yelling a digital yahoo.  That’s Wilmaspeak for saying “I get to blog about it!”

First, we learned the Wine Spectator rated our 2006 Dry Creek Valley Mariner 92 points. Next we found out we got a 90 point score and “Editor’s Choice” from Wine Enthusiast for the 2009 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc followed by not one but two “Best Buy” selections for both our flagship Fumé Blanc as well as our Chenin Blanc. It was a good week indeed!

We get our fair share of 90+ratings from an assortment of respected wine critics and publications, but back to back scores like these feels especially satisfying. And the best news of all is we have plenty available for sale! (I guess I inherited that mentality from dear old dad who always used to say his favorite wine was, “the one we have the most to sell!”)

You’d have to hear the whole story to understand why I’m smiling.

About 10 years ago, we started getting worried about our future. Wineries were being gobbled up, an influx of wine was becoming available from all over the globe and despite our reputation and decades long loyal following, we sensed we were fading into oblivion. Dry who? It was time to make some big changes. Besides, when you have two first born A-type personalities taking over a family business, you can’t be satisfied with the status quo.

So we began the daunting task of reinventing ourselves. It was sort of like a winery makeover. We took a hard look at every aspect of the company, from vineyards, winemaking, and production to sales, marketing, and internal operations, just about everything--you name it. It wasn’t that anything in particular was “broken”; we just knew we needed to become more distinctive and more focused to fulfill our dream of making wines that command respect. We sold vineyards, planted vineyards, cut production, hired talent, sourced new coopers, installed new equipment, changed our product mix, etc. Along the process, we told the staff “we are taking the winery to new heights. It’s going to require hard work and sacrifice. And we know it won’t be easy. But if you’re on board, we want you. If not, it’s ok to leave. It’ll take some time but the rewards will be great and our future success and longevity will be assured.”

Despite 9/11, two recessions, family squabbles, countless setbacks, and many a worrisome night, it feels like we’re finally getting our just rewards.

Thank you believers of Dry Creek. Thank you and watch out! The best is yet to come.

But hearing firsthand about the latest crap the state is trying to pull over our eyes has me concerned. And, I already have enough worries to last me a good long while.

Let me paint a picture for you. 

Basic water rights are a fundamental human right—right up there next to enjoying ice cream and driving around looking cool when you’re a teenager. If you live in a municipality like the town of Healdsburg or the County of Sonoma, you get your water through the city utility commission. Your usage is monitored, and you pay a monthly fee for the service they provide which is chlorinated but clean drinking water that is readily available and on demand 24/7. In a drought situation, they might clamp down on irrigation, but generally water is available.

If you live in the country and are a property owner outside of a municipality, like most grape growers and winery folks are, your water comes directly off your own property via ground water wells. You buy your land (very expensive), you dig a well ($$$), you service your well (more $$$), you irrigate your crops, you get your drinking water, etc. (Sometimes you even have no water like when a mouse crawls into the well’s breaker box and wreaks havoc. True story, it happened just last week!) 

Under new pending rules, all this would change. Every agricultural well or pump in Sonoma County would be required by law to have a water meter on it. The cost at the basic level is $10,000 per well. Farmers would then be required to report their usage to the state on a monthly basis, which adds more costs.  If you don’t comply, you get fined. If you report it incorrectly, you get fined. And a whole new generation of law enforcement officials or “water cops” will be out there enforcing the rules making sure farmers are verifying and recording their usage correctly. Hmmm, seems to me the cops have a lot more important things to do……………

The whole subject is so complex and convoluted that it would take a month’s worth of research and blog posts to explain in full detail. What’s important to know is that the state wants to control ground water and by doing this will control the value of ag property. (A farm without water is a future subdivision.) They are making it harder and harder for farmers to survive, squeezing them tighter and tighter by adding new costs, regulation and water restrictions. It’s an infringement on landowner rights and adds unnecessary costs to the business of farming, which already operates on pathetically thin margins. It is downright wrong. But ultimately the public will pay, especially when the farmers are gone and grocery store shelves are bare.

If I had to sum up two words that describe the Walla Walla wine country it’s GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY. The second two words that come to mind are DAMN GOOD. Visiting this arid dry region for the first time was a real eye opener. It was also ”hella” fun as my teenager would say.

