Apr 17, 2006
The franchising of wine is something that has never really gotten of the ground. Presumably this has been the case because there was not a perception that the market for wine was large enough or because the vast majority of wine is purchased in the much more convenient confines of the grocery store. WineStyles seems to be changing this with a wine store franchise that has grown to over 100 franchises in just a year and a half. The WineStyle…
Apr 14, 2006
It’s not something to be proud of, but it’s often the case. Sometimes, when you’ve been working for long long time on something and you just want it to be over, you are willing to accept a conclusion to the project that you know just isn’t the best it could be. But, it does bring the project to a conclusion so you accept mediocrity. Most of us take this route from time to time, but the problem with it is….down…
Apr 13, 2006
"Today in Washington Secretary of Wine Donald Rumsfeld again denied reports that any abuse or torture of foreign wines had occurred in the National Cellar. The Wine Secretary called reports that French bottlings were exposed to extremes of cold and heat patently absurd’. The allegation of abuse of foreign wines has dogged the Secretary since a collection of horrifying pictures were published in "The Wine Spectator" showing a bottle of Chateau Petrus along side a bottle of Domaine de la…
Apr 10, 2006
You rarely see wine used as a blunt instrument. The stuff is just too satisfying to relegate to the status of expendable weapon. Yet, this is what is apparently happening in Russia where that country is using wine as a weapon in a political disagreement with the former Soviet States of Moldavia and Georgia. Beginning on May 1, Russia will ban importation of all Moldavian and Georgian wine. These two country each send over 80% of their wine production to…
Apr 7, 2006
Everyone you talk to in Northern California can’t seem to get past the dismal weather we’ve been experiencing. Even yesterday’s momentary headfake by Mother Nature when the sun shone for an hour or two caused people to criticize the Great Mother rather than thank her for the momentary rays. Now the media is starting to talk about it. How could they not. We’ve had what seems to be a constantly grey sky now for nearly 40 days. The main concern…