The Northern part of Dry Creek Valley in Geyserville is one of the most beautiful places in Sonoma County (in my opinion), so it’s typical to find me wandering the vineyards, checking in on new developments and taking various photos for social media and wine club collateral. It was during one of these walks, last Thursday the 4th, that I received the SOS call to join some of the DCW team in the conference room at the Tasting Room. You never know what you are about to walk into with that kind of request and, lo and behold, I find myself face to face with our Proprietor, Debra, Business Manager, Becky, Winemaker, Nick, and Assistant Winemaker, Paul.
Glasses littered the table, all filled with diverse chardonnay representations from Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, and the Russian River Valley. Imagine my surprise when they asked for MY opinion on the wines in the glass. I became immediately nervous; what if my opinion was not a popular one? I quickly realized that nearly everyone at the table had differing views – Nick loves the art of the blend, Paul is more of a purist, Debra and Becky are just not chardonnay lovers.
So, I sat down to taste through the wines – some blends, some clonally focused, others were current bottlings, and I threw my opinion in the ring. Various other members of the team flowed in and out of the room – from tasting room hosts, to our accountant, Lisa, who always comes with a great consumer perspective. This time gave us the opportunity to get our creative juices flowing while discussing and sharing ideas for a new chardonnay wine that would blend seamlessly into the Dutcher Brand. This exercise showcases our deep commitment to diversity in the cellar, and the excitement grew as we thought about what these wines could become in the future.
While final decisions come down to Debra and the winemaking team, they have always valued the opinions of the team, and are thoughtful to think of you, our members and clients, and your views as well. At the end of the day, Debra and the team have been tasked with going back to the drawing board for another week – stay tuned!
Until next time,
Lauren Fairlee
Wine Club Manager