My head is still buzzing. And I don’t mean the kind from drinking too much. It was from the sheer number of hats I wore this past weekend. There was my Dry Creek Vineyard hat, the one I normally wear where I’m all about promoting the winery. Then there was my Wilma hat where I’m slyly drumming up readership for this blog. And then there was my Meritage Alliance hat, where I enthusiastically touted the virtues of wines blended in the Bordeaux tradition, while pouring for a dozen different producers from all over the country. All this took place at the 3^rd Annual Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. Whew, it was a tough job but somebody had to do it!
 

I am surrounded by piles. Piles of business cards. Piles of correspondence. Piles of meeting notes. Piles of work everywhere I look.  Buried beneath the piles is a large stack of resumes. And right on top is the one from my new DREAM GIRL!  Yep, I’m pleased to announce I’ve finally found the perfect candidate for my open position. I actually tried to hire a DREAM MAN, but as luck would have it, no one of that gender presented themselves. (Calm down all you HR types, I’m only kidding here!!) So, very soon I’ll be busy training, coaching, and mentoring my new Executive Assistant/Marketing Administrator, Jennifer. She’s got some big shoes to fill, but I’m confident she’s up to the task as she brings loads of administrative, marketing and wine industry expertise to our dynamic little team. And, she’s even passed her Level 1 Master Sommelier exam which is kind of cool too.

So, now that I can check “hiring” off my to-do list, I’ve got to get back to my piles. Top of mind is finishing the follow up from my recent New York trip. I’ve already committed to going back in September, which is just about the time I will have recovered from my last trip! Let me explain.

If you’ve never gone on a sales and marketing trip to New York, you don’t know what you are missing. In fact, spending a week in New York should be REQUIRED for anyone thinking about getting in this business. Because let me tell you, it is a humbling experience. Even for a veteran winery like ours, this market is tough. Luckily we make wines in the price points that people are actually buying these days. And it helps that we’ve got a bit of name recognition along with the delicious quality and fantastic press/accolades. But, clearly we need to get out there and work the market more frequently. Just like anywhere else, it’s a relationship-based business, and who you know is just as important as what you have to offer.

While my last trip seems like a distant memory (boy, a lot can happen in 3 weeks!) the trip entailed a 7 hour distributor trade show, several days of 

As many of you know, among the many hats I wear, one is acting President of the Meritage Alliance.  Yesterday, we held the annual Meritage Alliance meeting in our cellar.  Each year, we feature a guest speaker and this time we were lucky enough to have Tom Wark, whose blog Fermentation:  A Daily Wine Blog is one of the more widely read blogs in our industry.  Tom is one of those rare gems….a wealth of knowledge and as down to earth as they come. In addition to his reputation as a blogger, he also runs his own PR and Marketing consultancy, Wark Communications. While I haven’t worked with him personally, my hunch is that he’s darn good at what he does.

However before I go into Tom’s thoughts, first I must explain why I’ve been MIA.

The defining essence that ties the two together is that both are vehicles for telling your “brand story.” And, just like with all marketing communications, it is critical to be consistent and “on message,” saying the same thing over and over and over and over again. Then, when you think you’ve said it enough, you start over again! The difference between the two is that traditional media is like the 3 tier system- content goes from the company/product, to the publication/writer, to the consumer. With social media the content goes directly to the consumer. As marketers of just about anything - wine, clothing, computers, whatever, we need to embrace both.

There’s something you should know about the wine industry. If you enter this business, you have to be willing to eat some really weird food. This can happen at the most inopportune times, like when you're the featured speaker at a winemaker’s dinner. Or when you’ve spent oodles of time and effort trying to get a wine list placement. Or my favorite, when you allow the wine writer to pick the restaurant and you end up deep in the heart of Chinatown.

I guess by some people’s standards, I’m finicky. While I absolutely LOVE to eat, I generally prefer my meals to be recognizable, especially if the item was alive prior to being served to me. The husband on the other hand, will eat just about anything and loves watching the television show “Bizarre Foods.” Thankfully, I have a cast iron skillet for a stomach so rarely does any one ingredient or dish disagree with me.  But, I am a bit squeamish-especially if the meal includes something with eyes. Call me wimpy, but I just don’t like my plate to stare back at me!

