An anonymous woman who seems to be working on behalf of the Tri-Valley Visitors' Bureau (covering the valleys of Amador, Livermore, and San Ramon) has been roaming restaurants around Danville, Pleasanton, and elsewhere for the last month randomly giving away bottles of local wine to diners. The gifts have been posted on the Twitter account SecretSommCA, and as CBS 5 reports, the unknown benefactor has already given out over 50 bottles totaling about $2,000.
The Visitors' Bureau has described the donor only as "a nearby resident who 'made millions in the tech industry'" and who obviously wants to help pimp the Livermore Valley wine industry.
Gifts have included bottles of Wente Chardonnay, Concannon Chardonnay, Nottingham Cellars Cabernet, and others and the promotion seems clever enough that these wineries would likely be glad to donate bottles for marketing purposes, but allegedly the Secret Sommelier is paying for everything.
According to this tweet last weekend, the wine gifts were supposed to end with Restaurant Month, which was January. But CBS says the free bottles will continue showing up on diners' tables through February.
Some examples:
My waiter is armed & ready to serve 2 bottles of @Wente #Chardonnay @DublinPIO @VisitTriValley pic.twitter.com/KbADxLfqXI
— SecretSommCA (@SecretSommCA) January 31, 2015
I found a deserving couple who'll enjoy a bottle of @NotCel #CabernetSauvignon 2011 #surprise @VisitTriValley pic.twitter.com/ktQSEGypwe
— SecretSommCA (@SecretSommCA) January 31, 2015
Like a secret Santa, but better! Thanks & cheers @SecretSommCA @lastonepicked @OasisGrill pic.twitter.com/sqqCR5Eq2Y
— Lainie (@TheeLainie) January 18, 2015
Sat down for dinner @PleasantonDT @VisitTriValley Looking for next target now to give some @McGrailVineyard #wine pic.twitter.com/PiViV6OfR4
— SecretSommCA (@SecretSommCA) January 18, 2015