A Winery Coincidence
The other day I was touring with a group in their 20’s and 30’s celebrating a forthcoming wedding. Most of them were family members from various points around Northern California and Napa was a great mid-point to get together for a day. Because it was a larger group I made appointments for the beginning and ending of the day. I find that’s a good strategy because the morning is when the group needs to meld, so a small winery where they will be treated special is good for that. At the end of the day it is more about socializing than tasting, so an appointment, which normally takes longer, is a great way to decompress and finish the day.
For the morning I picked Envy wines, just north of downtown Calistoga. The cozy tasting room is home to some very well made wines, and if you haven’t found the time to taste there, make the time. This is an up and coming winery and its location across from Summer and down the street from Chateau Montelena means that you can fit it into a tour very nicely.
For the final appointment of the day we went to the Von Strasser Winery on Diamond Mountain. The clients went on a tour of the caves, did their tasting there at the conference table and in all ways had a great time. I picked both places because they put a high value on hospitality and the quality and value of the wines are excellent. I was happy to see that my clients carted away quite a bit of wine from every place we visited.
The coincidence was this. I’m a member of the Concierge Alliance of Napa Valley. My membership comes to me thanks to my association with Beau Wine Tours, who in my opinion has the finest team of winery guides in the limousine business. While we have our own business, Amicis Tours, my connection to the team at Beau is invaluable in developing our tour books and Smart Phone Apps. CANV does various educational programs for their members, and this week they’re doing site visits at two wineries for the concierges and tasting room staff. Envy Wines and Von Strasser. Now that’s a coincidence!
Ralph & Lahni de Amicis are authors of the Amicis Winery Guides, and owners of Amicis Tours. They are authors of over twenty books on health, design, business and travel. Their iPhone Apps, The Napa Valley Wine Tour, and The Sonoma Winery Tour are a tour guides approach to these beautiful area, complete with 1000’s of photos and insights. Their articles and products can be found on the sites http://www.amicistours.com and http://www.spaceandtime.com
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