Back by Popular Demand!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

I am proud to announce that “Katrina’s 2nd Annual Holiday Wine Tour Extrordinaire” has been scheduled for Saturday, December 27th. The time is not yet set in stone, but you can expect this to be an almost all day affair, departing in the mid-morning and back early evening-ish. Last year there was a great turn out of nearly 30 people. I have actually been receiving emails from people wondering if the “Extrordinaire” was to live on. That really made my day!

This year we are spreading our wings and we will be trying out some new wineries. We will again be touring Seneca Lake, but this time we will be heading down the west side. That means there will be no Wagner or Hazlitt. I know that sounds like a downer, but I am sure the “west side” will offer some new and exciting fun… and if need be we can always say the “Red Cat” chant at the last winery we stop at.

I have arranged for transportation. Unfortunately the kick ass limo bus we had last year is no longer available. The tables and such were so key. However, we will forge on and make due. We will be able to eat and drink on the limo bus. Please bring “limo friendly” snacks… nothing that can make a big mess, as we will get charged for any excessive mess.

I also don’t want to sound like your mothers…. I do want everyone to drink and have fun, but everyone also must be respectful while on the tour. I mentioned last year that some of the wineries were now requiring a contract signed with credit card for damages for groups of 15 or more… it seems that this has become the rule now instead of the exception, meaning that I am signing a contract for everyone with my credit card information. Here is a snippet of the contract…

Code of Conduct for Group Wine Tasting
We hope to create a great experience for your group’s wine tasting. Our staff strives to be both friendly and informative; however we need cooperation from your group to make this work for everybody. Under some circumstances individuals or groups could be asked to leave the winery property.

The following are behaviors that would cause winery staff to refuse service to individuals and/or entire groups:
1 – Drunkenness 4 – Rude language
2 – Damage to winery property 5 – Threatening or aggressive behavior
3 – Theft 6 – Exposure

I __________________________________ understand and agree to the policy regarding
(signature of credit card holder) group tastings.

So I am asking for everyone to simply obey these policies. It really isn’t too hard.

Moving on, the price is also not set in stone as I need to get a count of how many people will be going. Right now I will quote the price to be 40 per person. That is guessing high for now. That will cover the cost of the limo and the tip for the driver. We will visit 6-7 wineries where I will collect the tasting fee at each winery as you exit the bus. The price is generally 1-2 dollars for each tasting and some of the wineries refund the fee if you purchase a bottle of wine.

What I need from you so that the planning can move ahead is your response. I am asking that everyone that would like to attend respond by Sunday, December 7th. If you reply yes, that means you are definitely going, and you are definitely paying (even if you back out at the last minute). I hate to sound so strict, but this has to be done to be fair to all those that do attend.

If anyone has any special requests or suggestions to make the trip even more cool, please let me know. Looking forward to hearing from you all soon. If you would like to invite a friend or other family, please feel free to. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Happy Holidays!
Katrina
Your Holiday Wine Tour Extrordinaire Guide

Below are photos from last years trip.