Willow Glen Resident

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Photograph by Diana Diroy

Private Taste: San Jose wine consultant Rita Archer conducts an in-home tasting of boutique wines for a party of 15. 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.

Wine consultant brings tastings into homes through WineShop

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 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.

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

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.

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

"It depends on the group and how much detail they want to get into," says Archer, who also offers personalized labels that are quite popular as wedding favors.

"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.thegreatwinerack.com. She can be reached at 408.947.7482.