Archive for March, 2018

Food & Wine Pairing: Grilled La

March 30th, 2018

As with any other pairing, matching wine well with lamb really isn’t about the protein, it’s about the prep. [level-members] With Easter upon us, and spring finally springing around the northeast, we can think about firing up the grill and tossing some lamb on the fire. There are a lot of different red wines that will work […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing for March 29, 20

March 29th, 2018

Doesn’t winemaking count for something, rather than just letting mother nature take its course? Plus stories on professional cellarers, infuencial wine books, and changes in Champagne. [level-members] Since wine doesn’t make itself, what exactly is natural wine? Is it even really a thing? And doesn’t winemaking count for something? Not everyone has room to build their […]

Using Social Media to Market Your Wine Sh

March 28th, 2018

Think that wine and social media channels like Instagram are too different to work well together? At least one Bordeaux winery is proving that idea wrong. [level-members] Sure, the image of Bordeaux drinkers differs greatly from the stereotype of, say, cat-loving, filter-using Instagrammers, but there’s enough overlap that Chateau Darius is seeing great results from […]

What Wineries Selling DTC Means for Retail Wine Sho

March 27th, 2018

As I read these two related articles about the costs associated with setting up DTC programs at wineries, I began to think of both the parallels and threats to retailers that DTC represents. [level-members] First, there are quite a few vendors listed in the DTC Vendor Prism that can be useful for retailers, too. Social media […]

Wine Industry News for March 26, 20

March 26th, 2018

Bad actors acting badly in France, whiskey-based cryptocurrency, good news and bad from China, and Brexit’s effect on Champagne buying habits.  [level-members] Chicanery and malfeasance in France: Leading Bordeaux Wine Merchant Accused of Massive Fraud and French watchdog details ‘massive’ misuse of Rhône and Châteauneuf names. Pay for your next whiskey with … whiskey? The world’s first […]

Food and Wine Pairing: Tuna and Red Wi

March 23rd, 2018

With spring in the air, at least in my imagination, I’m eager to fire up the grill and get winter behind us. But, Mother Nature is not exactly cooperating, so here’s my compromise in a nod to the reality of the weather. [level-members] We’ve talked about this combination before, and shared this recipe for tuna with […]

Wine Stories Worth Sharing for March 22, 20

March 22nd, 2018

When it comes to wine, do you care too much? Do you know too little about tannins? Which celebrities make the best wine? And when it comes to noses and wine glasses, how far is too far? We have the answers. [level-members] Whatever you think you know about tannins, forget it. Here’s the real story […]

Wines That Changed The Way We Dri

March 21st, 2018

Are there wines you think changed the way the world drinks? Wines that changed the way you drink? You can market around either. [level-members] Granted, you’re not going to market a whole lot around the 1764 Ruinart Rosé Champagne, which is likely out of stock at your local distributor … but this Food & Wine article […]

Price, Perception and Your Wine Shop Custome

March 20th, 2018

Price does matter, even if the underlying value of a product is not closely related to its price. The trick for us as wine retailers is to help our customers understand and gain comfort with how what they’re spending relates to what they’re getting.[level-members] Blind tastings and academic studies robustly show that neither amateur consumers […]

Retail Wine Industry News for March 19, 20

March 19th, 2018

  [level-members] Move from Napa to New York’s Finger Lakes? Here’s why one Master of Wine did. (And I love that we’re now referring to the Finger Lakes as FLX. New to me, anyway …) More bad news: weed is having an impact on the wine industry. Let’s just keep piling on: Rich People are Ruining […]