2008 OSOM Tour: Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How do I win?
It’s all about creativity and your own thoughts about HALL wines. So, we’d like our members to offer their thoughts. Be as creative as possible and in 100 words or less, write your own tasting notes for one of our newly released 2005 reds or 2007 whites. Bonus points will be awarded to those who are poetic, witty, metaphorical and most importantly, original.
A team of seven HALL Staff members will judge each entry and will make their decisions based on the following criteria: Creativity (35%)| Memorability (25%), Appropriateness to product (25%) and Grammar (15%). Based on the Judges’ response to each of these criteria four Grand Prize winners and four First Place winners will be chosen.
You must enter to win. Click Here to access the contest webpage.
2. What is a tasting note?
A tasting note is a written description of the wine. Each traditionally conveys the aromas, texture and flavor evident in the wine as it is tasted. The real craft of writing a these notes requires personal emotion and satisfaction with the wine. For this contest, we encourage our members to be as witty and fun as possible. Be creative and tell us something we haven’t already written already. Maybe the 2005 T Bar T Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine which “Sings A Cappella” over a noisy palate, or the 2005 Jacks Masterpiece “Roars loudly in a meadow of Tulips.” You tell us, the more fun you are; the more likely you will be chosen!
Still need some assistance getting started? Click Here for HALL’s “Tips for Tasting.”
3. Why was the Out of State Out of Mind tour changed from an event at a members home?
For the last 3 years our members have far exceeded our desires and expectations for the OSOM summer tours. Moreover, these events always included thoughtful parties in the homes of our members, requiring extensive to setup and execution on their behalf. HALL is grateful to those winners who created genuine experiences that celebrate our wines. This year, we want to focus the celebration on the winning members. In keeping with the past theme, we thought an elegant evening shared with our members’ closest friends would satisfy our desire to make our winery available to those living far from Napa. What better way then to take care of every need imaginable? Everything is better when our members can experience a memorable evening of fine wine and fabulous cuisine without lifting a finger!
4. When will the winners be announced and when will the dinners be scheduled?
Members have until midnight on June 30th to enter their tasting note entries. The Judges will meet the following week to vote for the winners. Once chosen, the winners will receive a phone call from HALL with further information. During that phone call, we will work with the winner’s schedules to determine the date for the dinner. Depending on the location, we plan to schedule each dinner on an evening between August 1st and November 1st. We will publicly announce the winners and their tasting notes at www.hallwines.com on July 10th.
5. Is it still possible to attend the dinner if HALL chooses someone in my area?
Why yes of course! As the winners are announced and the location for the evening is scheduled, we will notify members in the area to come and share an evening with HALL Wines. The dinner menu and wines to be enjoyed will be featured online and sent to our membership electronically through our monthly HALLogram newsletter.
6. If I win the first prize tasting set, when will I receive the package?
The First Prize packages will mail to those winners the week of July 14th.
7. Can I enter more than once?
You may write as many tasting notes as you wish, but only one entry per member, per wine. The first entry for each wine will be the only essay qualified for the contest.
8. Is it possible to choose my favorite restaurant to host the dinner if I win?
We always encourage our members to recommend their favorite restaurants! Our travels tell us that recommendations are the best way to eat! Please feel free to add the restaurant name in your entry essay.
9. What if I live in a state where you cannot ship wines? Can I still enter the contest?
All of our members are encouraged to enter, but only members in the states which approved our contest will be eligible to win. Those members who live in a state that prohibits shipments, and has their wine shipped to a different state may enter to win in the state where their wines are received.
10. Why are California members prohibited from entering the contest?
Our members are free to enter the contest, but we cannot award a winner who resides in the State of California. While we believe the best wines are made in California, the state does appreciate contests which award complimentary tasting experiences! Therefore this contest is void for residents of California. We plan to offer a different but equally elegant experience to our California members. Stay tuned!