I was wondering who would be the first to get a wine application aligned with iPhone Apps.
And then I spotted Cor.kz today.
iPhone users can tap into the vast CellarTracker wine search database via Cor.kz.
In a restaurant or retail shop, consumers can instantly download extensive wine reviews and then continue on to compare pricing as well.
This got me thinking about the effects all this instant information will have on sommeliers and retail clerks.
Just consider the effect that wine bloggers have had on the traditional wine media.
We are not exactly replacing the old school wine media but we are taking some of their market share, and that trend seems very likely to continue.
So will sommeliers and retail clerks also become even slightly redundant when a consumer can just instantly call up multiple reviews and opinions of a wine, instead of listening to just one opinion (that of the sommelier or clerk)?
Not to mention how interesting it gets when a consumer pulls up the retail price instantly at a restaurant and realizes the markup margin.
Just to be clear, I do not see this as a black and white scenario, I don't believe online content will replace the human interaction but....it certainly might change the power dynamics between the consumer and wine professionals.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Fire Starter
This past weekend at the wine bloggers conference will give me food for thought for weeks. Definitely still digesting all the amazing people and the abundance of innovative ideas we were presented with in Santa Rosa.
Thanks you Joel Vincent from the OWC! You give deeper meaning to the adage to always pay attention to the quiet one in the room.
But what I thought about this morning as I walked the Silverlake reservoir, was Alice Feiring's speech from Saturday night at Sebastiani.
Tom Wark from Fermentation already has done a masterful post about Alice and her speech.
I want to focus on one comment she made about 'watered down biodynamics'. During the Q&A, I asked Alice to expand on this thought. She responded that Demeter was considering a 3 tier system for biodynamic certification, which is apparently only applicable to the United States. The concern being that biodynamics in the U.S. will lose its meaning and become strictly a marketing tool.
I am very interested in this 3 tier system and will follow up with Demeter itself for further details this week so I can better understand the issue.
But I want to play devils advocate here. And I had a similar discussion with Steven Canter,the winemaker at Quivira, when I attended the walk through their biodynamic vineyards last Saturday.
The natural wine movement is of increasing interest to me. I seem to enjoy the wines sprayed with little or no petrochemicals and undergo minimal cellar manipulation. That is a personal preference and a journey that has brought me much pleasure this past year.
I often seek out those individuals in the wine industry that either make these wines or write about them. But when I start talking about the rapid rise of biodynamics and/or organic grape farming in the United States, I often get a similar dismissive response.
That these newbies to the natural wine movement are not 'natural' (or organic or biodynamic) enough.
I am the eternal optimist (thats how I survive making a living at wine sales and marketing)so my instinctive response is to say, 'But hey, wait a minute, isn't this a good thing that American winemakers are thinking about what chemicals they are spraying and are perhaps spraying less? Isn't it an improvement that they might have to explain what manipulations happen in the cellar and therefore might reconsider acidifying or de-alcholization?
My concern is that the natural wine movement's greatest leaders are hindering its growth in the United States by being overly dogmatic.
My goal is to help make natural wine as accessible as possible to wine consumers and as achievable as possible for wine producers.
I want to meet them where they are at, not insist they begin their journey where I have finished mine.
I want to welcome and encourage them all.
What I love about Alice Feiring is that she goes around starting fires in the wine community..... more than she can put out( my own brother said this to me once and I took it as a compliment, not sure that he meant it as one though).
This is the wonderful 'pot-stirring' aspect that she referred to in her speech.
I love it that she holds the wine industry to a high standard and asks all of us to consider natural wine more carefully.
But the natural wine movement is growing ( Yay! This is the good news).
And with growth comes diversity.
Thanks you Joel Vincent from the OWC! You give deeper meaning to the adage to always pay attention to the quiet one in the room.
But what I thought about this morning as I walked the Silverlake reservoir, was Alice Feiring's speech from Saturday night at Sebastiani.
Tom Wark from Fermentation already has done a masterful post about Alice and her speech.