What’s a winery owner to do?  With so much of wine sales and marketing centered around food, it’s inevitable that you’ll be faced with this dilemma at some point in your career. Pretending you like something when in fact you are about to gag is a learned skill, trust me. And you can’t afford to offend the chef by politely saying “no thank you.”  

This is top of mind as I leave for New York, one of my favorite cities, but a culinary minefield for anyone even slightly timid. I still remember an evening about 10 years ago. I was in town to launch our Endeavour Cabernet to a group of wine writers. Normally I would handle the dinner arrangements, but this group asked if they could pick the location. All they asked was if I was adventurous. That should have been my first clue. We ended up at a place in Chinatown unlike any Chinese restaurant I’d ever been to. The gooey duck, chicken toes and fish heads paired seamlessly with the Endeavour Cabernet, which I found myself drinking in larger than normal quantities that evening.

Earlier this week, I had a similar experience at Sushi Ran—a fantastic sushi restaurant that has an amazing wine list. We just got our Heritage Zin on the list and wanted to stop in to say thanks. Thankfully, my palate is expanding and I no longer tremble with fear when I see a stray tentacle or eyeball on my plate.  But if you’re planning to venture into the wine biz, do yourself a favor and start expanding your food repertoire early. It will pay off later on, I promise!

A great big thank you to all my guest bloggers who shared their insightful and witty stories of life here at Dry Creek Vineyard! As I’ve said so many times before, a company is only as good as its people. And in our case, we are blessed with the best in the business. Thanks guys. Watch for more Wilma stand-ins as I head out of town again next week.

I always hate to leave this time of year as spring has finally sprung in the Dry Creek Valley. The vines are lush and green, shoots have pushed and very soon we will be “in bloom” which is always a tenuous time with rain still possible. Warmer weather also means people are finally coming out of hibernation and the tourist season is beginning to pick up. Thank God. It’s been a long slow winter. Probably one of the worst I’ve seen, tasting room wise.

While we enjoy healthy distribution of our wines nationally, many local wineries depend heavily on foot traffic and tasting room sales. It has become a significant cash stream that is far more profitable than selling through distributors. But along with the increased importance of the tourism dollar, is a new Brew Ha Ha that is emerging on the subject of tasting room hours.

Historically, tasting rooms have offered wine sampling between the hours of 10:00 and 4:30. Some stay open until 5:00. Rarely did a winery stay open later, unless there was a special party or event that required after hours staffing. But these days, wineries are doing anything and everything possible to keep people on the premises. Special events and wine-related activities designed to enhance the “customer’s experience” are the name of the game. We’ve gone from low key tasting room experiences that gave customers a chance to sample before they buy, to highly orchestrated entertainment venues where customers drink wine, socialize with friends, and enjoy the “wine country experience” for as long as possible. Seems fun, right? Here’s the rub.

It’s dangerous. And, it’s just a matter of time before something sad and unexpected occurs that will impact all of us in the Dry Creek Valley. What I’m talking about is an accident. Dry Creek Road and the surrounding country lanes were simply not designed for parking mass quantities of cars. Nor are there traffic lights or cross walks to facilitate the safe crossing of the highway. Yet, nearly every weekend I’m amazed at the number of cars parked along the side of Dry Creek Road (which has an average speed limit of 50 mph) as people hang out at wineries open after hours.

Apparently, this potential problem has captured the attention of our County Board of Supervisors. An April 11 article in our local paper, The Press Democrat, suggests that the Sonoma County Planning Commission and Permit and Resources Management Department will be recommending a limitation to all wineries’ tasting room hours.

Personally, I’m torn by the situation.  For me it’s not so much the hours a winery stays open, it’s the amount of alcohol consumed and the dangerous parking that exists for those wineries that have inadequate parking.  Just last week, my 17 year old daughter complained that she had to slam on her brakes to avoid hitting precariously parked cars and their jovial wine drinking owners along the side of the road.  I have three concerns here: 1) You have relatively inexperienced drivers as well as old people, distracted people, hungry people or just plain old stressed out or rushed people, sharing the road with 2) Cars that are unsafely parked along a certain stretch of a major highway 3) Owned by nice people who have been out wine tasting and are casually meandering their way back to their unsafely parked cars. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is just trying to get somewhere safely and on time.

