November 14 2007
Note to self: Do not, under any circumstance, go back to the large Indianapolis wine shop that I hate to go to, even though they have the largest and best Int’l wine selection in the city, without a definite shopping game plan to get in and out without engaging the staff.
Why?
Because if their scurrilous retail price gouging isn’t enough to tip you over the edge, than their brow beating retail sales people are …
Alain, the same guy that over charged me on Saturday for to many discarded Opus One and Grange wooden boxes (they charge $6 bucks per box—can you believe it – for something they get for free for buying the wine it comes in --and I bought three and was charged for six) is the same guy that got mad (very annoyed) at the notion of “Silver Burgundy.”
Hey, I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no Francophile, and the mistake was mine, I should have never mentioned “Silver Burgundy” but Alain got down right mad when I suggested that I was looking for a “Silver Burgundy—something from the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais. I have to bring a bottle to a tasting tonight.”
Go ahead, you can have a laugh at my expense; it was truly a Clark Griswold moment. I didn’t read Brooklynguy’s post close enough. So, Alain, the Frenchman, probably by way of his parents eating baguettes in Detroit, floor salesperson, says, “Who said Silver Burgundy? Was it Joe from National?”
He was mad that somebody was spreading bad information and apparently had it on good account that somebody at National (a distributor) was the idiot. I quickly retreated and then over-explained that “No, no, it’s an online tasting, a Wednesday once a month, everybody gets wine around a theme and …oh, forget it.”
He quickly looked like he still had some residual anger left over from being mad at the stooge that was telling me to buy a “Silver Burgundy” (Sorry Brooklynguy, while I didn’t cite you by name, I let the fictitiousness of you as an organizer take the fall) and confused at the online stuff all at the same time.
I quickly grabbed a bottle, to just simply disengage from the verbal intercourse and I picked a bad bottle in the process.
How do I know it’s bad? Because I may not trust my French wine knowledge, but I do trust my palate and this is one lifeless, thin, tart, mouth drying Burgundy devoid of fruit. It’s the kind of stuff that you would think would be turned into a cleaning solvent or a fuel by-product by the French when they destroy wine, except, well, this stuff made its way over to the states.
The Matthiew di Brully 2005 Mercurey “La Perriere” is not simply just unexceptional--It’s completely and utterly bad. How else do I know it’s bad? I don’t think it’s distributed in very many places. A search of the Internet—Wine-Searcher, WineZap, etc turns up zero, zilch, nada on this wine—no review, no nothing. The only thing I could find on this wine was a Cork’d review from “iowines” and a rating of 92 out of 100. Hmm … 92 out of 100. “iowines” is based in Des Moines, Iowa … hmmm … let’s look at this wine, why yes, of course, it’s imported by Wine Adventures in Des Moines, Iowa. What an incredible coincidence.
Despite the miss on the WBW wine, I do take it in stride because I did learn a couple of very valuable things--#1) Alain is very concerned about the correctness of understanding French wine and “Silver Burgundy” is not correct in his world view and #2) stretching out of my comfort zone is always a good thing because I will go back and find a wine from Côte Chalonnaise or Mâconnais and celebrate Wine Blogging Wednesday properly and more privately on some random Tuesday in the near future. It will be a “make good” and the point in time I will also secretly apologize to Broonklyguy for letting him take the brunt of the verbal diarreah from Alain when it was my own ineptness in the first place ... ah, well. What is next month’s theme?
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September 18 2007
Fans of the Food Network know, ad nauseum, that Emeril Lagasse is Portuguese. So, I guess, in an incredibly anglo-centric manner, the upcoming Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW) on October 15th, featuring the wines of Portugal, might be best dubbed, “What Would Emeril Drink?”
Somewhere, I can feel the more internationally savvy Wine Blogging Wednesday participants cringing. But, asking what Emeril would drink is a pretty good question because I have little clue what he would drink besides Port, which is kind of the point of WBW—to stretch the boundaries of comfort and seek out that which is new. Portugese table wine only, please. Ditch the Taylor Fladgate and the Fonseca Port.
