Archive for February, 2018

Wine Shop Marketing: Expanding Palat

February 28th, 2018

If you’re looking for an interesting way to market to less experienced wine consumers or even wine consumers with a bit more knowledge, encouraging them to expand their palates can be an excellent approach. {level-members] This recent article in the Star Tribune out of Minneapolis points out how an exploration of various wine regions can be a […]

How to Handle a Robbe

February 27th, 2018

Your wine store inventory. The cash in your register. Your “pride.” None of it is worth your life. [level-members] So don’t. Just don’t. Defend yourself in whatever way you can, but give them anything else they want. Always. And train your employees to do exactly the same thing. [/level-members]

Wine Industry News for February 26, 20

February 26th, 2018

You may not be able to define it, but you know it when you see it. We’re talking about terroir, of course, and now you may be able to see it in a test tube. Also, more coverage on the possibility that growth in the wine biz is slowing, an early bud break in Napa […]

Food & Wine Pairing: Risot

February 23rd, 2018

It’s still winter and it’s still a good time for comfort food in front of a roaring fire. This week, let’s look at risotto. [level-members] This sausage and parsley risotto is an excellent choice, though of course there are nearly as many variations as their are grains of rice in the world. (I may be […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing – February 22, 20

February 22nd, 2018

The best wineries to visit in Tuscany, the NBA’s secret wine life, and National Drink Wine with Your Cat Week is right now! [level-members] Sadly, it’s almost over, but certainly we should all be spreading the word about National Drink Wine with Your Cat Week! Not your everyday wine story about not your everyday professional […]

Is The Sky Falling Because Young People Don’t Like Wi

February 21st, 2018

‘Twas ever thus. And the sky still hasn’t fallen. So stop worrying about the younger generation. [level-members] I’ve always wondered at the approach luxury car makers seem to have taken in creating ever cheaper “entry level” models to lure younger buyers and make them “Mercedes drivers for life,” or whatever the nameplate might be. As […]

Wine Shop Marketing: The Beginners Seri

February 21st, 2018

You might think that offering up a “wine for beginners” course would be a waste of your time – you want established and enthusiastic wine consumers as the staple of your shop. And yet, you might find that a beginners guide is exactly what your customers are clamoring for. [level-members] Well, perhaps not clamoring. There […]

Wine Industry News for February 19, 20

February 19th, 2018

Cyclones in New Zealand, Penfolds on the offensive, stock market gyrations and the price of wine, and some fun from National Drink Wine Day. [level-members] Cyclones hit New Zealand, but the 2017 vintage is no write-off, says Hawk Wakawaka. Penfolds has set its sites on copycat producers. Does the stock market affect the price of […]

Food & Wine Pairing: Pasta Carbona

February 16th, 2018

  [level-members] It’s a gray and dreary day here, with more of the same on the horizon. That had me thinking of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, like Spaghetti Carbonara.  Here’s a recipe from the New York Times. And for the wines, most will tell you to opt for an Italian white, something crisp and white like […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing – February 15, 20

February 15th, 2018

 A wine podcast worth listening to, “stunning” Italian wines at an affordable price, and good news on two fronts about wine and your brain.  [level-members] A rave from the New York Times about the “I’ll Drink to That” podcast. Definitely worth a listen, and an interesting thing to have on in the shop during slower […]