Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 8:22 PM
Subject: Orangewood Wine News - 20

To Our Wine Aficionados,

Introduction

After having Craig sell our wines in Tucson for nearly a year, we both thought there would be benefits to combining our portfolios.  Some of the resulting changes from this merger emerge below.

Meanwhile, Greg, our delivery guy, is back to delivering up to 5 days a week; sometimes with the help of his grandson, Joe.

Box Score

New Restaurants/bars: 3

New Retail outlets: 0

New Sales people: 0

New Wineries: 6

Contents

New Locations

      D’Vine, Mesa

      Barrio Grill, Tucson

Janos Restaurant, Tucson

New Wineries

David Girard Vineyards, Sierra Foothills

      Blackjack Ranch, Santa Barbara

Davis Bynum, Sonoma

      Patricia Green Cellars, Oregon

      Stoller Vineyards, Oregon

Bella Vida, Oregon

Upcoming Events

Rambling

New Locations

D’Vine Wine Bar and Bistro, 2837 N Power Rd #101, Mesa

A week or so ago we presented some wines in a trade tasting (for restaurant and wine store folk) along with 4 other distributors.  The event was at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.  Over 300 people stopped by to talk and taste wines.  This is actually the third time we have done this annual event, but this is the first time we got an instant new customer.  If you live in the East Valley check out this new place.

Barrio Grill, 135 S. 6th Ave, Tucson

I need to get Craig to write some blurbs about the restaurants he finds.  Looking at the reviews via Google, I determine this to be a reasonably priced food and drink establishment.

Janos Restaurant, 3770 E Sunrise Dr, Tucson

Janos Wilder started in Tucson in 1983.  He has a focus on excellent French-inspired Southwestern Cuisine, including a serious wine program with 150 affordable (under $50) bottles of wine and 20 wines by the glass.  That he is still serving after 23 years is a tribute to his quality and vision.  Next time I’m in Tucson, Craig…

Upcoming Events -

These events are usually described on our website.

http://www.orangewoodwines.com/wine-events.htm

New Wineries

With all these new wineries, I am not going to attempt to describe them.  I will do that later as I get familiar with them and their wines.  Instead, just a sentence or two of introduction.  Working from South to North:

Blackjack Ranch, Santa Barbara

In the movie, Sideways, there is a scene that is shot at this Solvang winery.  The winery was started by Roger Wisted with the license fees from California Blackjack - a game he invented when he discovered that regular blackjack was prohibited in California other than at Indian Reservations.

http://www.blackjackranch.com/

David Girard Vineyards, Sierra Foothills

Mari Wells, the former winemaker at Chatom, is now the winemaker at the recently opened David Girard Winery.  As this is close to where Dick was visiting a couple months ago he stopped by and was enchanted by the wines from estate grown fruit.  One of our customers, Radda, was also impressed, and voilà!

http://www.davidgirardvineyards.com

Davis Bynum, Sonoma

This eponymous winery was started in 1965 in the Russian River area of Sonoma County.  All the farming done is organic and you have to love a place that has job titles like CFO, spiritual guide and court jester.  So far, I have tasted their Pinot Noir and you should too.

http://www.davisbynum.com/

Bella Vida Vineyard, Oregon

Steven and Allison Whiteside live and have full-time jobs in Tucson, but none the less find the time to tend the vineyards and man the tasting room of Bella Vida.  They grow only Pinot Noir grapes and have three winemakers from other vineyards produce named versions of wine from the grapes.  Those winemakers sometimes are more experimental with the grapes than they are with their own, but it puts these wines on the leading edge.  I met Steven and Allison in Tucson in the bar Hacienda del Sol (a great place for wine and munchies and conversation).  Allison was about to head back to Oregon as the crush is upon us.

http://www.bellavida.com

Patricia Green Cellars, Oregon

Sold out of the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, Patricia Green has become well known in Arizona due to hard work by Craig and by Patricia Green herself.  They produce umpteen different Pinot Noirs which should start being available again in November.

http://www.patriciagreencellars.com/

Stoller Vineyards, Oregon

By now you may have realized that one of Craig’s specialties is Oregon Pinot Noirs.  Stoller Vineyards is no exception.  Started in 1993, this winery is producing small but well acclaimed quantities of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Our first shipment is in.

http://www.stollervineyards.com/

Rambling

Craig and I realized that we could both benefit by combining forces.  Orangewood Wines has been doubling its volume each year, but this combination really kicks in the afterburner.  Because we have very similar philosophies - good wine sells itself to serious wine buyers given a strong relationship - our accelerated growth brings appropriate wineries and customers.  We expect our growth to continue, but we are committed to retaining our good relationships with our suppliers and customers and remaining a small distributor.  On September 12th we declared our merger in effect.  Within a day we had inventory transferred and deliveries beginning.  Craig and I are sharing responsibilities that previously we both had.  The theory is we will realize synergies and economy of scale.  Hmm, sounds like a big company!  What I mean is: we can sell more for the same effort.  We’ll keep you posted.

Ciao,

Richard and Laurie

Richard (newsletter writer) and Laurie Corles (editor)

Orangewood Consulting LLC

480.488.4794 or 602.410.3774

http://www.orangewoodwines.com

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