This Weeks Feature
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Coach's Corner
Welcome to the Coach’s Corner. Here I look forward to sharing my stories with you as I travel, share my love of wine and meet new friends along the way. I hope you truly enjoy your Vermeil Wines experience and check back soon for my updates in the Coach’s Corner.
August 19, 2010
Always great to come back to Kansas City; so many fond memories, so many good friends! Tom Ward, Carol and I arrived Thursday morning, August 12th and hit the road running. Carol headed for Sister Berta’s Operation Breakthrough Day Care Center where she spent all her free time working during our five year stay in Kansas City. OBT holds a very special place in Carol’s heart. Tom and I headed over to J. Gilbert’s Steak House where the American Heart Association was going to hold their charity dinner, featuring Vermeil wines. Prior to the wine dinner event, Tom had set up four interviews with the local media that would allow us to promote our wines as well as the American Heart Association Stroke Awareness Program they were kicking off during the dinner. Metro Sports, 810 Sports Radio, KCTV5, and KMBC were all on hand. By the time we finished interviewing, the restaurant was filling up with 250 charity-minded Kansas City Chief Fans. It was easy to tell right off the bat that this was going to be a fun evening. Bill Cusick, the proprietor, Nick Atchity, the manager, and Mickey Healy, the sommelier, make up a very strong J. Gilbert’s management team; therefore, the evening went off without a glitch. Mickey was very complimentary of our wines and XXXIV went over very big.
On Friday, August 13th, we started out the day with a 6:20 am NBC Action News TV interview that really provided me with another great chance to sell our wines. At 7:30 am, I went on live with 610 Radio, at 7:50 with KUDL Radio, at 8:10 with KMBZ Radio, and then finished up with KXTR Radio at 8:30 am! Obviously all the shows generate from the same building. From there we drove over and presented our wines to our Kansas City, MO distribution team headed up by Gregg Garrison of Major Brands. Tom and I spent one hour tasting with Major Brand representatives, answering all the questions as they came up. They, too, were excited about the XXXIV release. They thought the quality was good, price point fair and they were excited about the 1900 case availability.
By 1:00 pm, we were in Kansas City, KS, repeating the exact same tasting presentation for our Kansas distribution organization, Standard Beverage. Keith Paden, the vice president of the Vintage Marketing Division, was on hand with his staff to taste the wines. Tom and I met Keith the night before at J. Gilbert’s American Heart Association Charity Dinner. In fact, Standard Beverage was the founding sponsor of the annual event. They are really nice people. We left with a very positive feeling in regard to what kind of job Keith’s organization would do representing VWG.
At 2:30 pm, Tom and I found ourselves eating Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ ribs in the staff room of the restaurant with Jeff Stehney, the owner and “head coach” of the now famous KC BBQ Stop. At 2:30 the restaurant was too packed to find a seat so they took us in the back room. Sometimes it is nice to be recognized. Carol and I were big supporters of Jeff’s BBQ during our five year KC stay. The place has become much bigger now and is known nationally as the #1 BBQ spot in the country. If we can be half as successful, we’d be very happy. Thanks again, Jeff. He picked up the check.
By 6:30, we were at Sullivan’s Steak House hosting a sixty person, sold out VWG wine dinner. Neither Tom nor I really needed to eat again after the rack of ribs, but we sacrificed for the good of the team. Carl Peterson, general partner, and wife Lori were on hand to play a hosting role with Carol, Tom and me. Eddie Kennison, my star KC Wide Receiver attended along with wife Shimika. Roger and Michelle Twibell also came over to taste. If you have a good memory, you’ll remember Roger and I broadcast college football and the now defunct NFL European League together for two years. There were couples there who had already been in our Calistoga Tasting Room and that was the reason they came to Sullivan’s. Sherry Joseph, Sullivan’s G.M., and staff did a very good job of organizing and executing the evening in every respect. Our new XXXIV was not served but our other reds were, along with our Sauvignon Blanc. The 2007 Zin might have been the favorite of the night. It sure was great to see Lynn and Marigene Stiles, Billy Long, Lamonte Winston and wife Claire, and former Kansas City Chiefs administrative assistant, Debbie Ball. Carol and I developed very special relationships with all of these people while coaching here in Kansas City. Lynn was with me through all four major campaigns – UCLA, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Being a Mormon, he is one of the only people I’ve ever coached with that I couldn’t lead down the wine trail. Can’t convert them all! Needless to say, it was a long day.
