Hi everyone,

I have been talking to our member and travel guru extraordinaire, Carol, about helping us plan two upcoming excursions -- a little one and a big one -- but we need some feedback. Please read this message and reply to me if you are interested in either trip so we can decide whether or not to proceed with them.

First of all, at every single meetup we have folks ask me if we are going to another Natchez Trace Wine Trail trip. For those who did not go, last fall we rented a bus and took a trip to four wineries along the Natchez Trace. The trip included lunch and dinner at two of the wineries, tours and tastings, a hayride and live music. It cost about $80 and was all day on a Saturday. If we did this again this fall, would you be interested? If you attended last year, let me know if there is anything you would've changed from that trip. We need at least 30 people to participate to make it work, so PLEASE let me know if you want us to plan this trip again!

The second trip is a BIG trip. It is an 8-day cruise of the Pacific Wine Coast. It will start on Sept. 14, 2014 in Vancouver and go until Sept. 20 in Los Angeles. Stops include Seattle, the Oregon Coast, San Francisco, Santa Barbara...and Carol can plan day trips and excursions for us, as well. We would need at least 32 people (16 cabins) to make this happen, and you'd either have to have a roommate or be OK with buddying up with a fellow Wine Enthusiast (or pay the single rate, which is a lot more). A ballpark figure on this trip would be around $1200 plus taxes and fees, airfare (which I'm sure Carol will help us secure) and excursion costs, but the final payment wouldn't be until June 2014. We would have to have everyone pay a deposit by January because Princess Cruise line will only hold the cabins for so long without a commitment. People are always asking me if I will take them to Napa, so here's your chance. Plus there are AWESOME things happening with wine in Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest, and I think this trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Let me know if you're interested. If it looks like we have enough interest to make this doable, I will get it set up so that folks can pay their deposit (which should be around $55/person).

Please let me know if you are interested in either (or both) trips and give me your feedback. I don't want Carol to do a lot of legwork if we're not going to have enough people to make it happen.

Also, for those of you who like our less expensive options, I'm thinking we'll have a little International Cabernet Day celebration at my house in August. Stay tuned for details.