Archive for September, 2014

Wine Shop Customer Experience: The Shop Environme

September 30th, 2014

Last week we talked about creating a great wine shop customer experience through staff and training. Important stuff, which is why we focused on it first. But there are other components of customer experience worth looking at, too. This week: your shop itself. [level-members] On one level, this is pretty easy. If your front door […]

Wine Consumption Habits, More Impact’s Hot List: Argentine Win

September 29th, 2014

More from the Impact Hot List via Shanken News Daily: Argentine wines are bouncing back. [level-members] Argentine wine sales in the US were down in 2012, but rebounded in 2013, rising by about 5%. Malbec leads the way, unsurprisingly, with Alamos and Trapiche labels both growing strongly enough for Impact to tag them as “Hot […]

Food & Wine Pairing: Wine with Food, the Bo

September 26th, 2014

This week, rather than featuring a single food and wine pairing, we’re featuring 100 food and wine pairings. Well, sort of. We’re featuring Eric Asimov and Florence Fabricant’s Wine with Food book. [level-members] This book is an accessible intro into the ideas behind food and wine pairings that really work and is worth recommending to […]

What Your Wine Shop Customers Are Reading – Wine Spectator 10/31/

September 25th, 2014

The new Wine Spectator just landed in our inbox and I have to admit, I’m a bit excited! Not my usual reaction to WS, but this month the Loire gets a cover mention: France’s Loire Valley: Food-Friendly Values. [level-members] Alas, the Loire isn’t the star of the cover, or the issue. That’s Italy, Sicily in […]

Wine Shop Marketing is Not “Set It and Forget It

September 24th, 2014

What marketing are you planning today to bring in customers tomorrow? Beyond the importance of having a marketing plan in place, don’t overlook the importance of a marketing mindset. [level-members] As important as what you’re doing is the idea that you’re thinking about marketing, paying attention to your marketing, and measuring the results of your […]

Wine Shop Customer Experience – Staff & Traini

September 23rd, 2014

Last week, we discussed in general terms the importance of customer experience and how even great marketing can’t overcome a poor customer experience. So how do you create a great customer experience? We’ll look at a number of different ways over the next few weeks. First up: staff and training. [level-members] Nothing will have a […]

Wine Industry News: Scotland Exhales, Top Retailers Honor

September 22nd, 2014

Two interesting pieces from Shanken News Daily this past week: Top Retailers were honored by Market Watch and the Scotch industry exhaled a bit as Scottish voters came down against independence. [level-members] Among the retailers honored by Market Watch magazine were Gary’s Wine & Marketplace in New Jersey name the following as the keys to […]

Friday Food & Wine Pairings – Fritta

September 19th, 2014

As we head from summer into fall, we love recipes that make use of the last of summer’s bounty in more savory recipes than we might try in the summer. Here’s one. [level-members] This squash frittata from Southern Living and found on MyRecipes.com is a great example of summer recipes that rely on produce that, […]

What Your Wine Shop Customers Are Reading – NY Times & Bon Appetit September 20

September 18th, 2014

It’s the restaurant issue from Bon Appetit this time around. The cover promises to reveal “the best thing I have ever eaten in America” and BA’s dish of the year, along with their picks for best new restaurants. Also, the New York Times travels to central Washington state. [level-members] One restaurant trend Bon App has […]

The Lessons of Barbe

September 17th, 2014

We’ve long been fans of Barbera – “the acid king of Italy,” as we heard it called years ago by Willie Gluckstern when we first fell for Barbera’s food-friendilness – and have been seeing it mentioned more and more of late. (Including this piece from Snooth last month. http://www.snooth.com/articles/barbera-is-taking-on-airs-5522/) [level-members] It’s great to see a […]