Sep 15, 2011
Before we had "friends", we had mailing lists—and they weren't made public. We used to have to be careful when we followed someone for fear of being branded a stalker, rather than just being counted and sorted. I used to be wary of getting invitations because I knew it meant having to get dressed up, while now I can usually attend all the "events" I'm invited to in the comfort of my boxers and along with thousands of other boxer-clad…
Sep 12, 2011
The Top Ten Words of the 2011 Napa Harvest In my super -un-scientific, un-official, survey of growers, winemakers, owners and finance types in Napa Valley, here are the Top Ten words I hear associated with the 2011 Napa Valley Harvest (in no particular order). 1. Sauvignon Blanc 2. Cold 3. Shatter 4. Short 5. November 6. Picking-Crews 7. 20.1 Brix 8. Labor 9. Delicious 10. Late The average highs and lows for Saint Helena in the middle of Napa Valley…
Sep 7, 2011
If you see a disconnect between the picture on the left and the message superimposed upon it, the supporters of the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine initiative hope that disconnect will instead morph into a logical connection. The supporters of this initiative, who are in the process of trying to gather over 500,000 signatures and raise millions of dollars to put the marijuana decriminalization initiative on the ballot, are employing a fairly sophisticated messaging and branding campaign to help them. The…
Sep 6, 2011
I spent a decent amount of time Labor Day thinking about whether Sam Kim is an unethical wine critic, whether he gives all wine writers a bad name and whether or not his brand of pay-for-review wine criticism ought to have gotten him ostracized from from a Wine Writers association. In the end, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Kim, rather than being the scourge to wine criticism many of his colleagues believe him to be, is instead the…
Sep 2, 2011
A story in the NY Times today on the sorry state of the Gravenstein apple market in Sonoma County provided a reminder of the primary force that moves the wine industry. If you like seeing more Pinot on the market, don't thank the movie Sideways. If you worry over the proliferation of big, high pH fruit bombs, don't blame Robert Parker's palate or Jim Laube's preferences. If are trouble by the higher alcohol in wine these days, don't blame new…