July 17 2008
The curse of the tangential thinker who looks at life through the prism of wine is that most everything sparks an idea, though not all of them are worth a darn.
I keep a notebook full of clipped articles, post ideas and other errata and I lose interest in many of these things before they ever fully germinate. I’ve been trying to find a connection between German Mittelstand businesses and boutique vintners for two years and have never really tied the ends close enough together to make it interesting enough to write, let alone read. And, I’ve been trying to find a wine tie-in so I can call a post something along the lines of, “The Cultural Balkanization of Technology in Wine.”
Likewise, I have many ideas that must not be that clever because I see them elsewhere; or, perhaps, I am operating on the same channel wavelength as others. Tom from Fermentation is particularly good at beating me to the punch. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he wrote about wine and Van Morrison a month or two back.
Speaking of Tom, I read an article in the current issue of Wine News magazine titled, “Legendary California Vineyards.” And, Tom, in a recent post noted that he had been thinking about legacy vineyards being national monuments. Likewise, I have been thinking about the same thing. Baseball has Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field. Football has Lambeau Field and Notre Dame Stadium. Basketball has Cameron Indoor Arena and Madison Square Garden.
The angle I would have taken if I were going to write a full post is that our lives get more complicated. We strive to un-complicate our lives, but mostly, in doing so, we actually do the reverse of what we are trying to accomplish--make our lives more complicated. A scant 20 years ago we did not have the Internet, Starbucks, or even a dizzying array of chain restaurants to choose from. So, in the wine world, because our wine is going to become more complicated before it gets less complicated, what is the area that will increase in complexity? In my opinion, it is vineyard designate marketing. It seems to me that in the future more wine and lower price points will be a vineyard designate and an increasing amount of marketing dollars will be used to highlight how special the vines, grapes and dirt are.
Part and parcel with that, I imagine that vineyards like To Kalon will grow in mystifying legend.
Herewith, a couple of things that have been kicking around my brain that don’t/won’t merit a full post:
• There is a really big idea in this article about a consumer “Blue” movement and wine can play a leading role. I am nervous that the idea is not going to gather enough momentum, though.
o Link here
o Link here
• I have been reading a book called, “He Said Beer, She Said Wine” and it is a light-hearted and enjoyable read with the two co-authors presenting wine and beer food matches and then arguing their case for their respective beverage of choice as the best match to the food category. So, my thinking has been … wine as a food match has been conventional wisdom for centuries, but what if our conventional wisdom was currently backwards? What if beer was the accepted fait accompli match for food? It is kind of a silly question, but interesting if you bring the subject up in the midst of the 2nd bottle of wine.
• The non-California winery that creates a GPS plug-in with points of interest in their region (and their winery), is on their way to a marketing coup. To see an example of this, check out roadfood.com
• I am afraid of failing. Even though I say I am not, I am deathly afraid of not conquering a goal. It does not stop me, but it keeps the edge of my knife sharp, so to speak. That said, I am taking the introductory course for the Master Sommelier exam in September. I should pass with flying colors, but what if I don’t?
• A belated R.I.P. to George Carlin—here is a quote that many wine lovers can relate to: “Scratch any cynic and you’ll find a disappointed idealist.”
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July 16 2008
I do not hate Gary Vaynerchuk, in fact, I like him, or at least I like the brand that is “Gary.” I have, however, officially crossed over the transom from being curious observer and analyst to being envious. What Gary Vaynerchuk has done in the span of two years, as an emerging pop culture icon, catapulting from an Internet-based video blog, is nothing short of astounding.
I have my brother to thank for this move into the envious camp, too. My brother does have a blog, but is not a wine drinker, does not follow wine and is 180 degrees different from me in terms of his interest level in wine—that is to say, a beer will do him just fine. But, he had the naïve chutzpah to send me a link to a recent article on Vaynerchuk from CNN.com or something similar, without knowing that I am well in tune with Winelibrary.tv, with the message of, “Hey, you need to do what this dude is doing.”
