VineBuzz

A late spring sip up at Bourassa Vineyards brought together about 50 winemakers, hospitality directors, tasting room managers, tour operators, restaurant, and lodging professionals to discuss the state of packaging and collaborative marketing. This seasonal group of monthly workshops, called "Cheers to Taste" is exciting, convivial, and educational. We also drink appreciatively a fair pouring of each other's fine craft in the process.

Associate Director Justin Linkner, of Cheers Saint Helena, explains the subtle nuances of this talent development program. Because a great variety of attractions, resources, and infrastructure are spread out from American Canyon to Calistoga, from Diamond Mountain to Wild Horse Valley, and from Los Carneros to Los Chiles Valley, it's very difficult for tourists to make good use of what Napa can offer because the businesses are still in the earlier stages of competitive collaboration. "Cheers to Taste" is a discussion group and deal-making arena to combine resources into well-organized trade packages that work out in everyone's best interest.

Cheers Saint Helena is the practice working space where we observe each other engaged in hospitality so that we can develop our talent more rapidly. This is the power of our pull.