I definitely don’t think regulation of tasting room hours is the solution. However, enforcement of existing laws is. So if the problem is limited to a few bad apples (or grapes!), then let’s address that and not inhibit the individual vintner’s ability to make a living by limiting their hours of operation. Isn’t the problem really just parking enforcement and overconsumption by a select few?

It’s like telling a restaurant that they can’t be open past a certain time because a patron of theirs didn’t follow the law...

Other than an occasional glass of wine at a restaurant, I had absolutely no knowledge or experience with wine when I came to Dry Creek Vineyard, back in 1994.  After a long career in business management, I had gone back to school to study computer/web programming, and related subjects.  Much to my surprise, I found that I loved the structure and organization of the computer world, which I came to find, was the antithesis of the ethereal world of wine.

Back in ’94, DCV had an AS400 monster server, a few terminals, and one MAC used by the PR gal. There were no computers or voice mail.  When I started, the winery needed serious assistance with data entry and the running of their 800-member wine club.  The difficulties running the wine club had a great deal to do with lack of systems and software to get the job done.  With my newly acquired computer skills, I set about to develop systems to efficiently manage the club.  Kim and her staff still did much of the work by hand!  After years of running the club via queries on the AS400, I decided to write wine club software in 1996, and purchased the winery’s first computer to run the software.  By then I was managing the wine club and thrown headlong into the world of wine – sort of a trial by fire, learn as you go situation. 

Eventually, I did learn about wine, and the wine club grew exponentially.  Meanwhile, the winery itself was growing and changing with the influence of the world of technology, including the purchase of computers and software.  To my delight, they now needed someone to take care of the computers, software, web site, and all things technical.  While I learned a lot and enjoyed running the wine club and the many relationships I developed with its members, it was NOT what I had re-trained to do.  I retrained to move away from business management!  So, when Don and Kim came to me to ask if I would take over IT services here, I was thrilled.

There were so many things I wanted to do to bring the winery into the new millennium, but little did I know it would be an uphill battle…  As a venerable family winery, many here (principals included) pre-dated the computer age, while technology was growing by leaps and bounds.  The saying, “be careful what you ask for” kept running through my head.  Convincing folks that technology was their friend was not an easy sell!  Some of the things I wanted to do took years of lobbying.  I still remember the look on Kim’s face when I tried to explain why we needed software to run the wine club…

The good news is that I’ve had the opportunity to do ground-breaking stuff here at the winery: write wine club software before any existed, develop a system of email communications with our distributors and consumers before there were email blasting services/software, build a comprehensive web site and develop a distributor section with all the materials they could ever need at their fingertips, develop an online store, and incorporate a FAQ and customer reviews functionality on our web site and in our online store.  And, then, with the support of our PR director, we were able to convince Kim (still kicking and screaming) to do this blog.  Now, we even have a Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Twitter account.

Bad news is that people’s eyes still glaze over when I try to explain how or why something works.  And routinely I get calls about strange things their computer is doing, followed by an explanation, “I didn’t do anything… It just started doing that.”  OR, “An error message popped up on my screen…. I don’t remember what it said.”  OR, “My computer screen is upside down… I don’t know how it happened.”  However, I’m on a new mission: in-house computer classes.  My goal is to bring everyone here into the twenty-first century!!  So, Dry Creek Vineyard staff, be prepared to bond with your computer… a new day is dawning here at DCV. 

Lynda Abbott, Director of IT Services

It is my impression that the general public, or perhaps more specifically the wine country enthusiast, believes that the winemaking profession exemplifies a career steeped in romance and leisure.

I have to admit that I once held that notion as well. Not too long ago I was finishing school; I had no experience or family ties concerning winemaking or grape growing, yet I started entertaining the idea of making wine as a profession.

Winemaking, I assumed, consisted primarily of drinking wines, taking a little time to create various blends, considering their pros, cons, overall merit and viability; while being sure to enjoy a nice glass of wine while the sun sets over the vineyards.

As it turns out, that perception of the industry does not exactly mirror reality. I found winemaking to be a mix of very specific skills and responsibilities. The winemaker feels the anxiety of a farmer hoping Mother Nature feels philanthropic in her gifts toward a good vintage. The winemaker is an artist who sits perplexed by his creation, trying to realize what could be done to make the work a bit more complete. Lastly, the winemaker must be a businessperson, addressing the harsh reality that wine must sell.  Therefore he must feel as comfortable on a sales trip as in the cellar.

