Dec 24, 2013
I’m a fairly close observer of what we have come to call “The Wine Media”. My 20+ years observing the writing and reporting of all things wine, and any expertise I’ve accumulated as a result, is part of what I offer my clients—who hire me and keep me around in part because I’m a fairly reliable analyst of the wine media. I make a living understanding the wine media, how it works, what it wants and who reads it. Me…
Dec 22, 2013
Recent events within the wine industry remind us that fraud can impact its participants and patrons. The question is where does or can the fraud lie in the world of wine? At the very least, certain areas deserve watching. 1. Counterfeit Wine If you are in the market for the most coveted wines, the First Growths of Bordeaux, or the Grand Cru of Burgundy, the recent “Kurniawan Affair” should inform you that it is a Buyer Beware marketplace. Your best…
Nov 17, 2013
In honor of Jordan Salcito’s Amazing article on Natural Wine. Not long ago I accompanied a good friend to a meeting with their oncologist. It was to be a difficult meeting as the discussion was in advance of my friends first in a series of radiation treatments. What transpired and was revealed at the meeting some have called a miracle. But my friend and I know the truth. Upon examining my friend, the oncologist declared, “Good God, there’s not a…
Oct 31, 2013
It really was quite quaint. Our own Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America sent a little letter to the H.M. Revenue and Customs agency in the United Kingdom suggesting all their problems over across the pond with alcohol could be solved by implementing a U.S-style three-tier system in that Kingdom. I’m hoping the folks at WSWA don’t hold their breath waiting for implementation of their magnanimous suggestion. They may as well have written to Her Majesty’s agents the following: “If …
Oct 23, 2013
I’m driving up Highway 29 in Napa Valley yesterday and somewhere around North Rutherford, with my windows up in my car, I start to smell that iconic Napa Valley smell: fermenting wine grapes. It’s unmistakable. But more importantly, it’s purely Napa Valley. And it gets me thinking. What are the Napa Valley icons? What are those things that are truly emblematic of Napa Valley. People see a picture of them and “yep, that’s Napa Valley!” Firstly they would have to…