After a good night’s sleep, Tom and I got up Saturday morning and headed out to Shawnee Mission, KS to do an 8:40 am TV interview with KCTV5. The media organizations in the Kansas City area really have been good to their “old” coach in providing me these different marketing opportunities. We did discuss Chiefs football too, but for the most part, we talked Vermeil Wines. Thanks again to all my media friends. We owe you a glass or two of our best wine.
We wound down our Kansas City experience by pouring wines at the Grand Tasting event at the Overland Park Wine Tasting, a charity event benefiting the Kansas City Heart Association. There were over 300 different wines represented throughout this evening’s party, as well as many of the fine KC restaurants serving samples of what they are best known for.
6:00 pm: Tom and I are back at it. We did not anticipate how big the Grand Tasting was going to be, nor did our Standard Beverage distributor. We ran out of our wines within the first hour and fifteen minutes. Twelve bottles of wine disappeared quickly, so I went over and took four bottles out of our auction item lot and starting serving those wines – a 2007 Zinfandel, a 2008 XXXIV, a 2005 Syrah, and a 2005 Cab Franc. These wines kept us competitive a little longer, but we could have easily poured another case or two of wine. Over 1,300 people came to this event and by the time we auctioned off Lot 28, our 10 bottle selection of VWG wines at 9:00 pm, the convention center was really buzzing. Our ten bottle selection went for $1,100. Needless to say, the American Heart Association staff and volunteers were very excited.
Excited also describes the reaction of the hundreds of tasters who came by for a sip or two of our wines. I believe the most celebrated wine of the night was the new XXXIV. After we ran out of wine, Tom and I went around and sampled other wines and food. While doing so, a lot of people stopped me to compliment us on our wines, especially the XXXIV! Paul Smith, as wine maker, this should really please you. Now XXXIV wasn’t the only positive reaction we got. The ’07 Zinfandel really caught the attention of the Zin drinkers. Another taster made the comment that our Syrah was the best bottle of wine in the building. All in all, it was a very positive experience for Tom and me. Tom is off in Hawaii for Vermeil Wine marketing set up by George Szigeti of Better Brands Ltd. in Hawaii. I met George early this year while doing a speaking engagement in Hawaii. He is a UCLA Alum. Thanks for the help, fellow Bruin.
Carol and I spent our Sunday off with the Haddads and Petersons. I always say that the best food in Kansas City is not served in a KC area restaurant; it is prepared and served by Peggy Haddad. They also own our leading Vermeil Wines vendor in Kansas City, The Plaza III Steak House. Great steaks, great wine!
August 13, 2010
Over the last two years I’ve had a number of good opportunities to represent our Vermeil Wine Group business, but none have matched my experience on Tuesday, August 10th.
P.J. Stapleton, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, invited me to be the closing speaker at their annual PLCB Convention and Board Meetings. Everyone who does business with the agency was present at these Hershey, PA, meetings. Wow, what a great chance to let everyone know we are in the fine wine business! P.J. himself was very complimentary of our wines when he introduced me to this very large audience.
I, of course, was not asked there to speak specifically about our products, but I did take advantage of the moment to give everyone a little background information. Only Paul Smith, our Wine Maker, could professionally present our wines to the sophisticated, knowledgeable crowd that was present.
I spoke about my Seven Common Sense Principles of Leadership that I developed during my career. I was pleased with the response I got. Thank you, P.J., for providing VWG this stage.