Probably the most well known hardship in winemaking is the harvest and crush. Quality in the vineyard is a prerequisite for quality wine, therefore balancing time between the vineyard and the winery becomes critical. Vital decisions have to be made in both locations, and all the decision making in that six week stretch of time impacts the quality of an entire vintage, and consequently, puts a great deal of pressure on the winemaking staff.

As soon as a harvest has concluded the entire production staff works year round in essential preparation for the next harvest. The preparation consists of moving wines from fermentation tanks to barrels, tending the barrels every several weeks to maintain quality, taking the wine out of barrel back to tank and so on until it reaches the bottling line.

In the end, the day to day trading of boots and hats for suits and ties has become, or perhaps always has been, part of the dynamic and challenging world of professional winemaking and, regardless of the perceived ideals of wine country living, we deal with the anxieties, the frustration, the hard physical work, and luck that epitomize the wine business as a whole. However, if we work hard and are lucky, we too can enjoy a nice glass of wine while the sun sets over the vineyards.

It seems virtually all wineries are now using social media – more specifically Facebook and Twitter – to communicate with their customers.  And why not? A new report from Business Week magazine put the number of people now using Facebook at more than 300 million.  Twitter is ranked as one of the 50 most popular websites worldwide.  Yet most people still have not the slightest clue how to leverage this incredible new technology – yours truly included.

If you think about it, it is quite remarkable how communication has changed over the past decade.  It used to be that we would send letters (Snail mail as Wilma calls it) along with printed facts on our wines and other forms of written communiqué.  Nowadays, we hardly mail a thing (no wonder the United States Postal Service is suffering) and virtually everything we do is via the World Wide Web.  Breaking it down even further, the amount of dialogue and chatter on the web due to social media has reached a fever pitch.  It’s no wonder that recent posts by Wilma have her overwhelmed and maxed out – it’s quite a challenge just to keep up with what lands in your inbox on a daily basis much less make sense of tweets, twits, and whatever else.

And so that’s where I come in as the winery’s Director of Communications – to try and make sense of the senseless.  To try and forge relationships with new customers, build a web of strategic partners and create a buzz around our family business and our wines.  So, how am I doing?  Well, if I’m honest, I’m trying to learn as I go – on the job training – hence my reason for picking up the latest “for dummies” edition – Social Media Marketing for Dummies.  I mean, no one likes to admit they are a dummy but in this case, it’s a steep learning curve and I need all the help I can get.

So far, we have more than 500 Facebook fans and as “DCVguy,” my handle on Twitter, we’re gaining some momentum “tweeting” about news and events here at the winery.  Currently, we’re not using these outlets to sell wine.  From what I’ve learned, it’s more about establishing a dialogue with people and getting them talking about subjects and topics that are important to them.   For now, this “dummy” is learning and I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to join in on the conversation!

Hospitality is a unique and exciting industry year round.  That said, nothing compares to the charm of spring - sunshine, busy weekends, and an energetic buzz that will only escalate with the season.  This time of year is a jumping off point, a transition, and a perfect opportunity to recharge.  Last week I hosted a young couple visiting Healdsburg on their spring break.  He was a seasoned taster, but she had never experienced the wine country.  Their enthusiasm was contagious.  As I poured through the wines, and relayed the family history, I became as enthralled with the tasting as they were.  She fired off question after question, and I answered each one enthusiastically.  The whole experience was invigorating, and afterward I felt completely refreshed.  The slow season can be challenging and a little discouraging at times, but all it takes is one genuine interaction to remind me why I do what I do.  Relationships are the backbone of hospitality, and they are also the reason I love my job.  Plus, now springtime is here, which means that summer is on its way, the tasting room will soon be bustling with people anxious to taste our wines and make a friendly connection.  It’s true that there is no business like the wine business. 

Erin Ginder-Shaw, Tasting Room Supervisor

Twenty-six years ago I was younger than two thirds of the guests then visiting the Dry Creek Vineyard tasting room. Today I'm older than two thirds of the guests. Is it just me or do many of the Millennial Generation really look barely a day over 15? Maybe it's just me getting older. In any case, it is wonderful to see wineries experiencing a surge in younger tasters. When I started at Dry Creek, back in 1984, very few of our tasters were in their 20s; we were catering to a much narrower, older audience then.

