The Unforgettable Joy of Our Garage Syrah Bottling Party

A Special Memory of Togetherness…

…to celebrate “Come over October.”

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, I'm excited to share a series of short weekly posts that take you behind the scenes, revealing memorable moments that have shaped our journey at Amista Vineyards.
 

This October, we’re raising a glass to the incredible role wine has played throughout history in bringing people together and creating cherished memories. As part of “Come Over October,” we’re joining others around the world in toasting to the joy of togetherness.

For me, one of the most unforgettable examples of this spirit of community took place in December 2003, when we bottled our very first “Garage Syrah.” My late husband Mike had harvested three tons of Syrah grapes in 2002—an amount I thought was enormous at the time—and we needed help to get it all into bottles. So, we turned it into a bottling party, inviting a dozen friends and family members, many of whom had already invested in futures of our first official Amista Syrah, harvested just a few months earlier in 2003.

That day was special in so many ways. It wasn’t just about bottling wine—it was about friends coming together, working as a team, and sharing in the joy of a shared accomplishment. We bottled 100 cases of wine in record time, with lots of laughter and new friendships made along the way.

The weather that day wasn’t ideal—drizzly, gray, and chilly—so we moved our operations into the garage. But despite the gloom outside, the mood inside was anything but! There was an electric energy in the air as we worked together on a job that most of us had never done before. Friends came from throughout the Bay Area, and even a couple from Chicago. My parents drove all the way from Arizona to join in the fun. Out of the group, only two people had experience bottling wine, and they were convinced it would take us all day—if we finished at all! To their surprise, we knocked it out in just one and a half hours.

It was amazing to watch this group of near strangers seamlessly divide tasks and work together like a well-oiled machine. And, of course, a little 'product testing' and plenty of laughter only helped speed things along! When we finished, everyone headed home or to their hotels to clean up, since we were all sticky with grape juice. Then we reconvened on our back deck, overlooking the soggy vineyards, and raised a glass of the wine we had just bottled.

Later, we gathered around a long, candlelit table for a dinner that Mike and I had prepared to relive the day’s best moments. There was much laughter and camaraderie as everyone got to know each other better.

Then, like a spontaneous flash mob, one of our guests stood up and began performing the hilarious story of Rindercella, a spoonerism that had us all in stitches. I had never heard anything like it before, and what made it even more special was that the storyteller—and Mike—were laughing so hard they could barely get through it! When he finally finished, we erupted into applause and raised our glasses in a big toast.

To thank everyone, we invited them to pack their cars full of cases of the wine we had just bottled. Years later, one of our guests surprised me with a bottle of that very same 2002 Garage Syrah. It’s a lasting reminder of a day filled with friendship, laughter, and the magic of coming together over wine.

We invite you to make some memories and taste with us at Amista.

Still Thirsty?

What is Come Over October?

Join us for Come Over October Celebrations at Amista

Ideas for Your Own Come Over October from Wine Roads

If you’ve never heard it, here is a rendition of Rindercella on YouTube.

How (and Why) to Buy Wine Futures