“Kansas City, Kansas City here I come,” for three days of VWG marketing with Carol and our General Manager Tom Ward.
August 9, 2010
I’m pleased to report the new XXXIV Proprietary Red Wine release is receiving very positive support. We sneak previewed it on Saturday night at the Greate Bay Country Club in Somers Point, NJ and everyone was very complimentary. The leadership team from Delaware County Independence Blue Cross – Joe and Amy Frick – as well as Chris & Maryann Cashman were on hand to support our VWG evening and they, too, were excited about our new release. The Greate Bay Management team did their usual great job of matching our wines up with very good food. General partner of the VWG, John Scarpa and wife Jana were on hand to outbid everyone for the auction items supporting the First Tee of Greater Atlantic City Charity.
Off to St. Louis....
Tom and I arrived in St. Louis on Monday morning, August 2nd, and headed over to Ram's Park for a day of football with Coach Spagnuolo, staff and team. Boy, it was hot! I actually had forgotten how hot and humid it can be in St. Louis in August. Anyway, I did a few radio shows, watched practice, then headed for a training table dinner with Coach Spagnuolo. No Vermeil wines were served, though I promised Tom Ward would have a variety pack sent over for Coach Spagnuolo to enjoy on a night off or after a big win. Following dinner, Coach Spagnuolo had me talk to his team. It was fun to be a coach again even if it was only for 15 minutes.
On Tuesday, August 3rd, Tom and I put on our Vermeil Wines shirts and went to work, starting with a wonderful lunch at the Roof Top Restaurant at the Millennium Hotel overlooking the Missouri River. Greg Marecek and staff members from his St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame were on hand to share in hosting the event. A three party management team from Wells Fargo was on hand to share the experience as well as the Sports Marketing Manager from Anheuser-Busch, Brad Brown. They all enjoyed Vermeil Wines and actually ended up ordering 12 cases.
Later on this same day, we stopped by Algonquin Golf Club and presented our wines to Sam Boctor, the Assistant Dining Room Manager. He really liked the wines and immediately ordered four varieties for their wine cellar. Sam is very knowledgeable and was really complimentary of the wine, especially our JLV, Charbono and XXXIV.
Following this visit, we headed over to the Clayton neighborhood that Carol and I enjoyed so much while living in St. Louis. The Wine Merchant shop was gracious enough to host a 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm Vermeil Wine tasting and bottle signing. It was a busy but fun 2 ½ hours. Many of my support staff form the Rams came over to share a taste or two, wearing their Super Bowl rings. It sure made me feel good to see all those people wearing their rings – they earned them!!
Following the wine event, Don Bryant of Bryant Family vineyards treated Tom and I, along with his son Derek, to a wonderful dinner at Tony’s Restaurant, a top restaurant in the St. Louis market. Believe it or not, we drank Italian wines. Mr. Bryant tasted our XXXIV and raved about it! Thanks Don, we love having your endorsement!
Wednesday, August 4th: off to Fox Channel 2 for a 7:30 am, two-segment television interview. Spencer Koch, the President of Fox 2 is a big supporter of our wines and set up these interviews to help out our marketing trip. From there, we headed over to Harrah’s Casino to present our wines to their marketing team of Eric Profitt and Jamie Broeckling. Joe Kritchell, Major Brands Fine Wines director, came along to help out. Harrah’s is considering a Vermeil Wines gift incentive program such as the one held at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ earlier this year. That event proved to e a very successful weekend for everyone involved. It was a win/win! It looks like there is a real interest there! From there we stopped at the Wine & Cheese Place in Ballwin, and spent an hour presenting the wine to their, an old fashioned, knowledgeable wine guy. Soon after this stop we were pouring our wines for Mark Hinkle, the General Manager at McCormick & Schmicks, located in the same area. He is a very up-beat, enthusiastic guy who was fun to be with. He is placing an order.
