August 30 2008
"A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln
In between Steve Heimoff, Tom Wark and dozens of commenters, there has been vigorous debate about the Rockaway wine program that I coordinated. The stuff hit the fan at Steve Heimoff’s blog, but really exploded at Tom Wark’s site. See here and here. If you are simply a wine reader that doesn’t care about this car wreck, I apologize, but this isn’t an issue that is dying, particularly with such dogmatic idealism occurring.
In the wine blogging world, the house is divided. People want to talk about this dissension and flap advancing the cause, toughening up skin, etc. It’s all bull and justification.
It’s unfortunate, too. Most of this flap could have been prevented if folks checked facts before hitting the publish button. For an accurate near blow by blow account, I urge you to check out Tim’s post at Winecast.net
The net-net of the situation is that the bloggers that have participated in the Rockaway program that I created have been accused of some slanderous things like lacking integrity and ethics. Yet, both Steve and Tom Wark and some of the vigorous early commenters like Ryan from Catavino are guilty of proffering inaccurate and erroneous opinions--if they would have checked the facts their opinions wouldn’t have been so inaccurate and polarizing. To me, not checking your facts is a far more offensive notion than writing about a wine sample. So far, Steve is back-pedaling, Ryan acknowledges that we, apparently, didn’t communicate well enough (though he doesn’t acknowledge not understanding well enough) and Tom is stubbornly clinging onto his inaccuracies that led to an opinion that nobody but a sycophant would agree with. And, he’s also trying to hang onto whatever is left of his blog credibility.
In fact, as Joe from 1WineDude points out, Tom would appear to be guilty of many of the things he accuses us of doing, without having done a little thing like give full transparency, as Joe notes below.
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Tom - this reviewer is *you*, right?
http://thewinespies.com/directory/wine/264
You don’t have to answer actually, because I checked the facts and it is actually you, as stated right here on your blog
I am correct in my understanding that the above is a program that requires you to -
1) ‘Write about this wine in exchange for receiving it’, and
2) Requires ‘the wine be written about within a certain time frame as a condition of receiving it’
Right?
You don’t have to answer that one either, because I checked the facts at thewinespies.com for you. And that is, in fact, what you have to agree to do in order to participate in the program and receive the wine:
“Review a wine that we send you, in time for us to post [your review] on one of our 1 day sales”
What you might want to answer is -
How is the above different from what you and others here have been citing as a mistake? Or had you actually made the exact same mistake before any the participants in this study?
Your words:
“I think a mistake was made in demanding that bloggers write about this wine in exchange for receiving it. And I think a mistake was made in demanding that the wine be written about within a certain time frame as a condition of receiving it.”
I’m really struggling as to how to frame a logical interpretation of your two posts on this subject that isn’t somehow hypocritical on your part.
Also, my understanding is that it’s common journalistic practice to get the facts before publishing your writing.
We’ve established that you did not do that - according to multiple statements from the winery, the participants, and the organizer of the event.
Isn’t it also common journalistic practice to publish a retraction? From a recent correction/retraction policy I came across: “Retractions are judged according to whether the main conclusion of the paper is seriously undermined as a result.”
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It’s a really nice bit of sleuthing on Joe’s part and certainly reframes this conversation AWAY from the Rockaway wine bloggers into an entirely different conversation--one about glory whores and those that use glory holes. I won’t cast aspersions or pejoratives or knife people in the back the way that I have been treated this week, but I think we all know who the “glory” folks are here.
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July 24 2008
A pretty cool application over at wordle.net. Type in your web address tied to an RSS feed and it scans your site and gives you back word art. I have to say, as an encapsulation on how I think of my site, as a mixture of indivdual words, it’s pretty spot-on. Thanks to Kristy from Wreckless Photography for the tip, as I saw it on her site.
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July 22 2008
So, Parker breathlessly notes yesterday, as reported by Wine & Spirits Daily:
“One of the biggest stories in my 30 years in the wine field will be the detailed announcement ...officially set for tomorrow...that will shake the fine wine world ......and I am not referring to BOTTLE SHOCK the movie...,”.
So, drum roll please ... the story is that Château Cos-d’Estournel is buying Chateau Montelena in Napa.
Are you kidding me? One of the biggest stories in the last 30 years? As a country we’re up to our elbows in debt to the Chinese, beholden to the Middle East and it’s a huge story that a French winery buys a US winery when the US dollar is in the dumper?
To this we reply:
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July 6 2008
Our introduction to new things usually happens in threes. I am talking celebrity deaths, new words and phrases, and things that had not previously invaded our consciousness.
When the radar comes into tune, it seems like “new to you” items become quickly ubiquitous.
So it was with Zephyr Wine Adventures, a company I am now well in tune with.
Zephyr is an adventure travel company operating internationally from company headquarters in Montana and Founder and President Allan Wright’s outpost in Boulder, CO.
I became acquainted with Zephyr just a few short weeks ago when the Wine Blogger Conference in Sonoma was announced. As a co-organizer of the conference, Zephyr was a bit of a curiosity to me because I was not familiar with them and the wine blogging community is so much like a small town where everybody knows everyone (and everything). It was almost as if somebody new moved to town, the mysterious new interloper.
Then, while reading the May issue of Food & Wine magazine I saw another mention of Zephyr. Hmmm … finally, while reading Wine News this past week, I read a very lovingly rendered article on a Zephyr Wine Adventures.
Clearly, there was something here that I needed to know more about.