There have been many changes over the past 26 years at the winery. In 1984, the “tasting room” was in a small room, probably no more than 18' x 20', with a concrete floor, a wooden bar similar to today's, but much smaller, and a pot belly wood stove up against one wall. We didn't have computers or cash registers in the tasting room, just a metal box for money and a receipt book we kept in a drawer behind the tasting bar.

The music being played at the time was strictly classical, that was Dave's Law. No Rock 'n Roll or R & B allowed. We were appealing to the 50-somethings and this group was not terribly fond of “that music.” Of course, all of the employees were into R & R and R & B, but we couldn't risk offending our core constituency tasters.

Today 80% of the music played in the tasting room is R & R and R & B and our guests love it. Of course, today's 50-somethings and 60-somethings grew up with Rock & Roll, and the Millennial Generation seems to have a broad appreciation for many styles of music, so they seem to enjoy the atmosphere as well. 

Dry Creek has always attracted a great variety of interesting personalities. Dave, being an independent, intelligent Free Thinker, saw the value of hiring a diverse group of fun loving wine enthusiasts. We worked hard and we played even harder.  I remember playing touch football after work, out on the lawn, with a boom box blasting Rock 'n Roll, while a lovely array of DCV wines graced our picnic tables, along with cheese and crackers and whatever else we had brought with us. Sometimes such events were spontaneous, other times we would loosely plan to bring something to BBQ after work. Summer weekends felt like a nonstop, never-ending party.

Of course, back then only one or two employees had children. The rest of us didn't have to run off after work like obsessed soccer moms. We just had a great time enjoying each other's company. Dave would open his home for BBQs, swimming and dancing, and we would all bring a dish to share, along with a bottle of wine and a towel. Seeing how many bodies we could cram into Dave's hot tub was always great fun. Those were the days.

We used to have a wooden suggestion box which sat next to the coffee machine into which we would place, well, suggestions. Sometimes there were some rather hilarious recommendations, but for the most part they had to do with 'improvements' to the way we were doing things, or with something that was needed to do a better job. My suggestions were mainly about 'going more organic'. I was a dyed-in-the-hide nature hippie, always on the lookout for a 'smaller footprint' on Mother Earth.

I had graduated from Sonoma State University in 1975 and stayed on for a while in the new, alternative energy department, before making my final break from SSU. I was using a solar panel I had built for heating water, along with a solar oven and a solar fruit dehydrator.  I was quite committed to an alternative lifestyle at the time. My suggestions were politely reviewed and then put aside.

The suggestion box was retired many years ago, but I am pleased to note that in recent years Dry Creek has implemented many changes in its operations so that we might tread a little lighter upon this beautiful planet of ours. Changes have been made in the vineyards, including water recovery, and the lighting throughout the winery has been upgraded for greater energy efficiency; we have owl houses and bat houses around the winery, as well as predator perches in the vineyards.

 
Karen Tovani, Tasting Room Associate

I'm calling in the real talent around here..our staff!
 

Since today is my birthday, (I’m turning 39...again!) it seems fitting to talk about aging wine. Like humans, all wines age differently. Some remain firm and youthful, holding up well to the rigors of time. Others aren’t so lucky, showing their age much more dramatically with thinning fruit, insipid flavors, and lackluster appeal.  A highly subjective topic, this is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive. And while I don’t profess to be an expert on the subject, I certainly have my opinions as well as likes and dislikes on the matter.

For many, there’s a great deal of mystery to the aging of wine. How do you do it? What conditions do you need? What are the secrets to knowing if a wine will taste better in 3, 5, 7, or even 10+ years? And, why is it that some wines can age gracefully (much like a fine piece of furniture becomes a beautiful antique) and others remind you of speckled carpet and flocked wallpaper—two rather awkward trends that did not stand the test of time.

Before I go on, I have a confession. I’ve noticed that I’m slowly losing my taste for older wines. Whereas I used to love the intense, smoky, earthiness of a well aged Cabernet, today I find myself gravitating toward more plush, fruit forward, juicier reds, i.e., younger reds that are still bold and pronounced. I’m not sure if there is any correlation with my own slow aging, but I’ve definitely noticed a change in my preference. Could my taste buds be aging too? Is my palate going downhill?? These are the questions I ponder as I count the candles on my cake today.

