Another Big Step for Ramona Valley Wines

Beth Edwards is co-owner of Edwards Vineyard & Cellars, along with being a graphic artist. Recently, she described her efforts to create the first official brochure for the Ramona Valley wine community.

“It’s hard for a graphic artist, a marketing person and a lawyer to say the same thing,” she said.

Sounds like a variation on a very old joke: A graphic artist, a marketing person and a lawyer walk into a bar…but no, this isn’t standup comedy.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Carolyn Harris, a winemaker and attorney who serves as legal counsel for the . She’s the “lawyer” in this process.

The brochure will include a map showing the locations of various wineries.

“The first major step in marketing a wine region is the map,” said Harris.

When I asked who the “marketing person” is, she replied, “We’re doing it ourselves,” meaning many of the winery owners. As I’ve pointed out in columns past, there’s a strong sense of community and cooperation in the Ramona wine community.

Edwards said the brochure is in the proofing stage and she expects it to be out in the next two weeks.

Harris said she expects revised versions to be published, “probably every six months.” That would reflect the rapidly changing scene in the Ramona Valley Viticultural Area.

“We’ve got 16 bonded wineries right now, with five more in the queue,” Harris said. Prerequisites for legal operation and promotion of wineries here include getting a bond under federal regulations, plus licensing from the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverage Control and conforming with county regulations.

Also, in a community of new, small, family-owned and operated businesses, not every operation may be producing at the level to support a tasting room, Harris said. Many cases of initial vintages go to family members and friends who help pick, crush and bottle the vintage, or to charitable organizations, or at deep discounts to stores and restaurants for promotion.

The sense of community and cooperation in this fledgling community is often balanced by something else. As Harris puts it, “They’re all independent spirits.”

At any rate, the first Ramona Valley wine brochure is imminent.

“We’re excited,” said Harris. “It’s a major milestone for the launch of a wine tour in the Ramona Valley”

That’s another column. Stay tuned.