Sort This Out Cellars

A Lovely Lady

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I shuffled the deck and look what popped out. My hands are very clumsy. Clearly, I wouldn't make it as a professional dealer in Vegas or Atlantic City. Our Suited wines were supposed to be top secret for the next few weeks but for you, our blog readers, you get a another sneak peek. This new line of Suited wines features some of contemporary pin-ups sexiest women. The new Queens Collection will feature four beautiful girls, each adorning their own Queen card in their own suit.

Featured here is Candace Campbell, the Queen of Clubs and 2006 California Merlot. We're getting closer to announcing a very special release party for the Suited Queens Collection in Las Vegas. We hope you can join us for this very special event. I feel a three day weekend coming on! Want to be the first to know about the Sort This Out Cellars action? Join our mailing list and become a fan on Facebook.

Jeff

Going All In - New Suited Wines Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Just three short weeks left until we launch the newest release of our Suited brand of wines. Inspired by vintage gentleman's playing cards, the new Suited wine labels will feature contemporary pin up models. We have chosen some of pin-up's sexiest women to adorn the new labels. While there are hundreds of models aspiring to be pin-ups, only a select few exhibit the vintage sex appeal that bring life to the photo.

We've been working for weeks to create the perfect label. With just a few days remaining until the labels are submitted for printing, we wanted to share a few pictures of the work going on behind the scenes.

We started the process by creating more than two dozen different samples of the concept. Some of the changes are as subtle as choosing from different fonts, other variations include the use of various color schemes, layouts, or textures.

Getting down to a final few options, we mount printed samples to the bottles to see how the designs translate when applied to the rounded canvas of the wine bottle. Some of the best designs on paper are completely lost once they are applied to a wine bottle. We then spend a couple days looking at the bottles. How will the bottles look in the Tasting Room? How will the bottles look in people's home? How will the bottles look on the shelves of wine retailers?

The hardest part is when you know something you put a lot of time and effort into isn't going to work. You can't force it. If the design isn't working you have to move on. As much as it hurts to toss two or three days work into the trash, we have an obligation to make sure the final product represents the best of what we're capable of doing. We take pride in the quality of the wine, it deserves to look as good as it tastes.

Look for more information on the release of our new Suited wines in the days and weeks ahead. If you would like to be among the first to taste the newest Suited wines, join our new Suited Cellar Club. To learn more about the new Suited Cellar Club click here.

It might not be as exciting as the leaked photos of the new iPhone 2009, but we hope you enjoy a look behind the wines.

Jeff

Email: Good vs. Evil

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:10:00 +0000

I have five email accounts. One for work, a second alias account for work that is for non public use, a Hotmail account that I have had as long as I can remember, an email address attached to my Apple service, and one that I can't remember the password to that is probably filling up someone's poor server with unread clutter.

Why so many accounts? Good question. The professional email addresses make sense, right? Business is business. Then the three personal accounts. One was set up so I could access a Napster ten years ago. That's the one I can't remember the password to. One that I set up back in college and one that came with my Apple account. They all serve a purpose. Two for work. One for friends and family. Then there is one that I check daily because I make sure it is where all my "Deals" come to. An email account full of discounts, concert announcements and other great things. Do I ever email anyone from here? No, I collect here. As a result I save money, get better seats to concerts, and have access to things first.

Every weekend more visitors to our Tasting Room join our email list. About one in every five people sign up. Some people pass because they aren't interested. Others may just not have seen the list or heard us mention it. Then there are those that are email purists. They never give anyone an email address for public use. They tell you how they have the best spam filter and nothing unsolicited penetrates their inbox. They gloat about the fact that they blacklisted Amazon from their server. To quote Christian Bale from the set of Terminator Salvation "Oh, Good for Youuuuu....". You're missing out.

By simply having a second email address to catch deals you could be saving on anything and everything important to you. You could be the first to learn about something new. You could benefit from price cuts, free shipping, early release dates, and many more exciting things. Would you be disappointed if you missed out on a great deal like this?

For a limited time through Sunday, June 7 2009, we are discounting our Viva Las Vegas Pinot Grigio from $15 a bottle to just $8 a bottle when you buy a case. Save almost half off the retail price and stock up on a great white wine to cool you down throughout the Summer.

This is just one example of a great deal that we offer exclusively to members of our email list. If you would like to join our email list and get access to special discounts, wine release events, and exciting news. Add yourself to the email list by submitting your contact information in the form to the right and you'll never miss a deal like this again.

To all of you holding on to the belief that your email address is sacred, you should........ never mind. Odds are you would never read this because RSS, blogs, and the future of the internet have passed you by. Keep paying full retail, our accountant and our bank account prefer it that way.

Click here to buy a case of Viva Las Vegas Pinot Grigio for $99 today!

Jeff

The Hottest Tickets In Town

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Suzanne's Du Rivage Creperie
191 Park Ave
Belmont Shore, CA 90803
(562) 433-3718
No website - call for business hours.

One of Belmont Shore's greatest little secrets. "du Rivage" is a French word meaning "of the shore". At Suzanne's they aim to make every guest feel as if they've been transported to a French cafe, without ever losing that casual beach feel. Serving both sweet and savory crapes Suzanne hand makes crepes made-to-order in the authentic French tradition with all-natural ingredients. Their salad dressings are made fresh in-house without preservatives. We LOVE the Eiffel Tower crepe with strawberries, banana and Nutella. Be sure to check out their daily lunch specials, too. Experience the delicious culture of France on the sandy shore of Southern California!

The Broad Street Giant Grinder Shop
901 Broad Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 543-6700
www.giantgrinderslo.com

Brad and Sherri make authentic east coast style sandwiches. They use the freshest meats and veggies. The East Coast Combo is our favorite of their signature subs. Jeff would each there everyday if he could. Their outdoor patio is an ideal place to sit in the sun and relax on a sunny day. It is the best sandwich shop on the Central Coast!

