What version of Napa Valley do you prefer? Also ownership change in Napa, varietal change globally, fighting disease in Burgundy, and rock ‘n roll whiskey. [level-members] Bob Dylan makes whiskey. Both Food & Wine and the NYTimes give us the low-down on Dylan’s latest “release.” Heitz sells out. Given all of the chatter about climate […]
Archive for April, 2018
Wine Industry News for April 30, 20
April 30th, 2018Food & Wine Pairing – The Very Height of Decadenc
April 27th, 2018We’ve got a really great burger place in our town. And they make great fries. So what does that have to do with wine? [level-members] Everything if you’re in the mood for what we might call down-home decadence: french fries and Champagne. There’s only one rule: keep it simple. Forget the cheese fries or anything […]
Wine Stories Worth Sharing for April 26, 20
April 26th, 2018Forget the cemetery, we want to be buried in a wine cellar. (The Cask of Amontillado notwithstanding.) Also, the rising price of cocktails, buying great olive oil, and the difference between French and American oak barrels. [level-members] There are worse ways to spend eternity, right? An excellent opportunity to encourage your wine shop customers to […]
The Art of Wine Education as Marketi
April 25th, 2018Nobody likes to feel stupid, so it can be a challenge to educate your wine shop audience, though the benefits are great enough that it’s worth the effort to do it right. [level-members] This recent article, The Beginner’s Guide to Natural Wine, is an excellent example. It’s precisely because there are “shifting definitions and no […]
AI and Matters of (Wine) Tas
April 24th, 2018There’s no accounting for taste, or so the saying goes. Which would make you think that standardizing our, um, standards, would be a good thing. But I bet you’re not going to like where this story of wine tastemaking is going … [level-members] MIT Grads Invent Algorithm and Quiz To Pick Your Next Bottle Of […]
Wine Industry News for April 24, 20
April 23rd, 2018Fallout from the wildfires in California, whiskey tourism, trade war and wine, and the fight for Napa development rights. First, sugar in wine and on wine bottle labels. [level-members] Do we really want ingredients listed on our wine labels? European winemakers may soon have to, and closer to home there’s a question about how much […]
Oh, Spring. Where Are You? Asparagus and Wine Pairi
April 20th, 2018Spring just won’t spring for large swaths of the country, but we’re forging ahead with a spring meal idea, anyway. [level-members] That’s in part because we’re already seeing great-looking asparagus in the markets. Here’s a delicious take on asparagus pizza that works well for this time of year. You might even go off script and […]
Wine Stories Worth Sharing for April 19, 20
April 19th, 2018Underdog wine regions getting some love, iconic wine labels, minerality in wine and a novel form of wine country tour transport. [level-members] The Brits really like their own wine! And the folks at Wine Enthusiast are loving on the wines of New Jersey. Iconoclastic winemaker Randall Grahm discusses his iconic wine labels. Food & Wine […]
Using “Diagonal” Tastings in Wine Shop Marketi
April 18th, 2018Most of your wine shop clients are likely to have heard of vertical tastings, but few will have heard of diagonal tastings. That’s because I just made them up. (I think) [level-members] Actually, I’m sure someone else must have had the same idea already, since it’s hardly rocket science. The concept is simple: take a […]
Blockchain and the World of Wi
April 17th, 2018It’s not just silicon valley that is gaga over blockchain and, especially, the cryptocurrencies which are based on it. Now the wine world is getting into the act. [level-members] Chai Wine Consulting is using the technology to help squash counterfeiters. As a tech-geeky wine lover, I find the idea incredibly compelling, though I’m still quite skeptical about […]