I want to focus on one comment she made about 'watered down biodynamics'. During the Q&A, I asked Alice to expand on this thought. She responded that Demeter was considering a 3 tier system for biodynamic certification, which is apparently only applicable to the United States. The concern being that biodynamics in the U.S. will lose its meaning and become strictly a marketing tool.
I am very interested in this 3 tier system and will follow up with Demeter itself for further details this week so I can better understand the issue.
But I want to play devils advocate here. And I had a similar discussion with Steven Canter,the winemaker at Quivira, when I attended the walk through their biodynamic vineyards last Saturday.
The natural wine movement is of increasing interest to me. I seem to enjoy the wines sprayed with little or no petrochemicals and undergo minimal cellar manipulation. That is a personal preference and a journey that has brought me much pleasure this past year.
I often seek out those individuals in the wine industry that either make these wines or write about them. But when I start talking about the rapid rise of biodynamics and/or organic grape farming in the United States, I often get a similar dismissive response.
That these newbies to the natural wine movement are not 'natural' (or organic or biodynamic) enough.
I am the eternal optimist (thats how I survive making a living at wine sales and marketing)so my instinctive response is to say, 'But hey, wait a minute, isn't this a good thing that American winemakers are thinking about what chemicals they are spraying and are perhaps spraying less? Isn't it an improvement that they might have to explain what manipulations happen in the cellar and therefore might reconsider acidifying or de-alcholization?
My concern is that the natural wine movement's greatest leaders are hindering its growth in the United States by being overly dogmatic.
My goal is to help make natural wine as accessible as possible to wine consumers and as achievable as possible for wine producers.
I want to meet them where they are at, not insist they begin their journey where I have finished mine.
I want to welcome and encourage them all.
What I love about Alice Feiring is that she goes around starting fires in the wine community..... more than she can put out( my own brother said this to me once and I took it as a compliment, not sure that he meant it as one though).
This is the wonderful 'pot-stirring' aspect that she referred to in her speech.
I love it that she holds the wine industry to a high standard and asks all of us to consider natural wine more carefully.
But the natural wine movement is growing ( Yay! This is the good news).
And with growth comes diversity.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Live from the Wine Bloggers Conference
We are reviewing wines live from the Wine Bloggers Conference today.
Thats right all of us winos are here in Sonoma together, drinking and reviewing.
This is guerilla style tasting on the fly.
Kanzler Pinot Noir 2007
Light lovely cherryand strawberry fruit, nice acids on the backend, great clarity on a light garnet color. only 420 cases made $48
Sean Minor 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Sweet tannins with no grip, blackcurrant flavors, some cassis liquor on the nose, nice easy drinking style, great for barbecues. 7200 cases $17
Lionheart Wines 2007 Roussanne
lemon curd and pineapple on the nose, some viscosity in the mouth, full bodied, ripe apricots in the mouth, light golden color, creamy with a good acid on the finish. $30
Bonterra Vineyards The McNab 2004 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% petit syrah and 60% merlot. Sweet oak, a big red. Certified Biodynamic and organic grapes
dark plums and bitter chocolate flavors, ripe sweet fruit $45
Clos La Chance 1005 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1212 cases produced, $30, very dense dark color, some meat and soy notes on the nose, Christmas cake spices and plum fruit, great acids, tons of sweet oak
Boho 2006 Chardonnay $24 3L bag in a box, little thin asnd oily, some citrus
Bink 2005 Pinot Noir, Weir Vineyards, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino
light clear red color, some worcestershire, cherry cola flavors, moderate acids, sweet fruit $40
Twisted Oak 2004 The Spaniard (Tempranillo, Garnacha blend)tons of blueberry fruit, nice cinnamon spice, really delicious and dark but maintains freshness $49
Small Vines 2006 Pinot Noir, nice earth up front,great firm acids and clean red fruits, 150 cases produced $65
Cupcake Chardonnay 2007 partial malo,partial new oak, light almost clear, some pear and honeydew melon, light bodied fora Chard, fair acids $12
James David 2007 Muscat $16, beautiful passionfruit nose, very light color and body, refreshing tropical fruit
Thats right all of us winos are here in Sonoma together, drinking and reviewing.
