2020 Russian River Wine Road Barrel Tasting to be a more intimate affair

THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, most wineries pouring at the Wine Road Barrel Tasting March 6-8 and 13-15 will offer a more intimate experience. Two-thirds are refusing to host groups of eight or more, while only half did so last year.

“I don’t think it’s something that people realize, because it’s a gradual shift,” said Beth Costa, executive director of the Wine Road. “Wineries pick this on their own. They look at staffing, parking and a lot of variables.”

Visit wineroad.com to find the wineries opting for small groups. The tastings for the 43rd annual event are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with advance tickets at $60 per three-day weekend and Sunday only at $45.

The event is one of the most popular tastings of the year in Sonoma County, and it draws people from every state in the country, Costa said. Tasters roam throughout Dry Creek, Alexander and Russian River Valley, stepping into the cellars of wineries to sample wine in progress.

But winemakers are voicing concerns about big groups straining staff and parking and focusing more on carousing than learning about the new vintage.

In the past, Healdsburg’s Armida Winery has welcomed up to 20 limo buses, each transporting 20 to 25 people. But this will be the third year the winery has limited their welcome to groups of seven or less.

“It seems like the bigger groups were just here to party,” said Bruce Cousins, managing partner and co-owner of Armida. “With our amount of parking, this was a popular place for the larger groups. But it’s safer now and less stressful. We’re able to monitor the crowd better. You never want anyone leaving your property having too much to drink.”

Cousins said to pull off the event, he relies on five employees and 15 volunteers.

“We’ve learned from our experience,” Cousins said. “This event is really supposed to be educational, to meet the winemaker and taste the new, exciting vintage.”

Brandon Lapides, winemaker of Armida, said talking with tasters is always a win-win.

“I love sharing the hard work that was put in last harvest,” he said. “As a winemaker, I love hearing the customers opinions on the new wines from the barrel. As I talk to customers over the two weekends of barrel tasting, I begin to notice trends and sometimes, it will change my perceptions of the wines.”

The event revolves around “futures” - the chance to invest in barrel samples that will be bottled and ready for market in 12 to 18 months. These futures often come with discounts.

“People stock their cellars,” Costa said. “Some even come with a spreadsheet of what they’ve tasted last year. These are small producers. You won’t find them at grocery stores. You’ll maybe see them on wine lists. But they’re really selling to people coming in the door.”

Last year the event, over two weekends, drew 9,000. Costa expects 8,000 people to come this year. She said while the fires have made some reluctant to visit Wine Country, plenty still make the event a yearly pilgrimage.

“Thousands of people have come for a range of 10 years, while hundreds have come for 30 to 40 years,” Costa said.

The chief organizer said the family wineries, often run by second and third generations, offer people a glimpse of the winemaker’s world.

“It’s a unique experience to be invited into the cellar, to meet the winemaker and learn about the philosophy involved in making the wines,” Costa said.

While hosting smaller groups is more sensible, she explained, she still has mixed feelings about it.

“After this many years, if there are 20 friends flying in from Florida, now we have to tell them they can’t all go together,” Costa said.

“It’s hard to find the perfect balance but the boundary of eight seems manageable for everyone.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.