Join us for a unique, pre-conference tasting
experience at ROAR Winery!
Kick off the Direct to Consumer Wine Conference before the show and get an exclusive preview of some of the most exciting wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands. ROAR Winery is 20 minutes from the Hyatt Regency Monterey. This intimate, stand-up tasting is your chance to connect with the winemakers and principals behind some of the region's most celebrated brands. You'll have the opportunity to taste current releases and special selections from:
Date: January 20, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM
Location: ROAR Winery, 11005 Commercial Pkwy, Castroville, CA 95012
Ticket Price: $35
Don't miss this opportunity to network and discover the exceptional terroir of this world-class California wine region.
The Santa Lucia Highlands is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located on the east-facing terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range in Monterey County on California's central coast. Although vinifera wine grapes were first introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 1790s, the area's focus remained on vegetable farming for the next two centuries.
The region's winegrowing potential was truly discovered in the 1970s by a small group of pioneering families, including Nicky Hahn and Rich and Claudia Smith. By the 1980s and 1990s, new plantings established the Santa Lucia Highlands as a source for sought-after Pinot Noir grapes, attracting vintners from across California. The federal government officially approved it as an AVA in 1992. Today, the AVA includes about 5,700 acres of grapevines, mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.