Archive for June, 2013

Food and Wine Pairings – Pasta and Red, Pasta and Whi

June 28th, 2013

Admit it. Sometimes you decide what to eat based on what you’re in the mood to drink. Here are some suggestions for pasta dishes whether you’re in the mood for red or white. [level-members] We can’t start anywhere but red wine and everyone’s favorite standby, red sauce. Chianti is a great choice. Brunello, Barolo, tough […]

What They’re Reading – Wine Spectator 7/31/20

June 27th, 2013

Wine Spectator invites us to Discover South Africa. Quite the stunning place according to Laura, who toured city and countryside pre-kids. (And pre-me!) [level-members] First, Matt Kramer’s column is great. He encourages us to think simple when it comes to summer wine and offers the opinion that “summer wines should be the most adventurous, experimental, […]

Showrooming in Wine Shops and How to Combat

June 26th, 2013

We’ve written recently about the good and bad of smart phones for small wine retailers. Smart phones are part of the showrooming phenomenon, but showrooming goes beyond that. [level-members] Showrooming is the practice of consumers coming in to a retail establishment to touch and feel a product and get some expert advice … and then […]

Why Systems Matter – Retail Wine Business T

June 25th, 2013

Systems matter and you should put them in place even if they seem silly or like overkill for your small operation. Here’s why. [level-members] The two main reasons systems matter are Peace of mind – you know your business can survive your absence, planned or not, if there are systems in place for shelf stocking, […]

Retail Wine Industry News – Amazon Discounts, Bordeaux Futures Prici

June 24th, 2013

This week we look at Amazon’s latest discount program and some thoughts on Bordeaux futures pricing and how these might affect independent wine retailers. [level-members] First, we have Amazon who, in an email offer last week, was discounting orders of 6 bottles or more by 30%. Ouch. As with all their offers, restrictions apply, so […]

Food and Wine Pairings – Leg of Lamb and Big Re

June 21st, 2013

We’ll be dining on grilled butterflied leg of lamb tonight. We haven’t decided what we’ll be drinking with it, but here’s a short list of contenders. [level-members] We’ll marinate the lamb before we grill it, probably in a marinade similar to the one in this SimpleRecipes.com recipe. Lots of flavor and no need for mint […]

What They’re Reading – California Wines’ Range of Styl

June 20th, 2013

For many people for many years, California wines meant one thing: cabs were huge, chardonnay was oaky, zinfandels were all power all the time. That’s not so true anymore. (If it ever was …) [level-members] We’re back to The New York Times again this week – I know, ironic to be repeating a source in […]

Content Marketing for Wine Sho

June 19th, 2013

Think content marketing is too newfangled and hip for you? Something just for companies trying to attract the young, “in” crowd? You’re wrong. [level-members] John Deere, the tractor company, had a magazine called The Furrow that it sent to farmers for free back in the 1800s. And university researchers are studying the viral memes of […]

Wine Retail Business Tips – Wine and Politi

June 18th, 2013

Do wine and politics mix? Not long ago, a plumber ran an ad in our local paper in which he espoused some pretty hard-core views on gun control. (He was against.) When I read the ad, I wondered what would make someone potentially alienate a significant portion of their potential customers? [level-members] That came to […]

Retail Wine Industry News – Premium-Plus moving up, Chinese-American Wi

June 17th, 2013

There’s growth in the Premium-Plus category and at higher price points, as well. And a California-Chinese wine is a big hit with the big-wigs. [level-members] Premium-Plus Moving On Up The “premium-plus” category ($10 and up) is growing well, with retail sales doing better than on-premises. Apparently eight of the top 10 brands grew in the […]