Graeser Winery
Holiday Greetings
I am making my New Years resolutions early this year so that I will have plenty of time to refine and fine-tune them for the big release on January 1, 2006. With this launching of our new web site I am going to dust off my creative writing shills and produce a revised newsletter every month. Well almost every month. Included in my writings will be “Richards Adventures”, a serial representation of real and imagined escapades of a boy winemaker. Stay tuned to see if I keep my resolution and enjoy my adventures.
Those of you who have stopped by in the last year know that the county planning department shut down our tasting bar. I thought that if we could not have tasting then for sure we could let our patrons sniff the wine. Well wrong again, some one would breathe in too heartily, then it would be the same as tasting. No tasting? No sniffing? What to do?
First we went to Florida to promote a distributor in Rebecca’s home state. So far lots of talk no walk. Next we tried Illinois. I hired a facilitator to secure me a Distributor. Little talk, no walk. South Carolina distributor wanted us to pay the freight and wait until they would pay some time later with no contract. No thanks!! Texas a whisper.
We purchased two matching his and hers wine sample cases with Graeser Winery embroidered on the front and hit the road to visit restaurants and wine shops in the greater Bay Area. Better Luck, more talk and more walk. Go to our web site and review the list of our successes. You could help us by frequenting our winners and suggesting to us possibilities where you like to dine or shop for wine. Rebecca recently sold eight cases of our wonderful wine to Tower Market on Portola in San Francisco because one of their shoppers who had purchased our Cabernet Franc at Cortez Restaurant ask if they could purchase more for him. Because our phone number was imprinted on the cork they knew where to call. Now we are calling on their affiliate stores Mollie Stone’s. If you have corks with our 800# don’t use it, we gave up the number. No matter where you are, you can take a cork into your favorite restaurant or wine shop and ask them to get some for you. We will call the campaign CORK POWER! You might want to buy a case or two or ten just to have enough corks.
Our vineyard is suffering finally because of philoxoria attacking our AXR-1 rootstock. Time to replant. Yield of the estate wines were down, however we will increase our purchases from other selected vineyards to pick up the slack. We have been making Zinfandel from Nova Vineyards in Lake County for three years as well as the Merlot from Two Dog Vineyards near Calistoga. Our 2004 and 2005 Semillon will also be from Two Dog Vineyards. Last year we made Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dempel Vineyard in Mendocino County and liked it so much we bought some grapes from him this year. Bob Dempel had some extra Merlot grapes from a vineyard in the Russian River Valley so he sent them to me to make wine.
The gardens are looking very beautiful this year the chrysanthemums are in full bloom now and the paper whites are coming on strong. We have added more daffodils and tulips for your spring enjoyment
Buy a few cases of wonderful delicious award winning Graeser Wine to give out as last minute Christmas gifts or for a hostess gifts at the inevitable round of pre Christmas parties, I will sign the bottles and provide the gift bags in gold or red. If you want to get fancy I can send it to your list with a card and gift box. As Cal Worthington said “ I will stand on my head till my face turns red to make you happy”. Go to our web site to view more gift ideas.
Cheers-
Richard Graeser |
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