I recently read an excellent article on “White Label wines” by Madeline Puckette and Co. over at Wine Folly. Except for one glaring bullet-point: “Some wineries with tasting rooms will make a few own-vineyard wines, but will use bulk wine sources to make their cheaper, lower-end affordable bottlings. We’d ask what’s the point of selling something […]
The Tiers Produce Tears: Tear it Down
Big Box Economics I recently returned from a marketing trip with my employer, a small Willamette Valley producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As we explored the Minnesota market, meeting with local wine shops, three separate owners asked pointedly, “Will you be in Total Wine? If so, we won’t carry you.” Early in 2014, Total Wine […]
Money Can Buy
I, like any good wine shopper, seek out producers over-delivering for their price point. In the nearby Willamette Valley, this means $20-$35 Pinot Noir that tastes like the giants at $50-$80. Last weekend I stopped by Bergström Wines, a hallmark producer in the valley. What I found buckled my knees. The first swirl and smell of […]
The Head, The Heart, The Slurp
I recently attended an Oregon Syrah tasting with a trio of Willamette Valley winemakers and a few other industry compatriots. We tasted through seven different Oregon Syrahs, including a vertical from Dion Vineyard in the Willamette Valley produced by Anne Hubatch of Helioterra. Violet-blue in color, the 2013 Dion grabbed me by the shoulders and […]
Focus on Fruit
There are no short cuts. As a new “insider” to the wine trade, I walk the hallowed halls with antennas tuned for insight. For one, I hope to uncover the vineyard gems that supply the best value Pinot Noirs in the valley. I, like many of you, spend most of my nights sipping wines in […]
Price Matters: Important Words from Giorgia Casadio
“You must know the price. Ask! You are professionals!” Giorgia Casadio began to preach her gospel. Too many wine professionals had come to her table, tasted her wine, and failed to inquire about the price of each bottle. A group of Wine Bloggers Conference attendees shifted, alert on the chairs and bed corners of a fellow blogger’s hotel […]
Unscientific Reflections from a Millennial Wine Writer
As a wine writer, reader, and consumer, I hear a lot about the significance of the Millennial Generation on both the current and future wine trade. Millennials in the United States have taken to wine at a younger age than previous generations–my personal experience concurs. Projections suggest we, Millennials, will continue to play a substantial […]
Buying Wine
All of us share the experience of buying wine. Wine purchasing can feel anxiety laden, laborious, or blissful. Wine knowledge can thankfully increase comfort and help move a buyer from anxiety to giddy-with-delight. Coming soon, wine literature must reads to increase your understanding. Today, however, let’s focus on where to buy your wine. Who can you […]
Wine Economics Part III: Reputation
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The Bard strikes to the heart again. In many ways, the first two posts on Wine Economics (Part I and Part II) danced around the importance of reputation. Today, we will hit the nail squarely on the […]
Wine Economics Part II: Varietals
The New World has successfully managed to bring the names of specific grapes (a.k.a. varietals) to the forefront of our minds. Most Old World wines did not traditionally include varietal labeling, opting instead for location specific labeling–Pauillac, Rioja, or Barolo, for example. While much of the Old World continues this original labeling strategy, today I […]