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by Dana Seguin
Director of Hospitality
"What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet"
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1594
Recently, I celebrated my five year anniversary at Testarossa. I vividly remember my first day as it was the Summer Release Party on May 30, 2004. Nearly 1,000 guests came through the winery that day and I was truly impressed that this boutique winery could throw such a large party! Thus, when I started planning this year’s Harvest Festival, I was inspired to look back at the history of this event. I was surprised to discover that this event has been a part of Testarossa history for fourteen years! Over the years, the name of the event has changed several times, however the objective has remained the same.
Customer Appreciation Event
In 1996, Testarossa hosted the first event of this kind at Cinnabar Winery. It was referred to as a Customer Appreciation event. It was an invitation only event and it sole purpose was to thank the first Testarossa customers for their support. Customers were invited to sample the 1995 vintage that was in barrel and enjoy food prepared by Diana and Rob’s sister, Sue Krueger. There was no wine available for sale; it was simply an event to show gratitude to their loyal customers.
Testarossa continued the Customer Appreciation event after their move to the Novitiate Winery in 1997. Rob recalls the 1997 event fondly as it was hosted on the same day as a 49er game. The game started at 10am and the Customer Appreciation event began at noon. No guests arrived at the party for the first 45 minutes as the 49ers were winning. Rob and Diana waited patiently for their 40 guests to arrive. Last year, we hosted approximately 800 guests at our Harvest Festival. The popularity of Testarossa can be traced through the growth of this event.
Open Houses
After a couple of years, the party began to change shape as the customers wanted to purchase wine at this event, now referred to as an Open House party. Testarossa did not have a tasting room thus, these parties were the only days that they opened their doors and showcased their wines to their loyal customers who were on their mailing list. “Futures” soon became the focus of these events. Customers had the opportunity to pre-order wines that they sampled from barrels. One of the most memorable things from these Open House events was the attendance of the local Ferrari Club. An impromptu car show became a tradition for several years.
Release Parties
With the opening of the Tasting Room in 2003, the event turned into a Release Party!! Club Testarossa was started at this time as well and this further changed the event. Club Testarossa grew rather quickly and there soon was not enough wine to fulfill the needs of both the club and the futures program. Also, one of the benefits of being a club member is having the first opportunity to purchase our limited production wines. The last Release Party was hosted in 2005 and this also marked the end of the Futures program. The Harvest Festival was born in 2006. The Harvest Festival now celebrates our most coveted release of the year, the release of our Diana’s Chardonnay and Niclaire Pinot Noir.
Harvest Festival
Last year, over 800 Club Testarossa members enjoyed complimentary tickets to the Harvest Festival. According to our members, the Harvest Festival is the most popular benefit of Club Testarossa. While the name has changed, it is still a Customer Appreciation event. We host this annual event to show our gratitude to all of our customers.
Thus, we are pleased to invite you once again to our annual Harvest Festival, which will be held on October 4th. We hope to see you there!
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