June 28 2007
If a tree falls in the forest, but nobody is there to hear it does it make a sound? Or, put another way, if a book highlighting online wine sales is published, but nobody buys it, does it make an impact?
I submit the recently published book, “Great Boutique Wines You Can Buy Online” by Catherine Fallis, Master Sommelier and Robert M. Cohen.
All online wine consumers should be excited by the premise and prescience of the above book. The front matter of the book says (excerpted):
Our goal here is to connect wine lovers like you with little known gems that are hard to find. With our combined 25 years in the wine business, we have made many friends who have wondered how to reach a wider audience. Now thanks to the internet, you have access to these gems. Whether organic, biodynamic, unusual varietals, or just plain great deals, the wines listed here are some of the best in the country. Most are from small, family-owned wineries with productions of around 5000 cases.
Our selection process was based on quality of the wine, first and foremost, and then internet availability.
The online wine business is undergoing a revolution around the world. In Europe, the direct shipment to the consumer is on the rise. Here in the U.S., there has never been a better time to discover, tour and taste the hundreds of great boutique/small production wineries of America, due in part to the recent United States Supreme Court ruling in Granholm, Governor of Michigan, v. Heald, and the fact that overnight shippers now ship wine in and out of approximately 30 states.
In the past, the only way for limited production, or “boutique” wineries to promote their wine was to sell it to those fortunate few who found their way to the winemaker’s door. Now, however, thanks to the gradual relaxation of wine shipping laws, hundreds of boutique wineries across American offer their wines to millions of internet customers.
Where does the internet come in?
These days, it may be rare to order wine for dinner over the internet and have it shipped to one’s home. Soon, however, this will be a very common practice. The internet is the perfect conduit for the process of direct wine sales, creating a direct and practically cost-free link between winemakers and consumers. Within five years, ordering wine over the internet will be standard practice for millions of Americans.
A toast to the beginning, a look to the future
Wine country is no longer limited to Napa Valley. Over the past few decades, wineries have sprung up in practically every state in the U.S. Now, thanks to the internet, you can enjoy virtual tours of wineries from Arizona to Alaska, from Napa Valley to New Jersey. From hundreds of these internet wine sites, you can order boutique wines and have them sent directly to your home without ever involving distributors and retailers.
This book is the recognition of a new beginning to internet wine buying. If you are reading this, congratulations. You are on the cutting edge of the next major trend in American wine.
Wow! Exciting lead-in, for sure!
Now, here comes the bad news. This book, a boon to online-savvy wine lovers, has sold a grand total of 166 copies since it was published in November of 2006, according to Bookscan. 80 of those copies were sold during a week in February, probably based on a book signing or two and Amazon.com has 44 books being sold by used/new book sellers as a part of their associate sellers program. I sincerely hope that this book has sold more than 122 copies in the first eight months of publication.
And, more importantly, what does it say about the wine blogosphere and online wine sales, in general, that this book hasn’t found a more receptive market?
Some might say that people disposed to buying wine online are technologically-savvy and aren’t looking for a book to tell them where to buy wine online. That may be true, but in a book publishers eyes, they would deem this as a market not ready for primetime.
I posit that people buying wine online are buying it based on the Radcru’s, WineQ’s, Wine.com’s of the world as well as their own personal experience with wines they desire. If viewed that way, then a giant curve of growth is still pending based on the adoption of buying by millions of consumers still to come.
What do you think?
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