BOOK GROUP IN NAPA

I have no idea if the impetus for this sweeps, a novel called The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble, is any good. But if the winners are anything like my old book group, it won’t matter, because not everyone will have finished the book by the time book group rolls around. (I was one of the biggest offenders.) But, truth be told, this sweeps would have been perfect for my old book group: It involves wine and food and more wine. Oh, and books. Harper Collins, publisher of The Reading Group, and Sutter Home Winery are co-sponsoring a two-night stay at the winery’s Victorian Inn, plus air, for six. The winery’s chef will prepare the group dinner, which presumably will include plenty of the Sutter wine. The winner also gets 10 copies of the book, as well as 10 copies of Noble’s The Friendship Test.

Of course the book is not the only impetus for this sweeps. Getting book groupies to drink more wine is a motivating factor here, too. I wonder if the folks at Sutter know how much wine women at book groups are already drinking. I bet wine sales dropped measurably after my book group disbanded. (Amicably, by the way.) We used to wine and dine our hearts out. And, to be fair, there were many book group gatherings where almost all of us had finished all of the book, and more than a few where all of us had read all of the book, especially early on.

This sweeps is a throwback: You mail in your entry; there’s a printable form. You can enter as often as you like, but each entry must be mailed separately.

All I can say to the winner is, good luck trying to schedule this one.

(FWIW: I found this one by Googling “Win a Trip to Napa.”)

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2-NIGHTS IN NAPA VALLEY AT SUTTER HOME WINERY VICTORIAN INN

DEADLINE: June 30, 2006
TO ENTER: MAIL IN THIS FORM
SPONSORS: Harper Collins, Sutter Home Winery
THE DIGS: The Sutter Home Winery’s Victorian Inn
THE INELIGIBLES: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Utah, Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories and possessions
ARV (APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE): $4,800
THE FINE PRINT: THE OFFICIAL RULES
MY PERSONAL ENTRY: April 4, 2006
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