Archive for December, 2016

Food & Wine Pairing: Bubbles for New Year’s E

December 30th, 2016

OK, you’re going to have to open that bottle of bubbly, whether you’re a fan of the stuff or not. So why not make it worthwhile and build a meal around it, complement it, and make it less of an outsider to the party? [level-members] For starters, you can include your favorite fried food with […]

Wine Stories Worth Reading: Gadgets, Gimmicks, and Geni

December 29th, 2016

Here are a few fun articles to share with your wine-loving audience and end the year on a light note. [level-members] First, a (perhaps) tongue-in-cheek look at the wine gadgets that are often exchanged as holiday gifts. Are they necessary? Absolutely not. Are they a complete waste of time, money and space? Well, … you […]

The Greatest Wine Gift – Educati

December 28th, 2016

The greatest gift of any kind may be education – it is quite possibly the closest thing anyone has to a silver bullet for whatever societal problems are at the top of your list. But it’s also a great gift for wine lovers. [level-members] Not that wine gadgets are great, even if they are mostly […]

Do Wine Recommendations Matte

December 27th, 2016

In an age of “user-generated content” and computer algorithms, does offering advice to your wine shop customers even make sense any more? [level-members] In a word, yes. In two words, absolutely yes! Even though you can read about the greater consistency that is the wisdom of the crowd, that macro-view really only counts in the abstract. It’s great […]

Food & Wine Pairing: Sal

December 23rd, 2016

Not the most seasonal of meals, salad, but that’s precisely the point. Sometimes, after a season’s worth of overindulgence, a light, bright salad is exactly the perfect meal. [level-members] Of course, it’s what you put in the salad that determines what wine to put in your glass. A simple Caesar Salad cries out for an […]

Worth Sharing: Last-Minute Gifts for Wine Love

December 22nd, 2016

We’re down to the wire on gift giving time, so here are some ideas worth sharing with your (desperate) fans, followers and customers. [level-members] Let’s start with a bang. For the person who may have a cork-collecting problem: Admit it; you want one. You also probably wouldn’t mind some chocolate. How about a collection of […]

The Spirits of Christmas Prese

December 21st, 2016

No, not the Ebenezer Scrooge spirits. Whiskey, gin, vodka … Not everyone loves wine. And even though wine lovers are probably the most important part of your audience, you’re overlooking an opportunity if you don’t carve out at least a small corner of your shop for interesting spirits. After all, even your hard-core wine lovers […]

Making Brick & Mortar Matter in an Amazon A

December 20th, 2016

You may feel you don’t stand a chance in an era of online behemoths, but there are advantages to being small, nimble and personal. [level-members] First, you have to think strategically. You’re not going to beat a bigger opponent at their own game. You need to concentrate on the areas where they are weak. Location […]

Wine Industry News for December 19, 20

December 19th, 2016

From Al Gore and climate change to vandals in Italy, a less-stodgy consumer view in the US, and the on-going cork debate, we have surprisingly wide-ranging news from the wine world this week. [level-members] Al Gore, Climate Change, and Wine The “former next President” and his impact on one winemaker’s thinking about climate change. From […]

Food & Wine Pairing: Holiday Favorit

December 16th, 2016

There may be more riding on your holiday meal than on your average Sunday night family dinner, but that doesn’t mean the laws of nature cease to apply. Nor do the meant-to-be-broken laws of food and wine pairing. [level-members] Which means you can forget the “red with meat, white with fish” trope when you’re making […]