This is guerilla style tasting on the fly.
Kanzler Pinot Noir 2007
Light lovely cherryand strawberry fruit, nice acids on the backend, great clarity on a light garnet color. only 420 cases made $48
Sean Minor 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Sweet tannins with no grip, blackcurrant flavors, some cassis liquor on the nose, nice easy drinking style, great for barbecues. 7200 cases $17
Lionheart Wines 2007 Roussanne
lemon curd and pineapple on the nose, some viscosity in the mouth, full bodied, ripe apricots in the mouth, light golden color, creamy with a good acid on the finish. $30
Bonterra Vineyards The McNab 2004 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% petit syrah and 60% merlot. Sweet oak, a big red. Certified Biodynamic and organic grapes
dark plums and bitter chocolate flavors, ripe sweet fruit $45
Clos La Chance 1005 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1212 cases produced, $30, very dense dark color, some meat and soy notes on the nose, Christmas cake spices and plum fruit, great acids, tons of sweet oak
Boho 2006 Chardonnay $24 3L bag in a box, little thin asnd oily, some citrus
Bink 2005 Pinot Noir, Weir Vineyards, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino
light clear red color, some worcestershire, cherry cola flavors, moderate acids, sweet fruit $40
Twisted Oak 2004 The Spaniard (Tempranillo, Garnacha blend)tons of blueberry fruit, nice cinnamon spice, really delicious and dark but maintains freshness $49
Small Vines 2006 Pinot Noir, nice earth up front,great firm acids and clean red fruits, 150 cases produced $65
Cupcake Chardonnay 2007 partial malo,partial new oak, light almost clear, some pear and honeydew melon, light bodied fora Chard, fair acids $12
James David 2007 Muscat $16, beautiful passionfruit nose, very light color and body, refreshing tropical fruit
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Dynamic goodness
How Biodynamic Works
I just discovered an awesome everyday drinking wine.Dynamic red wine is made by Ceago Vinegarden in Mendocino.
Jim Fetzer owns this winery and has been a pioneer in biodynamic grape growing in the United States. Please see link above for a detailed explanation of biodynamic farming.
But suffice it to say, that it is organic farming on steroids.
No chemicals are sprayed on the grapes and they take it a few steps further with very thoughtful stewardship of the entire property.
I discovered Dynamic at my local Trader Joes for $8.99! Now I am known to be kinda snooty when it comes to wine, so when I can find one I like for under $10, yeehaw!
I had the Dynamic 2006 red blend (55% Merlot, 15% Cab Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauv).
It was full of jammy blackberry fruit and a touch of nice earthiness with some dashes of black pepper to keep it kickin'.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Locker Room Talk
Steve Heimoff's post about wine labels today got me thinking of a video I recently watched on YouTube.
The focus of the video was wine labels created for so called 'chick' wines. But that is not what caught my attention.
It was the assertion that men usually ask for assistance in wine retail shops and women prefer to peruse the wines on their own and base their decision on wine labels, shelftalker notes or indeed their own favorites.
Based on my experience in the wine business, I think this is more true than false.
But I wonder why?
Is it like a woman walking into a car dealership by herself? Perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed by the (still) mostly male sales staff looking to strut their wine knowledge?
If I owned a retail shop I would want to figure this out since women buy over 60% of wine ( they buy for themselves and the family).
When I was a wine distributor sales rep, I always provided shelftalker notes or press for the retailer to hang next to the wine.
This was specifically for the female customers ( including my own mother) who told me that they did not want sales assistance when shopping for wine.
I have noticed that this seems to pertain to women over 50 more than the younger women, who appear more comfortable with their wine knowledge and don't mind engaging the sales staff.
The comments posted on YouTube about this video surely add to the dilemma. The comments had a decidedly locker room feel.
Most were from men poking fun at women for buying the 'chick' labels.
Maybe this is part of the reason some women don't want to ask for help at the wine store?
The focus of the video was wine labels created for so called 'chick' wines. But that is not what caught my attention.
