Sitting back and watching the mirth, outrage, smugness and concern issued by other watchers of the most current turn of events at Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, I'm reminded just how important, powerful and relevant the critics are to the Wine Trade. I'm further struck by how these events and the reaction to them shine a light on the very complex relationship that has developed between Mr. Parker and others in the world of wine. By most accounts and from what…
What an interesting year in wine. Legal battles, political battles, movements rising, technology, new markets, and changes in the media led the news. Here are my top wine stories for 2011 A SMALL CRACK IN THE WALL: Initiative 1183 Takes Washington Out of the Booze Business and Into the 21st CenturyIt has been a long time since a state abandoned its control of the alcohol marketplace and turned it over to the private sector. Initiative 1183 in Washington State did…
I'M NOT SO SURE… 1…Millennials have much to offer ultra premium wineriesYes, they are adopting wine on a shorter timetable than past generations, but as Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank has pointed out, these young'uns aren't buying much of the good stuff. They drinking wine with greater diversity and have a greater penchant for imported wines and enjoy really silly labels. But if I were selling $40+ bottles of wine, they would not be my target demographic. 2….It's smart…
Here's something very interesting that could not have been done in the pre-digital age: Crowd Sourcing Winemaking Decisions. This is what Silversmith Vineyards, located in Mendocino County's Redwood Valley, is doing and it looks like a pretty cool project. Imagine outsourcing to your crowd decisions like: 1. What varietal to make2. When to pick?3. Pump over or punch down4. What type of yeast to use?5. When rackings of the wine should happen6. Should the wine be filtered and if so,…
This is a shout out not only to a fellow wine blogger, but also to the wine trade that, if they have not yet noticed, the best wine bloggers are being invited inside some very important tents. David White of the blog Terroirist recently gave the keynote address at the 37th Annual Nederburg Rare South African Wine Auction in Paarl. It is a very prestigious invitation to give that keynote and it went to a wine blogger who has been…
