If you’ve been seeing a lot more virtual tastings and wine sales pop up on your radar, you’re not alone. Below, an array of ways to bring wine country home today.
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Angela Estate (Willamette Valley, Ore.): Free local delivery and shipping from the tasting room on orders of four bottles or more. Custom home-tasting kits. Virtual tastings and viticulture classes online are in the works. All full-time tasting room staff remains on the payroll.
Aperture Cellars (Sonoma, Calif.): Winemaker and proprietor is planning virtual tours of the winery’s new hospitality center. The team will also share weekly video updates on social media to allow wine lovers to “visit” the vineyards and winery.
Bacigalupi Vineyards (Sonoma, Calif.): Live tastings with winegrower Nicole Bacigalupi occur on Facebook regularly. “If I can’t tell you about my single-vineyard, single-clone Pinot Noirs in person, virtually is the next best option,” says Bacigalupi.
Battle Creek Cellars, (Portland, Ore.): The winery offers complimentary delivery on all case orders, with early access to the upcoming release of its Pinot Noir Blanc, and 25% off online orders shipped through the tasting room and bought with curbside pick-up. A portion of sales will go to the Northwest Harvest Food Bank.
Carlton Cellars (Newburg, Ore.): Free shipping on any wine orders of $100 or more, 10% off six bottles or more, 15% off 12 bottles or more. Virtual tasting series launches this week featuring three flight options of six wines; the package will be available at a special price with free shipping every week. It will also offer a link to a virtual tasting and a complimentary private tasting experience in Newburg once the tasting room reopens.
Cathedral Ridge (Columbia Gorge, Ore.): Virtual tastings will be available to wine club members with any current or future shipments. Recipients will also receive wine notes, vineyard videos, recipes and tasting suggestions. Tours of each location are also available online. So far, proprietor John Bell says that 30% of online visitors taking at least one tour. “This is going to be part of our new reality,” says Bell. “We’re going to also start offering virtual tastings and weekly happy hours for the entire community.”
Chateau Montelena (Napa, Calif.): Digital happy hours with owner Bo Barrett and winemaker Matt Crafton take place on Instagram. “Wine Shelter” packages include a complimentary tasting once tasting rooms reopen, plus $1 shipping on all 12-case orders.
Dobbes Family Estate (Dundee, Ore.): Winemaker Andy McVay shares hospitality with virtual tastings that include wine and food pairings. Its full-time tasting staff is still on hand and reaches out to its wine community via phone and email.
Domaine Divio (Newburg, Ore.): The winery is offering a “Stay at Home Selection” of three Pinot Noirs, normally priced at $144, for $100. There’s also a “Spring Break” tasting of a Chardonnay and rosé, each normally priced at $128, for $100. Shipping included on orders of six or more bottles.
Dundee Wine Library (Newburg, Ore.): Virtual tastings, free delivery on orders of three or more bottles, plus 10% off and free shipping on a case or more.
Far Niente & Nickel & Nickel (Napa, Calif.): Virtual tastings are planned to launch on its social media channels starting the week of March 30.
Gran Moraine, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, WillaKenzie Estate, Zena Crown Vineyard (Yamhill, Ore.): Ground shipping is included in every order, with drive-up service and direct-to-trunk pickup at the winery. Weekly promotions with library wines available on a rotating basis.
Lachini Vineyards (Newburg, Ore.): Proprietor Ron Lachini canceled its planned rosé release party in favor of a virtual release on YouTube. The winery will also ship limited wines typically only available in the tasting room. Through March, Lachini is offering penny shipping in Washington and Oregon with purchases of six or more bottles and free local delivery, plus half-price shipping everywhere on orders of six or more bottles.
Long Meadow Ranch (St. Helena, Calif.): The first virtual tasting happened March 23. Hosted by Jeff Meisel and a rotating cast of guests, the tastings will tackle a variety of subjects and happen once-twice per week.
Paul O’Brien Winery, (Roseberg, Ore.): The winery offers free shipping on six or more bottles of wine and is calling customers to check in on them. They are also re-releasing library classics and plans to launch virtual tastings to accompany wine shipments.
Ram’s Gate (Sonoma, Calif.): Wine lovers can connect with the winery on Instagram Live. The first tasting on March 23 featured director of winemaking Joe Nielsen and executive chef Stacy Combs and provided followers with pantry pairing items for its line of wines. Get 15% off shipments and free delivery with code RAMSGATE.
SchoneTal Cellars (McMinnville, Ore.): A 20% discount with complimentary shipping with a six-bottle order. Home delivery locally.
Seufert Winery (Dayton, Ore.): The first virtual tasting last week had such a positive response that proprietor Michelle Seufert says she was moved and almost overwhelmed. “We were trying to convey a moment of connection and authenticity, and it resonated greatly with our community, and then back with us,” she says. Seufert wants to continue to use technology to help people “connect, heal and be thankful for every moment they’re alive. Maintaining a sense of normalcy will pull us through.”
St. Innocent Wine (Salem, Ore.): Free delivery locally with purchase of three or more bottles. Plans for virtual tastings are in the works.
Tedeschi Family Winery (Calistoga, Calif.) is teaming with other Napa Valley micro-producers to share shipping expenses. Participants include Trotter 1/16, Olabisi Wines, and Villa Ragazzi Wines. Place orders with at least two of the wineries and wines will be shipped together. It’ll be just like a day of wine tasting through Napa Valley, discovering hidden gems.
Tumwater Vineyard (West Linn, Ore.): Club members can get their case discount on six bottles or more. Nonmembers can receive 15% off four bottles or more Free delivery locally.
Willful Wines (Portland, Ore.): Free delivery in the Portland and Vancouver metro area for six or more bottles, 10% off any online order, free shipping for 12 bottles or more. Free shipping on new wine club members and a 20% discount. Owner Pam Walden is teaming up with yogis to hold Vino & Vinyasa events, mindful meditation and wine educational programs online via Zoom.
