Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/913027
14 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 IT'S THE HOLIDAYS—time to rejoice! I'm sure some of you, though, are saying you're not in a celebratory mood; the holidays might as well be synonymous with "too much work." Don't be a scrooge. There are ways to help people celebrate that involve little or no extra effort. First of all, stock up on sparkling wine. Build up your supply of Champagne by having a substantial back-up for your already-listed bottles and adding a few more. You might experience a serious loss of revenue if you have to repeatedly tell customers, "Sorry, we're out of that." Make sure you don't neglect the lower part of the sparkling wine list. Fill out your selection with plenty of Prosecco, as well as Spanish Cava, Spumante, Sparkling Burgundy, domestic bubbly, and Lambrusco (yes, Lambrusco). These items will move over the holidays and it's too late to re-stock if you run out. People like to celebrate in large groups, so lay in a supply of large- format bottles. A special holiday list of magnums and a few double magnums will serve as a potent revenue source as they're certain to find eager buyers. Big bottles of Chardonnay, Cabernet, and other still wine staples should move especially well. The holidays may also be the perfect time to upgrade your dessert wine list. Ports, Sherries, late harvest Riesling, icewine, Vin Santo— these are all certain to attract attention. If you have a separate des - sert wine list, make sure it also repeats the sparkling wine selection; customers are just as likely to order bubbly at the end of the meal as they are at the beginning. All in all, a wine list featuring a well-engineered selection of cel - ebratory bottles goes a long way toward a painless and financially- rewarding holiday season. —Anthony Dias Blue { editor's notebook } { industry auctions } Stocking Up Your Cellar for the Holidays AFTER THREE CONSECUTIVE years of record-breaking growth, the Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) expect to con- tinue their upward momentum by introducing several exciting changes to the fourth annual Sonoma County Barrel Auction (#SoCoBA) scheduled for April 20, 2018. With a new selec - tion of "never before, never again" wines up for bid, the 2018 event will take place at MacMurray Estate Vineyards, known as one of Russian River Valley's most acclaimed Pinot Noir vineyards. The event will follow on the heels of the tenth annual Sonoma Summit, rounding out what is certain to be an exciting week of education and networking opportunities for licensed wine sellers. "Although Sonoma County was impacted by the wild - fires in October, 90 percent of Sonoma County fruit was picked prior, so our trade guests can expect to taste the same caliber of unique wine lots at our barrel auction event," says Jean Arnold Sessions, Executive Director of Sonoma County Vintners. "We appreciate the continued support of the licensed wine trade as our community recovers. We are #WineCountryStrong, and we look forward to welcoming you in the spring." One of the nation's most prominent wine trade events, the Sonoma County Barrel Auction is a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind wine futures for savvy trade professionals. The unique wine auction lots—submitted from Sonoma County's top vintners and evaluated by a Panel of Masters—repre - sent the exceptional stylistic range and world-class quality of Sonoma County. Sonoma County Vintners celebrated a successful 2017 Sonoma County Barrel Auction this past spring, raising a record $794,500. To date, the auction has generated nearly $2 million in funds that support Sonoma County Vintners' marketing initiatives and the county's 17 diverse growing regions. Trade registration for the 2018 event is now open. For more information or to request a ticket, visit sonomawine.com/ barrelauction or fullcirclewinesolutions.com. For members of the trade wishing to directly assist those affected by the fires, Sonoma County Vintners supports the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, a fund managed by Community Foundation Sonoma County that provides mid- to long-term relief. Sonoma County Barrel Auction is a Must-Attend for the Wine Trade