2007-07-06
Tasting Room of the Week:
DRY CREEK VINEYARDS
by Millie Howie
At Dry Creek Vineyard the owners and staff do not believe in change just for the sake of change, but, on the other hand, they are always looking for improvements they might make to provide their visitors with a more rewarding and pleasurable visit to the winery. Recent subtle changes in the tasting room are a perfect example.
The first thing a visitor to Dry Creek Vineyard sees on entering the reception area is a Wall of History telling the story of David Stare and the founding of his winery in 1972 – the first constructed in Dry Creek Valley since before Prohibition. The display traces the evolution of the unique sailing-oriented labels, and provides a time-line of important events with a description of the winery’s sustainable agricultural practices.
On a small table the guest book sits open, ready for the guest’s signature. Applications for membership in the Vintners’ Select Club and ClubRed are handy, along with a card inviting the visitor to become a “Friend of Dry Creek Vineyard.”
Tasting room manager, Kim Collins and her crew of knowledgeable wine hosts do not just stand there, bottle in hand, and wait for the guest to approach. “We’re very good at getting acquainted without being pushy,” says Kim. “We want our visitors to ask a lot of questions, and we ask a lot of questions, too, to help us provide exactly what the guests expect when they arrive at the winery.
“We now use the new Riedel Tasting Room glasses, exclusively, to bring out all the aroma and flavor nuances of the wine. New colors have been introduced in both the room itself and in the logo wear offered. And the brightest spot is the splashy red-white-and-blue section devoted to the Regatta Collection of apparel designed to go with the two popular regatta wines.
“For the past couple of years, we have been tightening the tasting program,” Kim explains. “With reluctance we have put in place a tasting fee of five dollars for four tastes of the signature wines and $10 for four tastes of single-vineyard and limited-production wines. The fees, however, are applicable to any wine purchase.
“For groups, or on busy weekends we set up additional pouring stations in the barrel room, or, in ideal weather we can move out into the lawn area and taste under the picnic umbrellas.”
A new chill box, containing an assortment of splendid cheeses and cold cuts stands next to a display of fresh-from-Costeaux Bakery breads and picnic kits. The box also contains half bottles of Dry Creek Vineyard wines and Dry Creek Vineyard bottled water.
Tasting room hours at Dry Creek Vineyard – 3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg – are 10:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. and excellent graphics, photos and enticing text add to the story of Dry Creek Vineyard at the newly re-designed website: www.drycreekvineyard.com.
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