CELLARPASS RESERVATIONS UP 250%, CONSUMER TRAFFIC UP 63%

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Next Generation Reservation Tool Does Double-Duty for Wineries as Traffic Generator and Hospitality Management Tool

 For Visitors, Makes Touring Wine Country Easy with Free
Customized Search Results, Reservations, and Itineraries

(NAPA, CA, June 12, 2011) -- CellarPass, the leading online destination to explore, book and share wine country experiences has announced record reservations growth of more than 250% for appointments placed in May 2011 over April 2011, shattering all previous company records to date.

“The reservation and consumer membership growth for CellarPass has far exceeded industry expectations,” states Sarah Elliman, VP Marketing & Sales for CellarPass. “But that’s only the beginning of the good news, we are also showing a record conversion rate of 25% - meaning more visitors for our customers, not just inquiries” continues Elliman.

More than 10,000 consumers used CellarPass to book their Napa Valley wine tastings and tours, which led to $80,000 plus in winery tasting fee revenues in the month of May. “We’re focused on reaching out to wineries and showing them how easy it is to increase consumer visits and it shows as CellarPass represents more winery clients in more states than any other winery reservation system,” states Elliman. “We’re also endorsed by more regional organizations, further recognizing the service’s leadership and commitment to increasing tourism.”

Continued growth and higher conversion rates are projected for the future according to Elliman, as their new Concierge interface has become popular with the hospitality and travel planning professionals, netting a large increase in reservations for their winery members. “No more leaving messages or trading emails with the winery. Concierges simply go to www.cellarpass.com/concierge, and with a few clicks, they are done.”

CellarPass Benefits for Wineries

•   Allow guests to reserve their wine tasting or tour 24/7

•   Generate additional visitor traffic, both online and in your tasting room

•   Improve back office management

•   Increase consumer database

•   No software to install with CellarPass.com’s web-based system

•   Seamless integrated with popular industry Point of Sale and Ecommerce systems

About CellarPass
Launched in January 2010, CellarPass^SM is the leading wine tasting and tour reservation website that offers consumers easy and free access to customized winery searches, real-time confirmed reservations and shareable itineraries. Cellarpass provides the tools wineries need to promote events nationwide while connecting with their guests in ways that enhance the visitor experience and build long-lasting relationships.

For more information, please contact Sarah Elliman at (707) 255-4390, or email selliman@cellarpass.com. Follow CellarPass on Facebook at http://facebook.com/cellarpass and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cellarpass to get the freshest updates.

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The Do's and Don'ts For Visiting Wine Country

If you have ever gone wine tasting then you may have witnessed a faux pas or two by fellow tasting room guests.  If you haven’t well, then shhhhh, it might be you, just kidding.  In our travels and wine tasting adventures, we have seen it all from the most polished  to the “I hope no one saw that” moments and this week we share our tips so you hopefully will never experience the latter.  

Do’s

1.       Invite friends or family. Wine is meant to be shared and CellarPass makes it easy to add guests to your itinerary (just sayin’)

2.       Ask questions. Don’t be shy if you really want to expand your knowledge about wine then speak up.  Your tour guide or tasting room host is eager to share information and educate you on their wines.  Here’s your chance to get all your questions answered- you might be surprised what you will learn.

3.       Plan ahead. Many wineries offer unique tours and tasting, but have limited space. So waiting until you arrive in wine country to pick your wineries to visit may limit your choice of experiences as many of the special tours and tastings require at least 48 hours notice- some even longer depending on demand.

4.       Have a designated driver or hire a driver or car service. There are plenty of options out there to meet just about everyone’s budget and you don’t want your memories of wine country to be the about how nice the police officer at the station was.

5.      Eat. Yes, it seems simple enough, but as you work your way through your selected wineries it can be easy to forget about. Plan to stop for lunch in between wine tastings or select a winery that has picnic ground for you to enjoy and bring a bountiful basket of goodies to share with your friends.  Many wineries also offer catered fare from box lunches to abundant spreads depending on your desires. CellarPass.com even allows you to book reservations with restaurants in Napa, Sonoma and beyond, so check it out.

6.     Drink. Water that is. Be sure to sip water between your tastings to keep hydrated especially on the beautiful summer days. Most people recommend a glass of water for every glass of wine. We recommend way more than that in the summer as it tends to get pretty hot (and humid) in wine country and the best way to make it through the whole day is to keep your fluids up and the hangover monster away.

Don’ts

1.     Don't be Late. Plan to arrive at least 5 minutes early for your tasting or tour.  Your timely arrival will give you time to check in and allow your host to provide you with a memorable experience.  Unless you know the area you are visiting very, very well leave at least 30 minutes between tastings to allow for driving time.  It can easily take 45 minutes or more to get from Calistoga to Napa in the famed Napa Valley.

