Archive for November, 2017

The Pros and Cons of Shelf Talkers in Your Wine Sh

November 30th, 2017

From the good folks at SevenFiftyDaily, we have this article on shelf talkers. [level-members] Whether you think shelf talkers are “a necessity, especially for large stores with many SKUs” or “visual clutter that gets in the way of staff-customer interactions,” there are some great insights in the article. Give it a read and let us […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing for November 30, 20

November 30th, 2017

Your wine DNA, where bad wine goes to die, gadgets that make wine fun, and waterfalls and wineries. [level-members] But first this: Climate change is having an effect not just on wine regions, but on entire wine countries. Did someone say roadtrip? This might not be the best time of year, but waterfalls and wineries […]

Why Wine Shop Owners Who Drink Beer Do Bett

November 28th, 2017

The title is a little tongue-in-cheek, but we’re actually quite serious about why you shouldn’t hide your beer-drinking habit from your wine shop customers. [level-members] Here’s why: You own a wine shop. Naturally, your wine shop customers expect that you’re going to be knowledgeable about wine. They might also be a bit intimidated by your […]

Wine Industry News for November 27, 20

November 27th, 2017

If you’ve been rejoicing at Amazon’s exit from the wine trade, you should be hearing Arnold Schwartzenegger’s voice saying, “I’ll be back.” Also, visitors are back at tasting rooms in Northern California, and it’s been a promising harvest in Washington and Oregon. [level-members] Amazon may be down, but they’re not out. With the acquisition of Whole Foods pushing […]

Critics, the 100-Point Scale, and Your Wine Shop Custome

November 22nd, 2017

Should you talk about how a particular wine scored in some magazine or website’s estimation? That depends on how you present those scores to your wine shop customers. [level-members] Even wine lovers with a little confidence like the confirmation that an “expert” score gives them – it validates their opinion, good or bad, of a wine, increasing […]

Video for Wine Shop Employee Traini

November 21st, 2017

Video is a great addition to any training program or materials, even if your shop is small. [level-members] “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw’s quote captures the problem that a training manual presents, and it does it in two senses. First, there is the way […]

Wine Industry News for November 20, 20

November 20th, 2017

Sustainability in California, smoke taint takes center stage, and an enterprising wine thief. [level-members] Can California wine be made sustainably? Decanter asks the questions and looks at water use, site selection, and varieties that can thrive under dry-farming. In the shorter term, California also needs to address questions of smoke taint. Three articles we came […]

Food & Wine Pairings: Cabernet Franc and Braised Chick

November 17th, 2017

The New York Times article on Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc we included in our wine stories roundup yesterday highlighted an interesting recipe for Braised Chicken. [level-members] I must admit, I’ve never heard of the spicy Korean condiment gochujang, but the recipe sounds delicious, and I’m trusting that it will be an excellent accompaniment to Finger Lakes-style Cabernet […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing – November 16, 20

November 16th, 2017

California wine country pre-Prohibition, climate science and sheep, vodka saves the day, Cab Franc in New York State and more. [level-members] Travel tips for the historically – and wine – minded. California’s pre-Prohibition history. Goats are cuter, but sheep are tough to beat. Climate science and sheep. Another good reason to always keep vodka close at […]

New Wrinkles in DtC Wine Shipmen

November 15th, 2017

With the holidays upon us, it’s a good time to revisit the ever-changing rules around shipping across state borders. [level-members] Why? Because the recommendations you make to your regulars are so good, that their guests come into the shop on Saturday to by a case to take or ship home. If home happens to be […]