Ah, if it were only that simple.
It is one thing to build up a profile within the corridors of the wine industry, an area of business that, let us face it, is not rich with dynamism, but it is an entirely different thing to create a rip current in pop culture, which Gary is doing.
In addition, he is ubiquitous. I am minding my own business at work when I get an email from marketingprofs.com, a resource for interactive marketers, letting me know that Vaynerchuk is co-headlining a seminar with Arianna Huffington in October. His keynote title? “Uncorking your Brand with Social Media.”
Do I hate Gary Vaynerchuk? No. However, I wish like hell my charisma dial turned past 6.
Hate is a strong word and one that my mother admonished me for using. I was not allowed to use it. However, one thing I can tell you I have strong displeasure for is a certain wine retail shop in Indianapolis. I have written about them several times in the past in somewhat opaque terms. Said shop is on Keystone Avenue in an aluminum shed, if anybody knows Indianapolis, but my point is that I do not care for how they do business, I do not care for their warehouse like store and I do not care for the interactions I have had with the owner. Nonetheless, I get the monthly newsletters, and other communications just to torture myself. But, I am stopping that, too. I cannot take a wine shop, perhaps the biggest in Indianapolis, written by the owner, using the word “pallet” in a wine newsletter. Dude, it is spelled p-a-l-a-t-e. Then again, he is probably more in tune with the word pallet, because he buys the closeout swill by the pallet from the distributors and pimps it to unsuspecting customers.
Completely separate topic, in the event that you are not a member of the Wine Business Network on LinkedIN, I would encourage you to do so. I am the administrator and there are well over 700 people and growing by 20 – 25 people daily. You can join by hitting this link.
A little bit of shameless promo, but if you would like to display a pretty slick Good Grape widget on your own blog, you can do so, by hitting this link. I am giving a couple of wine books to each individual that uses the widget. If you put on your blog, send me a note and I will send you an in-kind gift.
Other things that have been in the stream of consciousness lately.
• I am stupefied that the Parker v. Broadbent tasting in London last week did not get more state side notice, before or after. If Parker and Hugh Johnson do the same thing, sign me up for the pay-per-view
• I am stupefied that the Harvard research and recent Wall Street Journal article that said the Longtail theory might be bunk has not gotten more notice. If true, a lot of small wineries betting on the Internet as a main sales channel are going to be up a creek
• There is a good article on Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon in the July issue of Inc. magazine. A lot could be said about his decision to sell-off brand assets and re-trench, but the one thing that cannot be said is he does not have an iron stomach. He is pulling our leg, though, when he is quoted as saying, “I have to rebrand Bonny Doon to be not about me but about the wines, and for most Americans, it’s a lot easier for th wines to be about a person or a story than about the wines themselves. We’re an immature wine culture. It will be a trick to do it.” He’s right about one thing--it will be a trick, of Houdini proportions. If he doesn’t brand by story and he doesn’t turn into a score whore, I’m not sure how he plans on selling his wine.
• I cannot tell if Hugh from gapingvoid.com (who has frequent forays into wine marketing commentary) is a boy genius or a hack selling the simple. I think it is both and kudos to him for not allowing me to tell a clear difference.
• I think the biggest opportunity in the online wine space is with CellarTracker. I do not know why, but it just feels like an opportunity. Maybe VinCellar from Vinfolio can be lumped in there, but it is all about the users and the user interace is important, but does not mean a thing if people are already familiar with it. The cost to move to a new place for your tasting notes is high, as well.
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January 17 2008
Sex in San Francisco
It’s not often that I’m in California and reminded of my Midwestern roots—particularly from a wine perspective, but sure enough, I was in San Francisco this week having a business lunch at le Petit Robert in Russian Hill when I see a Michigan sparkling wine. L. Mawby’s second label, M. Lawrence, is represented on the wine list, by the glass no less, with their sparking wine called “Sex.”
