I’ve spent some time recently thinking about what we are going to do regarding allocations for our first few releases. It looks like we’ll have more people who want wine than we’ll be able to handle. Our very conservative business plan was to have 150 mail order customers by the end of 2007. I figured 1/2 of those would buy wine, an average of 6 bottles per year, or 3 bottles per release per buying customer.
It looks like we’ll be way ahead of those numbers by April of 2007, much less December.
I’d like everyone who signs up before our planned April release of the 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah to be assured of getting a bottle. I also like the practice of Brian Loring at Loring Wine Company, and Randy Sloan at Match Vineyards of allowing customers to buy bottles in single quantities up to their allocation, so I’m going to do that for sure.
So I really think the limit is going to end up being four bottles per person. We’ll give people the option of requesting more, and if we have the bottles, we’ll get them out to those of you who have asked for 1/2 cases or even full cases.
We also will bottle six magnums of the 2005’s. Two we are keeping for ourselves and we’re planning on the other four bottles being thank you gifts for those of you who order your full allocation and request additional wine. It will be our way of thanking our first and best customers.