On Wednesday night we attended a wine dinner hosted by Mike Shannon’s Steaks & Seafood Restaurant across the street from the Cardinal’s ball park. There were just enough people in attendance that it was easy to meet and greet everyone attending. Some old friends took the time to come to the wine dinner and share an evening with me. One of my former Administrative Assistants from the Rams, Lori Fabian, Dan Linza, our Security Officer, and the co-host of my Rams Radio Show, Keith Wortman, all were on hand to taste our wine. A former Kansas City Chief Assistant Coach, Bobby Saunders, and his wife, Gina, also joined in on the fun night. It is always good to see the people who made a contribution to winning Super Bowl XXXIV. Speaking of XXXIV, they were very excited about our new release. They loved the wine but also thought it was going to make a great souvenir bottle after enjoying a glass or two. A special thank you goes to Rita, Pat and the rest of Shannon’s staff, as well as a big thank you to Jim Sykona, Joe Kritchell and the old College of San Mateo Bulldog, Colin Sullivan, for being there, too! These guys are our Major Brands distributing team that we hope to build a winning relationship with as we grow our business.
Thursday, August 5th was our only disaster. Tom and I sat for 45 minutes at the wrong departure gate and therefore missed our Philadelphia flight home! Now you know why I lost Super Bowl XV!
Friday, August 6th was another Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board State Store wine tasting event in Allentown. A lot of people came through the doors carrying old Eagles helmets, pictures and pennants. Eagle fans are very loyal! Once they let you “in” you are one of them forever. I last coached an Eagle team in 1982!! Twelve cases of wine went out the door with these very loyal, loving Eagles fans. Following the event, we went over to Shula’s Steak House in Center Valley, PA for a wine marketing dinner. I believe we will soon have a product or two within their chain of quality restaurants. It seems to be a natural. I can remember winning a few and losing a few to Coach Shula’s teams. He was a super coach, therefore, the reason for his Hall of Fame induction.
July 21, 2010
This past Memorial Day, our very own Mary Sue Frediani participated in what has become known as "Burgergeddon." She and a group of seven others who usually put their taste buds to the test for wines switched gears for this fun filled (and filling!) day. Instead of evaluating the taste and quality of wines, this group of friends was on a mission to find the best burgers in the Napa Valley.
Read the entire article here.
June 25th, 2010
Monday, June 21 was another eventful day for our VWG. Tom Ward and I drove three and a half hours to a charity event held at the Old Westbury Golf and country Club on Long Island, NY. Why did we do this? The organization sponsoring the event, led by David Nussbaum, purchased sixty-two cases of our wines (Sauvignon Blanc / Zinfandel / Cabernet) that were served at both the cocktail party and dinner. Everyone was also given a two bottle gift package to take home as a thank you gift. I know that our wine maker, Paul Smith, will be pleased to know that all three wines were well received.
The wines were good, but never have I seen or tasted a better buffet dinner. Both Tom and I were overwhelmed by the quality, quantity and variety of the foods served. I have to admit, being the pig that I am, it was tough to discipline myself not to try every choice. The decision process of what you were going to feature on your plate was a tough one.
What wasn’t tough was accepting the compliments we received on the three wines. This large group of people was very enthusiastic about our wines. The only negative was, Paul Smith was not there to hear and accept the nice comments these people made about his wines. I'll look forward to going back next year if the opportunity presents itself in 2011.
June 23, 2010
Vermeil Wines is proud to be featured in an article about celebrity wines on INTOWINE.com.
Here is an excerpt:
"Dick Vermeil - In 2009, NFL coaching legend Dick Vermeil partnered with longtime friend and OnThEdge Winery founder Paul Smith to launch Vermeil Wines. Currently they produce a Cabernet Franc, two Zinfandels, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Charbono, a Red Blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike so many celeb wines, this endeavor appears to be genuinely about making good wine for people who love good wine. Vermeil Wines even has a tasting room open to the public in Calistoga. An aside: Die hard football fans may recall Coach Vermeil getting into hot water with NFL brass over a bottle of wine. As coach of the Chiefs once told kicker (and fellow wine enthusiast) Morten Andersen that he would give him a bottle of Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon (valued at around $500) if he converted the game winning kick. Andersen delivered but NFL executives quickly reprimanded Vermeil as the reward constituted extra compensation and was therefore a violation of league salary rules. Rumor has it the bottle managed to anonymously find its way in to Andersen's locker."
