Russian River Valley, CA Wine Country, April 26, 2005 –WINE BOOT CAMP® challenges recruits to dive into wine by rolling up their sleeves and plunging into winegrowing and winemaking. A 12-hour intense wine-encounter, WINE BOOT CAMP® begins in the vineyard tending vines and ends in the winery blending and bottling.

WINE BOOT CAMP® 2005 will conduct a mission in Russian River Wine Country on July 23, 2005. Wine lovers will work hands-on in Alegría Vineyards at Acorn Winery under the guidance of owners Betsy and Bill Nachbaur. The mission will continue with a fabulous cellar experience at Paradise Ridge Winery under the tutelage of Dan Barwick, winemaker where recruits will have the opportunity to blend a bottle of wine from the wonderful wines in barrel at Paradise Ridge. Wine workshops and tastings of outstanding wines are an integral part of the program.

Conducted by AFFAIRS of the VINE, WINE BOOT CAMP® is a challenge to the senses, awareness, and understanding of fine wines. An intensive, highly enjoyable one-day training program, WINE BOOT CAMP® provides the experience and knowledge needed to become totally confident in the appreciation and enjoyment of fine wine. Business associates and friends will marvel at the leadership of “Camp” graduates as they storm the wine lists of America and the world.

ACORN WINERY

In the Russian River Valley appellation, near the town of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, Alegría Vineyards has been producing superlative wine grapes for more than a century. When Betsy and Bill Nachbaur purchased Alegría Vineyards in 1990, they became stewards of the property first cultivated in the 1850s. They began by reviving the Zinfandel field-blend vineyard that was established in the 1890's. Then they planted 18 acres of new vines that should be productive through the 21st century. Alegría Vineyards now includes 27 acres, planted with Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and several lesser-known varieties. In 1996, they established Acorn Winery and released their first wine, an estate-grown Sangiovese. Each year, they select about 20% of the crop for their own Acorn wines. They sell the rest of their grapes to other premium wineries. All of the Acorn wines are made from their own estate-grown grapes.

Bill & Betsy will share their vineyard philosophy as you experience this incredible vineyard. They believe that wine is made in the vineyard. Their conscientious vineyard practices assure the quality grapes they need to make wines that express the essence of their grape varieties and vineyard terroir. In the vineyard, the underlying goal is sustainable agriculture. They avoid insecticides and limit other artificial inputs through a labor-intensive process that requires paying individual attention to each vine. They remove leaves to expose the grapes to the sun to keep them healthy and to maximize color and flavor development. They thin the crop to keep the vines in balance. They allow grass and weeds to grow between the vines to provide habitat for beneficial insects and prevent erosion. Bill's intimate knowledge of each variety's characteristics and requirements ensures the production of excellent fruit. Enlist and be part of the mission.

PARADISE RIDGE WINERY

Situated high on a ridge overlooking the Russian River Valley in the heart of Sonoma County, Paradise Ridge Winery and the Byck Family Estate are producing hand crafted wines on an estate dedicated to: Family, Art, History, Nature and ultra-premium wines rich in taste and tradition. Wine Boot Camp® recruits will expereince “the most spectacular view in Sonoma County,” looking over the estate vineyards into the Russian River Valley and beyond to the coastal mountains. If the day is clear, you may see Point Reyes National Seashore.

Walter and Marijke Byck moved to Santa Rosa in 1965 and realized they had found a haven to raise their growing family. In 1978, after more than a year of searching for a ranch where their five children could camp, hike and fish, Walter came home one night, rain dripping from his coat and said, "Marijke, children ... I have seen Paradise!" Thereafter, the 156 acres of land overlooking the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California became known as Paradise Ranch.

Their love of wine, combined with a growing alliance with the incredible region they now called home, encouraged Walter and Marijke to start their own vineyards. Within the first year of owning Paradise Ranch, Sauvignon Blanc had been planted. Chardonnay was planted from 1985 to 1986 making a total of seventeen acres of these Varietals. The outstanding quality of fruit that the vineyards produce inspired the Bycks to start their own winery.

Dan Barwick, Paradise Ridge winemaker, will lead the troops through the winemaking process and train them to blend their own special wine from the vineyard designated, hand picked, intensely flavored, hillside wines in barrel at Paradise Ridge Winery.

Opened in May of 1994, Paradise Ridge Winery has become a haven where locals and visitors alike come to savor the wonderful wines, bring their friends and take in the magnificent views

The cost of WINE BOOT CAMP® includes all seminars and educational materials, lunch in the vineyard, dinner paired with appropriate wines, extensive wine tasting, a bottle of wine created by the recruit, transportation to all food and wine events, a WINE BOOT CAMP®” cap, and an “I Survived WINE BOOT CAMP®” T-shirt. Enlistment is $395 per person. Raw recruits and wine generals alike may attend WINE BOOT CAMP®. To enlist in WINE BOOT CAMP® contact Major Drady at 707-874-1975 or camp@affairsofthevine.com.

Enlist Today!!!

July 23, 2005 – Russian River Wine Boot Camp®: Acorn Winery & Paradise Ridge

For additional information visit www.WineBootCamp.com

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696 Elliott Lane ~ Sebastopol, California 95472

Tel: 707-874-1975 ~ Fax: 707-874-9226 ~ camp@affairsofthevine.com ~ www.affairsofthevine.com