Falltacular 2012--1/14/2012 @ My Place--MAIL YOUR CHECKS!

ToddFrench · October 14, 2011, 3:59am

Wow that looks fantastic! I remember seeing the plans at your house last Falltacular - what a fantastic space, for a deserving organization!!!

Eldon_Gath · October 18, 2011, 6:44am

Awesome and very well done.
Looks like a great space for a wine tasting!!!
Falltacular 2020???

Frank_Murray_III · October 22, 2011, 2:00pm

Good Saturday AM. Just wanted to circle back and update the event. I am proud to add the winery names below to the event as those who havs signed on to commit wines to be poured by the volunteers. The list should grow a bit more as I lock down a handful more but at least wanted to get out some early information to you all. Many of these names are strong and rock solid supporters of the event since inception and some names are new, all will have wine for you to support the event and drive funds through your help to Laura’s House. More to come soon, thanks for staying along for the ride!

VIRAGE
JEMROSE
COASTVIEW
ALESIA
RHYS
BIG BASIN
HUG CELLARS
POE
JEAN EDWARD CELLARS
TERCERO WINES
ETRE
BLACK KITE
SAXON BROWN
AUGUST WEST
SANDLER
LORING
AGHARTA
WIND GAP
LUCIA
SWITCHBACK RIDGE
JAFFURS
COPAIN
FLYING WINE CELLARS
SOJOURN CELLARS
LADD CELLARS
CARGASACCHI
POINT CONCEPCION
ARGOT WINES
HOLDREDGE
CORE
COWAN CELLARS
FREEMAN
MATTHIASSION
MAZE

Frank_Murray_III · October 22, 2011, 2:01pm

Frank Murray III:

Falltacular 2012 is here. A thank you to all who voted through the poll that I have now closed…we have our date!

With the selection of the date now in motion, what have we been up to since the last Falltcular? Well, I am actually starting a little bit later this year because I we recently conducted a smaller event for Laura’s to raise money, what we called Suntacular. We had about 40 people over here at the house in August and raised about $1,500, simply through the generosity of those who came. We had a nice day, Laura’s got a nice boost but the mother of the year is Falltacular, and it will be Falltacular 2012. This is the juggernaut and each year we surpass the last, which will be our goal for 2012’s event, to be held here again at my house. Falltacular 2011 provided over 130 different wines (2 bottles of each wine, BTW), we had about 120 people in attendance and we filled the garage with auction wine items. We will repeat that success this year!

Many of you know the drill, have been such a key contributor to the event for the past several years and I thank you so very much. I do though realize some people are new to Wine Berserkers, who is the sole place where we post the information. I appreciate Todd letting me host it here every year. Those new folks don’t have context for what the event is about so with that in mind, I offer a few introductory links below. Some photos from Falltacular 2011that Burkie took and then finally a closing link to the follow up to last year’s success. This should be enough to describe what occurs.

Last year’s photos!
http://www.jburk.net/Wine/Falltacular_11/

Last year’s success!
https://wineimport.discoursehosting.net/t/you-falltacular-success-thank-you/38855/1

I do want to point out that I have made a decision this year to raise the price to $75. I did not change the price the previous two years as I wanted to settle into the event and get it right but we have proven the event can offer tremendous value, a wide array of wines, a diversity of food that spans all styles and there is no way someone can attend the event and walk out dissatisfied. Above all that, I get one shot a year to help the shelter, to help Laura’s House and with over 100 people in paid attendance, I can generate another $1,000 for them with a small price increase. I trust you will all understand as I do appreciate, being in the HR realm, that times are tough for many people but they too are tough for the women in the shelter. We’re all in this together.

For now, I simply ask that you digest the info above, ask any questions and I will begin booking down the wineries over the next 4 weeks. I will keep that info updated here. I will ask for checks to be mailed around Thanksgiving but plz do not mail checks yet. Wait plz.

Thank you all again for taking the time here to get caught up. On behalf of Jill and I, as well as Laura’s House, we thank you in advance for supporting the event.

Mike_Grammer · October 24, 2011, 4:39pm

Thanks for the great update, FMIII

I am coming, just booked the flights today. I will bring sweater.

Excited that John, Jim and Kevin are participating, hope they will all be able to make it down. Great to see many other returnees and new wineries as well. The trip will be very worth it for me.

