Rose Garden Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Diana Diroy

Private Taste: Rose Garden wine consultant Rita Archer swirls her glass of savigvon blanc during an in-home tasting of boutique wines for a party of 15 at the Hanada residence. The three red and white wines were paired with grapes, raspberries and chocolate. Archer hosts private wine-tasting parties at local homes for WineShop at Home.

Rose Garden consultant brings wine into homes

Rita Archer hosts WineShop parties

By Mary Gottschalk

When Rita Archer says she loves her job, she's not kidding.

"If anybody told me I'd have the opportunity to sell and drink wine for a living, I'd say they were crazy, but that's what I'm doing," Archer says. "I'm loving what I'm doing."

Archer, who lives in the Rose Garden area, has been an independent wine consultant for WineShop at Home for a year.

Working with individual clients, Archer stages in-home wine tastings.

"We're similar to Tupperware, but we have a more romantic product than plastic or pots and pans," she says.

For a fee of $59, Archer brings vintages from six different wineries to a client's home.

Calling her introductions "Wine Tasting 101," Archer says, "I talk about how to taste the wine and wine terminology. People are intimidated by wine, but it's very simple."

Typically, Archer offers three whites and three reds at the tastings, although she can customize the tastings to all reds if that's what a client wants.

"Our wines are reasonably priced," she says. "All retail between $20 and $30 a bottle, and we don't have any over $20 at the tastings.

"We're focusing right now on West Coast domestic wines, primarily Californian, but we have some Washington and Oregon wines as well.

"All our wines are from boutique wineries, which means small wineries with limited production."

Clients hosting a party invite six to 16 guests, usually to their own homes.

In addition to paying Archer's fee and providing the setting, they also furnish wineglasses and usually serve crackers, cheese, fruit and chocolate.

"We thought it would be a great way to get people together," says Jason Gonzales, who hosted a wine tasting with his wife, Michelle Deneau, in early November.

"We like to throw parties and have a good time," he says.

Gonzales says he met Archer through his wife, who has known her for several years.

"Rita is part trainer, part party hostess and part ringleader," he says.

The wines Archer pours at the in-home tastings are all for sale, and taking orders and arranging for delivery is part of the service she offers.

Gonzales says he was concerned guests might feel pressured, but was pleased with the way Archer handled it.

"We didn't want it to turn into a Tupperware or Amway party where people felt forced to purchase wine. That's not her company's approach or method," he says.

"Rita mentioned the wines could by bought individually or by the case. It was discreet and very low-key," he says, adding, "As time progresses, wine has the added bonus of selling itself, so by the end of the evening people are more responsive to purchasing wine."

Gonzales says he believes the dozen guests at their party all bought wine.

Archer says, "Generally, people order between six and 12 bottles, which we have delivered from our headquarters in San Ramon. It's an official winery in the state of California and we have a huge cellar, so shipments are usually received within three to four days."

Pamela Zarate agrees there is no pressure to buy. In fact, she wasn't certain if all of her 14 guests had ordered wine at the party that she hosted in July.

"Everybody came not knowing what to expect, but it was a lot of fun. It's kind of like a Tupperware party, but you get to drink wine," she says.

Zarate says she likes tasting wines so she can see if she likes them before buying.

"I'm planning on having another one," she says.

Helen Hanada also enjoys Archer's in-home wine tastings so much that she's hosted two so far.

"It's a social thing. We had fun the first time, so we wanted to do it again," she says.

She scheduled the second one for early December, she says, for anyone who wanted to purchase wines for Christmas gifts.

WineShop at Home offers personalized labels, which Hanada's husband Craig took advantage of.

"He got a couple of cases with his Next Generation Realty logo on it for gifts," she says.

Archer says the custom labels are very popular as wedding favors.

The customized wines are from Talmadge Winery and available in chardonnay, merlot or cabernet.

Currently, Archer says she is averaging between eight and 12 tastings a month.

"I'm also a mobile disc jockey and a dance instructor," she says.

"That's one of the reasons it's a perfect fit for what I've been doing for 20 years. Obviously, as a DJ, I get invited to corporations and places of business and homes for music and entertainment and sometimes dance instruction.

"Now I offer wine as well."

Diane Nozik, sales director for WineShop at Home, says Archer is one of about 1,000 independent wine consultants working with the company nationwide.

"We have a national wine club with more than 4,000 members, and Rita has been a member for years," Nozik says.

"When we converted into in-home wine tastings, we looked at members first and said, 'Here's what we're doing, let us know if you're interested.' The rest is history."

Nozik says Archer is currently the only consultant in the Rose Garden area and one of 20 to 25 in Silicon Valley.

Most tastings, Archer says, last between one and two hours.

"It depends on the group and how much detail they want to get into," Archer says.

"The main goal is to have a good time, and with a bit of wine, people have a good time."

Rita Archer's website is www.the
greatwinerack.com. She can be reached at 408.947.7482.