We hope you check out the places on our June Hot Spot list. Do you have a Hot Spot tip? We'd love to hear it, please leave it in the comment section of our blog.

Felicia

Where In The World Is Sort This Out Cellars?

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:20:00 +0000

A good friend of mine, Cara Price, and her lovely husband, Dan Price, were recently on a little vacation getaway. Being the good friend that he is, he was preaching his love for Sort This Out Cellars all across the land. Apparently, it became so entertaining that Cara decided to start taking pictures of Dan in his Sort This Out Cellars tee-shirt as he spread the love.

Dan decided, as the self proclaimed official champion of Sort This Out Cellars, he wanted to make it a contest to guess where he goes in his Sort This Out Cellars gear. We said, "Sure, Priceman, for you, anything!" (According to Cara it was a long drive back home in the car hashing this plan.) I asked him if he had been reading Cara's Marie Claire magazines because they have a similar thing they do with their magazine every month. He had no idea what I was talking about. "Really?", I said with a suspect tone.

Where in the world is Sort This Out Cellars, is born. Guess where in the world Dan is in this picture and you win a 30% off coupon for one bottle of any Sort This Out Cellars wine brands**. Enter your guess with City, State or Province, Country and Location in the comments section below. (i.e. Paris, France, Eiffel Tower) Be sure to register before you comment so we know how to contact you. If you comment as a guest we don't know how to contact you to give you your prize. If you're the first person with the correct answer you win!

Email me - felicia(at)sortthisoutcellars.com - your pictures in your Sort This Out Cellars gear or with your bottle of Sort This Out Cellars wines and you could be featured in our next edition of - Where in the world is Sort This Out Cellars? We'll throw you a little coupon love too if we use your photo.

Good luck and may the wine be with you!
Felicia

** Coupon expires one month from the date of issue. Coupon redeemable online only. Applicable shipping charges will apply. This offer is to available to residents of states we can legally ship to. Click here for a list of states we can ship to direct or through our partner VinoShipper.

Adventures In Sin City

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Jeff and I headed out to Vegas last weekend for the Bon Appétit Vegas Uncork'd Festival Grand Tasting, poolside at Caesars Palace. We were lucky to be invited to pour our wines at such a unique culinary event. It was also a great bonus that the event benefited the Three Square food bank in Las Vegas. I have a soft spot for charities. I would give away the store if I knew it was helping people. All week I have been thinking about how to sum up the event in a succinct blog post. My first draft detailing the weekend looked more like the long version of War & Peace. So, rather then write about it I posted a few pictures to show you the fun we had. (Some are better then others, I haven't quite mastered pouring at an event and finding time to take good clear pictures.) If you want the real goods on how fabulous the event was then you'll just have to clear your calendar and join us at Vegas Uncork'd 2010!

The wines chilling down before the event. It was over 100 degrees that day. Even the reds needed a soak.

Look at our sign. Very legitimate.

Our 2007 Zin City Zinfandel Rollers Reserve paired perfectly with this burger from our Uncork'd neighbors, the chefs from BLT Burger at the Mirage.

Here are my burger boys from BLT Burger. The guy on the right is the Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel posing with his crew headed by Ross Vehmeier the GM (tall one in the back). These guys kept us well fed all night with great burgers. I highly recommend visiting their restaurant located inside the Mirage hotel. They were also great wine drinking buddies!

Here are Jeff and I walking the red carpet. Well, not exactly, we had a lady snap a quick pic at the end of the night while the clean up crew was dismantling it. It's fuzzy but it was the only one we have from the night with us actually in it and my Photoshoping skills are zero.

Hope to see you a Vegas Uncork'd 2010! - Felicia

Where's The Action At?

noreply@blogger.com (Sort This Out Cellars) — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:11:00 +0000

If you're looking for a place to get some good eats or a chill bar to have a drink in check out Sort This Out Cellars' monthly Hot Spots. Hot Spots are restaurants, places, or special events we recommend each month. They are not advertisements or endorsements (most don't even carry our wine), we recommend these places because we enjoy them and hope you'll enjoy them too. We find Hot Spots through our travels and right here on the Central Coast in our own backyard. These places might not always be hippest joints in town (Jeff would put In and Out Burger on our list each month if he could) but they are always a good time! Here are our picks for May.

Terzetto
12300 Las Vegas Blvd
Henderson, Nevada 89044
(707) 797-1000
www.themresort.com/terzetto

Located inside the newly opened M Resort on the northern edge of Las Vegas. Terzetto offers a wonderful selection of meat and fish with great sides. We recommend visiting the rooftop bar/restaurant located inside the M at Veloce Cibo for a cocktail after dinner and spectacular views of the strip. Thanks to my cousins Ted and Maria for taking Jeff and I to this great new place.

Sbicca
215 15th Street
Del Mar, CA 92010
(858) 481-1001
www.sbiccabistro.com

We love their seasonal menu and Wine Lover's specials. Every Tuesday and Thursday all wines are 50% off. While Sort This Out Cellars is not in their list, we love supporting restaurants that have reasonably priced wine lists.

Cortez
550 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

www.cortezrestaurant.com

Their mini peanut butter milkshake is to die for. With tasty tapas and a great selection of Spanish wines on their wine list, you can't go wrong.

We hope you check out the places on our May Hot Spot list. Do you have a Hot Spot tip? We'd love to hear it, please leave it in the comment section of our blog.

Felicia

Cinco de Mayo Vino

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Today is Cinco de Mayo and most folks will have a margarita in one hand and a chip with guac in the other. I say why not a nice glass of wine to go with that salsa. I know, I know, I must be crazy it's Cinco de Mayo the holiday commemorating the Mexican defeat of the French army at the battle of Puebla. Tequila and cold Corona are the perfect pairing for this holiday, right? Well maybe not, around the same time in the early 1500s the Spanish settlers were distilling Tequila in Mexico they were also producing wine. In fact, the some of the earliest history of the California wine industry can be traced back to the Spanish settlers who brought European wine grapes with them to Mexico and then on to the territory that would become California.