Back to the aging of wine…

You must begin with a well made and well balanced wine. Sometimes that is easier said than done, especially with so many oaky, high alcohol monsters out there.  Make sure the wine has plenty of acidity too. There should be a subtle crispness to it, even for red wines. A teeny tiny bite at the rear of your mouth, just as you swallow is the general perception. The fruit components (cherries/currants for Cabernet, blackberries/plums for Zinfandel, etc.) should be in harmony with the tannins (the subtle drying sensation that occurs on the sides of your mouth) and overall alcohol content. If you get a burning feeling at the back of your throat, beware. You can bet the wine is quite alcoholic and might not be so well balanced. Or, if you find that any one component jumps out at you (Is the wine screaming with vanilla? That’s a sure sign the wine has spent too much time in French oak barrels.) you might be in trouble if long term age ability is your goal.

After balance, the next most important factor is temperature. Ideally, proper cellaring should occur at a constant 55 to 57 degrees. This is generally only possible with a built in cellar or wine storage unit, as few of us are willing to lower our thermostats to achieve this ideal temperature. The more common approach is to pick a cool place in your house (an unused closet, a basement or even an insulated garage) as long as it remains a constant temperature. Keep in mind that temperature fluctuations are worse than a slightly higher overall temperature. If you live in a moderate climate, you will generally be ok with a household cellar. Or, if you are lucky enough to have crawl space under your house as we do, consider storing your wines there. Other than dirt and the occasional mouse poop, this can be a great wine storage area!

Lastly, there’s light and sunshine. Just as with us humans, too much is not good.  And while you can’t slather your prized bottle with SPF 50, you can protect it from overexposure by keeping it in a dark protected place. Otherwise you risk increased oxidation which speeds up the aging process.

Most of the time, I don’t recommend aging white wines. The exception is Sauvignon Blanc. Due to its higher acidity, this aromatic white variety can be quite rewarding given a few extra years of aging. (My most memorable aged Sauvignon Blanc came from the 1937 vintage!)  The abundant citrus and fresh grass aromas are replaced by what my father calls “the Italian Deli phenomenon”...i.e. Italian spices such as rosemary, basil, and thyme with green and black olives. A rich oily texture makes the wine quite sublime with certain dishes.

The best plan with aging is to buy enough wine to get through the “dumb spells”. What I mean by this is buy at least a ½ to 1 case of something you believe to be age worthy so you can crack open a bottle every 6 months or so.  Because like humans, wines go through dumb spells. This is when things are out of whack, and just don’t seem right. While the wine isn’t necessarily “over the hill” it is at an awkward stage of its life. (Anybody have a teenager that fits this description?!) Thankfully, with additional aging the rough spots even out and you are often rewarded with a superb well aged treat. And, if you bought enough to begin with, you’ll know exactly when the wine is at its peak.   

Ironically, there seem to be some correlations between aging wines and the aging of humans.  Both can improve with time. Both need tender loving care. And, both are happiest when shared at the dinner table with loved ones. Which is exactly what I plan to do to celebrate my birthday tonight.

Here’s to getting older!!!

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day. While I’m not Irish, I’ve always enjoyed this particular holiday. There’s no pressure to buy presents, no unnecessary decorating involved, and no expensive preparations required to celebrate Ireland’s Patron Saint. And, as long as you wear a bit of green and appear to be cheery and festive, you are generally safe from the guilt ridden holiday stress that comes with so many of our American holidays. (Besides, it’s an excuse to drink!)

But from a wine pairing point of view, it can be rather confusing figuring out what goes best with corned beef and cabbage. First a disclaimer: I actually like corned beef and cabbage. While boiling isn’t my first choice for meal prep, the fact that I can throw a bunch of ingredients into a deep pot of boiling water and end up with a simple but filling meal is appealing. And, who isn’t happy with only one pot to clean up afterward?