To get intrepid wine drinking souls moving in the right direction Ryan and Gabrielle from Catavino, the hosts for the 38th edition of Wednesday communal wine drinking affair, have provided some ground rules and an excellent primer. In what I believe to be a first, Ryan and Gabrielle are bringing their “A” game and providing a 12 page primer to the wines of Portugal. Check it out here.
And, while Catavino is providing bonus points for meeting certain criteria, there is no stated bonus for matching a Portuguese wine to Emeril’s creole cuisine.
Start your Portuguese wine search now and see you on the 17th.
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September 15 2007
Good posts from other wine blogs, news items and notions from around the world of wine and the wine blogosphere
First Big Crush/Fearless Critic Brown Bag Wine Review
Two new wine related books are coming out soon, signaling a mini wine-related riptide of publishing from Gen. Y authors. The first book, First Big Crush by Eric Arnold, now an Editor at Wine Spectator, then an unemployed writer with an affinity for Hogue Fume Blanc, he pitched a book concept to go to New Zealand to do something of an unpaid internship at a winery, Allan Scott. Grist for the mill as it was. Having received a preview copy of this book, I’m going to have an author interview with Arnold sometime in the next week instead of a book review, but to understand his voice--natural, and unpretentious, and that this isn’t your Dad’s wine book all you have to read is the second paragraph of the introduction:
I declared myself a wine expert, wrongly and assholishly, during my senior year of college, for a simple reason: because I was in college. College students think they’re experts in everything, and my circle of friends was no exceptions. We didn’t just think the world would be different if we were in charge—we knew it would be. Because we were drunk.
First Big Crush is available on Monday, 9/17. Author interview sometime this week when I get him pinned down, through the publishers marketing department.
Another book, “Fearless Critic Brown Bag Wine Review” is out in January. 30 year old author Robin Goldstein takes the notion of state fair judging to the people with a book tasted by some 400 consumers in an effort to evaluate the most commonly purchased and widely available wines available under $15. An article from the Springfield, MA The Republican newspaper:
It is one of many of such sessions that will be held in which the tasters, which he calls judges, try wines wrapped and taped into a brown bag and fill out individual evaluations as well as come to a group consensus about their quality. A statistician will help analyze the results of the tastings and other information.
“There is a real need for down-to-earth wine reviewing. Now 90 percent of the wine writing is about the 10 percent of the most expensive bottles and 10 percent of the writing is about the wine most Americans drink,” said Goldstein, 30, who also published “The Menu,” a guide to restaurants in Northampton, Amherst and the surrounding area in 2004.
“I thought it was time to review wine people really drink, the most commonly available bottles,” Goldstein said.
I wish Goldstein the best, and this sounds like a good idea on paper—especially when you pitch it to an Editor, “Hey there are no wine books on the most widely available wines, it’s all about expensive wines.” The editor, she of little wine experience herself immediately thinks this must be some untapped niche she has stumbled upon. Oh, if it were only that easy. Well, as Mr. Goldstein will soon find out, the reason no publishing occurs in the general consumer wine category outside of “how-to” is because nobody buys books to learn more about Hogue Fume Blanc, or wines they can find in their grocery store.
Fearless Critic Brown Bag Wine Review is out in January ’08.