Around 1550 Spanish explorers and settlers brought their European wines grapes to the Valle de Parras. Soon after they established the Mission of Santa María de las Parras or "Holy Mary of the Vines". Parras in Spanish means "the vines". In 1597 the Hacienda de San Lorenzo was built by the Spanish settler Don Lorenzo García, there he established Casa Madero, the oldest winery house in the Americas. From these native grapes the first "American" wine was produced. Many vines from Parras were the first to be exported and cultivated to where is now Napa Valley, California. Our California winemaking roots are firmly planted in Mexico.

So I call to all of you wine drinkers out there on this Cinco de Mayo, if distilled agave and Dos Equis aren't your tastes the pop open a bottle of wine (Californian if you've got it) and raise a glass with our Mexican compadres on this Cinco de Mayo. I thank them for their early contributions to the California wine industry. Viva la vino!

Need some wine for your Cinco de Mayo Celebration? Stop by the tasting room today and mention Cinco de Mayo and take 10% off your purchase of any white wine. Offer ends 5-5-09 at 5:30pm.

Felicia

Are You Feelin' The Grooves? - Oh, Jah Man

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The temperature is rising in Vegas, and that can only mean one thing....it's time for Rock 'n Roll Wine's annual Reggae Pool Party! Get ready to sip Sort This Out Cellars Wines and more then 50 others under the stars, poolside at the new billion dollar M Resort Pool as you take in the live Reggae sounds of Michael Black & the Jah Guide Band, and openers, One Pin Short. Our very own Michael Cobb will be out there keepin' the juice flowin' and getting his groove on!

Reggae Pool Party
Presented by Rock 'n Roll Wine
Poolside at the M Resort
Saturday, May 16, 2009
7:00-11:00pm
12300 Las Vegas Blvd
Henderson, Nevada 89044
www.rnrwine.com
Tickets: $35 in advance - $40 at the door

Ticket price includes all the wine tastings and live entertainment, as well as your $10 Rock 'n Roll Wine Bucks voucher, good for $10 towards the retail purchase of any of the featured wine at local Las Vegas wine retailers Lee's and Khoury's.

We know you want to come out and join us....there's always time for Vegas! A little pool, a little sun, and little wine. Visit www.rnrwine.com to purchase tickets.

Felicia

Wine Tasting - Are You Prepared? - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Lists of wine tasting etiquette are certainly not a new concept. You can type it into Google and get thousands of references from print media and bloggers. Most of those list are from critics, wine reviewers, wine bloggers and wine consumers. I though I'd throw my hat in the ring with my own list of wine tasting tips/etiquette from a bit of a different perspective, one from the person actually behind the counter. With the peak Summer wine tasting season approaching I think it is the perfect time for a little refresher course in the subtle art of planning a successful wine tasting day. Hopefully, this list is just as helpful as it is entertaining to all of you veteran and virgin tasters out there. All of the stories and antidotes are true - really, I wouldn't make this stuff up.

Sort This Out Cellars Guide To Wine Tasting
In no particular order:

1. Designate a Driver - Please, please, please designate a driver. Responsible tasting is always the best tasting. In every wine country region there are limos, taxis, and tour buses that will make your day so much more enjoyable then if you have to drive. Click here for a list of companies we recommend in the Santa Barbara Wine Country area. I really don't want to have to cut you off and bounce your behind outside. It's just embarrassing and makes me feel like a hall monitor. We're all adults and should act like it.

2. Taste & Dump - You don't have to drink the whole sample. If you hate it dump it or spit it! If you don't by the end of the day you'll be wondering where you left your shoe. Really it happened, I actually got a call from a taxi driver just last weekend asking if a guest he brought left her shoe in the tasting room. How do you loose your shoe?! Shirt, purse, credit card, maybe, but not your shoe. Glad we saw her early in the day.

3. Ask Questions - Please ask us questions. We love to educate you about wine and anything else we feel we are experts in. There are no stupid questions - well...maybe - "Does Crystal Light make a Chardonnay flavor?"

4. Plan a Time to Eat Lunch- Don't rely on the light snacks and crackers you brought along with you. Crackers are not a food group and by the end of the day you're starving. It doesn't need to be fancy "wine country" fare with gourmet cheeses and meats. Grab a quick cheeseburger or a burrito. You need something in your belly to get you through the day. I won't stop your friends when they embarrassing pictures of you when you've passed out from starvation.

5. Just Leave - If the vibe, atmosphere or people in the place just aren't your thing then hot foot it out of there. A good wine tasting experience is just as must about the atmosphere as it is about the wine. If a snarky tasting room attendant is attempting to wow you with their vast wine knowledge or to the other extreme can't be bothered to barely poor you a taste, then move on to the next stop on your list. Life's too short to waste your palate and your time on a bad place.

6. Remember There Are Others Around You - Be respectful of the decibel of your voice, your personal space and general enjoyment of others around you. Not everyone needs to hear about the walk of shame you did last weekend with the guy you met at the bar. Bachelorette parties - we don't need to see all of your parts . Keep the girls in the cage, it's nothing we haven't see before. It's a winery not a night club. Divorced cougars - I'm glad you're out there still rockin' it and having a good time but don't flirt with my husband or anyone else's right in front of us. It's just tacky and desperado. Pretentious wine hobbyists - Stop sharing all of your vast wine knowledge to the unsoliciting couple tasting next to you. They don't care about your trip to Bordeaux or your annual pilgrimage to Napa. They're just there to have a nice afternoon and sample some wines. Save the wine geek talk for your wine society friends.