It was the assertion that men usually ask for assistance in wine retail shops and women prefer to peruse the wines on their own and base their decision on wine labels, shelftalker notes or indeed their own favorites.
Based on my experience in the wine business, I think this is more true than false.
But I wonder why?
Is it like a woman walking into a car dealership by herself? Perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed by the (still) mostly male sales staff looking to strut their wine knowledge?
If I owned a retail shop I would want to figure this out since women buy over 60% of wine ( they buy for themselves and the family).
When I was a wine distributor sales rep, I always provided shelftalker notes or press for the retailer to hang next to the wine.
This was specifically for the female customers ( including my own mother) who told me that they did not want sales assistance when shopping for wine.
I have noticed that this seems to pertain to women over 50 more than the younger women, who appear more comfortable with their wine knowledge and don't mind engaging the sales staff.
The comments posted on YouTube about this video surely add to the dilemma. The comments had a decidedly locker room feel.
Most were from men poking fun at women for buying the 'chick' labels.
Maybe this is part of the reason some women don't want to ask for help at the wine store?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
It's a Family Affair
Part of the perks of participating in trade shows is discovering wines that are new to me.
I got lucky because Schweiger Vineyards had the table next to mine at a recent wine tasting in Phoenix.
The Schweiger padre, Fred, does the grape growing while his son, Andrew, makes the wine and his daughter, Diana, is in charge of sales and marketing.
The Schweiger family is practicing organic grape growing but is not certified yet.
Andrew uses native yeasts and minimal intervention in the cellar.
Schweiger Cabernet 2004 had lovely dark, rich berry flavors, touch of earth and some firm tasty tannins. $48
Schweiger Chardonnay 2006 undergoes no malolactic fermentation so there is some refreshing acidity but also mellow apricot and melon notes. $30
All of these wines are limited production but can be bought directly on their website above.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Unidentified Flying Objects
For all of us that work in the wine business, the autumn season is a time for back to back trade shows.
Distributors usually host these shows, the 'suppliers' (these are the wine importers or the domestic wineries) send their top sales managers or even the winemaker to pour the wine and the retail and restaurant buyers are the belles of the ball.
All of this reminded me of a recent post by 1WineDude. He was castigating the folks who go to winery tasting rooms to get drunk.
Well, I have some shocking news of my own. There are some 'wine professionals' who get drunk at trade shows!
Too many wine samples consumed with trays of cheese and crackers are the deadly combination that gives us The Unidentified Flying Objects.
These are the small projectiles coming from the mouths of the retail clerk or restaurant waiter with flushed cheeks. The winery sales staff tries to dodge these wet tidbits hurtling through the air towards them whilst smiling and explaining how and when they hand prune their vines.
The above is much rarer at trade shows than at consumer shows, where patrons usually do not spit after tasting. We usually say it takes about 30 minutes after a consumer show begins, then the UFOs appear.
And granted even at trade shows, it is usually the floor staff or casual workers from restaurants and retail shops, not the head wine buyer or sommelier, who overindulges.
Don't misunderstand, the distributors are all to aware of the above phenomenon and provide more than adequate water and food and usually shuttles or taxis home for the inebriated.
I do wonder sometimes if the head buyers at restaurants and retail stores impress upon their staff that these are work events , not nights out on the town with friends.
Ok folks, heres the deal. Wine shows, either for the trade or consumer, are for TASTING not for drinking. If you find a wine you like, go buy it and drink it with friends for dinner or weekend brunch or wherever.
Save your UFOs for those that love you.
Distributors usually host these shows, the 'suppliers' (these are the wine importers or the domestic wineries) send their top sales managers or even the winemaker to pour the wine and the retail and restaurant buyers are the belles of the ball.
All of this reminded me of a recent post by 1WineDude. He was castigating the folks who go to winery tasting rooms to get drunk.
Well, I have some shocking news of my own. There are some 'wine professionals' who get drunk at trade shows!
Too many wine samples consumed with trays of cheese and crackers are the deadly combination that gives us The Unidentified Flying Objects.
These are the small projectiles coming from the mouths of the retail clerk or restaurant waiter with flushed cheeks. The winery sales staff tries to dodge these wet tidbits hurtling through the air towards them whilst smiling and explaining how and when they hand prune their vines.
