”
This was the first year a group of us decided to attend the wine
stroll, and I must say we were pretty disappointed.
”
“This was the first year a group of us decided to attend the wine stroll, and I must say we were pretty disappointed. To begin, the info on how and where to buy tickets was not correct and a number of businesses listed as selling tickets did not. We started about two hours into the event and we came across at least three wineries that ran out of wine or only had one kind left. For an event that sells a specific number of tickets and is supposed to last a certain time, there is no excuse to run out so early, other than poor planning. It was disappointing to have expected one thing and received something less. We will think twice before participating in another event and will probably not be quite as excited to visit the wineries that fell short. Hope the planning for the next one comes out with a better result.”
Strong>Red Phone: Dear Looking for More, Red Phone contacted Jorge Briones, executive director of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, who said it is unfortunate when someone goes into something with a certain expectation and they end up with a less than expected result. More than 800 of the 1,000 tickets were sold in less than two weeks, meaning several merchants sold out of their allotments three weeks before the event. All other sales were conducted out of the MHDA office and each business was instructed to direct people to MHDA office.
With respect to the wineries running out of wine before the event ended, the association has a written agreement with each winery that specifically states that each is agreeing to provide one ounce tastes for 1,000 people.
“MHDA compensates each winery for the wine poured at the event and we hold a mandatory pre-event meeting with each merchant and winery to go over things such as having enough wine to cover all 1,000 ticket holders until 6 p.m.,” Briones said. “We are aware that some of the wineries ran out of wine before the event was completed and we are in the process of finding why this may have happened. We want the experience for the ticket holders, merchants, wineries and the entire community to be a positive one.”
“Hopefully the caller and their group will return for the November wine stroll and give the Downtown Wine Stroll another look,” he added.
Downtown ‘shrooms look great
“Red Phone, a while back someone wrote about the dilapidated state of some of the mushroom art and you said the Downtown Association has been refurbishing the pieces. You ran a photo of one at the corner of Third Street and Monterey Road. Well, I attended the wine stroll – a very successful event, I should note – and I noticed the piece has been redone. Just wanted to say thanks.”
Red Phone: Dear Happy with the ‘Shrooms, Red Phone contacted Briones, who said he was pleased someone noticed.
“It’s an ongoing project but one that is worth the effort,” he said.
