I enjoy all Wooden Valley events; however, I have to say that BBQ & Blends is my favorite.  We had our first BBQ & Blends event in 2005 and it became very apparent to me, that this was a great opportunity to spend some one on one time with guests and give them a firsthand look at how we make wine at Wooden Valley. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this event here’s how it works. Once a year we invite wine club members to join us along with their friends and family for a BBQ lunch in our picnic grounds followed by a blending session in the barrel room.  My brother Rick, our winemaker, and I eat lunch with a small group of no more than 40 people after which we accompany them to the barrel room. Once there we give a small lesson on winemaking, discuss the wines they’ll be pulling from barrels for blending and the fun begins. Guests are then given a bottle and all the tools they need to create their own personal blend. During the blending, Rick and I make ourselves available for any questions that event goers may have. I really enjoy watching this process through the eyes of our guests and it gives me the opportunity to share a little bit of the excitement I feel throughout the winemaking process. Hope to see you at next year’s BBQ & Blends so we can talk wine. Salute’