The above is much rarer at trade shows than at consumer shows, where patrons usually do not spit after tasting. We usually say it takes about 30 minutes after a consumer show begins, then the UFOs appear.
And granted even at trade shows, it is usually the floor staff or casual workers from restaurants and retail shops, not the head wine buyer or sommelier, who overindulges.
Don't misunderstand, the distributors are all to aware of the above phenomenon and provide more than adequate water and food and usually shuttles or taxis home for the inebriated.
I do wonder sometimes if the head buyers at restaurants and retail stores impress upon their staff that these are work events , not nights out on the town with friends.
Ok folks, heres the deal. Wine shows, either for the trade or consumer, are for TASTING not for drinking. If you find a wine you like, go buy it and drink it with friends for dinner or weekend brunch or wherever.
Save your UFOs for those that love you.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Stripping it down
Have you checked out the Naked Wine Show on SlurpSwish?
I was expecting something like the Naked Chef food show. A stripped down, off the cuff wine vlog.
But the host is apparently naked ( we only get a head and shoulders shot).
Other than the lack of clothing, this is a pretty standard wine review vlog.
Another attempt to bring some humor to the online wine world and I applaud the effort.
People do seem to want wine reviews and very few want to watch some guy sitting at his desk droning on about mouthfeel and limestone soils.
This is another reason that print media will continue to struggle with consumer mindshare in the coming years.
Especially when you can see and hear an attractive online host provide a brief, entertaining wine review.
Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV has been the most successful at this so far and his visitor numbers show it.
Many more vlogs and online wine videos are headed our way too.
Does it get any better for the consumer?
In 3 minutes you can laugh, learn and then click to buy the wine that was just reviewed.
Time well spent and immediate rewards.
I was expecting something like the Naked Chef food show. A stripped down, off the cuff wine vlog.
But the host is apparently naked ( we only get a head and shoulders shot).
Other than the lack of clothing, this is a pretty standard wine review vlog.
Another attempt to bring some humor to the online wine world and I applaud the effort.
People do seem to want wine reviews and very few want to watch some guy sitting at his desk droning on about mouthfeel and limestone soils.
This is another reason that print media will continue to struggle with consumer mindshare in the coming years.
Especially when you can see and hear an attractive online host provide a brief, entertaining wine review.
Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV has been the most successful at this so far and his visitor numbers show it.
Many more vlogs and online wine videos are headed our way too.
Does it get any better for the consumer?
In 3 minutes you can laugh, learn and then click to buy the wine that was just reviewed.
Time well spent and immediate rewards.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Sticky Sticky
What makes a wine website 'sticky' for you?
What is it that makes you want to stick around and come back for more?
Take Wine Library TV for instance. The host, Gary Vaynerchuk , is what makes this site sticky.
He is doing what thousands of other people are doing online these days, reviewing wines.
But it is his out of the box, almost heretical descriptions of these wines and his 'look at me' delivery that keeps people coming back for more.
Consumers are clearly tired of long winded wine descriptions that have no relevance to their own lives. Gary entertains consumers and helps democratize wine in the process.
Another example is Wine 2.0, the online meeting place for wine industry folks interested in technology. Their value to me is the wine industry networking opportunities. Today they announced a new business plan contest, run in conjunction with Vator TV.
The up and coming wine business with the best business plan can win up to $250,000 in funding.
For me, these are two examples of what can make a site 'sticky'. Both sites give the visitor what they want. For social or hobby wine enthusiasts, Gary both entertains and supplies real time wine recommendations.
For a professional network, Wine 2.0 gives me topical forums, wine event updates and access to competitions that have real merit for me.
Give your target audience what they really want and they will keep coming back for more.
They need to walk away from your site feeling like you gave them something in return for the time they gave you.
Speaking of sticky and of getting what you want:
I had a wonderful Quinta di Noval 20 Year Tawny Port this past weekend.
We had to celebrate since we finally had a rainy, cool day here in southern California!
I love Tawny Ports but don't drink them often.
