Aug 30, 2013
Can a man do an equally good job of marketing wine to women as a woman could do? Is a woman better prepared to market to women wine buyers than men? Is there any reason to believe that women have better palates than men? Is there any advantage women have over men when it comes to making wine? These are just some of the questions I’m tempted to ask a panel of highly accomplished wine professionals at the upcoming Women…
Aug 5, 2013
Gallop reports that when asked if they prefer to drink beer, wine or spirits, Americans name beer and wine equally as often. This has been interpreted to mean that wine is now as popular as beer in America. But what’s really interesting about this new poll is that it demonstrates that the number of Americans that name wine as their favorite drink has stayed static for over a decade with little or no growth. Consider the following graph: Between 1992…
Jul 23, 2013
“The Hill” reports that the recent recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board that the Blood Alcohol Content limit for DUIs be lowered to .05 from .08 “appears headed down a dead-end road. States show little interest in revisiting the hot-button issue, industry groups are lining up against the plan and even the most ardent foes of intoxicated drivers– including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) – have declined to endorse it.” I think…
Jun 19, 2013
WINE CONSUMERS HAVE LONG DESERVED AND NEEDED A VEHICLE TO VOICE THEIR INTERESTS—AND TODAY THAT VOICE EXISTS. For more than a decade now, I’ve concerned myself with how wine gets into the hands of consumers. This concern has led me to be involved in and to comment on numerous issues that impact not merely the wine trade, but how consumers access the wines they want. In some cases I’ve acted as an advocate for members of the wine trade who…
Jun 14, 2013
Decanter Magazine and Jim’s Loire Blog, among others, has reported on the recommendation of a powerful group French of health advocates that the “Loi Evin” be liberally applied to wine information on the Internet. To translate, this group is suggesting that wine blogs, social media postings and other online outlets be banned from promoting, advertising or otherwise celebrating wine. Why? Because the French must protect their children from the disastrous impact of being exposed to the idea that Domaine de…