Launching and growing a winery is not for the faint of heart! There are so many challenges to overcome, just to survive from year to year. To flourish for ten years is a real achievement. We were thrilled to be invited to the celebration of Eagle Ridge Vineyards’ 10th anniversary.
We have been fans of Eagle Ridge Vineyards for nearly their entire 10 years. We became wine club members there about 8 years ago, our very first club membership! As each of our children reached legal drinking age, one of their first winery visits was to Eagle Ridge. Clearly, Eagle Ridge has a special place in our hearts. When we received an invitation to their 10th anniversary party, we could not wait to congratulate the owners, Cheryl and Jim Perry, and join in on the fun.
We arrived to find a parking lot full of cars and happy people queuing up to get their wrist bands. We collected our wrist bands and wine glasses and went into the winery. We were lucky enough to score a table by the wine barrels. There were additional tables set up in the side garden, with the added attraction of live music. Singer/Songwriter Chris Ahlman was already attracting an audience, with smooth vocals and adroit guitar work.
In the front garden, Tequila’s Taqueria was set up under a pop-up tent, serving chicken, pork, and beef soft tacos, with all the fixings. Tequila’s Taqueria has two restaurant locations in Livermore, so the crowd knew exactly what to expect, and the line reflected their excitement. We were soon served steaming plates of food and returned to our table to enjoy it.
As we munched on our food, we tasted our way through the extensive Eagle Ridge tasting menu. We particularly enjoy comparing progressive years of the same varietal. The same grapes, crafted by the same wine maker, yet the results are so different. We were able to compare the 2013 and 2014 Cabernet Sauvignons, the 2012, 2013 and 2015 Zinfandels and the 2012 and 2013 Petite Syrahs. What a wonderful exploration! We also tasted the new Eagle X, their latest creation, a blend of Touriga, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel. We purchased several of their commemorative boxed sets with Eagle X and two etched wine glasses.
The winery was full of Eagle Ridge fans, enjoying the music, the food, and most of all the wine. Cheryl and Jim mingled easily with their club members. Lots of wine was purchased as everyone restocked their Eagle Ridge inventory. Eventually we freed up our table for incoming club members, and congratulated Cheryl and Jim. Their first 10 years have been amazing. What’s next for Eagle Ridge? We can’t wait to find out!
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