L. Mawby is also highlighted in the 2005 book, “The Great Wines of America” by Paul Lukacs—a bold choice in wineries for the author to include in the book given geography. Having tasted the “Sex” before, and been to the L. Mawby tasting room, I can vouch that their sparklers are excellent, but I did opt for a California butter-bomb chard at lunch thinking the sparkler might be a little dandy. Alas, I should have gone with my instinct as the California Chard was less than fantastic. My wife was not on this trip with me and I did not have the wine so I cannot say that I had “Sex” in San Francisco. Nevertheless, check out L. Mawby if you want to try something off the beaten track.
The Conundrum Killer in the Good Grape Wine Blogger Pack at Domaine547
I like Conundrum wine. There, I said it. Sure, there is some residual sugar, sure, it is an out and out quaffer, sure, it is somewhat expensive for what it is, but damned if it is not a tasty wine.
I have been on something of a personal mission to find a blended white that approximates that juicy goodness of Conundrum for a little less money. I am finding that the Conundrum blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli and small amounts of Sémillon and Viognier is not easily duplicated. The Hey Mambo Swanky White and the Menage a Trois white blend are each enjoyable for what they are, but they don’t come close to challenging the layers of hedonistic flavor you get with the Conundrum (NOTE: this will be the only time I parrot Parker and use the word hedonistic).
However, in terms of pure enjoyment, the Brooks Amycas, a white blend made up of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat, comes pretty close to the Conundrum on the pleasure meter. It is a different kind of wine, crisper and brisker, but the same liveliness and the tropical fruits with a very balanced undercurrent of acid are present in both. The Amycas is a winner.
The Brooks Amycas white is one of three whites wines featured in the Good Grape Wine Blogger Pack at Domaine547. If you’re interested in trying this gem of a wine along with two other notable and delicious Rieslings, you can buy it at the Domaine547 web site.
Re-visiting Mondovino
I re-watched Mondovino this past weekend. I was mostly interested to check this out AFTER having been blogging for two years to see how my perspective might have changed or been better informed than the first time I watched it after it came out on DVD in 2005.
Mostly, I think I viewed it a couple of years ago with less of a discerning filter and insight into the polarizing divisiveness that is New World vs. Old World, particularly around Rolland and definitely around some of the issues with Parker’s palate.
However, upon re-reviewing, frankly, I have to say the documentary is pretty innocent and subtle for what it is. I think it rankled many folks mostly by virtue of the filmmaker, Jonathan Nossiter, and his manifested ego in how he made the film. It is definitely not cinema verite, at least as far as documentary’s go.
Undoubtedly, the movie does demonstrate a certain affectation—a refined Michael Moore, if you will. There are the awkward moments that aren’t edited out—with virtually everybody— nobody comes out wearing the glossy veneer of a filmmaker putting somebody’s best foot forward. There is the out of touch Bon Vivant James Suckling, Parker talking about his farting dogs, Neal Rosenthal looking like W.C. Fields with gin blossoms on his nose, the laughing, dismissive Rolland, Michael Mondavi clearly talking on cue with the press attaché lurking nearby and his father straining to hear what he says, et al. Doubtless, none of these subjects thought that their candid moments were going to make up the bulk of the film. Then there is the jarring juxtaposition of the music, the panning of the camera to non-sequitar scenery shots, including the abundant dog shots ...
Overall, I would have to say that I watched this documentary scratching my head wondering what the big deal was about, why Parker and Nossiter still snipe at each other. I would urge you to re-watch it with the addition of a year or two more worth of context in wine experience and let me know what you think.
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December 21 2007
Some quick hits and random thoughts … I wonder if getting your Master of Wine is harder than passing the bar exam, or taking your CPA test? All three require an almost encyclopedic body of knowledge in a subject matter.
I think most people want to discount the Master of Wine because of the subject matter, but I would be surprised if actual sheer knowledge and forced recall wasn’t greater than (or at least equal to) a CPA or Law exam.
I’m not trying to fan flames here, but it would seem, without question, that the Master of Wine is tougher than the SAT, or, perhaps, even the GMAT—tests for which the questions come from a finite pool in a finite subject matter with an abundance of study aids available.
