A return to normalcy
Things are just now beginning to get back to normal in our lives here. The Alsace Festival went as well as can be expected for any large, consumer event. We had some snafus (like the coffee vendor being an hour and a half late on Saturday morning, and believe me, when farmers and winemakers don't get their morning coffee by 8 a.m., they're not happy). We had some press juggling and other items that kept me busy (and exhausted) but everyone who was able to just pay for the ticket and go had a fantastic time and didn't see any of the chaos behind the scenes.
The building was gorgeous (see below - these were taken before we let anyone in so you can actually see the set-up) and it didn't rain the day of the grand tasting, so that made us all happy. Overall, we barely saw the effects of the poor economy - our attendance numbers just about held to last year's, so I consider that to be a good thing given people's lack of expendable income.
On the home front, this week is my week to catch up on all the tasting room preparations that I've been putting off: ordering sandwich signs, getting some printed materials prepped, ordering boxes and bags, and many other items. I kind of forgot to date an important document amidst event craziness (oops), so our tasting room has been pushed back about a week - we'll be opening the doors in late-March, not mid-March. I'll announce the date when we get there - I'm now afraid to commit to anything because the ABC makes you start your 30-day waiting period all over again every time they find something not exactly right. It's a frustrating process, but we're getting there...
In other news, we're still getting a lot of rain and our pond is nearing full, so we should be able to irrigate and harvest a crop this year. Just a minor thing. :) We also finished pruning for the year - sorry there aren't any photos but I actually didn't have the time to help this time. I was stuck in the office. And finally, Bill and Nancy Charles are off to pour at the World of Pinot Noir this weekend, so please stop by and say hi if you plan to attend. They'll be at the grand tasting on Sunday in Shell Beach.
Until next time...
The building was gorgeous (see below - these were taken before we let anyone in so you can actually see the set-up) and it didn't rain the day of the grand tasting, so that made us all happy. Overall, we barely saw the effects of the poor economy - our attendance numbers just about held to last year's, so I consider that to be a good thing given people's lack of expendable income.
On the home front, this week is my week to catch up on all the tasting room preparations that I've been putting off: ordering sandwich signs, getting some printed materials prepped, ordering boxes and bags, and many other items. I kind of forgot to date an important document amidst event craziness (oops), so our tasting room has been pushed back about a week - we'll be opening the doors in late-March, not mid-March. I'll announce the date when we get there - I'm now afraid to commit to anything because the ABC makes you start your 30-day waiting period all over again every time they find something not exactly right. It's a frustrating process, but we're getting there...
In other news, we're still getting a lot of rain and our pond is nearing full, so we should be able to irrigate and harvest a crop this year. Just a minor thing. :) We also finished pruning for the year - sorry there aren't any photos but I actually didn't have the time to help this time. I was stuck in the office. And finally, Bill and Nancy Charles are off to pour at the World of Pinot Noir this weekend, so please stop by and say hi if you plan to attend. They'll be at the grand tasting on Sunday in Shell Beach.
Until next time...
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