I contact Allan Wright to thank him for his coordination of the Wine Blogger conference (along with Joel Vincent) and to learn more about his business.
Zephyr Adventures, a well-regarded 11-year-old adventure travel company is now introducing wine hiking tours in Oregon and Sonoma.
Focused on delivering a superb customer experience, Zephyr focuses on just a few things and doing them very well:
• Access; wineries, vineyards, people, scenary
• Education
• Interactivity based on your needs
The idea of hiking in wine country is not a new one (homage to Russ Beebe from Winehiker Witiculture), but the notion of doing it on a scale and with the focus on “access” is a new one.
Imagine getting insider one-to-one access with winemakers and vineyard managers and walking the vineyards, not something that happens everyday in the Disney-fication of Napa and Sonoma, where so much of the process of what ends up in the bottle is edited for public consumption.
As a part of the Wine Blogger Conference participants will be going on an abbreviated hike with the good folks at Zephyr--as a preview to that bit of fun, I caught up with Allan to learn more about him and his business.
Herewith, 20 “Not So Penetrating Questions” with a Wine Pro:
Good Grape: Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you most guilty of?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: I am not so proud that I need to deny I had to look up the Seven Deadly Sins to see which I am most guilty of. Nevertheless, my sin is Pride, which one website defines as “excessive belief in one’s own abilities” but which I prefer to view as the Horatio Alger storyline.
Good Grape: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures:My biggest pet peeve is when people put mental blocks in front of their own path in life. “I can’t do that because my body doesn’t work that way.” “I am no good at thinking clearly in the morning.” “I’m just not good at math.” Pick your poison, they are all self-imposed barriers.
Good Grape: What is on your nightstand?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures:Culture Shock Germany, Germany Grammar Drills, The Green Guide to Germany, and Der Kleine Hobbit (The Hobbit in German). I am leaving for the Mosel Valley in four days!
Good Grape: What is in your refrigerator or pantry that you would not openly admit?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: I live with a dietitian. There is nothing in our house that would not make anyone proud.
Good Grape:What do you drink when you are not drinking wine?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: It is a rare day when I veer from my standard four: beer, wine, water, and/or orange juice.
Good Grape: What type of music or radio station is played most often in your car?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures:NPR.
Good Grape: In what era would you live if you transport yourself?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: As a fan of historical fiction, that is a tough one. I can easily envision swinging a sword as a King’s Musketeer, tramping through the woods at the side of Davy Crockett, or exploring the West with Lewis & Clark. If I had to choose, I guess I would pick being in the 1770s during our Revolutionary War (sorry to your British readers).
Good Grape: What is the best wine-related book you have read?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: I found The Emperor of Wine by Elin McCoy an intriguing book, the more so because it was the first wine book I ever read and introduced me to the genre as well as the industry. Alice Feiring’s book The Battle for Wine and Love is on my list to complete the Parker circle.
Good Grape: What is your favorite movie genre?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Action and adventure. What I don’t like – most of the time – is reality movies since I get that in the newspaper.
Good Grape: Is your desk messy or organized?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Desk? What desk? I have a laptop and, as an adventure travel organizer, am at work as often on my couch or in a hotel room as any desk. Seriously, don’t send me any paper because if it doesn’t get in my computer, it doesn’t exist!
Good Grape: Are you always early or terminally late?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Always on time. J
Good Grape: Do you read the comics in the newspaper? If so, what’s your favorite comic?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Dilbert. I escaped the Dilbert world 11 years ago and still like imagining what I don’t go through!
Good Grape: Who would you want to play you in the movie about your life?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: People say I look like Owen Wilson and I think I would be flattered to have him play me.
Good Grape: What super-power would you most like to have, and why?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: I would love to have some super power that would allow me to knock together the heads of our world’s leaders, getting them to come to their senses. If that is too vague or Miss America-ish, I also would love to be able to fly!
Good Grape: You are moving and can only take three or four articles you want to take with you. What would you grab?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: My soccer shoes, my computer, and my baby book. It is amazing how many things my mom stuffed in my baby book oh so many years ago!
Good Grape: What do you do if you have a spare hour?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Do you mean a spare hour after working, working out, and having a beer or glass of wine at the local pub? I read every day and love to watch good movies.
Good Grape: What was the last great restaurant you ate at?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Boulder, Colorado has a ton of great restaurants. Just last night I had happy hour at The Med and for $20 had three drinks and five tapas platters for dinner – tip and tax included. Now that is a great restaurant.
Good Grape: What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: Chocolate fudge.
Good Grape: What is the best compliment you have ever received?
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures: I can’t remember that far back ….
Good Grape: “2 Truths And a Lie” – Share 3 unique things about yourself and your life, 2 of them true, 1 false, readers will guess by leaving a comment
Allan/Zephyr Wine Adventures:
1. I am sitting here in a walking cast as I write this due to a broken leg.
2. My next project is to write a book about the wolves of Yellowstone.
3. I am part-owner in a small Washington winery where I grew up.
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July 2 2008
On the heels of this announcement from White Rocket Wine Company, I can’t let a chance to comment about “French Maid” wine and a press release headline that includes the phrase, “Ooh La La!” go unchecked.
It’s no wonder the French hate us “Ugly Americans.” Whatever the good folks at White Rocket are spending on focus groups, please break me off a slice and I’ll brainstorm label names for you.
$500 out of my pocket to the first wine company that releases a wine called, ‘Chuck Norris.’
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