Read the full story here.
June 02, 2010
The people at the Morris Arboretum led by Director Paul Meyer, and Board Member Marc Rayfield did a great job of hosting a Vermeil Wine Tasting on Thursday night, May 27th. Carol and I really enjoyed the experience! First off, we had never visited the Morris Arboretum before and were very impressed with this 170 acre treasure in the Philadelphia suburbs. We plan to go back when we really have time to appreciate what the Arboretum has to offer.
We ran into a number of people that we had met at one time or another over the years who made the evening a little more special. They poured our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 Zinfandel and our 2005 Cabernet Franc. All wines were nicely matched with complimentary foods that helped highlight both the food and wine. Each time I attend one of these wine events there always seems to be one that creates a little more buzz than the others. This time it was our Zin. Many people made a special effort to come up and comment on all three wines, but it appeared to me more was said about the ’05 Zin.
As a representative of VWG, I want to express my deepest appreciation to all those involved at the Arboretum for allowing us to come in and share a wine experience, along with a special thank you to Board Member Marc Rayfield for organizing the invitation. The event was so successful, it has the potential of becoming an annual event.
May 20, 2010
While in Las Vegas, we also poured our wines at a luncheon tasting hosted by Donald Ross of Harrah’s, the Vice President of Catering, and Michael Massari, VP of Meeting Sales & Operations. Michael was a Philadelphia native and grew up there while I was the Eagles coach, so we had a lot to talk about other than how much they both liked our wines. They will be the first to add Vermeil Wines to their wine cellars in both Harrah’s and Caesars Palace. Tom and I had some added help in presenting our wine because Carl Peterson, a VWG partner, was in town, so he came along to help out. Of course, Michael Massari enjoyed talking to Carl about his Philadelphia Stars team of the old USFL. Carl was in town to attend a meeting organized by a group trying to put together another spring professional football league. Tom and I went along, in that they were drinking Vermeil Wines in their pre-meeting cocktail party. They also gave a bottle of JLV to everyone attending. Nice gesture! If passion has anything to do with the future of this new league, it will be successful! Their hearts are really in this new attempt to play professional football in the spring.
Las Vegas is great, but it is always nice to get home.
Carol and I are planning on being in Calistoga for a short period in July and are already looking forward to it!
April 26, 2010
On Wednesday, April 21st, Tom Ward and I flew into St. Louis to assist the Rams with their draft – just kidding – to pour our wines at an evening function hosted by Guardian Investor Services held at the Ameristar Casino. Tom tried a new format for the tasting phase of the evening and it went very well. We learn something new every day! Anyway, we put all the wines being tasted on each individual table so once we introduced the product, the people could taste at their leisure. By the time the evening ended, we had a number of very happy people, plus a number of new Vermeil Wine fans.
On Thursday, we visited two restaurants – Yia Yia’s and Mike Shannon’s, and three retail outlets. The Ladue Market on Clayton Road was a great visit. Founded in 1928, and still run by the same family, they had wines in their cellar that all wine lovers would kill to have. I don’t know if they have any room left for our wines, but they did like it. From there, we headed to Lukas Liquor Superstore in Ellisville, MO, for a tasting. Gary Bilder of Lukas Liquor is going to take on three of our wines as soon as we can get our display cases ready to go.
Next, we went to the Wine Merchant in Clayton, the shop in which Carol and I did most of our wine shopping while I was coaching in St. Louis. They ordered a case of everything we do! This was a great stop as well as a great visit with past friends.