Just my opinion …
I won’t go into how I did against last years New Year’s resolutions, but I will say that I did do one thing that I was very proud of—increase the clarity of writing voice on this blog, making it much cleaner to read. And, I’ve basically taken my writing from being in the passive voice about 40% or greater to less than 10%. Frankly, I had to because my wife, the English Lit. major, was going to scratch my eyes out if I didn’t…
Ah, but this year as a New Year’s resolution is different: I think everybody should resolve to stop reading about the “green movement” on dead trees and start calling their recycling center to begin recycling. It’s hard for me to buy into this greening of America when individual recycling rates are under 5%.
One additional change that I am resolving to make is to drink more white wine. I drink 90% red and 10% white. I think I might change that up in 2008. Why? I’m tired of drinking red wine clunkers. White wine, predominantly, is easier to make technically correct and pleasing at lower price points. And, my palate is much more giving for whites. I don’t need to have my socks knocked off by every under $20 bottle of red that I drink, but I’m growing weary of being non-plussed. Drinking white solves that dilemma for me and will probably save me a good amount of money in the process.
Or, maybe not … perhaps I should stick with reds … according to a recent article in the New York Times (thanks to Wine Canine for the pointer) … a recent medical survey in The American Journal of Epidemiology showed that, “drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, was linked to as much as a 60 percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold. The scientists suspected this had something to do with the antioxidant properties of wine.” Sign me up for more reds and less colds, I guess!
Or, I could just drink 375 ml half bottles. Dr. Debs points out a site called Half-Wit Wines that features over 1000 ½ bottles, Half-Wit was recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article (with a reference to the New York Times already I’m searching for a USA Today reference just to make sure I have my national newspaper bases covered) that had columnists Dorothy Gaither and John Brecher calling half bottles, by the headline, the, “next big thing.”
I really like the idea of Half-Wit wines and in a moment of “open-palm-slapping-forehead ‘why didn’t I think of that’ ” it dawned on me what a great idea it is to have an online store featuring only 375 ml size bottles.
In fact, my wine of the year just happened to show up on my door step today in six little hand-dandy half bottles.
I had a bottle of the 2003 Arzuaga Crianza in a traditional size bottle and fell in love with its rich complexity and layer after layer of flavor. This wine is a stunner. Think of fresh black cherries at their peak of ripeness floating in a combination of Kirsch, Chambord and Kahlua, with balanced acidity and enough oak to make this go the distance and you come close to approximating this nectar of the Gods. When I went to replenish and get a couple more bottles of this to hold, I could only find the ’03 in 375’s. If you’re interested, Morrellwine.com has it in stock.
… Changing the subject, I’m always a sucker for a wine-related diversion. If you have five minutes to burn check out www.instructables.com and search for wine. You’ll find instructions for wine box projects, making bum wine and a bunch of other wine-related projects that sound good on paper. Or check YouTube, perhaps the greatest time waster yet invented. Somebody sent me a four minute clip of A Capella Christmas carols—that’s time I’ll never get back.
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October 3 2007
Sound the bell and set the Tivo. The “Top Chef” finale is on tonight (check your local listings). Without question one of my guilty pleasures, season 3 comes to a close with a new winner being named from a final three.
By far the most entertaining of the three seasons and refreshingly free of the sophomoric drama from season 2, I love Top Chef for the same reason I enjoy fine dining—it’s the restaurant/kitchen as theatre.
One of the shticks the show uses to wring some drama out of the start of every episode is an individual test called a “quick fire” challenge. In short, it’s essentially a timed, stress test cooking battle that is usually 20 minutes or less and requires some sort of extra creativity or handicap in execution.
An example of a “quick fire” is having to cook a trout dish for noted chef Eric Ripert in the outdoors with a hot plate perched precariously on a wooden stump. Or, create an amuse-bouche from a selection out of a vending machine—sometimes they are absurdist, but mostly they are pretty entertaining and one of my favorite parts of the show.
