Finding Community at Capital Call Vintners

Are you familiar with the concept of a third place? A “third place” is a convenient location where people go to socialize outside of their home (first place) and work (second place) where they can  drop in, have a conversation and a laugh, and feel like they belong.

With the Middlebrook Mercantile in Cumming and our Walla Walla tasting room, Capital Call Vintners has intentionally been building comfortable and welcoming “third places” for people to gather. Each community is distinct, but share a love and curiosity about wine and a desire to come together to enjoy it amongst friends.

“When I travel, I like to find a local steakhouse to get dinner and a glass of good Cab. I’ve met so many interesting people over a glass of wine,” says Steve. “This kind of warm informality is what I wanted to bring to Capital Call. A place where folks can have a glass of good wine, strike up a conversation, and get to know each other.”

We believe a glass of wine and a friendly hello can truly be the catalyst to building community.

“Wineries need at least two of three things to be successful. Good wine, a great vibe or view, and friendly staff,” says April Reddout, founder of Reddout Wine Consulting. “In my opinion, having all three makes you a unicorn. Capital Call has all three: great wine, an awesome vibe, and super friendly, knowledgeable staff.”

In Cumming, the summertime Fridays at the Farm have been a huge draw for the surrounding

Middlebrook community to gather and kick off the weekend together. “It’s a really cool place,” said Robert Wilke, manager of The Mercantile. “We have a restructured VW with a roof that pops up. We have tons of regulars now.”

This summer, the Wine Wagen will be open through September 26 (closed July 4) and will feature three of our easy drinking Cash Flow reds, our crisp Grüner Veltliner, and our aromatic Rosé of Sangiovese. There will be a variety of food trucks every week and rotating bands. Guillermo Munoz, our wine events and education lead, will be there some Fridays to offer tastings of other Capital Call wines.

“For a lot of folks, our wine is a new experience,” says Robert. “They’re familiar with Oregon Pinots, but not other areas of the Pacific Northwest.”  He adds that people like to hear about the different terrain and growing areas in Washington and Oregon “Out here in Iowa, everybody is kind of connected to the land in some way or another.”

Left the Walla Walla Team, Right the Iowa Team