On Saturday, January 24th, V. Sattui will host our annual Barrel Tasting & New Release Party.  Like all of our events, this party is a lot of fun and offers the chance to enjoy our wines, some great food and wine pairings, and groove to live music.  But what makes this party special is the great opportunity guests have to taste wines straight from the barrel and purchase wine Futures from us.

What are Futures?

Definition:  Wines still aging in the barrel.  Purchasing wine Futures is a practice that has been going for centuries in France, where they call it en primeur. V. Sattui is one of the first Napa Valley wineries to also offer wine futures, and we have been doing so for more than 30 years.  Our Barrel Tasting Party is the very first opportunity to taste and purchase the previous year’s vintage straight from the barrel. Throughout the remainder of the year, members have the opporutinty to enjoy barrel tasting in our private Cellar Club.  Barrel sampling is also offered to non-members by request for $25 per person.

If you’re convinced that a particular wine is destined to be a great one, you may pre-purchase the wine by the case with a 50% deposit, automatically locking in a lower pre-release price.

Why should I buy Futures?

By purchasing the wine early, customers have the opportunity to purchase a wine dramataically below the release price.  Once you’ve purchased Futures, during later visits you may taste your wines as they mature and develop in the barrel.  After the wine is bottled, we send notice to you for the balance remaining, and instruction for shipping or pickup.

How to Pick a Winner

When tasting wine from a barrel, remember that the wine is not finished! They are young, a bit wild and unruly; much like a teenager!

“A young wine will be fresh with bright acidity, show some aspects of the yeasty, fermentation aromas, and may have “new barrel” bouquet,” says our Director of Winemaking, Brooks Painter.  

It is wise to taste the current vintage of the wine that is already in the bottle, after tasting it’s younger version from the barrel, so you can compare the finished wine to the wine in progress.  This also gives you a literal taste of wine education as you follow a wine to see how it ages in a barrel and in the bottle.  When you purchase futures at V. Sattui we encourage you to return to the tasting room and keep tasting “your wine” as it ages in the barrel over the course of a 2-3 year period.

A Wise Investment

According to InvestorIdeas.com, investors in fine wine can make a healthy profit. However, most of us buy wine futures for pure enjoyment. Purchasing Futures gives you a chance to taste and acquire limited release wines, many of which sell out or are unavailable later.  It also offers the opportunity to save money on the wines that you love, since many of them appreciate in price once they are bottled and sold.  In addition, V. Sattui club members who purchase wine Futures at our Barrel Tasting Party receive 20% off a case of futures.

Whether you attend our annual Barrel Tasting Party or not, we do hope you’ll explore the world of wine Futures with us.  It’s a fun way to learn about wine and to secure some extraordinary wines at a great price.  See you in the Cellar Club!