7. It's Ok To Tip - Just like in a restaurant or bar it's ok to tip if you feel you've had good service. Most tasting room attendants make peanuts and would welcome a little extra cash if you feel their service merits it. Some wineries have a no tip policy but it never hurts to try and acknowledge a job well done.

8. Have A Good Attitude - If you "only drink beer", your girlfriend is dragging you for your 6 month anniversary together & you'd rather be watching sports game (fill in the blank here), you think the wine region you are tasting in "isn't worthy" then you won't enjoy your day. If you think only Napa winemakers can, "....make wines I would drink. The rest of you wineries are all rubbish.", you will not have an enjoyable time and might as well just stay home. A bad attitude from the start will have more of an effect on your wine tasting experience the the quality of the wine itself. Wine tasting should be fun and enjoyable, so put on a happy face and stop the whining, you just might actually like it!

As I write this a realize there are far too many wine tasting tips to list in one post so, I've decided to make this a first in a series of Wine Tasting The Sort This Out Cellars Way. Stay tuned for part deux and in the meantime we hope you plan a tasting trip to visit Sort This Out Cellars or favorite winery soon.

Felicia

We Have Always Been A Little Uncork'd - Off To Vegas Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:46:00 +0000

We are off to Vegas again. I know, I know...it's filled with gambling and debauchery but we just can't say no to a trip. Throw great food from some of the world's top chefs on the agenda and we are there!

Vegas Uncork'd
Presented by Bon Appétit
Grand Tasting
Friday, May 8, 2009
7:00 - 10:00pm
Poolside at Ceasers Palace, Las Vegas
www.vegasuncorked.com
Tickets: $150.00

Nowhere else can you experience the exciting Las Vegas food and wine scene all in one place, in one night! Savor the signature dishes from Las Vegas' top chefs and sample from the world-renowned makers of wines and spirits.

Join the owners of Sort This Out Cellars, myself and my husband Jeff, poolside at Ceasers Palace for this unique tasting experience. Sort This Out Cellars will be one of only 18 wineries pouring at this exclusive Bon Appétit event. Click here for a complete list of celebrity chef participants and wine/spirits purveyors. I think we are the only small (none corporate) winery at the event....don't quote me on that. Come on out and support us! Visit www.vegasuncorked.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Viva Las Vegas! - Felicia

My Favorite Part of the Wine Business

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:24:00 +0000

My favorite part of the wine business is getting to share our wine with fun wine drinkers. Yesterday, I was excited to pour our Sort This Out Cellars wines at Vino100 in Valencia. Vino100 is an exciting wine concept that blends a small wine store with a tasting bar. Featuring a wide variety of wines, the individual owners of each Vino100 store buy wines that are partly reflective of their own wine passions blended with a great selection of wines that are reflective of the wine interest of customers in their community.

Lil Lepore and Shari Frazier, owners of Vino100 in Valencia are some of the kindest and most genuine people I have experienced. They connect with every customer that comes in to taste and buy wine. Yesterday, it was not uncommon for them to introduce me to everyone that attended our tasting by first and last name.

There are many places to buy wine, but Lil and Sheri take pride in finding new and exciting wineries to share with their customers. If you're looking for Hess Collection Chardonnay they will tell you where the nearest Costco is, but if you're looking for some very unique wines that will rock your socks off, these girls will take care of you. They have some of the wine industry's finest little gems. Additionally, many of the wines are available for tasting daily and during wine tasting events like the one we just did on Saturday.

For you wine lovers who don't live anywhere close to Valencia, check for a Vino100 in your neighborhood. You'll find many other Vino100 stores throughout California, so odds are in your favor there is one near you.

As small business owners we especially recommend that the you find and frequent small business in your neighborhood. Lil and Shari's Vino100 is a great example of how personal treatment and wine experience will help you make a successful wine purchase, regardless of your budget. While rock bottom pricing at a big box store may seem to be a great value, nothing is more valuable then personal attention and expertise, especially when it comes to wine.

To everyone that showed up, thanks for hanging out with me. To those who couldn't make it, we look forward to seeing you at The Santa Clarita Wine Classic on May 30.

Keep on drinkin'.

Jeff

Viva Las Vegas 12 - Rockabilly Weekend and Wine Tasting?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:18:00 +0000

This blog is a lot like my engine oil. Despite my best intentions to make sure I keep it fresh and up to date, much like my engine oil, I go too long without checking in. Just like the 8,000 miles since my last oil change, too much time has passed since I last did a post, so here we go.

Four years ago, Michael and I discussed doing a red wine called Rockabilly Red. With Viva Las Vegas 12 on the horizon, in December 2008 we decided to release Rockabilly Red in April 2009, just around the time that Viva Las Vegas 12 would be kicking off at The Orleans in Las Vegas.

Thanks to Tom Ingram, founder of Viva Las Vegas, Rene Werner, Food and Beverage Director of The Orleans, and Tina Faller, Director of Resort Purchasing, we were able to bring Sort This Out Cellars Rockabilly Red to Viva Las Vegas. Michael poured Rockabilly Red, in addition to our Viva Las Vegas White and Red wines at The Orleans wine shop. Located right in the middle of the hotel, The Orleans Wine Shop rivals any of the other local Las Vegas wine retailers and is a favorite of both locals and tourists alike.

In addition to Rockabilly Red, we did a limited edition bottling of a special red blend that featured the Viva Las Vegas 12 event poster. Featuring Dayna Delux, this was one of the most popular selling wines of the weekend. Michael was excited to meet Dayna Delux for the first time and presented her with bottle number one of the 777 bottles made. As many of you may know, Dayna Delux is pregnant with her first, so she is saving her bottle and looks forward to taking a sip once the baby is here. Thanks Dayna for signing our bottles.

Thank you everyone who stopped by at Viva to say hi. We were right. There were a lot of good wine drinkers there. While other wineries look down their nose at people who don't look like them, we believe the face of wine is changing. Join us a raise a glass of Rockabilly Red. If you didn't get a bottle yet, order quick because they'll be sold out soon.

