Archive for August, 2017

Wine Stories Worth Sharing – August 31, 20

August 31st, 2017

Wine technology – really old wine technology – had an impact on early printing. Cider is big business. China’s big wine business has a seamy side. Putting your sous vide chiller to use. Languedoc wins new fans. And a Reefer Madness for the drinking set. [level-members] Wine technology’s impact on the printed book. Really old […]

Wine Shop Marketing: Emotion or Educatio

August 30th, 2017

When you look at them marketing you do for your wine shop – beyond promotional materials about special offers, discounts, etc. – do you see attempts to educate or appeals to emotion? [level-members] If you’re like a lot of wine shops – and small retailers in general – you stick to “the facts, ma’am, just […]

Why Spreadsheets Are Your Frie

August 29th, 2017

Although this recent article on making money in the wine business is focused on vineyard owners, its lessons apply to the retail side of the business, as well. [level-members] At its simplest, sorting out the profitability – and sustainability – of your retail wine shop comes down to knowing three things: Your Costs Your Margins […]

Wine Industry News – August 28, 20

August 28th, 2017

Extreme weather and other issues in French wine regions. There’s a potential silver lining, at least, which may not be true in Italy. Wine may or may not stave off dementia. And Napa vineyard worker housing can’t keep up with demand. [level-members] As expected, the extreme weather they’ve experienced in France will cut 2017 production […]

Food & Wine Pairing – Argentina’s Bubbling Chee

August 25th, 2017

I wouldn’t make it a meal, but it’s an awfully nice starter. Called, provelata, served with herbs and or a chimichurri sauce, it can be a nice lead in to a meal that complements its richness. This isn’t a light, mid-week snack. [[level-members] Provelata So perfect is an Argentine malbec as an accompaniment that I […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing – August 24, 20

August 24th, 2017

How wine is made, honey tastings, Pinot changing tastes around the world, Saumur in the Loire Valley, and wine as a cure for writers block.[level-members] Not that many of our shop customers will be making wine any time soon, but they will all benefit from an understanding of how wine gets made. Looking for the […]

Getting to the Essence on Your Wine Shop Marketi

August 23rd, 2017

There’s something to be said for reducing something to its essence and concentrating on its most elemental parts. That can work in your favor when it comes to your wine shop marketing. [level-members] Part of the problem in marketing wine to anyone other than someone who is already a wine lover is that it can […]

Augmented Reality and Wine Marketi

August 22nd, 2017

Can augmented reality help you sell wine? And what is augmented reality anyway? [level-members] First, augmented reality is the use of a mobile app to access content – typically video or animation – when you point your phone’s camera at an object that the app has been coded to recognize. Like, for example, a wine […]

Retail Wine Industry News – August 21, 20

August 21st, 2017

Good news from California wine country, bad news from California wine country, bad news from the wine world beyond California, and how the Los Angeles wine scene was created. [level-members] Wind power, other sustainable practices, and other news from California. Less good news from California – red blotch is a virus first uncovered in 2008 that […]

Food & Wine Pairing: Fresh from the Garden – Or Farmers Mark

August 18th, 2017

Just about everything is in season right now, so it’s tempting to build your meals around whatever turns up from your garden or at the farmers market. [level-members] That doesn’t mean wine should be an afterthought, but it does mean that it should be chosen to compliment whatever you’re cooking, rather than vice versa. Our […]