good grape daily: pomace & lees free run: field notes from a wine life around the wine blogosphere wine: a business doing pleasure good grape wine reviews new world influences red wine wine white wine wine blog news robert parker wine bloggers notes & dusty bottle items wine sediments wine business wine blogs historical wine book excerpts tasting safari: wines you can buy online cluetrain manifesto revisited winecast: a year in collaboration wine spectator wine blogger robert mondavi wine marketing indy food & wine vin de napkin vinography dr. vino appellation watch: midwest regional review new vine logistics alice feiring wine blogging luxury wine tom wark natural wine gary vaynerchuk american wine blog awards wine critics wine reviews cameron hughes wine books wine writers biodynamic wine best wine bloggers california wine a really goode job robert mondavi day robert mondavi winery fermentation blog penner-ash wine research wine ratings fred franzia tyler colman steve heimoff oregon pinot noir wall street journal wine best wine blogs direct-to-trade murphy-goode winery inertia beverage group wine technology notre dame football stormhoek wine enthusiast bordeaux sparkling wine wine and the economy wine distribution wine.com terry theise biodynamics allocated wine wine news reading between the wines oregon bounty rodney strong the wine makers tv inniskillin hr 5034 wine advertising oregon cuisinternship wine review jim laube wine ethics appellation america gourmet magazine three dolla koala sonoma pinot noir zinfandel rockaway wine market council open that bottle night wine online winery marketing wine trends lynn penner-ash sommelier journal wine advocate rockaway vineyards good grape augmented reality hugh macleod pinot noir crushpad wine cellartracker dan berger amazon.com southern wine & spirits 100-pt scale grape stories wine & spirits magazine mike steinberger church wine vintank wine tasting notes trader joe's wine wine and spirits daily silver oak indiana wine matt kramer champagne slender wine robert parker's bitch eryn supple the grateful palate heidi barrett john james dufour america eats willamette valley wines of chile specialty wine retailers association judd's hill rose wine recession wine wine & spirits daily firestone vineyards wine trivia 2006 hess collection monterey chardonnay adler fels wines & vines kelly fleming interview the pour oregon food and wine dan cederquist parks and recreation wine umami swanson alexis cabernet disney wine program value wines brand butlers american wine blogs forty-five north winery wine press release hong kong u.s. wine wine economy mary ewing-mulligan non-profits and wine ebob bodeans mitch schwartz hourglass cabernet italian wine merchant dependable wine sutter home videos inexpensive wine jay miller keep walking wines that rock steve perry aussie wine glut clary ranch pinot noir john tyler wine ani difranco peru wine trip barbaresco michael steinberger value wine jamie oliver paul blart: mall cop phillip armenier red bicyclette pinot noir wine blogosphere ge smart grid augmented reality trefethen family vineyards california zinfandel wineshopper aspirational marketing clark smith wine book publishing russian river valley korbel wine blobbers oregon travel tokalon winery not-for-profit jess jackson massale selection wine & spirits magazines kenny shopsin next generation apple the psychology of wine the vintners art australian wine vinexpo jay mcinerney the gaslight anthem the pioneer woman james laube sylvester pinot noir goodguide chimney rock elevage cornell enology wine tycoon game stavin kelly fleming national wine & spirits kurt andersen " "new world wine" poseurs macari vineyards sette 7 swanson vineyards sunbox eleven wine winery sponsorship champagne sales wine criticism cork'd 2008 vina mar reserva sauvignon blanc randy caparoso wine + music midwest wine culture hunningbird wine beaux freres jon bonne the wine case climber white agency nil charlie weis sugar free wine a very goode job 2007 sean minor four bears pinot noir trefethen generation y and wine 2009 auction napa valley sonoma county wine wipes san francisco wine competition clary ranch tim hanni wine bar bets the winemakers tv australia wine fantesca judgment of paris women in wine oregon pinot gris three-tier carmenere wine heist purpose-idea rose wine sales vincellar dominic foppoli discoveries pathfinder 1% for the planet wine industry news negociant wine business monthly 2008 food & wine winemaker of the year eric asimov travel oregon jordan winery amy poehler wine micro sites umami chris phelps vegas wine qpr wines jimmy clausen winery