Skip to content

Moraga Chamber looking for wine donations for their fundraising raffle

Dear Members,
I received the email below from Kathe Nelson who is the Executive Director of the Moraga Chamber of Commerce.
If you would like to donate wine for their raffle, please contact Kathe at kathe@moragachamber.org or 925.323.6524.
Bill Scanlin
President, Lamorinda Wine Growers Association
—————————————————————————————————————————————————-
I’m not sure if Susan Captain passed this promotion along to the Wine Growers or not, but Carol Haag suggested I contact you. The Chamber of Commerce is holding a Wine Raffle featuring Premium wines. We are selling tickets and asking for donations of Bottles of wine. First place is 20 bottles, second place 15 bottle and 3rd is 10 bottles. I know that you all get asked for donations all the time, but I was hoping to be able to feature and include a bottle or two of wines from  the Lamorinda AVA in each basket.

Would you be able to pass this request along to the Lamorinda Wine Growers to see if anyone is willing to donate a bottle or so? The money from this Raffle goes directly back into the Chamber to offset the loss of the $9000 underwrite the Town had previously provided.

I would be happy to pick up any donations, and if possible, have them by the end of next week.

Thank you for any support of this project.

Kathe Nelson

Executive Director
Moraga Chamber of Commerce
1480 Moraga Road C #254
Moraga, CA 94556

Reminder: Lamorinda Wine Growers Association General Meeting – Sunday, October 29th at 3pm – Oak Springs Pool Clubhouse, 39 Spring Rd, Orinda

Dear Members,

We hope to see you at our quarterly membership meeting that will be held at the Oak Springs Pool Clubhouse, 39 Spring Road, Orinda on Sunday October 29th at 3pm.

Please bring a bottle of wine and appetizer to share.

If you haven’t paid your 2017-2018 dues, please bring your checkbook.

We will be sharing harvest experiences and talking about the results of an upcoming member survey.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

Best,

Bill Scanlin

President, Lamorinda Wine Growers Association

Lamorinda Wine Growers Association General Meeting – Sunday, October 29th at 3pm – Oak Springs Pool Clubhouse, 39 Spring Rd, Orinda

Dear Members,

We hope to see you at our quarterly membership meeting that will be held at the Oak Springs Pool Clubhouse, 39 Spring Road, Orinda on Sunday October 29th at 3pm.

Please bring a bottle of wine and appetizer to share.

If you haven’t paid your 2017-2018 dues, please bring your checkbook.

We will be sharing harvest experiences and talking about the results of an upcoming member survey.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

Best,

Bill Scanlin

President, Lamorinda Wine Growers Association

Host next General Membership Meeting (10/29) at your home?

Dear Members,

Our next General Membership Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, October 29th at 3pm.

The membership enjoys going to another members home for meetings and seeing their operation.

If you’re willing to host the October meeting, please reach out to me by the end of September.

Thanks,

Bill Scanlin, President LWGA

email: bscanlin@gmail.com     cell: 925.200.7676

Upick Grapes Saturday September 16 2017 Alhambra Valley Road

As you may know, Tom Powers has sold his vineyards to Kevin Balestrieri.  A Upick operation will be held at the Balestrieri Family Farm vineyards at 8:00 AM on Saturday, September 16, 2017.  The available grapes include:  small amounts (a few hundred pounds each) of merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon, and several tons each of pinot gris, viognier, and syrah.

Those wishing to pick high quality grapes, should meet at the Alhambra Valley Winery at 6140 Alhambra Valley Road, Martinez, CA at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2017.  There is a wide parking area in front of the winery.  The winery is about one quarter mile east of where Bear Valley Road and Pereira Road intersect with Alhambra Valley Road.  Note that Alhambra Valley Road/Pinole Valley Road is closed between Castro Ranch Road and Bear Valley Road.  If you are coming from the East Bay, the shortest route is San Pablo Dam Road to Bear Valley Road.

Look for Bonneau Dickson, Czar of the Contra Costa Wine Group, in a white Subaru Station Wagon.  Bonneau’s cell phone number is 510 910 3420, but cell phone reception in this area is spotty at best for services other than Sprint.

Please be on time.  If you are late and I am not at the winery, go to the intersection of Alhambra Valley Road and Pereira Road, turn north (right if coming from 6140).  The entrance to the vineyard is on the right about 200 yards from the intersection.

The vineyard previously belonged to Tom Powers, who wrote the book “Vineyard Simple”.  If you are interested in planting or tending a vineyard, copies of the book will be available for $20.

The price is 50 cents per pound, cash only.  Bring small denomination bills.

If you want to use my crusher/destemmer, you will have to come to my place at 2428 McGee Avenue, Berkeley, CA.  I will help you crush/destem and will even help you press and all this for free

If you think you want grapes, please reply by email to dickson.bonneau@gmail.com giving me your name, the varietal that you want, the approximate number of pounds that you want, and whether you would like to use the crusher/destemmer.  There is no obligation if you decide not to come but it helps my planning efforts if I have some approximate indication of what the demand will be.  Come anyway if you did not manage to let me know that you are coming.  Also let me know and come if you do not want any grapes but would just like the experience of picking grapes.

For anyone wanting a ton or more, we may be able to arrange to have it picked for you.  A deposit would be required.  The pickers usually are not available on Saturday and Sunday.

You can try to reach Bonneau at 510 910 3420 (Cell, but spotty at the vineyard) or 510 845 8625 (Landline but only checked intermittently during the hubbub of wine processing)

Happy grape picking and wine making.

Bonneau Dickson, P.E.
2428 McGee Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703

Tel.  510 845 8625
Cell  510 910 3420
Fax. 510 845 4606

Request for wine donations: Habitat for Humanity’s National Hurricane Relief Fund

On September 24, Tom and Bobbie Preston are hosting a Wine, Cheese, and Heirloom Tomato Tasting to benefit the Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Relief Fund.  The Prestons would be most appreciative of a few bottles of wine from those growers who can do so, to help make this event possible.  Bobbie would be happy to come to you to pick up any donations.  The event is Sunday September 24, from 4-6:30pm at the Preston home and garden, 1307 Larch, Moraga.
The event will cost $25 per person, with the proceeds going the Habitat Hurricane Relief Fund; there will be personnel at the event to assist guests in making online donations to the Fund, as well.
Thanks for your consideration!  And they’d love for you to come and enjoy the event, too!!
Tom and Bobbie Preston
1307 Larch Ave, Moraga

Wagner ranch nature area olive festival

The Friends of Wagner Ranch Nature Area is hosting the annual Olive Festival on Oct. 1. Friends sponsors outdoor/environmental education programs for Orinda students. Please consider donating one bottle of your wonderful local wine to this worthy cause. I am happy to pick up and will put together a Lamo basket for the auction portion of the fundraiser.

Thank you,
Colleen Sullivan
Alwazrt@comcast.net
925 254 6993

Material from Jim Lapsley presentation at last general membership meeting

For those of you who were able to attend the last general membership meeting, you’ll remember what a great presentation we had from Jim Lapsley.  He sent me his presentation deck along with some other material that was mentioned and below are the links to the material.

impact of information on champagne purchase

judges reliability

marketing actions

pate vs.dog food

The color of odors

wine competitions

Bordeaux Does Quality Matter

Bordeaux does Terroir Matter

Do more expensive wines taste better

How does price affect taste

Bill Scanlin, President Lamorinda Wine Growers Association