Jun 23, 2006
The word on the street is that while the 2005 Bordeaux vintage is quite good, the pricing of the top wines is, well, quite ridiculous. Decanter has the story. But consider this: First tranche pricing of only a portion of Chateau Lafite’s 2005 bottling was announced at $375 per bottle for negociants. The negociants are selling a bottle of the wine to merchants for around $465. And we aren’t even at the marked up price for you….the consumer.If you are…
Jun 14, 2006
A Cautionary Tale What’s the impact of building a winery marketing strategy that relies on receiving only great scores and ratings from the most important wine critics? Consider this cautionary tale. A few years ago a very fine winemaker decides it’s time to make their own wines, rather than make someone else’s wine. So the winery is born. Well, actually they lease space at another winery to make about 400 cases of wine. They get fruit from great vineyards and…
May 22, 2006
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THE FERMENTATION READER SURVEY ============================================================ It appears that both Maryland and Vermont have followed Washington State’s lead and passed laws that allow wineries outside the state to sell directly to retailers and restaurants in VT and MD. This is a huge step that confirms the states’ acknowledgment that wine wholesalers are not necessary tools for getting wine to market but rather one tool that CAN be used to get the wine to market. In the case…
Apr 3, 2006
I’ll be proving that my true calling is in the written word, rather than with my voice today as I make my regular monthly appearance on "WineBiz 2.0", a fine wine show broadcast weekly on KSVY…Sonoma Valley’s Local Radio Beheamoth. Hosted by Richard (KAZ) Kasmier and Eric Aho, Winebiz 2.0 takes a local look at all things wine. You can listen in over the Internet HERE at 1pm TODAY What to expect? I’m never sure. Kaz and Eric always have…
Mar 27, 2006
Saturday was an interesting and educational day for me. I was reminded that most people think that a wine publicist’s job is to track the every day movements of the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. Saturday I lectured at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa at their "Business of Wine" course. The class is headed up by Judd Wallenbrock of Humanitas Winery who has probably worked in every facet of the wine business. My task was to explain just…