Archive for September, 2013

What Wines Are Gaining US Market Shar

September 30th, 2013

What wines are gaining share in the US market? Here are a few we’ve read about recently. [level-members] Top of the growth list has to be Spanish wines, which continue to gain popularity in the US. Imports rose about 8% in 2012, with similar growth predicted again this year. Part of the reason may be […]

What They’re Reading – Wine Spectator, October 31, 20

September 26th, 2013

The October 31, 2013 issue of Wine Spectator is here. It’s the collector’s issue. [level-members] I guess there was something up with our mail here at Grapeseed World Headquarters, or with the USPS, because we just got the previous WS issue last week and now this one arrives right on its heels. If you’re one […]

More On Bridging the Online / In-Shop Marketing Divide for Wine Sho

September 25th, 2013

As a follow up to our marketing column last week on the importance of consistency between your digital and in-shop customer experience, here’s a way you might bridge the gap between the two. [level-members] Wine Simplified is an ebook / mobile app that’s worth considering as both a reference to recommend to your customers and […]

Is There An iPad in Your Wine Shop’s Futur

September 24th, 2013

Would an iPad or two in your shop improve the retail experience of your customers? Nordstrom’s seems to think it would in their stores. Let’s see why. [level-members] Nordstrom’s, the high-end department store is considering providing iPads in their dressing rooms to allow customers to immediately access product information – sizes, colors, availability, etc. The […]

Retail Wine Industry News – Hot Wine Prospec

September 23rd, 2013

Impact’s Hot Prospects list is heavy on California wines and imported sparklers. [level-members] From Shanken News Daily, we hear that Impact’s Hot Prospect list expects strong growth from California wines and imported sparkling wines priced below $15. California has near-total domination over the domestic list, taking 23 of 25 spots. Italy tops the import list, […]

Food and Wine Pairing – Mussels and Sauvignon Blanc via Bon Appet

September 20th, 2013

Bon Appetit’s October 2013 issue – The Entertaining Issue – is here, and we’ll take a look at the issue and some great-sounding recipes, with wines to accompany. [level-members] At the front of the book, a quick piece on the collaboration BA is working with Wired, a publishing conglomerate sibling, to explore umami, the so-called […]

What They’re Reading – Wine Spectator, October 15, 20

September 19th, 2013

This week in our mailbox we found Wine Spectator’s October 15, 2013 issue. Here’s what your clients are reading about now: California Pinot (the good and the bad), sustainably-farmed salmon, alcohol levels, and values from around the globe. [level-members] The cover story is about Josh Jensen and his success as a “Pinot Pioneer” in California. […]

Wine Shop Customer Experience and Digital Experience Should Mat

September 18th, 2013

Your customers’ expectations are based not just on your direct competitors but on their retail experience elsewhere in the real world – and online. [level-members] It may not be fair, but your customers’ expectations aren’t based just on your competitors, but on their experiences everywhere in the retail world – bricks and mortar as well […]

Your Wine Shop’s Most Valuable Ass

September 17th, 2013

We’ve been reading recently about Wally’s Wine & Spirits launching an auction division to complement their LA-based retail operation. Most of the press hasn’t gotten too deeply into the behind-the-scenes intrigue, but in a nutshell, the new leadership team at Wally’s Wine Auctions has basically been lifted wholesale from Zachys auction division in New York. […]

Retail Wine Industry News – Latino Winemakers in Californ

September 16th, 2013

The stereotypical image of Latinos as migrant farmworkers in the American west is due for a change. Many Latinos are now moving beyond the unskilled labor associated with basic fieldwork. [level-members] In a recent New York Times article, one worker describes his path as fairly typical – picker to tractor driver to foreman to vineyard […]