But wine selection can be awkward. Corned beef is salty and often rather fatty, while the boiled veggies are well, boiled veggies. In other words, they’re bland. Choosing a typical red wine with moderate tannins and a good acid structure, like Pinot Noir or Cabernet, is not my first choice. All that salt and acid is way too much. Instead, think opposites, because in this case they really do attract. In other words, what is opposite a salty piece of meat? Something with a hint of sweetness such as an off dry white wine like Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Or, you could go with a Sauvignon Blanc as long as it isn’t too aggressive and herbaceous. Think sweet lemons, figs, peaches and floral elements instead of the grassier herbal spectrum. A lovely Rosé would also be very nice. If you’re stuck on red wine with meat, try a fruity spicier variety like Zinfandel or Grenache. I would definitely avoid wines with high acid, high alcohol, and big tannins. In other words, no Napa Cabs!

This is your opportunity to experiment, so try something different. Maybe a sparkling Rosé from the Loire Valley? Or, an Alsatian bottling your Great Aunt Gertrude gave you? Of course, if you’re a Dry Creek Vineyard fan, our Dry Chenin Blanc, Petite Zin (Rosé of Zinfandel) or Taylor’s Vineyard Sauvignon Musqué would do the trick.

If you really want to get in the mood, throw a tiny bit of green food coloring into your glass. Unconventional yes, but a fun way to add a touch O’ Irish. (I do this with my kid’s milk...why not wine?)

If all else fails, there’s always a pint of Guinness. This nutty brown ale is the most traditional beverage of choice which, come to think of it, is probably what those leprechauns prefer to drink anyway!  

It’s the perfect segue for today’s post because….

I am drowning.  When I say drowning I mean swamped, swimming, sinking. And, no amount of coffee can give me enough hours in a day to get it all done.  I’m like a duck…above water, I look cool and composed but down below I’m paddling like hell just to keep my head above the surface.  

I’m not talking about wine sales.  Or, even profits--although improvements could be made in both areas.  I’m talking about trying to keep up with the way business is conducted today.  Our round the clock, 24/7, electronically connected world has made it impossible for people to catch up, no matter how many hours you throw into the work week. Frankly, it’s not the actual work during the “work week” that is the problem.  It’s the sheer VOLUME of correspondence that accumulates from emails, phone tag, meetings, and follow up meeting to those original meetings--in both work AND personal life-- that creates all the havoc.  (Heck, even my mother emails me now.)  To top it off, everywhere I look and everything I read indicates that “today’s savvy business leaders need to fully embrace all forms of social media, especially Facebook and Twitter as these are vital to connecting with future customers.”  

You have got to be kidding.  Does anyone else out there besides me wonder how this is humanly possible?  Clearly, I’m a twirp (an old fashioned term that seems fitting for us twitter resisters!) and if I hear it one more time, I think I’ll scream.  Or discombobulate, which I’ve been accused of doing a lot lately, if you ask my kids.  Don’t get me wrong. I completely agree with the idea of connecting with customers through the use of the internet.  It’s fast, it’s cheap, and for small family companies like ours, it’s a great way to communicate with a wide group of people.  That is why I started this blog.    But I’m not sure it’s possible to add Facebook, Twitter, and Lord knows what next to an already full in-box when one wears a hundred different hats—and who doesn’t these days?!

And, apparently to do it right it needs to be personal and authentic.

At least that’s the message I got from a seminar I attended last week.  Put on by the Luxury Marketing Council (yes, I too, saw the irony in their name which is probably why for $50 bucks I decided to make the trek to Napa to pick up some pointers!), this gathering focused on how to grow our tasting room business and attract more visitors to the winery.  Or, as one panelist stated: “how to separate the wealthy from their wealth.”  The panel was impressive.  And, on most of their recommendations, I’d give us high marks.

Authentic?  Check.

Personalized? Check.

Service oriented? Check.

But, is the owner on Facebook?  No and that’s where I’m clearly falling short.  Luckily, I can delegate this function, which is exactly what I’ve done to my 30 something marketing assistant.  But the pressure is all around me, as is the feeling that I’m NOT KEEPING UP.

While I picked up some good tips, I left the seminar still not sure I want to add Facebook Diva or Twitter Tramp to my list of winery titles.  Sure it can help spread “the word” to a new audience.  And, it seems to be growing like wild fire.  But isn’t there a bit of irony to the whole Facebook thing?  While everyone agrees that being authentic is important, wineries using Facebook in their marketing are working awfully hard to make sure it doesn’t actually LOOK like marketing.

And to me, that’s not being very authentic.