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October 16 2006

New World

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October 16 2006

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide

An excerpt from the American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour pg 33 - 36, Chapter 2.

In this excerpt, Dufour recounts the success he is enjoying with vine cuttings from Philadelphia even if those plants aren’t having success elsewhere. The narrative, here, is compelling if only because Dufour seems to relish his travels and his early success despite not being monied.

This alone ought to give encouragement to cultivate the grape more largely, and prevent the doubt of not getting a sufficient market for the wine. Let us have it plentiful and cheap, and the distillation of spirit from grape will soon be at an end.

As a sort of illustration of the above, the following anecdote will naturally find here its place:

In the year 1806, as I was passing through Philadelphia for Europe, I saw Mr. McMahon the Secretary of the Philadelphia vineyard Society, who invited me to attend a melting of that Society, which he had purposely called, and whose members were very numerous. Knowing that the Swiss had good success on the borders of the Ohio, while their vineyard at Springmill, was yet of little profit, although it was from the vineyard I had drawn our plants, they were desirous to get as much information about our success as I could give; and wished that I should see the state of their vineyard: I briefly answered, that all the mystery of our success consisted in nursing only the vines that were prosperous, no matter how good or bad their fruit was; for I was fully of the opinion that no other existing vines this side of the AtIantic would ever remunerate for the trouble of attendance; that the Cape grape was the only one reared by the Swiss settlers; that it was a hardy and thrifty plant, giving regular if not large crops of grapes, equal to a majority of the French vineyards; according to Chaptal’s account—making a good wine inferior but to a minority of the European wines, and that it rewarded its cultivator, if industrious, as well as any other American produce.

But as they were rich, and connected with a great portion of the world, by a new trial, as many species of grapes as they could procure, that about forty sorts had been tried to my knowledge. Out of them one was fully prosperous, and another most so at that proportion, if they could get four hundred new sorts, there would be a chance to get eight or ten which would succeed: And if I had known as I do know, that the Spaniards have vineyards in the Texas, or New Mexico, on the river Rio del Norte, I would have added, that it was from thence, that they ought to get all the species growing there. The Spaniards having cultivated the grape in America for many years, must have found out the very species which suits the climate, and perhaps they got a new native variety, produced by seed. If any imported vines shall flourish in the United States, the one coming from Texas, have the best chance.

The first gentleman who by chance, has to travel in that country in the winter time, and will take the trouble to bring as many sorts of the vines growing there, as possible; and, if they are numerous, of the sorts which have the double advantages of producing a good quality and quantity of wine, (in the Chapter where I shall treat of the preparation of the Scions of vines to plant, I shall tell how to pack them, to be sent safe at a great distance,) that gentleman would bring the worth of Millions to the country, if he could succeed to introduce among the vine dressers of America, such a grape as the, one called in Languedoc the Enragea, from which much of the French brandy is made, and would be as thrifty and hardy as the Cape grape is here, or as that in Languedoc. The Vineyard Society was pleased with my advice and in my presence resolved to have it carried into execution.

Posted in, Good Grape Daily: Pomace & Lees. Permalink | Comments (0) | Print | Email This

October 10 2006

Stack ‘Em High and Watch Them Fly!

Sigh!

All of the signposts are available to a well-capitalized entrepreneur who wants to get into the retail end of the wine business: wine consumption is increasing, Costco is the biggest seller of wine in the country, major metros like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Florida all get cool, new wine shops focused on breaking new ground in the wine buying experience designed to engender brand experiences and loyal shopping, chain concepts are proliferating, wine shipping laws are tumbling allowing wineries to increase relationships with their customers--endangering retailers, experimentation amongst varietals is increasing among younger consumers and a million and one more positive indicators of wine being a pretty cool place to be these days, and a need for retail to bring their "A" game and I get the below from the newsletter of Indianapolis’ landmark wine shop who shall remain nameless (but it starts with a “K”.

With mixed emotions of Sad and Happy, I wanted to tell YOU personally ... that I am building a new store just for YOU! Nothing fancy mind you, Pallet Racks, Big Case Displays, Cement Floor, Wide Aisles, Huge Selection, Parking, Knowledgeable Staff and Wicked Prices!

Groan.

Pallet Racks, Big Case Displays, Cement Floor, WICKED PRICES! ????

Somebody send a memo to the Cluetrain.

If pallet racks are what I want, I’ll go to Costco—which I already do! What Indianapolis needs is a boutique wine shop that looks like a boutique—comfortable, well-lit with no fluorescent lights, nicely merchandised, maybe even some schwag that doesn’t have dust on it. It’s just terribly disappointing—especially for a local retailer. I mean, honestly, WICKED PRICES are great, but in wine when 98% of all purchases are made at the point-of-sale, what basis of comparison is there for WICKED PRICES? NONE!

Marketer Seth Godin said it best in this blog post just yesterday:

Here’s what I think: Cheaper is the last refuge of the person who’s not a very good marketer. Cheaper is easy and cheaper is fast and cheaper is linear and cheaper is easy to do properly, at least at first. But cheaper doesn’t spread the word (unless you are much cheaper, but to be much cheaper, you need to be organized from the ground up, like Walmart or JetBlue, to be cheaper). They are, you’re not.

Cheaper is a short term hit, not a long term advantage. Cheaper doesn’t create loyalty, because the other guy can always figure out how to be cheaper still, at least in the short run.

Even free isn’t cheap enough to win in the long run. Not if other people can figure out how to match what you’ve got.

So, if you can’t be cheaper, be better.

Sadly, our friend “K” doubtlessly can’t be cheaper then Costco, and it would seem they are forsaking all major trends and not trying to be better.

Posted in, Good Grape Daily: Pomace & Lees. Permalink | Comments (0) | Print | Email This

October 10 2006

New World

Posted in, New World. Permalink | Comments (0) | Print | Email This

October 9 2006

New World

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