If you want to get a better idea of a quick fire, or make a nomination to turn these Bravo “quick fires” into a show of its own, I then respectfully submit to you Ben from Benito’s Wine Reviews.
Apparently on assignment for work for an extended period of time, he has done two absolutely brilliantly entertaining posts on hotel cookery—essentially a quickfire challenge whereby he creates a fabulous meal in the confines of his hotel room using a coffee pot and a microwave.
His first attempt he creates a very authentic nicoise salad and in his second attempt he put together a Mediterranean tasting plate with couscous, chorizo, dolmas and some tzatziki and warmed pitas.
This is good blogging fun over at Benito’s, complete with a wine pairing. Kudos to him on his hotel “quick fires.”
If you’re interested in reading up on Top Chef before the finale, check out any of the following links:
Bravo TV Blogs, including Anthony Bourdain
Television without Pity episode recaps
Elsewhere, the issue of immigration reform is something I’m not completely comfortable commenting on—mostly because it’s a multi-faceted issue, with no easy answers, and there is likely a significant amount of nuance that I’m not in tune with. It’s a lightening rod issue and I’m not going to go near it with an opinion, though I will note that I am generally right of bleeding heart and left of being a moderate. However, make no mistake, this affects the wine industry significantly.
Wine Spectator had a good article late in August that summarizes the issue and says in part:
The new immigration policy, announced by Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, involves a more vigilant watch of the Social Security numbers and other information provided by workers to their employers. Where there are discrepancies or invalid information, employers must fire the workers or face fines of as much as $10,000.
Due to the very nature of this issue, precise figures are unavailable, but no one disputes that illegal aliens make up a significant portion of the 50,000 employees required to produce California wine. “Because of where we are, [bordering Mexico], and the number of people we use in California, I’d say a figure of 70 percent [illegal workers] might be on target,” said Karen Ross, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, a Sacramento-based advocacy organization.
And it’s consumers who’ll likely be picking up the tab. “Over time, wine prices follow costs,” said Daniel Duckhorn, CEO and chairman of Napa-based Duckhorn Wine Co. Labor accounts for a major portion of the operating costs of wine production, he explained, adding, “It’s a given that if costs increase, wine prices will go up.”
Despite being namby pamby about having an opinion, what I will note is two things:
1) If recent reports on the industry are correct and imports are eating directly into California wine sales, and labor is becoming tighter potentially causing prices to go up, and California is currently only marginally competitive against imports from a QPR perspective, is there something pretty dramatic happening before our eyes? In five years will we be in full-on domestic wine crisis mode?
2) Announced on October 1st and effective October 1, 2008 a new U.S. citizenship test will be announced that moves away from a focus on facts like “How many stripes are on the American flag?” to more conceptual questions like, “Why does the flag have 13 stripes?” (From Newsweek)
The impetus for the change is a move away from a naturalization process by rote memorization of fact to more of a process that instills patriotism in American history. They call it “Americanization.”
I dunno, but this test sounds exclusionary to me—Mexicans come to America with no language skills or, at best, English as a second language, leave their families behind, work their tales off in the vineyards and elsewhere in a quasi-secret society, frequently doing jobs that nobody else wants in order to wire money home and now to become a legal citizen they’re going to have to go through testing that will make them learn concepts about US history that most Americans learned in 7th grade and promptly forgot in 8th grade.
That all said, I think the larger issue and one that will have to be addressed eventually is the fact that imports are going to eat the domestic markets lunch in wine sales over the near term. It’s a lot easier to head this off at the pass instead of addressing it after the fact when CA producers are lamenting high costs, lagging sales and a worldwide image problem for the US wine industry.
In our quest for effective “Americanization” we might actually be foreshadowing a cutting off at the knees of one of our best p.r. stories internationally—the wine industry.
To see sample questions from the current test, see this link
For more background on the new test, see this link
For a lengthy press release on the challenges in the California Wine Market, see this link
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