hospitality 2007 forty-five north cabernet franc alpine for dummies 2008 honig sauvignon blanc ed mccarthy wine to relax erobertparker little zagreb wine magazines howard schultz paul mabray wine blogging ethics youtube cheap wine wine bard weds wine dj journey three dollar koala pinot noir reviews chronicle wine klinker brick maria thun bad wine mumm napa slate wine columnist wine pricing wine blog awards 2010 bottle shock movie sketches of spain red bicyclette court paul gregutt trefethen oak knoll cabernet sauvignon zinfandel reviews tasting note desciptors natural winemaking wine content the press-democrat oregon cuisinternship winner blog contests preakness stakes pork tenderloins wine & spirits restaurant poll 2010 eat me kenny shopsin amazon kindle wine politics what is terroir wine purchasing wine nose good wine under 20 the hold steady paste magazine sensory evaluation petite sirah wine points patz & hall sonoma coast pinot noir notes on a cellar book wine tycoon video game oak alternatives cabernet bottle shock economy chronicle wines vignoles wine columns mirror wine joe roberts e-myth revisited bennett lane winery champagne and business a history of wine words marco capelli music + wine indianapolis zap wine jr. san francisco chronicle wine ice wine c.g. di arie radiohead doubleback wine chateau thomas wine parker defamation blackstone wine trefethen fallow obama napa valley auction sonoma county wine french wine marketing vino chapeau wine medal winners petaluma pinot wine industry firestone contest doug frost whuffie factor wine reality show wine label design duane hoff resveratrol woman in wine organic wineries oregon wine snobs wine is the new black expensive wine will hoge wine spies gapingvoid rose summer wine corkd foppoli wines tamari torrontes dirty south wine vintage of the decade markham mark of distinction sonoma wine company spike your juice celia masyczek jim koch pinot main street winery obama wine digital signage wine retail the fifth taste dominus bellagio wine the wine blue book conundrum winery customer service julie and julia texas for dummies wine collection shorttrack ceo westside road scott becker randall grahm party of five theme song wine spectator restaurant awards zig ziglar drvino.com wine direct shipping wine humor altar wine good wine livingston cellars persimmon creek vineyards liberty school cabernet sauvignon german wine oh biodynamic wine health research 2007 waters crest "night watch" late harvest wine clif bar wine cheap wines rick mirer indiana miss america lewis perdue pbs john trefethen elliot essman wine intelligence research steroids in baseball publishing trends wine laws alpana singh dos equis commercials wine and sense of smell tim mondavi rachel alexandra 500 things to eat before it's too late wine & spirits guinness beer 2006 brancott pinot noir wine public relations facebook + wine millenials and wine penner ash deb harkness cowboy mouth wine evaluation dark & delicious biod triple bottom line jim gordon kelly fleming wine mike hengehold traminette wine mobile applications rick mirer wine wine blogging tips professional culinary institute adobe road the the lost symbol wine stories wine 2.0 schotts micellany hugh johnson alloutwine cooper's hawk winery zinfandel producers california wine for dummies best wine blog us wine sales dessert wine di arie rose napa cab. napa cabernet amazon wine constellation wine washington wine john hughes '47 cheval blanc bordeaux reconquest santasti kevin zraly paul clary sweet wines hardy wallace firestone wine contest burger wine lonely island where the hell is matt southern gothic wine food revolution french paradox dark side of the rainbow gallo thomas pellechia wine spectator top 100 2009 cinderella wine deck wine lindsay ronga batgirl wine top chef iphone wine mobile apps winery promotions whole foods wine first blush juice cult cabernet boston beer company trinchero wine tasting rooms viktor frankl chateau petrus barack obama + wine sanford pinot noir rombauer digital marketing obama inauguration michael ruhlman wine spectator wine reviews karadeci the business of wine wine tycoon healdsburg terroir wine branding global wine partners wine terroir southern wine and spirits wine lists adam strum tinybottles 100 point system vineyard church communion wine mark squires wine and music scheurebe sherry old vine zinfandel cluetrain manifesto down under by crane lake unified symposium jackson-triggs vidal ice wine clif winery name your own price mirror wine company indiana gourmet food allocated cabernet the wine line core wine drinkers janet trefethen bruce reizenman luxury wine