Special thank you to James Rodriguez our unofficial Director of Security for helping out at the booth, keeping things flowing.

Jeff

Introducing VinoNostra "This Wine of Ours"

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:51:00 +0000

Today marks the 89th anniversary of the beginning of Prohibition. For more than thirteen years, from January 29, 1920 to December 5, 1933 the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages for commercial consumption was outlawed by the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act.

We are proud to announce on the anniversary of America's noble experiment, our newest wine, VinoNostra. In the tradition of secretive bootlegging VinoNostra's blend will remain unknown to everyone but the winemakers.

VinoNostra "This Wine of Ours" is scheduled for release in February 2009 and will feature a series of three unique labels. In addition to the two labels pictured here, a limited edition third label exclusive to members of "The List" Cellar Club will be included in "The Drop", or cellar club shipment, this February.

VinoNostra promises to be one of our most unique and sought after wines, rivaling Cardiff Giant in flavor, character, and quality. Just like Cardiff Giant, production is limited and we expect the wine to sell fast. Keep your eye out for the first opportunity to order VinoNostra online in the weeks ahead. Make sure you are on our email list, we will be announcing a pre-order tasting event exclusively in the Tasting Room. VinoNostra will retail for $36 per bottle.

The People Who Help Us Succeed

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:27:00 +0000

I had the privilege of having yet another wonderful service experience with our wine label printer today. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how grateful I am that there are still a few people who enjoy their trade enough to take pride in their work. Our wine labels are printed by Labeltronix, in Orange, California. Our work was placed there because of a great guy, Bill Huey. He moved to Labeltronix from a different printing company in 2006 to assist Labeltronix with developing their wine label business. Where Bill goes so goes our business. As a result of our migration to Labeltronix with Bill we had the opportunity to work with yet another great guy, Rudy Gomez.

Rudy is the customer service manager for our account. By all measures, we are a small account. Every time I need something Rudy always makes it happen. Federal Tax and Trade Bureau has a problem with a word on the back label, the same day they are scheduled to print, Rudy says send me the revised artwork. I need to increase the print run because I calculated the label run without accounting for enough labels to put on the outside of the boxes, Rudy says tell me how many more. Every request I have ever had has been taken care of and expedited with no questions asked.

The reason I want to acknowledge this is most people are quick to give praise to companies for having a culture of customer service. In this case, I think the culture of professionalism and care is Rudy's and he shares it with Labeltronix.

The best part of the economic downturn is it separates the best from the good enough, and Rudy is one of the best. So thank you Rudy Gomez at Labeltronix for your support in 2008. As much as I love Bill Huey, I hope the day never comes where I have to ask myself if our label printing goes where Bill goes or where Rudy goes, because that would be a choice I don’t want to make.

The Perfect Gift - Henry Hill's Wiseguy Sunday Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:25:00 +0000

You may be asking yourself, Henry Hill's Wiseguy Sunday Gravy "the perfect gift"? Felicia you must be crazy! If you had asked me that question a month ago I would have said you're right I am crazy. However, I have come to change my tune. I'll try and break it down as simply as I can. I know attention spans are short these days with all of the holiday mumbo jumbo.

Henry Hill is the guy that Ray Liotta played in Goodfellas. Goodfellas is a true story based on Henry Hill's life in the mob. Undisputably a great movie. I've seen the movie, jumped, yelled and fist pumped my chest in all the appropriate places. I however do not seem to have the jaw dropping awe and appreciation for this movie and Henry Hill as most men do. This is a guy that turned on the mob, went into witness protection, continued to commit crimes, was kicked out of witness protection, is currently living in Malibu, California and makes guest appearances on the Howard Stern Show. That mob lifestyle must be rough.

Jeff, my husband, and Michael, my business partner, are big fans of the movie Goodfellas and of Henry Hill's life story. They heard that he was producing his classic original recipe Sunday Gravy for commercial distribution and thought it would be a perfect fit for Sort This Out Cellars. (And, they just think it's "cool"!) So, a couple of months ago Jeff and Michael set out to source Henry Hill's Wiseguy Sunday Gravy as merchandise for Sort This Out Cellars. It took some tracking down, it is in very limited distribution, but they finally found the company that is producing his original recipe Sunday Gravy.

Here comes my point as to why it is the "perfect gift" so keep reading, I promise I'll get to it. We got Henry Hill's Wiseguy Sunday Gravy in the tasting room about a month ago. To me it is just pasta sauce. I have to say I was skeptical at first but, I've tried it and it is VERY good pasta sauce. Since we've had it I have witnessed almost every woman walk right by it and head straight to the gift bags or candles without even giving it a second glance. Men, who aren't usually big on shopping around, see it, immediately pick it up and start talking about it. (I hate to make such sweeping generalizations between men and women but I have cased studied this phenomenon.) They show it to their girlfriends, wives, partners, friends and explain the story of Henry Hill and start rousing renditions of Goodfellas scenes. They always end up with a smile on their face and a jar in their bag. I've never seen anything like it. It's like football, baseball season and insert generic guy activity here all in a jar!

This Holiday Season if you have a man in your life that has everything and you can't seem to figure out the perfect gift, give them Henry Hill's Wiseguy Sunday Gravy. Even if he doesn't actually eat it, it is a trophy piece you can put on the shelf with the first place 1982 soccer league trophy then talk about it ad nauseum when guests come over.

We are the ONLY retailer that has it available for sale online and one of only a handful of retailers that have it available for sale. Trust me, it really is a unique gift for the guy who has everything!

For more information on Henry Hill and the movie Goodfellas visit his bio on Wikipedia.

