The Traveling Vineyard Releases Two New Wines for Spring Tasting Events

The Traveling Vineyard today announced that two new wines will join the line-up of selections available at their free in-home tasting events, the 2011 Calamity Sue, Riesling, Monterey County, California and the 2011 Bentgate, Cabernet Sauvignon, California. These wines enhance the company's breadth of offerings just in time for the seasonal peak in wine tasting events. Rick Libby, Traveling Vineyard's Chief Grape Stomper remarks, "We brought in new wines at the holidays. This is our next round of new wines – with more to follow. Our new winery facility in the Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara is ramping up production and these are a few of the new offerings we are excited about."

Rick explains, "With the 2011 Calamity Sue, Riesling, Monterey County, California, we are delivering a wine that we have had many requests for at tasting events over the years. It carries a quirky but memorable label. You may have heard of the legendary Calamity Jane. She was the adventurous frontierswoman with a generous streak who traveled throughout the Western Plains in the late 1800's. We've characterized the fictitious Calamity Sue on our "racy" Monterey County Riesling label as the spirited little sister of Calamity Jane – just as feisty and just as sweet."

"People are always interested in the backstory of the wine and how the label plays into the product," he continues. "The playful Lichtenstein-style image on the bottle uses a comic book type graphic which ties it all together. We frequently involve our consultants in the field in this naming/label process. They really know the guests best."

According to Francis Sanders, Traveling Vineyard's Winemaker, "It's been a while since we have shown a Riesling at tasting events. This off-dry Riesling should be a winner with our audience as it contains all the "racy" food-friendly acidity you look for in this varietal when it comes from Alsace, France and all of the fruitiness you expect when it comes from Germany. However, it was produced right here in the US! It pairs perfectly with spicy ethnic foods that are so popular today – especially Asian dishes."

Francis points out, "Our second new wine, the 2011 Bentgate, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, carries a more traditional label, but was crafted with a slight twist. It is done in the style of an elegant French blend combining Cabernet Sauvignon with a minor percentage of Syrah as well as Malbec and Petite Sirah. You don't usually see these varietals together in the US. Adding a Rhone varietal like Syrah, is a practice that is typically done in the Cabardès section of France, the only appellation in southern France allowed to blend Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon with Rhone varietals. At 86%+ Cabernet Sauvignon, it tastes like a classic Cab but with that added spiciness you get with Syrah."

"The new Bentgate gives us a chance to teach about this style of Cabernet Sauvignon as well. We constantly weave wine education into our free home wine tasting events and product offerings. As we develop new wines, we keep that in mind," says Rick.

In addition to the company's focus on "fun and fizzy", several other wines are slated for release in the next few months. The company's new California licensed winery facility has been pivotal in making this happen. It has afforded the capacity to efficiently increase production for West Coast winemaking and bring these unique wines to market.

Rick comments, "Our unique free home wine tasting events give us keen insights into customer preferences. In essence, we have a vast experimental laboratory where we can gather direct feedback on our products and gain perspective on guests likes and dislikes. It's a huge advantage for us in rolling out new wines."

For more information about Traveling Vineyard wines, please visit http://www.travelingvineyard.com.

About The Traveling Vineyard:

The Traveling Vineyard brings the romance of a vineyard tasting room to the privacy of your home. Our Independent Wine Consultants will lead you and your guests through a fun and educational wine tasting event at no charge. Our team has been sourcing, blending and bottling worldwide boutique wines for over 25 years. With thousands of awards to our credit, we bring these exclusive wines to your living room.

The Traveling Vineyard creates hundreds of Independent Wine Consultant careers. For more information on creating a fun and fulfilling home based business, please visit http://www.travelingvineyard.com/home-based-business.