I spent the remaining time in St. Louis with my old Super Bowl winning QB Kurt Warner. Kurt was in town raising money for his “First Things First” charitable foundation. The evening event was very well done with Bob Costas handling the microphone. The next day, Kurt hosted his golf tournament and the rain held off long enough for everyone to finish 18 holes. Not being a big golfer, I just rode around with Kurt and Brenda, helping meet and greet all those attending.
One last side note: Tom Ward and I were able to squeeze in a short visit with Coach Spagnolo, the Head Coach of the Rams, and John Shaw, the President of the team. It was fun to sit in my old office and look out at the practice fields that helped produce a World Championship Team. Hopefully the team we put together to produce our upcoming new release of Vermeil XXXIV, a proprietary red that is a tribute to that team, will be as successful.
April 18, 2010
Since my last report to all of you interested in our Vermeil Wines Group project, I’ve been “on the road” marketing our wines. We, Carol and I, flew into Kansas City on April 13th for four days of wine events co-organized by our head of marketing, Tom Ward, and Major Brands, our Kansas City, Missouri distributor, as well as Standard Beverage out of Kansas City, Kansas.
On our first night in town, Michael Garozzo of Garozzo’s Italian Restaurant hosted a double seating wine dinner featuring our wines. What a blast!! Both seatings were sold out. It was especially fun for Carol and me because we saw so many old friends. Michael served enough food to feed our Chief’s team in training camp. Believe me when I say, fun was had by all who attended. Carl and Lori Peterson, a partner in our VWG Company was on hand to help host the event.
During the next three days, accompanied by Major Brands and Standard Beverage reps, we visited twelve restaurants and five retail outlets. I’m pleased to report we received very positive comments on all the wines poured and probably even more importantly, we filled a number of orders. The following restaurants will be carrying Vermeil Wines soon, if they aren’t already doing so, in Kansas City, Missouri: Starkers, Blue Stem, Café Sebastienne, JJ’s, Avenue Bistro, Pierponts, Rm 39, Garozzo’s; retail outlets are Hyvee, Red X Liquor and Gomers. In Kansas City, Kansas: Sullivans, North, Rm 39, J. Gilberts; and retailers Lukas Liquors and The Ranchmart. All allowed us to come in and pour our wines; again, we received very positive feedback.
We were also invited to pour our wines at two financial service receptions on the night of the 14th. Both the CBIZ Financial Solutions, headed up by Michael O’Neill, and the Society of Financial Services Organization, were very enthusiastic about our products. Now, if we can turn positive comments and appreciation into sales and Wine Club memberships, the trip will have been a big success.
On our final night in Kansas City we attended the First Downs for Down Syndrome Wine Tasting and Auction. We donated a mixed case that went for $1,000. I’ve attended this event many times in the past and it is always fun for all the right reasons. We also poured our Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah during the tasting part of the evening. These two wines were a big hit.
We got home on the 16th and then headed to Washington, DC on the 17th to meet up with Paul Smith, our wine maker, and Tom Ward, at the 25th Annual California Futures Tasting held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This charity event is organized by MacArthur Beverages. There were forty-two wineries represented there for the double session tastings. When it was all said and done, we, of the VWG, all felt good about the positive reception our two wines received. We poured our not-bottled-as-yet 2007 and 2008 Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernets. I would estimate that 65% of the tasters favored our 2007 JLV and the other 35% the 2008 JLV. I felt that was a very good sign. What made the event even more special, three people came over and made a point to state the 2007 JLV was their favorite wine of the day!
Next week on to St. Louis.
April 14, 2010
Our April 7th Vermeil Wines dinner, hosted by Jeff Black, owner of the BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant at 4883 MacArthur Boulevard in Washington, D.C., was a great evening. The food was outstanding and our wines matched up very well. Our DC distributor, Al McCosh, was there and it was nice to be able to share a glass of wine with a person who really knows his stuff. I’m confident his company, Nice Legs LLC, will do a great job of representing our products throughout his distribution area. Nice to have Al on our team.
