By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | March 27, 2009
Rick Lanza, with Wooden Valley Winery, watches over the bottling of a special cuveé for wine club members Friday morning. Wooden Valley and other Suisun Valley wineries are always looking at new ways to expand their customer base. Photo by Brad Zweerink
FAIRFIELD - Try as they might, local winemakers know the Suisun Valley name simply doesn't have Napa Valley's panache.
As the wineries strive to expand their base of customers, they are taking a variety of approaches. Some have tried to get into grocery stores, some have tried to get into restaurants and some will rely on Suisun Valley's first-ever Passport Sunday event in April, which aims to bring the customers to the wine.
'It is not easy,' said Rick Wehman, general manager for Ledgewood Creek Winery. 'We are a small winery in an unknown valley. We have the advantage of being close to Napa, so we do use that, but mostly what you have to live on is the quality of the wine and the price range you're selling the wine at.
'Once you leave California, you are either in Napa or in Sonoma or you're California-labeled.'
Ledgewood has worked with small distributors across the country to get its wine into local restaurants and fine wine stores, Wehman said. Ledgewood sells wine 'from here to New York,' he added.
Wooden Valley Winery has found success going in a different direction.
Ron Lanza, whose family has operated the winery since 1955, said he has found local restaurateurs are generally supportive of the industry. However, he said the typical markups limit the quantity of wine sold. He said the real breakthrough for the company came when Wooden Valley got a presence in four local Raley's grocery stores after years of trying.
'They are very difficult to get in,' Lanza said. '(But) it is nice to have that presence. Your customers can get your wine at a more convenient location than having to come out (to the winery.) The amount they sell is great, but I look it at as more of a marketing campaign to sell wine.'
Nevertheless, getting people out to the wineries is still viewed as the ultimate goal.
'We want foot traffic in the valley,' said Tracy Ellison, agricultural ambassador for the area. 'That is the big drive for local wineries. They would like to gather those memberships.'
The Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association has been conducting a strategic marketing plan for the area and recently formed a vintners committee for the growing number of wineries in the area.
The first public event will be 'Passport Sunday,' a tasting tour of seven prominent wineries that will begin at 11 a.m. April 19.
'It is a chance for folks to come out and taste and travel,' said Ellison. 'We will be pairing the wines with local restaurants.'
Tickets are available at Blue Victorian Winery, Ledgewood Creek, Suisun Valley Wine Co-op, Tenbrink Family Winery, Vezer Family Vineyards, Winterhawk Winery and Wooden Valley. For more information about Passport Sunday, go to http://www.svgga.com.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.