Extra Felicia Tip: Henry Hill also has a cookbook. We had them in stock but have sold out and won't be getting them back in until after Christmas. I tell ya, who knew this Henry Hill stuff would be so popular? The cookbook paired with a jar of Henry Hill's Wiseguy Sunday Gravy is a great gift. It is available from Amazon or your favorite bookstore, T he Wise Guy Cookbook: My Favorite Recipes From My Life as a Goodfella to Cooking on the Run.

Did Someone Say Blackjack?

noreply@blogger.com (Sort This Out Cellars) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Holiday Blackjack & Wine Tasting

Saturday, December 13, 2008
5:30 - 7:00pm
Sort This Out Cellars Tasting Room
593 Avenue of the Flags, #105
Buellton, CA 93405

Join us this Saturday at our monthly Blackjack and Wine Tasting Night the evening of December 13th, 5:30-7:00pm. We'll sport you a marker, no money needed, the Blackjack is just for fun and prizes. We know by this weekend you will be knee deep in ho, ho holiday hell! Get away from it all and relax after your holiday shopping.

We'll be tasting our newest releases of Suited Holiday Merlot, Winter Spiced Mulled Wine, and "Zin City" Zinfandel. Enjoy classic holiday music while hanging out with your friends and playing cards. Anyone who gets a blackjack receives a coupon for 30% off a bottle of wine, so the more you play, the more chances for you to save!

Space is limited, RSVP online or call (805) 688-1717 to reserve your spot. We wouldn't want you to get stuck out in the cold! Come on by and have some fun.

RSVP Online Today

STOC Sponsors the IDA 2008 Documentary Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:42:00 +0000

This past Friday, December 5th the International Documentary Association (IDA) held their annual awards ceremony at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, California. We were honored to be the official wine of the 2008 Documentary Awards. Guests and nominees enjoyed our 2006 Suited Sangiovese and 2007 Sort This Out Cellars Lady Luck Chardonnay.

I see how the documentary filmmaker and the boutique winery are kindred spirits. Often documentary filmmakers present their art to a very small audience and face challenges in distributing their movies to a larger audience. Small wineries also, face challenges in getting their wines out to a larger audience. I enjoyed seeing many of the films nominated at my local independent movie theater, The Palm in San Luis Obispo, California. I feel very lucky to live in a place that still has one of these rare gems.

Unfortunately, Jeff and I were working in the tasting room this weekend and were unable to attend the awards. It would have been fascinating to meet the evening's host, Morgan Spurlock. The first time I watched his film Super Size Me I was mortified.

Congratulations to all of the winners and good luck to them in the race for an Oscar!

For more information on the IDA and visit www.documentary.org.

Making Your List and Checking It Twice

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:00:00 +0000

The clock is ticking and Christmas is just around the corner. Did you get the wine lovers in your life a nice bottle of wine yet? Think of all the people in your life that would love a bottle of wine this Holiday Season. To make things easier just print off this list and make sure you have plenty of wine for the Holiday Season.

Holiday Gift List:

Your Boss
Your Dad
The Carpool Buddy
Your Sister
Your Administrative Assistant
Your Sister-In-Law
Your Cousin
Your Brother Larry
Your Child's Teacher (You might want to think in terms of a case rather than a bottle - they deserve it!)
The UPS Guy
The Nosy Neighbor
The Random Friend of a Friend that shows up to your house with a gift who's name you can't remember
Your Other Brother Larry
Your Golf Buddy
Your Esthetician (My wife says these ladies take care of things.)
Your Doctor
Your Brother's 22 Year Old Girlfriend
Your Hair Stylist (Also, my wife's idea. Does the lady at Supercuts need a bottle of wine?)
Your Stock Advisor - They probably need two bottles to take away the pain. Remember it's not their fault.

Make your list and check it twice then take a look at a few of the fun wines and great deals we have this Holiday Season.

Visit us at www.sortthisoutcellars.com for these and other specials throughout December.

Snooth - "Do It!"

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:01:00 +0000

When we started Sort This Out Cellars I thought a web presence meant just publishing a website. Put it up and people will come look at it. Hell, was I wrong. Information is as only valuable as people's interest in it, and the small group of friends and family that constantly checked in on SortThisOutCellars.com were treated to hours of entertainment from the visually stunning work we put into it.

I don't MySpace, Twitter, or Facebook. I hadn't yet grasped the concept that people flow through the net on these types of sites looking for new wines and wineries the same way they flow through wine country when they come to the Tasting Room. We had equal responsibility to drive wine lovers to our website as we had to drive visitors to our Tasting Room. Perhaps you're saying "No Sh#$", but remember, the concept of using online social networking communities as an outlet for marketing has only blossomed in the last couple of years.

My perspective of the idea of social networking online was tainted by some kid's crappy blog on MySpace droning on about how nobody was hearing the tree fall in the forest of his identity. His tree didn't make noise because no one was in his forest to hear it" Wah, Wah, Wah..... Then I realized, if I could look past my satirical judgment of the things I mocked, there was opportunity for people to connect across territories that we, as individual business owners, could never cover. How else was I going to tell people about Sort This Out Cellars in Lowell, Mass, or Biloxi, Mississippi? We could reach more people than just the whiny, exhibitionist MySpace/YouTube generation, there is a whole new world of internet marketing and social networking that appeals to all generations.

Then Felicia reminded me that she showed me Snooth.com. I really can't remember when she actually told me, a year, six months, whatever. But, I think it was baseball season and I was knee deep in the midst of the Dodgers limping to a post season at barely above 500. And honestly, remembering Snooth was somewhere down the list of things I wanted to remember to do, like be a good husband and carry the laundry basket back up the stairs, take out the trash, keep my part of the bathroom clean. I digress.....

Snooth is a social wine site that brings wines, wineries, and wine drinkers together. A place where all of these things interact. Not to mention it's a great site for new wine drinkers. It is easy to use, intuitive, and unlike the stuck up a-hole that you find occasionally working at the local wine shop, it won't look poorly on you if you want to find a nice Merlot for under $20. Snooth doesn't judge, it doesn't talk to much. It doesn't drone on about the last trip it took to northern Italy to look at the Nebbiollo crop. It just connects wines, wineries, and wine drinkers whos paths might never have had the opportunity to cross.