Speaking of teams, there were three other team members in attendance as well. Most notably, my own middle linebacker on my Rams Super Bowl team, London Fletcher came to share food, wine and great memories with Carol and me. He has always been one of my favorite players, so his attendance made a great evening even better. He now plays for the Redskins. Chris Samuels, a recently retired all-pro tackle for the Redskins enjoyed the night along with Shawn Springs, a former Redskin corner who now plays for New England. In visiting with Shawn, it made me realize how old I’m getting. I recruited his father, Ron Springs, (unsuccessfully) to UCLA in 1975! Wow, time flies!!
Also attending the event was my former Offensive Coordinator, Al Saunders, who now coaches for the Ravens. He drove over with his wife Karen and son Joey to eat, drink and BS! They are special people in our lives, so it couldn’t get much better. Good food, good wine, good players, good friends! If I did this more than once a week, I would weigh 200 lbs.
Tom Ward, our Director of Marketing, and his wife Diane were in attendance to help support our wines, and greet our guests. Thanks to Harrison Bernstein’s introduction to Jeff Black, this event was put together. Harrison initiated an earlier event that led to Wednesday night’s outing.
I look forward to going back to BlackSalt when in the area again.
April 2, 2010
Recently, I received an invitation to play the role of host to a four day wine excursion into the Napa Valley. Needless to say, I accepted! This event is organized by AuthentEscapes, an organization that specializes in the art of travel. The trip is open to twenty-four people who would like to experience the best of the Napa Valley at the very best time to do it, during the harvest (October 3 – 7).
The actual schedule is as follows:
Day 1: Sunday, October 3 (D)
Arrive and check into hotel-Meadowood
Afternoon tasting at Chappellet
Barbeque and croquet event at Meadowood
Day 2: Monday, October 4 (B, L)
Tasting at Chateau Montelena
Lunch and afternoon tasting at Vermeil Tasting Room in Calistoga with visit to Pride Mountain Vineyards
Champagne reception, tour and paired dinner at Opus One
Day 3: Tuesday, October 5 (B, L, D)
Morning tasting at Paraduxx, followed by lunch
Afternoon tasting at Duckhorn Vineyards
Wine dinner at Castello di Amorosa
Day 4: Wednesday, October 6 (B, D)
Morning tasting at Silver Oak Cellars
Afternoon tasting at Vine Cliff Winery
Gala farewell wine dinner at Far Niente
Day 5: Thursday, October 7 (B)
Departures
If you have an interest in joining Carol and me, contact AuthentEscapes at 866-994-9814 or email travel@authentescapes.com.
I don’t profess to be a wine expert, but I do believe Carol and I can help make this trip special. We are excited about the opportunity to put on a wine tasting lunch in our tasting room in Calistoga. We also promise a few surprise visits that will help add to your experience. If you would like to talk to me personally about this trip, give me a call at 610-486-0199 or email me at ravcoach@comcast.net. We are looking forward to seeing you in October.
March 28, 2010
These wine dinners featuring Vermeil Wines seem to just keep getting better! Friday night, March 26th, the VWG participated in a dinner put on by Manager Pete Compare at his Windrift Restaurant in Avalon, NJ. Approximately 110 people were in attendance, and believe me when I say we all got our money’s worth! There was enough food and wine served to cover two wine dinners.
We poured our Sauvignon Blanc, Charbono, Cab Franc and of course, our Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet. These wines were matched up with a six course meal that was just outstanding. I think I ate more than one of my offensive tackles would. Anyone leaving there Friday night hungry was just too lazy to eat.
We met some very nice people who share a real interest in good food and wine that I do believe will become fans of both The Windrift Restaurant and Vermeil Wines.
Thank you to Pete Compare and his Windrift staff for hosting a great evening.
