Mar 28, 2006
The cork manufacturers of the world are pretty smart, visionary folk. Early on, when the first alternative closures for wine hit the market in response to too many wines gone bad due to tainted corks, cork manufacturers when on a promotional crusade to keep corks relevant. I learned today of what must be their greatest coup yet in their battled to maintain their closure market dominance: They’ve simply found a way to keep the market all to themselves. A press…
Mar 24, 2006
I’m a father. So, believe me when I tell you that I really do have concern for the welfare of my kids, and with the ability for all kids to interact with our culture and society safely. However, I can’t help but think that our nation’s obsession with "demon rum" too often goes over the line and just looks dumb. In Boise, Idaho there is a movie theater that is very unique. For a long time it has offered it’s…
Mar 21, 2006
Maybe it’s my natural aversion to things "cute", but it does appear we have a candidate for the most overused term in wine for 2006: "Critter Wine". Are we tired of this yet? Not the "critter wines", clearly, but the term? ACNielsen tells us that that according to their sales figures 18% of new table wine brands released over the past year that achieved sales of $20,000 or more in 2005 had "critters" on the label. The sales of these…
Mar 20, 2006
I know some men. and one woman, for whom losing their cellar in the course of a divorce would be worse than losing the car, house and kids. Pathetic, but true. Jeffrey Lalloway, in his blog on divorce and family law in California, explores the trend of battling over the wine cellar in the course of a divorce. In some cases the division of the liquid assets is not a minor event, with hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake….
Mar 16, 2006
Today, in his absurdly good weekly newsletter "Vintage Experiences" (subscription only), Dan Berger has some very interesting thoughts on Napa Valley and the idea of "Wine Country." In short, Dan suggests that Napa Valley, with its informally high prices for wine and the "wine country" lifestyle, is becoming less and less and true wine country where consumers and visitors can count on an authentic, and affordable, experience. But deeper into his article he makes the most important point: Napa Valley’s…