Jun 28, 2007
"The House of Mondavi", a new book by Julia Flynn Siler, is a very unusual wine book. As an indication of just how unusual take a look at what the "Customers who bought this item also bought" at Amazon.com:Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of the Lazard Freres & Company. Not many books are…
Jun 21, 2007
I’ve been thinking a lot about Snooth lately. The recently launched meta site that aggregates reviews from numerous sources, as well as those entered directly on the site, to come up with aesthetic and critical profiles of wines, is a good thing. A very good thing. If the web is to become a reliable place to go for opinions on products then we’d better have a variety of opinions. That’s what makes me particularly interested in Snooth. When running on…
Jun 6, 2007
You’ve got to give it to the Wine Spectator. These folks know how to throw a party. Last night I went as Jeff Mayo’s date to the now annual Wine Spectator Party at the Hotel Healdsburg. Marvin Shanken and crew used to only throw a Napa "big bottle" party in conjunction with the auction. A few years ago they started holding a Sonoma version of the event. I’ve been to the Napa party also, but it has been a few…
Jun 4, 2007
There sure are a lot of people using the "Wine 2.0" label to help position their products and services. Nary a caution was issued at the Wine 2.0 get together in San Francisco on Friday. All the speakers, including me, were in the mood to embrace, rather than really critique, this buzzword that seems to mean….something…if not most things. The event itself was terrific. Cornelius and Jeff from RadCru.com did a damn fine job of creating a nice venue where…
May 9, 2007
I like Awards. I think it’s because I’m a gawker. But also, these thins often point to real talent and alert me to things and people I need to pay attention to. Recently the James Beard Awards were announced. They are the food and wine world’s equivilent of the Oscars. Folks get dressed up, attend the ceremony, get their awards and even have to back stage photos taken of them in front of a board that splashes "James Beard Foundation"…