Business News
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- Written by: Editor
Favorable awards and ratings, consumer acceptance, and strong demand from airlines have all helped propel the company’s two brands, including:
British Airways: The international carrier purchased the Redtree Chardonnay in late 2007 for its international economy consumers, doubled the order this summer, then doubled it again in fall 2008. In total, they will have purchased more than 37,000 cases.
United Airlines: Redtree Chardonnay is now featured on domestic first class flights.
US Airways: Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc was ordered in summer 2008 then re-ordered in fall.
All Nippon Airways: Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon is featured in first class. (The 2005 vintage was just featured as a “best buy” in Wine Enthusiast’s October 2008 issue.)
“Our airline partners and their customers are responding enthusiastically to the quality and value of Line 39 and Redtree,” said Roy Cecchetti, co-founder and chief executive officer of Cecchetti Wine Co.
“After flying, consumers are emailing us, asking where they can purchase these wines, especially in hub markets like London, Denver, Chicago and Honolulu,” he added.
The company has offered its airline customers the convenient 187ml format bottle and Cecchetti says this is increasingly rare from all but the largest wine companies.
Cecchetti Wine Co. was founded in late 2006 and began selling wine in spring 2007.
Wine sales through the third quarter of 2007 totaled less than 17,000 cases. But through September 2008 sales have exceeded 77,000 cases according to the company.
Cecchetti says the company will surpass 100,000 cases by year end.
Cecchetti Wine Co. strives to produce consistent and approachable wines of excellent value from California, especially the emerging AVA of Lake County, California. Visit the company online at www.cecchettiwineco.com.
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- Written by: Lacy Christensen
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE – Chic Le Chef had its grand opening Saturday evening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a welcoming party with wine and hors d’oeuvres.
The event took place in the storefront owned by Julie Hoskins, the force behind Chic Le Chef, and is adjacent to Hardester’s grocery store in Hidden Valley.
Hoskins offered several different hors d’oeuvres from various styles of cooking to show off her versatility, and all were delightful and delicious. They included an Asian-themed spring roll wrap with carrots, kaffir lime and rice sticks in a ponzu sauce, chicken apple sausage, cheese and apples in puff pastry, and a crostini topped with a feta cheese mixture and an olive and caper tapenade. There also was a light bread pudding bite with cranberries topped with a caramel sauce.
The atmosphere in the shop is friendly and relaxed, and the décor makes you feel like you want to get behind the counter and start cooking yourself.
Chic Le Chef offers culinary classes for kids, teens and hands-on applications, and “how-to” workshops. Gift cards for classes are available, and make for a great unique experience. You can also hold a culinary themed birthday party at the shop, where Hoskins will entertain you and your guests with culinary games, and you can decorate your own cupcakes.
Chic Le Chef has recently started a gourmet dinner take-out service a couple of days a week. On Tuesdays they offer “Tuesday Take-Out,” a boxed dinner that they will deliver locally in Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown. On Wednesdays they prepare their “Hump-Day” meal, a family meal for four that can be picked up at the shop between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The menu changes weekly and there are a limited number of meals they can prepare, so it is strongly recommended that you call ahead (by Tuesday morning) to reserve a package as they sell out early. They hope soon to add a “Finally Friday” meal that they will deliver in the Clearlake area.
Chic Le Chef offers catering for parties or weddings. They also host small corporate events such as board meetings or team building exercises.
Hoskins, owner of Chic Le Chef, is a warm and friendly person with a great passion for food. After spending a large portion of her life in the corporate world, she took a leap of faith and is following her dream of exploring food and sharing it with people. She can be contacted at Chic Le Chef, 18983 Hartman Road, Hidden Valley Lake, telephone 987-9664 or visit her online at www.chiclechef.com.
Lacy Christensen is a resident of Lake County and editor of the Foodie Freak columns. She is also the manager of Promptly Handled Person Concierge Services.
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Called the SME Toolkit (http://us.smetoolkit.org) it is an online resources and it has an array of new features providing expert advice for starting, growing or maintaining a business.
The new tools include daily expert advice by Jim Blasingame, the No. 1 ranked small business expert on the Internet. A new small business video learning series is available covering topics such as incorporating, bookkeeping, managing credit and avoiding burnout.
The toolkit was introduced last year in the U.S. for Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American and women-owned businesses, and contains thousands of how-to articles, free Web software, press release distribution offerings and directory listing, financial calculators, business readiness quizzes, human resources information and more. Most of the toolkit also is now available in Spanish.
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The North Coast Agritourism Conference will include speakers on tourism, evaluating resources, business plans, county regulations, managing risk, and marketing. A panel discussion will feature experienced agritourism operators from across the region, including Anne Austin of Eleven Roses Ranch and Lake County Wine Tours.
Agritourism includes a wide array of farm and farm-related activities states the US Department of Agriculture, including outdoor recreation, educational experiences such as cooking classes and wine tasting, entertainment such as harvest festivals and barn dances, hospitality services including overnight
stays and guided tours, and on-farm direct sales that include “u-pick” and roadside stands.
According to a recent USDA report released in December of 2007, farm-based recreation, which includes hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and other on-farm activities, provided income to about 52,000 farms across the country in 2004 and continues to grow.
Local farmers, ranchers, and others who are interested in developing the hidden assets of agricultural businesses are invited to register for this informative conference. An agritourism conference was held in Lake County in 2006 and sold out quickly, so early registrations are encouraged.
Registration fee is $40 for the conference and includes the University of California Agritourism manual, catered lunch, conference packet, and morning refreshments. The deadline to register is Nov. 7.
An agenda with registration information can be viewed or downloaded from the County of Lake website at www.co.lake.ca.us on the Economic Development page under Upcoming Events.
The Lake County Marketing and Economic Development program, a member of the North Coast Tourism Council, is sponsoring this conference along with the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance, UC Cooperative Extension Mendocino County, the City of Ukiah, and the Mendocino Winegrape and Wine commission.
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