2.     Don't be a No Show. If you can’t avoid being late or gulp, need to cancel your appointment, have the courtesy to call the winery to let them know. This will allow the winery to take other appointments or at least not rush the other group out the door in preparation of your scheduled visit. The cool thing about CellarPass is that you can cancel in most cases right through your My Account page.

3.      Don't Overbook. Keep your winery visits to no more than 4 wineries per day.  Nothing is worse than being rushed to get through your wine tasting.  Relax and enjoy, that’s what this is all about.

4.     Drink too much.  We understand that you want to have a good time, however, know your limit. If you’re drunk, you can’t appreciate the wines and chances are you’ll annoy those around you too. Many wineries are on the lookout for these sorts of people after lunch and have no problem '86ing you no matter who you are.

5.     Don't forget where you’ve been.  All too often when we meet fellow winery visitors we find out they cannot remember which wineries they visited on a previous trip. Sadly, they almost always really enjoyed the wines they tried, but darn it if they can’t tell us the name.  Keep a note pad or wine journal for your reference.  CellarPass keeps track of your booked wineries, so you don’t have too.  Now, you will have no problem finding the name of that really great winery next time and where you went last. 

6.     Don't be a victim of fashion. Ladies this one is for you. We love our Jimmy Choo’s too, but many wineries are well, surprise…rustic.  Some of the best wineries have gravel roads and non-stiletto friendly environments. Be smart and pack a pair of flats just in case.  You’d hate to turn down an impromptu invitation from the winemaker to do some barrel tasting in the cellar…right???

Did you know that CellarPass is not only a great place to plan your visit to wine country, but you can also view hotel accommodations, restaurant guides and more?

Pet Friendly Wine Country

Wine Country Is the Ultimate Getaway For Your Pampered Pooch

It is safe to say that people are pretty much taking their dogs everywhere these days.  If you happen to be one of them and you enjoy the wine country as much as we do, then read on dear friends…

Some of us here at CellarPass like to bring our furry friends on outings as often as possible, even as I write this our resident daschund, Brandi is relaxing on her office bed.  As much as we like to travel with our best friends it can sometimes be difficult to find places that truly welcome and can accommodate Fido.  That being said, we are lucky that wine country is such a perfect place to visit with your pooch and from wineries to luxurious lodging here are some ”five paw” recommendations for you. 



Photo Courtesey of Napa River Inn



The Napa River Inn located in the historic Napa Mill is a wonderful boutique inn with echoes of a bygone era. The property is conveniently surrounded by shops, galleries and some of Napa Valley’s top restaurants most offer romantic outdoor seating as well.  Your pooch will be spoiled with the Inn’s VIP (Very Important Pet) program. Some of the highlights of this special service include a custom-designed pet blanket with a color coordinated place mat, Napa Valley Cab-Bone-Nay or Char-Dog-Nay dog biscuits and a personalized welcome letter with a list of local pet support services from dog walkers to on-call veterinarian.   Visit the Napa River Inn website to reserve your room today. http://www.napariverinn.com/about-us/pet-services.cfm

When it comes to dining you can always grab a quick sandwich or smoothie and head to the park for people watching and fetch. But half the fun of visiting wine country is the fabulous restaurants too. So, when the humans in the group prefer a meal actually served at a table your choices can be quite limiting. Fret not, during the warmer months many establishments in this wine and food mecca have wonderful outdoor seating options which typically allow well behaved dogs (but it is always polite to ask first).  But to give you a couple ideas, here are two we find dog-gone good…

Bistro Don Giovanni, this Napa Valley favorite is very pet friendly. They won’t necessarily go over the top for your tail wagging friend, however, their outdoor patio and art clad courtyard offer both canine and human an excellent choice for fine dining.  A more casual option is Downtown Joe’s in Napa. This brew pub “welcomes all species (including K-9)” and serves up traditional American favorites and incredible hand-crafted micro brews.

Of course we couldn’t write this article without mentioning our favorite dog friendly, errr dog crazy winery, Mutt Lynch located in Healdsburg, CA.  We think the name says it all, but don’t be fooled by the tongue and cheek label the wines are every bit as balanced and refined as those from more serious names.  This appointment only property will host you and your four legged buddies in their rustic barn tasting cellar.  While you sip and enjoy the bounties of wine country, your pampered pooch can nosh on complimentary dog biscuits and stretch out on the cool cellar floor.  Mutt Lynch is also a supporter of local canine rescue and charity organizations. What is not to love about this place?

To view more pet friendly wineries visit Click Here and select "Pet Friendly" in the Advanced Search.