We have posted all of our wines to Snooth, created a profile and linked everything back to our website. There are lots of these types of wine review sites popping up now on the net, but I agree with Felicia, Snooth is the simplest, and most functional one out there.

So now comes the call to action. Check out Snooth. If you have ever enjoyed a bottle of our Sort This Out Cellars or Suited wines, give it a review. Provide feedback on other wines you've tried. See, the thing is with sites like this is that they're trading posts. If you take, you need to give. Something you share may make another wine drinker feel safe in taking the risk and ordering a bottle of wine from a winery they've never heard of. Perhaps you may even find a new wine and winery on Snooth, too!

Check out our wines on Snooth and help us spread the word. Of course, if you give our wines a bad review we will send Jimmy "The Driver" out to your house. That's the other other great thing about the internet, we CAN and we WILL find you.

In the words of Ben Stiller in Starsky and Hutch, "Do It!"

Jeff

Pictures Are Better Than Words, But Video Beats Them Both

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:49:00 +0000

I remember in 10th grade I used this complex theory on auditory learners versus tactile learners to explain to my English teacher, Mrs. Benz, that writing words sequentially served no productive purpose. I then gathered my things and began to excuse myself from her classroom sighting my belief that continuing in her class was a futile waste of time on the part of both parties. Shortly there after I was escorted to the Principal's office where I continued to make my case.

Now, 15 years later I hear parents claiming their kids get bad grades because they're tactile learners, or auditory learners, or visual learners, what ever the case. While Mrs. Benz found me to be full of shit, my theory appears to be validated....or perhaps parents just need to spend more time reading with their kids and checking their homework.

Regardless, why read about Sort This Out Cellars when we can show you this cool little video? Oh, and IRS if you're watching, this is why I will be deducting a portion of my Macbook Pros this year.

Turkey and Wine - The Perfect Pairing

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:05:00 +0000

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I am sure you are, like I am, running around trying to get all of the last minute things done.

1. Cleaning the house, you can't let your friends and relatives know how you really live.
2. Finding that rare spice, that only the folks at The Food Network have heard of, because your sister absolutely has to make pumpkin waffles with a toasted pecan syrup. (I'll let you know how it turns out!)
3. Giving the dog a bath. It is never a fun proposition.
4. Making the pies. I am trying not to cheat with store bought crust this year and now I can't figure out why I thought that was a good idea.
5. Reminding Jeff for the 15th time to remember to bring wine home from the winery for dinner. It really is ironic when winery owners don't actually have wine to serve for Thanksgiving dinner.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Even for all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season it is one of my favorite times of the year. This holiday I find myself reflecting even more on all of the things I am blessed with, a healthy family, a new thriving winery and food on my table. I truly am lucky.

This year as you sit down to your Thanksgiving table, I wish you health, love and prosperity. Oh, and one more thing....remember to drink some wine...you'll need it! Happy Thanksgiving!

Felicia

Viva Las Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:51:00 +0000

Last weekend I had the opportunity to drive out to Vegas to celebrate Felicia's birthday. Now that Sort This Out Cellars is up and running I have only one mission, and that is to acquire the points needed to become a Platinum Rewards member at the Harrah's properties. Why?.... So I don't have to wait in line with the many mongoloids that stream into Vegas. Not that there aren't a lot of nice people out there. I meet many new and exciting folks every time we are in town. I am talking exclusively about the people that seem to live somewhere near the nuclear test site in their home state. Anyway, I don't want to get off track. So the Platinum Rewards card gets you some nice benefits and it gives me a goal to aim for. I have also been advised by my accountant to mention that 9:00am-5:00pm, during normal business hours, I developed new contacts and had discussions with restaurant and hotel managers about featuring Sort This Out Cellars wines at their properties.

Aside from the hours of entertainment that I had playing Blackjack and my new found hobby, slot machines, we had dinner at two great restaurants. On Friday we took a bottle of Money Plays Merlot to Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian. This is a stand up place with consistent quality and attentive service. Our server, Berkley, was professional and never hovered. She knew to pop up just when we needed something. She did one of the best jobs I have experienced lately coursing our food and timing it so that as we were having one course cleared, the next was arriving hot and perfectly prepared. You'll see in the quick photo I took the amazing bone in rib eye and potato gratin that I had. The Money Plays was a perfect companion with balanced tannin that complimented the rich marbled fat of the rib eye. A fabulous cheese plate helped us finish off the bottle. Thank you everyone at Delmonico for a great evening.

On Saturday, we ventured over to Caesars Palace and discovered it was Mexican Independence weekend celebration. Many famous Latin acts were playing all weekend but the most noticeable new fixture was the abundance of 6 foot tall Latin women with striking features and jet black hair filling the room. As a married guy, I had more important things on my mind like dinner at Bradley Ogden's, but I couldn't help but think that while Michael was working hard in the tasting room, he would have found his Valhalla at Caesars Palace.

If you're looking for a low key place to enjoy a great departure from the 20 somethings filled new resturants of Vegas, Bradley Ogden's is perfect. With minimalist design and great lighting, the restaurant is a relaxing setting without the nightclub bullshit thats a part of so many Vegas restaurants. In the lounge we had the Lounge Pre-Fix menu which included a great salad, flavorful angus burger with bleu cheese and sea salted french fries. The menu ended with an amazing butterscotch pudding and snickerdoodle cookies. For $29 it was the best value of the weekend with well prepared and designed food.

One of my favorite moments of the weekend was sitting next to a women from India who had never been to Las Vegas before. She put $5 in a slot machine next to whe r e we were playing and two spins later started one of the longest winning sprees I have ever seen. She couldn't lose. She couldn't convert the dollars she was winning into her currency fast enough to figure out just how much money she was winning, but she was excited nonetheless.