This one was a stunner. Dark golden brown liquid love. Loads of walnut flavors, freshly dried sugar plums and beautiful acidity to cut through all that richness.
Try some with an aged pecorino and some spiced almonds.
What is it that makes you want to stick around and come back for more?
Take Wine Library TV for instance. The host, Gary Vaynerchuk , is what makes this site sticky.
He is doing what thousands of other people are doing online these days, reviewing wines.
But it is his out of the box, almost heretical descriptions of these wines and his 'look at me' delivery that keeps people coming back for more.
Consumers are clearly tired of long winded wine descriptions that have no relevance to their own lives. Gary entertains consumers and helps democratize wine in the process.
Another example is Wine 2.0, the online meeting place for wine industry folks interested in technology. Their value to me is the wine industry networking opportunities. Today they announced a new business plan contest, run in conjunction with Vator TV.
The up and coming wine business with the best business plan can win up to $250,000 in funding.
For me, these are two examples of what can make a site 'sticky'. Both sites give the visitor what they want. For social or hobby wine enthusiasts, Gary both entertains and supplies real time wine recommendations.
For a professional network, Wine 2.0 gives me topical forums, wine event updates and access to competitions that have real merit for me.
Give your target audience what they really want and they will keep coming back for more.
They need to walk away from your site feeling like you gave them something in return for the time they gave you.
Speaking of sticky and of getting what you want:
I had a wonderful Quinta di Noval 20 Year Tawny Port this past weekend.
We had to celebrate since we finally had a rainy, cool day here in southern California!
I love Tawny Ports but don't drink them often.
This one was a stunner. Dark golden brown liquid love. Loads of walnut flavors, freshly dried sugar plums and beautiful acidity to cut through all that richness.
Try some with an aged pecorino and some spiced almonds.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Kanpai!
Sake season officially started on October 1st. Much like wine grapes, sake rice is harvested from August- October and now the fermentation and brewing process begins.
Check out Sake-World if you want the step by step.
Here's a phrase that can be helpful if not taken too literally.
Sake is brewed like beer and drinks like wine.
Premium, chilled sake has as many flavor and aromatic nuances as wine. There are varying levels of acidity, mouthfeel and body.
Just like wine, the only way to find out which style you prefer is to line up several sakes and conduct a tasting.
If you haven't tasted much sake, this process will be an eye-opener.
Just go to your local Japanese grocery store or a Wholefoods and buy some takeout sushi and several 300ml bottles of premium sake.
Invite friends. Enjoy.
Trust me , they will love it.
There is a treasure trove of amazing sakes out there beyond the hot, cheap table sake and sake bombs we have all endured in the past.
Here are a couple of sake recommendations:
Koshi no Kanbai "Tokusen" Ginjo grade - very pretty, honeydew melon notes and lovely flower aromatics
Kanbara "Bride of the Fox" Junmai Ginjo grade - round in the mouth, full, rich, aromatic
Matensei Junmai Ginjo grade - nice bright acids, cherry aromas and flavors
Check out Sake-World if you want the step by step.
Here's a phrase that can be helpful if not taken too literally.
Sake is brewed like beer and drinks like wine.
Premium, chilled sake has as many flavor and aromatic nuances as wine. There are varying levels of acidity, mouthfeel and body.
Just like wine, the only way to find out which style you prefer is to line up several sakes and conduct a tasting.
If you haven't tasted much sake, this process will be an eye-opener.
Just go to your local Japanese grocery store or a Wholefoods and buy some takeout sushi and several 300ml bottles of premium sake.
Invite friends. Enjoy.
Trust me , they will love it.
There is a treasure trove of amazing sakes out there beyond the hot, cheap table sake and sake bombs we have all endured in the past.
Here are a couple of sake recommendations:
Koshi no Kanbai "Tokusen" Ginjo grade - very pretty, honeydew melon notes and lovely flower aromatics
Kanbara "Bride of the Fox" Junmai Ginjo grade - round in the mouth, full, rich, aromatic
Matensei Junmai Ginjo grade - nice bright acids, cherry aromas and flavors
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