Big crowd anticipated for 'Virgin Red' Tasting

Some wineries spent parts of the past week celebrating Nouveau, the release of the first wine from grapes that only a couple months ago hung on the vine. Chaddsford Winery puts its own spin on the occasion with a by invitation only “Virgin Red” Tasting for Frequent Buyer members.

This will be held 7 to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) at the winery and is sponsored by Lane Exteriors. At these events, guests will sample wine from the barrel and other current releases, and will balance that out with cheeses and other snacks.

Here’s how their Frequent Buyer club works, according to the Web site.

1, When you purchase your first case of wine, you receive a 10% discount and a Chaddsford FREQUENT BUYERS card. As you purchase additional cases, your discount will increase.

2, When you buy cases 2-7, your case discount amount increases to 15%. At your 8th case purchase, you will receive a new VINTNERS CLUB card which entitles you to a 25% discount on all case purchases thereafter (at any Chaddsford location).

3, Your discounts will apply to shipped case orders as long as they are called in. We are not able to deduct discounts from on-line orders at this time.

4, Gift shop merchandise, wine & food baskets, café items and wine by the glass are not discounted.

5, Throughout the year, we will post various "specials" and "bottle discounts" for our FREQUENT BUYERS & VINTNERS CLUB members only; such sale items will not require a case purchase.

Co-owner Lee Miller wrote in an e-mail that they expect to welcome around 400 people to the winery this weekend for the special event.

The Frequent Buyer program is essentially their case purchase club, she wrote. “Since it's not feasible for us to have a regular wine club (that ships out selections several times a year) because of the state's shipping laws, we do the Frequent Buyers thing to give our best customers (up to) 25% discounts on their purchases. As just another benefit, all Frequent Buyers get invited to our "No Nouveau" Virgin Red party - at which we show some of the new "virgin" reds from the current (2008) vintage ... and lots of other wines. It's a big fun party all throughout the cellars ... finishing in an outdoor tent with hot mulled wines & sweets! We do another event for our "second tier" Vintner's Club members, which is a vineyard picnic/pig roast in June.

P.S. this year we are showing barrel/tank samples of a new vineyard designated Pinot Noir from the Philip Roth Vineyard, plus '08 Cabernet and Merlot.