Month: March 2013


We Are One Step Closer to Having Bottles to Sell

Our labels have been approved by the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau)! Wine labels have to follow very specific rules in order to be approved and make it to bottling. When one is new to the process, it is often a bit longer… as one doesn’t know all the rules. Here’s hoping that as we learn the ropes, the process in the future will be shorter and more streamlined! Below is a sample of what our labels will look like.

front_2011_viognier

Interested in reading more about the TTB and their guidelines and regulations? (I am not being snarky. They have a very informative site.) Check out some FAQs here: http://www.ttb.gov/wine/wine-faq.shtml#w8

Chardonnay Wreath

Elsewhere on the property….

A wreath on the farmhouse door is made from Chardonnay vines from our vineyard. How cool and oh-so-appropriate is that?!

Chuck’s Radio Interview with Susan Monday

Last month, Chuck had the pleasure of being on the Sip and Bite show on 105.9, hosted by Susan Monday. He had the opportunity to discuss Harvest Ridge Winery, wine and spirits in Delaware, the newly-formed Delaware Wineries Association, and the other business that belong to it. Do you want to know more about our winery and what is happening with wine in Delaware? Take a listen!

Eastern Winery Expo

This was a great week for Harvest Ridge Winery! Three team members (Chuck, Chip, and I — Sofia) attended the expo in Lancaster, PA. This is the 2nd year for the expo that celebrates (as the name implies) Eastern wineries.483834_526809477369645_478756447_n

It started on Tuesday night with a welcome reception that included wines from all over the region for tasting as well as appetizers and the opportunity to meet and mingle with others in the industry. You could tell that people were excited to be there and were looking forward to the events to come in the next couple of days. We had the chance to meet a couple of the speakers for the convention including Laurie Forster (a.k.a. The Wine Coach http://thewinecoach.com/ ), and Terry Sullivan (who, along with his wife, Kathy, are the people behind http://www.winetrailtraveler.com/about2.php ) which was exciting!

Wednesday was a loooong and busy day. Chip, Chuck, and I were up early to meet for a quick breakfast before hitting the seminars. We learned about everything from Sustainability Programs, to Titrametric Analysis of TA and YAN (that was Chip’s department!), to Tools and Trends in Social Media Marketing. Wednesday was also the day that the exhibits were open allowing us to take a look at machinery, cork options, bottles, items for our retail space (you know… all that stuff you see in winery gift shops), etc. And yes, there was more wine to sample. 1705_527324433984816_930834512_nWednesday was topped off by the Industry Celebration Dinner where we shared a table with the owners of Lost Oak Winery in Texas. It was a great opportunity not only to socialize, but also to get advice from those who have been in the business for awhile.

Thursday began with a seminar that offered the opportunity to taste some sweet red wines (at 8:15 in the morning!) followed by more presentations on money management, and new event ideas for wineries, and a final spin through the exhibits.

We left thoroughly excited, exhausted, inspired with a lot of new ideas… and just a tiny bit dehydrated.