Things I’ve Been Wanting to Say…

Posted by Tom Wark on Jun 18, 2007

So much to impart, so little time. So, Here are some mini posts about things I’ve been wanting to say….

1. 100 POSTS: The Cork Board Blog, which just finished up its 100th post, is turning out to be one of the best new blogs in  the past couple of years. The Cork Board focuses on Napa Valley. I’m unaware of another blog, though it may exist, that constantly works the Napa Valley beat. That’s hard to believe.

2. A BLOG FOR WA: There are other very good wine blogs focused on Washington State. A new one in the game is Write For Wine (nice title!) They just started up this month. Go give them some love and check out a new WA perspective.

3. I KNOW IT MEANS SOMETHING IMPORTANT:  Wine Opinions released a new survey that Steve Bachmann over at The Wine Collector has some interesting comments on. The survey looks at purchase influencers. Based on the survey, Steve, among other things, concludes the following:

-Initiatives to apply social networking to generating wine recommendations should have a receptive audience.

-Internet-based
wine opinions contained in blogs or shared tasting notes are already a
significant influence factor and growing stronger based on a steady
flow of new initiatives.

Of course this last one interests me. The survey reports that "24% of consumers in the panel read wine blogs, about double the level which read the Wine Advocate or eRobertparker.com."

I’m not even sure what this means. But I think it is important.

4. DUMB, BUT INSTRUCTIVE: So, the other day I’m writing up a newsletter for Specialty Wine Retailers Association and I use a quote from Rich Cartiere’s Wine Market Report. But, I didn’t attribute it to him. Dumb. It was an oversight on my part. But it was dumb nonetheless. In the course of talking it over with Rich, who has been at the business of reporting on wine since before there was an Internet, he made a good point about attribution and the Internet: It’s crucial and particularly crucial to those who have subscribers. We bloggers in particular sneakily use (steal?—look a the item above) things from others all the time. We give attribution and think we’ve done enough by doing so. One thing I try to do when I find myself inspired by another’s writing is NOT to reprint the whole thing that inspired me. It’s important to send people to the source, not only so they can get the whole story in context but so that these other sources have reason to keep publishing. Apologies to Rich and reminders to myself: always attribute and always link back and always give’ em a reason to follow the link.

5. WHATTA PALATE!: How does Alder do it? I honestly have no idea how a one man show like Vinography can taste and post in such volume about so many wines as he does when he writes up those events. His Napa Auction and Rhone Ranger rundowns betray a man with a palate of amazing stamina. Wow.

6. OH, HOW I WISH: Anyone who wonders what the benefits are of being an accomplished and successful person in the wine business needs to read this post from John Kapon at Blogau Vin. OH MY GOD!

7. COMIC RELIEF FROM THE LOGIC-IMPAIRED: It’s one of the silliest things I’ve ever read. Let me get this straight. If there is any risk at all that a minor will be able to obtain alcohol form a particular sales channel, we should prevent any wine from being sold through that channel. I do believe Craig Wolf, President of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association, is angling to put his own membership out of business. After all, we really need to shut down all those brick and mortar retail outlets that sell wine. Minors might get alcohol through then. Wait…they DO get alcohol through them. Funny stuff, Craig!