Nancy_Dolce · October 25, 2011, 1:28am

If the weather is warm enough, you might be able to save that sweater for the after party at the Best Western!

Mike_Grammer · October 25, 2011, 6:00pm

Ah, but that will deprive Todd and others the pleasure of taking pictures at Frank’s place and then mocking me afterwards

R_del_Rosario · October 26, 2011, 3:20am

Mike, bring the sweater and I will wear it!

ToddFrench · October 26, 2011, 4:39pm

Me, too!

Mike_Grammer · October 26, 2011, 5:01pm

I will bring a change of sweaters so everyone can be happy.

Jim_Burk · November 1, 2011, 3:55am

Counting down to this event! Will bring the camera for another set of pictures!

Phil_Carpenter · November 2, 2011, 2:22am

Mike! I look forward to seeing you!!!

Frank_Murray_III · November 2, 2011, 2:36am

Thanks to all of you for the email traffic and PM questions about when you should mail checks, suggesting other wineries to add to the event, etc. It’s all appreciated and I have got back to all of you by now. If I missed you, drop me a note again.

I have been rolling quietly for now as people are still bringing in fruit, staying very busy so we can get at it with respect to where to send checks, silent auction items, wines to be poured etc as November gets rolling. We’ll get the mo’ going again in a week or so and start revving up.

We’ll have a rip it up event this year so stay tuned.

Mike_Grammer · November 4, 2011, 12:29pm

Sounds great, Frank. Phil, glad to hear you’ll be coming again.

J_a_y_H_a_c_k · November 4, 2011, 4:22pm

So where actually is this shindig? What city or town? I’m thinking that we’ve had enough of you guys drag yourselves out here to eat in my back yard so maybe we should reciprocate. Unless, of course, the Jets are in the playoffs that weekend, in which case I will be travelling elsewhere. Maybe they will be in Sand Diego and we can make it a double whammy.

ToddFrench · November 4, 2011, 4:27pm

It’s at Frank’s house in South OC, and we’d love to have you join us, Jay!

Nancy_Dolce · November 5, 2011, 2:12am

Let me second that thought with the caveat that I would prefer that Jay attend a Jets playoff game!

Mike_Grammer · November 5, 2011, 3:31pm

Third that, would be great to catch up, Jay, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun.

Frank_Murray_III · November 12, 2011, 2:44pm

Good morning. We’re moving along pretty good now and I have started to capture the wines to be poured and also the silent auction piece that the wineries are helping to support. With that in mind, as with past years of Falltacular, I do have the master file, which is really the event’s inventory of what is being poured, what is being auctioned, who is volunteering to pour and who has paid. Here’s that link, which I also now have embedded in the first post:

Master file list–wines, wineries, volunteer schedule and silent auction lineup. Note–when the file opens, you’ll need to maximize it so you can view the tabs.
http://www.lesliefisher.com/lh/2012_falltacular.xls

I will continue to update this link as the wineries send me their commitments and auction items over the next few weeks–check on the link as often as you like.

So, when do you send the payment? Very soon. I may have that posted up this weekend. Check back, as I have a finite size house and cannot let in more people than the event will comfortably handle. Send your check fast once I post the address.

Can you volunteer? YES YES YES ! In the link above, you will be able to view the volunteer schedule, WHICH IS EMPTY! I need you to help me fill it. Donate one hour, even two to the event. All that is required is you put your glass away, you cannot drink. You wear a volunteer badge and you pour at one of the handful of stations, just like past years. Only volunteers can handle and pour the wine bottles so my volunteers are critical. To sign up, you can simply post back to me here the time and location (up or down stairs) and I will get you locked in.

Can you donate to the silent auction? Heck YES. One bottle, which can be a 750, a mag, 2 bottles, 5 bottles. All of it. Simply post your wine or PM me if you wish and we can discuss offline. Remember, last year we raised more in the auction than from the door, about $7,000 and $6,000 respectively so the auction is crticial. We already have wines committed, which you can find in the master file link above but plz find some items in your cellar, donate them. Help me like last year fill my garage!

That’s it, let’s get to work.

Sean_Kennedy · November 12, 2011, 5:29pm

Frank,

Put me down as a volunteer for 1 pm upstairs.

SPK