We always like to spend some time in reflection on the year that was. In the case of 2014, it has certainly been eventful from start to finish.
In January, we hit the ground running with Winter WINEland, an event sponsored by the Russian River Wine Road. We’re participating again in 2015 – 23rd Annual Winter WINEland. It’s a wonderful wintertime event and helps to combat some of those post-holiday blues. In the early spring, we looked forward to one of the wine industry’s premier events, Passport to Dry Creek Valley, held the last weekend of April. Our sailing themed hideaway provided the perfect backdrop as Passport holders enjoyed our wines paired with delectable nibbles, while grooving to the memorable sounds of the Seadogs. In early May, we had a ribbon cutting ceremony with the entire DCV family, opening our new vineyard walk, sustainable garden and bocce court. For those of you who have not yet experienced this wonderful new space in front of the winery, we’d like to invite you to visit us. Take an educational tour or reserve the bocce court for yourself and up to 12 guests for an afternoon of wine and fun!
The summer season was full of activity. Our big public event in June was our signature event of the year. The centerpiece was an incredible Beatles band, the Sun Kings. More than 500 people packed our picnic area to witness a nostalgic rendition of the second side of Abbey Road. Every year, this event is a sellout and this year was no exception. Be sure to mark your calendars now – June 20, 2015!
Heading into harvest, we were all a bit worried about what was happening in the vineyard. The entire winter season was very dry – we had record low rainfall. However, the quality appears very high and it seems we have dodged the weather bullet. For now, we are praying for a rainy winter to help ease the drought concerns heading into 2015.
September brought yet another memorable sail on the San Francisco Bay with our wine club members. The day was filled with wonderful wine, food and friends. We also introduced two exciting new wines to our lineup of Zinfandels – Wallace Ranch and Vogensen Ranch. These delicious new wines express the distinct terroir from our estate (Wallace Ranch), as well as vineyards that rise more than 800 feet off the valley floor at Vogensen Ranch. Both wines are exclusive for our wine club members. Last but not least, we received some incredible and long awaited news – Dry Creek Vineyard is now a California Certified Sustainable winery. For more than 25 years, sustainability has been a priority at the winery and we are thrilled to have the official recognition from the state of California.
October kicked off with a bang when we learned about some terrific new press. The Wine Spectator gave our 2012 Heritage Vines Zinfandel a 90 point score – the second time in the past two vintages. At $20 a bottle, we think our Heritage Vines Zinfandel is one of the best values going in California!
Looking ahead to 2015, the sky’s the limit. Our amazing hospitality team continues to deliver world class service. As the #1 rated winery on Trip Advisor in Healdsburg, we stand ready to take incredible care of our guests. We offer private tastings and tours, blending seminars and other customized experiences for our guests to enjoy. For a complete list, please visit our website.
From our family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season and we hope to see you in the New Year!