Sacre Bleu Intro./We Get Letters
Speaking of Gen. Y., I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that fast-growing wine brand, Sacre Bleu, aimed at import-lovin’ Gen. Y has started a blog. Building off of the momentum from their Myspace.com page, they’re starting to poke at the conventions of wine via regular updates at: http://sacrebleuwine.blogspot.com/
Hot comedian du jour, Dane Cook, who likewise built an audience on Myspace is famous for being an incredibly funny comedian who, well, doesn’t really tell any jokes. He’s the guy that isn’t really that funny, but everything out of his mouth seems funny. Somebody asks you, “What’s so funny about that guy?” You say, “I dunno, but the guy’s funny.” If you asked Cook for his best joke he’d probably launch into a weaving story that would end 17 minutes later and your side would be aching, but you couldn’t explain what the joke was.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Cook is very influential with Gen. Y, where, in our ironic, self-aware world, every interaction becomes fodder for a life parable, with comedic results. Exhibit A is an email sent to Sacre Bleu with a narrative from young Jeremy and his introduction to the brand.
No simple excerpt would do it justice. Read the whole thing here.
“Good Grape Confessional” Follow-up
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post called “Good Grape Confessional” and the crux of the post was about feeling a little overwhelmed about all of my information consumption and wanting to chuck it for a while in order to read some good fiction books.
On the comments section of the site I received some pretty good recommendations for books, several of which I will read.
But, more than that, in our perpetual question to understand and to categorize, I feel better already—because I realize that my malady is actually a positive and I am a “Techno//Marketer,” according to this blog.
Phew, I feel better already.
Good Wine Under $20/Winehiker –Adopt a Grape
Winehiker Witiculture and then Dr. Debs have already highlighted “Adopt a Grape” a fun little voyeuristic excursion into grape growing and winemaking, chronicled on the web at this site; it’s cool enough that it merits another mention.
“Adopt a Grape” … why didn’t somebody think of this before? What a fun idea, and best of all, it’s free. Hard to say if there will be the opportunity to buy the wine once it has made it through its natural lifecycle, but I’m guessing so … there is genius in simplicity and potency in entertainment as a selling tool and this is a great example of that. In between Crushpad and things thing this, I’m going to have to start budgeting for online wine expenditures. I adopted grapes in Block 7 of their Cab. Vineyard, adopt your own grapes here.
Benito’s Wine Reviews/California Wine Month
I think anybody who blogs and keeps at it is regarded as media on some level because we all get come-on’s and press releases. I, unfortunately, missed out on one public relation gambit that I wish I would have received. Ben at Benito’s Wine Reviews received a box of chardonnay and cabernet grapes from the California Association of Wine Growers. They’re running a “One Nation Under Vine” program that we’ve talked about in the past. They’re definitely getting good pr help on these clutter-breaking campaigns!
Check out Benito’s site, if you haven’t before.
Coming up in Pt. II of Around the Wine Blogosphere: more news and noteworthy items including a review of “Spoofulation,” a term I became aware of on The Wine Broad’s Board and a term whose history has been bandied about on Joe Dressner’s site—kind of interesting in a wine nerd kind of way, which is a sub-segment I’m a card-carrying member of.
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September 12 2007
Thanks to fine leadership of Dr. Vino, today’s theme for the 37th monthly installment of WBW is indigenous varieties of wine. That’s simple enough: pick a wine made from a grape variety that comes from a place it might call home, so sayeth the good doctor.
However, I immediately took this in the literal sense—find a wine that might call Indiana home. This, of course, immediately limits you to oh, say, one grape varietal—Catawba--which isn’t noted for knocking the socks of anybody.
Ah, but I was just a bit misguided. Have you ever been in a corporate team-building exercise (or watched reality television) when a team is given a challenge and it’s along the lines of completing some sort of task with a finite amount of money and scant other detail—but, and this is a big but, the host or leader says, “you can ask any questions you would like, otherwise you’re free to start the challenge.” 9.5 people out of 10 dive headlong into the task at hand, without asking any questions.
I should have asked a question. I could be drinking a fine Italian Aglianico because I could select ANY wine that calls ANY place its native home.
Nonetheless, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it local.
Having forsaken the French Lick Winery Catawba at the store and already having drunk the Stone Hill Norton a week or two back, I went back to the store for some more local goodness (I know East and West Coast readers must read these posts with some sort of mock pity to which I reply, “I know” even if I’m contemplating a Catawba wine from a winery named -French Lick-).