Next week Tom Ward, our Marketing Director, and I will be in Washington D.C. to once again host a Vermeil Wines Dinner at the Blacksalt Restaurant on April 7th, starting at 6:30 pm. Having been there before, I know the five course dinner will be special! Hopefully, everyone will feel the same about our Vermeil wines as they are matched up with each course.
If you are interested, you can make a reservation by calling 202-342-9101. The Blacksalt Restaurant is located at 4883 MacArthur Boulevard, Washington, D.C. 20007.
March 23, 2010
The tasting room at OnThEdge Winery was visited earlier this month by Patrick Grannan, who had nothing but good things to say. Check out this blog post for his review of our fine wines. Patrick says, "My favorite winery this visit - and something of a surprise - was the Vermeil Winery tasting room right in Calistoga. I had kind of expected it was another celebrity slapping his name on a winery for publicity but apparently Coach Vermeil is a Napa born native and the roots and connections go way back." Thanks, Patrick!
February 13th, 2009
On Friday night my wife Carol and I joined Vermeil Wines team member Tom Ward at Greenville Country Club on the outskirts of Wilmington, Delaware, for a get-together with the good folks from Delaware Valley Financial Group (DVFG) and a small group of their customers and guests.
After 10 days of relentless winter weather, everyone was quite glad to shake the “cabin fever” and it was done with style. Christine Patterson of DVFG selected a great menu to pair up with our wines, which featured our 2003 Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Syrah, and 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, and our hosts Michael Bree and Richard Clark were enthusiastic about sharing our wine lineup with their exceptionally knowledgeable customers. In fact it was as wine savvy a group as we’ve had the opportunity to visit with and we’re looking forward to having a number of them join our “Coach’s Club” wine club and continue to enjoy our new releases in the coming months. Perhaps a few will even take advantage of an early Spring in Napa Valley and come to visit our Calistoga Tasting Room. Indeed Springtime will never be more welcome than in 2010!
February 5th, 2009
We are so excited to announce the details of an exciting trip! Join us for crush!
Experience the harvest period in Napa Valley (called the "crush" by those in the Valley) with Dick Vermeil, winemaker and Calistoga native. Program includes tours, tastings and paired dining at prestigious wineries and more. All of the exciting details can be found here!
January 27, 2010
Last weekend, I had the privilege of hosting a Vermeil Wines weekend sponsored by the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Borgata management team, led by Dave Caskey and John Lupo, put on a “Thank You for Your Business” weekend for two groups of their best customers and were nice enough to present each of their invited guests with two bottles of Vermeil Wines.
On Friday night, January 22nd, 2100 people came through for their bottles of Cab Franc and Zinfandel. We (Tom Ward and I) spent three hours talking wine with some very nice people as they passed through the distribution room. From there, they headed out into the casino and tested their luck. We got a lot of positive feedback on Saturday from those who had already tasted their wine gifts. Hopefully, some will become Vermeil Wine Club members.
Saturday night, January 23rd, the second group was presented with our 2003 and 2005 JLV. Our entire management team was on hand to help the Borgata with their party. Michael Azeez, John Scarpa, Carl Peterson, Tom Ward, Carol, and I were all there to help say thank you to the Borgata team and market our wines as well. This event was different than Friday’s event in that a Vermeil wine tasting was held for all to enjoy. The wine and company was all good, but what made it even more special was five former Eagles players of mine showed up to help entertain the guests. Bill and Micky Bergey, #66; Keith and Michelle Krepfle, #86; Harold and Bee Carmichael, #17; Frank and Mary Lou LeMaster, #55; and Ken Dunek, #86. Needless to say their contribution to the evening was outstanding and very much appreciated by both the VWG and the Borgata management. Hopefully, we can make this an annual event; sure was fun.
We got home Sunday in time to watch the AFC/NFC Championship games. They brought back some great memories. It was fun to watch both players and coaches I’ve worked with in the past get after each other, while I sat in front of a big screen TV sipping some ’05 JLV. Hope to see you in the Tasting Room, online or in the Coaches Club soon.