Well, I have to say, it was just a tremendous weekend up here at Monte Bello. We hosted members of our Monte Bello Collector Program for the 2009 Component Tasting, and this is absolutely one of my favorite events of the year. It’s such a rare and educational opportunity to experience the Monte Bello in this fashion; tasting all the components separately, prior to the beginning of assemblage. Not only is it a unique insight into the mystical mojo mad scientist magic of the winemaker’s art, but it’s a great opportunity to begin to learn the wine that will eventually be yours; a deep enhancement to the experiential hoodoo of drinking wine.
But enough of words, let’s experience the visuals; if you were here, this should be a nice opportunity to relive the joys of the weekend, and if you weren’t able to be with us, then hopefully these snapshots will act an inducement of a kind to encourage a future visit. Please join us! It’s magical …
Did you see yourself in there? I certainly hope so. And by the way, a special thank you to the members of our Production Team who participated in the event. I think the opportunity to speak with them is one of the truly excellent perks of the whole experience. In the pictures above, you can see the following members of said team:
Paul Draper
Eric Baugher – Vice President, Winemaking
David Gates – Vice President, Vineyard Operations
Shun Ishikubo – Assistant Production Manager
Caleb Mosley – Viticulturist
Karen Schmidt – Director of Quality Control / Chemist
And this post wouldn’t be complete without a HUGE hearty thank you to the Monte Bello Tasting Room Staff (& participating members of the Ridge Retail Staff!), who time and time again raise the bar with their formidable displays of knowledge, hospitality, and plain old hard work. Cheers to (in no particular order) Sam Howles-Banerji, Amy Monroe, Michael Riese, Sonja Seaberg, Karen Cai, Cecilia Aguilar, Chris Seguin, Zani Nesvacil, Karen Cai, Peter Yaninek, Samantha McMillan, Barry Campbell, Darren Gardner, Tara Einis, Howard Hickok, Jay Jensky, and Jane Occhialini!