I’m drinking BOTH the Stone Hill Winery Chardonel and the Vignoles. Now, admittedly, both of these are hybrids so I’m actually failing on the count of true indigenous-ness. But, if Lenn, the founder of WBW, can work the nuance between black and white then so can I.
Stone Hill Winery, based in Missouri is the Crown Jewel of the Missouri wine industry and, like several other prominent Midwestern wineries, they make a ton of different varieties—21 currently for sale. Something for everyone …
The 2005 Chardonel is a hybrid cross between Chardonnay and Seyval, designed to tolerate cold weather climates (more information on the varietal found at Appellation America). It’s also aged sur-lie, a technique by which a stainless steel paddle is inserted inside the barrel every few days to continuously mix the wine with the lees, creating an additional level of complexity in the wine. The body on this wine is light and the flavor profile is similar to that of a Chardonnay. The amazing thing about this wine is the nose, which is fantastic and rich. I would want this scent pumped into my house it’s so delicious smelling—a caramelish, yellow cake goodness. This is a good wine, especially good for a regional offering, enough fruit and acid to keep things interesting and a nice buy at $10.99.
The second wine is the 2006 Vignoles. Vignoles produces some excellent dessert wines and this rendition is made Midwestern semi-sweet style, more demi-sec aperitif than dessert wine. It won a gold medal at the recent Indy International Wine Competition and is incredibly luscious on the nose. The tropical scents barely careen between pleasure and cloying sweetness on the palate, and this would match nicely with some neighborly sociability on the deck during pre-dinner chatter. At $15.99 I would probably take a pass on re-purchase, but it’s a quaffable wine for what it is.
Thanks to Dr. Vino for an inspired choice for this edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday and please feel no pity for me or these Midwestern wines. Even though it’s not a Schioppettino from Friuli, I take solace in the fact that now, if you’re ever in Branson, Missouri seeing the Gatlin Bros., you know a decent wine to pick up, and I do too, which is kind of the point.
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September 6 2007
*UPDATED*
The recent news in Indiana that now allows out of state wineries to ship to consumers is welcome news—both in the ongoing state-by-state wine shipping wrestling match that is occurring, and also for Hoosier consumers, of which I am a card-carrying member.
I am, however, hopeful that wineries will seize the opportunity to ship and not alarm themselves with too many concerns about “Big Brother” legal action.
The Six88 blog, a noted and respected compliance solution serving the wine industry, had this to say in regards to Indiana law and (likely steeped in first hard awareness of how these things have an impact):
This is a very important decision, and many are rightfully celebrating the victory for wineries and consumers. However, a major roadblock to shipping wine into Indiana remains in place. HB 1016 stipulates that “A consumer may not receive more than two hundred sixteen (216) liters of wine in total from one (1) or more direct wine sellers in a calendar year.”
As we’ve discussed before, most wineries will continue to choose not to ship to Indiana consumers because they can’t possibly know if the consumer has already received their 24 case allotment. FedEx and UPS will continue to ship to Indiana, and some wineries will likely assume the risk and ship to Indiana consumers anyway. But the majority of wineries will opt out until the Indiana ABC clarifies their enforcement policies on this matter. Hopefully the Indiana legislature will address this issue directly in the next session.
Here’s the thing: I hope that most wineries will CHOOSE to ship to Indiana. In an industry that is so built on “trusting your neighbor,” wineries not shipping seems like a possible outcome based on word of mouth. But, more importantly, we don’t know to what level the case restrictions are unenforceable. Trust me when I say that our state gov’t can’t even properly calculate property taxes, the bedrock tax base. Does anybody really think Big Brother has a way of tracking wine shipments from thousands of different wineries to individual purchasers? And, even if they did have a way to organize and keep track of micro-excise tax payments to individuals do we really think that the state government would be punitive in going after the wineries if a random winery sends the 25 case to a consumer who is likely not in tune with the law himself? Perhaps if it were an underage sting operation and a phony 18 year old bought 25 cases in a single shot from a producer, but other than that short answer is “no.” In fact, the long answer is “no,” too.
