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TheEngineer · 10-02-2005, 04:10 PM,

Had a few hours after work on Friday so I drove up to a few wineries. In addition to Cakebread which I had visited last time, I also went to...

(1) Napa Valley Wine Co (which had a bunch of wines from a bunch of makers)
(2) Krug
(3) The Culinary Institute of America,
(4) Simi
(5) Seghesio
(6) Clos La Chance (on another day)

It's amazing how much space you can get when there is no one else there. The roads were just empty. I would have loved to have a Miata or an Elise on 128 North of Napa! The roads are nicely twisted.

Enjoyed them all but Seghesio wins on the tasting experience on the sheer effort of their staff while Clos La Chance (which had the nicest property of the group by far), was dead last. Their staff did not want to serve us 20 minutes prior to the close of tasting and then forgot all about us. I realized that it was close to closing but it they only poured, then we would have left.

Tasting notes to follow.

winoweenie · 10-02-2005, 05:16 PM,

Seems that the taasting room staffs at many of the wineries in Napa forget who'a paying their saleryies. We had a terrible experience at Caymus last Nov which would have had my close friend Charlie Wagner toss in his grave. Tried to tell his son Chuck about it but he's too busy and important to take heed. He's lost over 6 grand a year in sales from the 4 of us in our group. Maybe if this expands to the other peop0le exponitial;ly you mite be able to pay 15 for the 02 Special Selection like the original 75 cost on release. FRUMP-HEADS!!!!! You covered some territory there Eng. You went over the hill to Healdsburg to visit Simi.? WW

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 10-02-2005).]

TheEngineer · 10-02-2005, 08:33 PM,

The staff at Clos La Chance was actually rather rude to us. There were perhaps seven people there (we were three) and they just never paid us any attention. When they did, they cold not remember which wine we were on, asked us rather sharply when we did and could not get rid of us fast enough. We were originally going to purchase several cases (we drove there to do that) but left rather disenchanted. If they just took care of us, we would actually have been out of there sooner. I was at Stag's Leap WC last time and their staff was very good.

Yeap...covered lots of roads! Even had a chance to stop off for a bit. Simi was nice and Seghesio was just hard to find [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img].

chittychattykathy · 10-03-2005, 11:03 AM,

I am thinking of putting a proposal together for the wineries in my area to hold a "hospitality" course.

Something that does seem to be often missing.

(I credit Bob for getting me back on this idea.)

Doesn't matter how good your wines are if your guest can't bear to stick around your tasting room long enough to taste through them-- yet we've all experienced poorly trained/bad attitude, tasting room staff members...

Or what I hate even more-- people who sound like they are reading from a book when they talk about the wines!!!

I'm (generally [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img] ) a nice person, but this just makes me want to look them straight in the eye and tell them to "shut up, " just pour my wine and close yer...

Kcwhippet · 10-03-2005, 11:15 AM,

Boy, have we ever met the worst of the worst in a few tasting rooms over the years.

Eng, if you really want to make your thoughts known to the person who should be the most concerned at Clos la Chance, send off an email to rick@clos.com. That's Rick Toyota, who's the Retail and Tasing Room Manager. We'd be interested in what his reply might be.

Innkeeper · 10-03-2005, 12:27 PM,

For the record, the only region that we've never been dissed in a tasting room is the Finger Lakes, and we've been back since our get together.

~~Bucko~~ · 10-03-2005, 05:28 PM,

Heitz and Caymus are the only two places I ever felt uncomfortable in -- even calling ahead. Some people just don't care. Some people simply do not know what is going on out front and need to be informed.

I'd strongly take KC's advice to heart.

TheEngineer · 10-03-2005, 08:57 PM,

I will do! I always give anyone and everyone a second chance and if they respond well, it is taken as a great recovery.

winoweenie · 10-04-2005, 06:41 AM,

I called Chuck Caymus and naturally got his secretary. Told her our story and was cooly told she'd relay it to Chuck. No word....No more sales to 1 devoted and 3 ardent collectors here in Phoenix. WW

TheEngineer · 10-10-2005, 01:10 PM,

Hmmm....sent first email out about a week ago to Rick. It was a nice email noting that I was not complaining but rather trying to inform him of the situation out in the tasting room.

I had not received anything as of last night so I sent another one just in case the first did not arrive to him. Still no response.

He could be on vacation or whatever, but I think I gave them two chances to recover and nothing in site so far. Sigh.....

TheEngineer · 10-13-2005, 07:39 PM,

Nope...no responses at all.

californiagirl · 10-13-2005, 08:32 PM,

Sad!

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