Finally, I dragged Felicia to Slots-A-Fun down on the North Strip to get a hot dog for a $1 and play some $3 Blackjack for old time sake. Here are my words of wisdom. 1. They still have slots that pay out coins. That's fun 2. Don't eat the hot dog.

I hope you get a chance to take bottle of your favorite Sort This Out Cellars wine on an adventure to Las Vegas soon.

Jeff

What A Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:18:00 +0000

After weeks of hard work the tasting room opened with a slow start in late June. By the time our July 11, grand opening arrived, the phone was ringing with questions. Where are you located? How late are you open? What wines are you pouring? Throughout the summer hundreds of new friends joined us in the tasting room. The thing that has made this experience most enjoyable is watching people connect with our concept. By stripping down the wine tasting experience, we are welcoming new wine drinkers every weekend.

As successful as we have been, we can't overlook the help of our friends in the wine industry. Thank you to all of our friends pouring in other tasting rooms for sharing news of our opening. We would especially like to thank all of the wine touring companies who have supported us. Grapeline and Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours have been especially supportive, bringing us lots of fun people. The great thing about a tour group is the diversity. The group above recently came in on a Grapeline tour. Three guys from the U.K., two chicks from Omaha, a Baby Boomer couple from New York, a couple from Jersey, and a couple from Santa Barbara. All were strangers hours before. By the time we meet them it was like they all grew up together. It's great, how wines brings us together.

So looking back here are a few fun facts from the summer.

1. 2005 Cardiff Giant, and 2007 Suited Pinot Grigio were the two top selling wines. We have plenty of Pinot Grigio left, but there are less than 5 cases of Cardiff Giant left.

2. We should have named the tasting room the Sort This Out Cellars Tasting Room and Coaster Emporium. We have sold more than 200 coasters since opening. Mike always said people like coasters, but they must have been excited to see them without the tired old wine labels so many other wineries make.

3. The number one selling Sort This Out Cellars clothing selection was the sexy Boy Shorts with the Sort This Out Cellars logo on the ass cheek. Felicia says it's because all women look sexy in boy shorts regardless of your size. I think it's because the guys snatch them up for their wives and girlfriends after wine tasting all day.

4. Just because the sign says R.V. Park doesn't mean they don't drink wine. Everyone we asked said it would be a waste of time, but we didn't agree. The Flying Flags RV Park in Buellton host many vacationers pulling large fifth wheels or driving million dollar coaches. Let me tell you. Once these people level off the coaches, they drink wine. More than 100 visitors came by from Flying Flags this summer. Other wineries listen up. They have more trunk space than a car, and they don't have to try and smuggle wine home in luggage boarding a plane. One RV couple came in and bought a case of wine the first night they got to town and then returned 10 days later to buy another to take back to Laguna Beach.

5. Only two wine glasses were broken all summer. Both glasses were broken by the same little blond fidget from Studio City. Bachelorette parties are a reason to have fun, not to be a pain in the ass and break stuff.

6. Felicia was right. If you spend a little extra and upgrade the bathroom with flowers, nice soap, and cloth hand towels, women will tell more people to visit you, buy more wine, and thank you for thinking of them.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by this summer. As harvest approaches and we are getting ready to take delivery on our first grapes of the season, we hope that you will keep in touch, check back in on our website and blog, and of course visit the tasting room.

Jeff

Bar Is Open!

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia "The Congisliere") — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:04:00 +0000

As you may have noticed we have been missing from our blog over the past couple of months. I promise it was for a very good reason. We have been hammering, nailing, painting, staining, hanging, cleaning, planning and there was a bit of swearing thrown in there too. Jeff and Mike suddenly turned into Bob and Norm from This Old House. It was touch and go there for a while but we were one step away from becoming the New Yankee Workshop. We learned a lot along the way like a Certificate of Occupancy is an essential (who knew?) and that ceiling tiles suddenly became the topic of every conversation we had. There really is only so much you can say about ceiling tiles!

After many weeks of preparation and hard work when all was said and done we finally have ourselves a Sort This Out Cellars Tasting Room. Yes, you read correctly an actual Tasting Room for you to come and taste wine. It is located in the heart of the Santa Barbara County Wine Country in Buellton, California. A convenient stop between the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Rita Hills AVA just off Hwy 101 near Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant, open daily 10-5:30.

Join us for our "Official" Grand Opening Weekend on Friday & Saturday July 11-12, 10am-6pm. Stop by for the festivities and taste our newest release 2005 Money Plays Merlot Rollers Reserve. We also have great new Sort This Out Cellars merchandise including tee shirts, tank tops, coasters, wine openers and more! The weekend kicks off on Friday, July 11th at noon with the City of Buellton Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. We have lots of other special top secret surprises planned for the weekend too. You'll just have to stop by and see for yourself!

All of this wouldn't be possible without the help and support of all our friends and family. I would like to send a couple of special "shout outs" (I'm not sure if I'm too old to get away with using the term "shout out" but, I'm going to anyway!) to Allison and Cynthia, Mike's girls, for being such great and patient helpers on those long nights. Also, a special thanks to my friend, and expert interior designer, Jen for helping us pick out the perfect paint colors. Thanks to Lindsay for doing killer mock up concept drawings of the tasting room. (She knows I am not a visual person!) Last but not least a BIG thank you to my friend Becke for helping me to clean and stain the concrete floor on the hottest day in recorded Buellton history. 113 degrees is ridiculous! She truly deserves some kind of friendship medal.

Jeff, Mike, Gary and I hope you will stop by and visit us soon!
Sort This Out Cellars Tasting Room - 593 Avenue of the Flags, #105 - Buellton, California 93427.

Click Here For A Map And Driving Directions From Your Location.