I’m not advocating that anybody break any laws, but what I am saying is that if there are no tools from the state to manage this on the winery side so somebody doesn’t illegally do something they have no intention of doing and if the consumer isn’t going to be held accountable to understand a small piece of a law, then it’s not much of a law to be heeded, or, most importantly, one that can be enforced.
So, I say to all wine producers desiring to ship to Indiana, come one, and come all. I’d like to buy your wines, particularly if you’re a small “boutique” producer not present by three-tier distribution, which is about 95% of the available wine in the U.S.
UPDATE From Free the Grapes:
For example, Indiana law still includes a provision that limits shipments to 24 cases per individual, rather than a limit on shipments per winery per consumer. The difference, and the problem, is that Winery A is not aware of how many cases Winery B has shipped to a consumer. If Winery A ships one case to that consumer, and it’s the 25th case the consumer has received that year, then Winery A has unknowingly broken Indiana law and could have its federal license revoked. That is a very serious consequence, to say the least.
We’ll keep you informed of developments. Industry representatives are in touch with Indiana state alcohol regulators who, hopefully, will clarify regulations in favor of consumer choice.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Benson
I also communicated with Jeff from Six88 about this post yesterday. Nobody seems to be able to address how a winery would, unknowingly, be caught by accidentally overshipping to a consumer, but the allusion is that regulators may be savvier on shipment tracking than I may want to give them credit for. The net of it is, this is beer drinking country, I hope for two things: 1) a speedy legislative resolution to this sticky wicket and 2) Wineries will take their chances. I have to put myself in the top 1% of wine consumers in the state and I can’t fathom buying 24 cases direct, so hopefully other wineries realize how slight the actual risk may be. Or, perhaps, I should start an Indiana Defense Slush Fund for said wineries in the event they get caught in some example-making crosshairs.
Over at Lenndevours, Lenn hits on a topic that I’ve given some thought to, as well. He notes that boutique is an incredibly nebulous word with little inherent meaning and he asks questions around the word “boutique” in usage. Is “boutique” a winery that only produces a certain amount of cases a year?
When I was at Mondavi a couple of weeks ago the tour leader was asked how much wine Mondavi makes, and the answer was “Oh, we’re pretty small, about 300K or so. We’re not one of the big guys like Kendall-Jackson.” Well, if you’re a consumer and not in tune with case production sizes from American wineries, that’s a perfectly reasonable answer to you, until the day somebody taps you on the shoulder and asks you try a wine from a “boutique producer that makes 500 cases of wine.”
I wonder if we haven’t reached the point in time where a simple label metric isn’t useful for consumer decision-making.
Does it make sense to classify wine, not legally, or by appellation, or in the vinification sense, but from a marketing perspective into pre-defined buckets? This could be on the back label of a bottle of wine, in a small, tasteful manner and would certainly provide more value to consumer making a relatively uninformed decision on a bottle of wine at a $12.99 or above price point. Something like:
Micro Winery: 1 – 1000 cases
Boutique: 1001 – 10,000 cases
Artisan Producer: 10,001 – 15,000 cases
Mid-Tier Producer: 15,001 – 50,000 cases
Large Producer: 50,001 - Above
This wouldn’t be executed by the TTB, but more likely by a winery-centric Association.
Unless it’s a sales point and a winery wants to emphasize their small nature, consumers usually have no idea what production is for a particular wine. Some people will continue to not care, but for me, if I’m choosing in between two Zinfandels each $15.99 and one only has 1000 case production and the other has 10,000 case production, I’m going to choose the smaller brand.
I think a lot of others would as well.
What do you think? Would it impact your purchasing behavior if you knew production size? Please leave a comment.
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