Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

  [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 […]

This week we dig through some older materials that didn’t make it to the top of the pile even though they deserved to. Your wine shop customers will definitely get a kick out of these stories about stamps, corks, predators, and more; you may, too. [level-members] Starting with the stamp: I haven’t seen this in […]

We all know that it’s easier to help customers who have a basic working knowledge of wine. What are the basics you consider essential? And what are you doing about making sure your customers know them? [level-members] Here are five points worth sharing with your wine shop customers. Build a Framework Think about the wines […]

When you make decisions on how to stock your shop, do you blind taste the wines you are considering? Do you live by the adage, “buy with apples, sell with cheese?” You may be wasting your time. [level-members] We’re certainly not ever going to encourage you to do anything other than be true to your […]

There are a great many varietals that your customers have likely never heard of. Make the introduction. And scare yourself in other ways, too. Your business will be better for it. [level-members] Yes, everybody wants Cab and Chard and maybe a Merlot if they haven’t seen Sideways. (Or maybe if they have – Miles is pretty […]

Counterfeit wines in China, marijuana-infused wine, and alternative packaging. [level-members] Counterfeit Wines in China Wine Spectator asks: how big is China’s counterfeit wine problem? The answer: big. Really, really big. A French group, the Wine & Spirits Commission estimates that for every real bottle of French wine in China, there is at least one counterfeit […]

Why write a training and operations manual for your wine shop when you can just as easily film it? [level-members] Yes, some things should certainly be spelled out in the kind of detail that only a written document can do. But things like how to stock shelves, how to store inventory, even how to lock up […]