Four-year-old, 3,000 capacity Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles, Calif., takes pride in getting the details right.
For instance, listening to customer complaints about juggling food and drink, they bagged the burger. It is easier to hold a bag with a little finger while fisting the drinks, explained Simone Michel, director of customer relations and marketing, who is also a member of the family that owns the winery and shed.
Being 100 percent sustainable requires customer participation, so to make trash separation easier, they created homemade trash receptacles with either a slit for dishware, which is compostable, or a hole for drinkware, which is recyclable.
To further encourage recycling, patrons are welcome to take the specially crafted Govino glassware and decanters home or bring them back for a $1 discount off glasses of wine or $3 off bottles. “We have a lot of locals who keep them and when they come back for another show, they bring them with them,” Michel said.
Vina Robles is a pilot project to Paso Robles Waste and is certified by Sustainability in Practice, which certifies wineries. Michel said theirs is zero waste. During the 2015 season they composted approximately 136,500 lbs. of waste and recycled 53,475 lbs.
And because they are a winery, they use round Govino glassware designed to preserve the aroma and taste of fine wines. They also use a Govino decanter for customers who buy the whole bottle. Even at that, they do not sell their high-end wines at the amphitheater, because they could not serve it properly in plasticware, she said. “We’re a winery, so it’s important the wine is served properly,” she said.
Opened in 2013, Vina Robles Amphitheatre hosted 20 shows the first season, 17 the next and 23 last year. They gave exclusive promoting rights to Nederlander Concerts in 2014. They are averaging 2,000 attendance. Highlights included Jackson Browne, who is coming back this year, Willie Nelson, Social Distortion, Ringo Starr and Steely Dan. Michel said they are looking at 25 shows for 2016, which kicks off May 14 with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.
They are also introducing a show with San Luis Obispo Opera in July called Symphony at Sunset.
The amphitheatre is right next to the hospitality center, but both cannot operate at the same time as they have different food and beverage licenses, Michel explained. However, the next step is to introduce wine tastings at the amphitheater, which she thought would happen this season.
Items range in price from $5-$10 on food and $3-$4 for desserts. The woodfired pizza is particularly unique in that the tomato sauce is infused with Vina Robles wines.
Only Vina Robles wines are served. Locally-based Firestone Brewery is the preferred provider of beer, though they also serve domestic beers. There are 36 points of sale for food and beverage.
The amphitheater and winery are cross promoted through the wine club. Wine club membership includes access to the VIP area preshow happy hour and the option to buy dinner there. Season ticketholders also have access to the VIP club. Wine club members also get presale offers two days prior to the public onsale.
“Eighty percent of wine club members are ticket buyers,” she estimated.
Premium seating options include 60 VIP boxes seating four each and mostly sold on a season basis; and 17 bar top tables at the top of lawn, also seating four each. There are approximately 2,000 seats, with 1,000 capacity on the lawn. The furthest seat from the stage is only 150 feet away.
Her biggest lesson learned in three years in the music business is to differentiate the product, Michel said. “What distinguishes us is the personal service. That’s a huge part for us.”
