Oct 12, 2015
Walter Schug was not an easy man to work for. He could be a grouch, at least in his later years. I didn’t know him in his younger years. I worked on his behalf as the public relations consultant for Schug Carneros Estate for about three years around 2003. He had a habit of always being at the winery. His wife Gertrude also. I watched him give his son, Axel, a hard time on a regular basis. Axel had the…
Sep 14, 2015
The foremost analytic issue today for the wine industry, and other industry’s, is how best to wade through the mountains of analysis that appears from all directions. Who’s word, who’s analysis, whose ideas, whose data is most authoritative and best able to guide us in developing both short and long-term plans? In the wine industry this issue of authority comes up in a number of ways. Who is the best person to trust with wine evaluation, for example? Parker? The…
Sep 4, 2015
Recent stories about consolidation within in the wine-producing tier remind us of one fundamental fact of the wine industry in the second decade of the 21st century: The conditions that led lawmakers in the 1930s to think up many of the “Tied House” laws simply don’t exist anymore. When BIG wineries like Gallo or Constellation buy up smaller, medium-sized wineries, its does nothing to reduce choice for consumers and retailers nor does it give these producers any control at all…
Aug 26, 2015
Those in the wine business in the Napa region and outside it have been reading, seeing and listening to a great deal of commentary about the recent Napa Valley Wine Train incident. In fact, those not in the wine industry, both in the Napa region and outside the region, have been reading, seeing and listening to a great deal of commentary on the Napa Valley Wine Train incident. In light of this, I thought I’d offer my simple five-point plan…
Aug 23, 2015
My original unquestioning acceptance of the conclusion is embarrassing in retrospect. Still, I chalked it up to the outstanding and powerful drugs my oral surgeon gave me after taking five of my teeth in one sitting. I now also see it as an object lesson in why one shouldn’t attempt to read and analyze anything while on drugs. I’m thinking of the recently reported survey of American adults and their relationship to the alcohol regulatory system. I didn’t get a…