marketing wall street journal wine columnists "frankenwine" wine authors nbwa wine expedition fat tire beer mothervine supplements continuum texas bbq wine pairing prince's hot chicken king estate guinness advertising 2007 stoneleigh pinot noir wine pr wineamerica wine wisdom lewin's equation 1winedude chacha rudolf steiner hess collection wine social media expensive wine trends wines and vines kelly fleming cabernet the new yorker ted lemon whyte horse winery iphone wine apps. palate press wine blogging strategies wine certification the traveling vineyard wine and art jason kroman alloutwine.com wine mou wine cartoons alan goldfarb fusebox wine moms who need wine ted jansen hourglass wine murphy-goode wine trading down dip johnnie walker chateau latour planet bordeaux sherry wine paul clary blog gracianna wine argentina wine zephyr adventures barolo santana dvx au revoir to all that formula business ordinance .wine geocaching brigitte armenier rockaway wine red bicyclette social media topps augmented reality rancho zabaco zinfandel woot wine the new frugality patio wine bryan q. miller fermentation anthony dias blue home winemaking consumer shopping research the best pinot noir food & wine magazine a year in wine apple iphone man's search for meaning st. helena catholic church new zealand wine sanford chardonnay lettie teague nba liquor advertising noble pig award of excellence ericca robinson andy warhol quotes cult wines wine video game russian river valley pinot wine appellations reset "old world wine darwinism wine star awards tastingroom.com bruliam wine generation y. wine april fool's day wine snooth karen macneil music and wine german riesling secret sherry society clos lachance dr. oz yellow tail wine jon fredrikson wine blogging wednesday climber red priceline.com drew bledsoe amazon.com wine california cabernet paso robles wine sales hailey trefethen park avenue catering fine wine marketing wine tasting journal wine competitions national beer wholesalers association
October 21 2007
For denizens of the online universe in which wine is a primary passion, the world of Wine 2.0—blogs, online message boards, online wine commerce, tasting note sites and other community-oriented sites are old-hat. But, it struck me this past week that our world is still largely a niche and forbidding to most of the wine world—wineries, distributors, and, yes, most consumers.
It seems almost odd to think about, given that many of us spend a considerable amount of our time writing, tasting, communicating, sharing, and bonding over our mutual love of the vine online. Everybody does this, right?
Ah, to the contrary.
This stark reality came to me on Friday when I worked some business into an otherwise pleasure-oriented trip to New York City.
While sitting in the conference room of a small, boutique, multi-store chain of stores based on the East Coast, I was struck by how many “Dummies” books were on their bookshelf—Wine For Dummies, Red Wine For Dummies, White Wine For Dummies, French Wine For Dummies and others … this was coupled with a conversation about what my employer does as a technology provider to wineries and the wine industry.
Usually these conversations aren’t mouth agape revelations, but rather more of a, “hmm … I didn’t know there were guys like you out there.” This is usually followed up with a blank stare if I were to mention anything related to blogs or general wine geekiness that manifests itself with online wine geekiness.
This recent situation is by no means an isolated incident. Roughly 75% of the meetings I’ve had with a distributor or retailer have included a Dummies book somewhere on premise and the incumbent “hmm …” explanation of technology in the wine world.
Plus, I look and notice and see the Dummies books. My wife works for the publishing house and, even if she didn’t, the ubiquitous yellow and black book branding is hard not to notice anyway.
This is surprising to me on a couple of levels because the presumption would be that these Dummies books would be too base level for professionals.
I would presume that wine professionals wouldn’t use a general consumer guide as a baseline for knowledge. Fact is, I see many more Dummies books than I do Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson.
I would also presume that most people are in tune with the online wine world.
However, the majority of people that I interact with are still largely out of tune with the wine revolution that is occurring online. Wineries have e-commerce enabled on their web site? People actually blog about wine? There are online communities centered around wine where people spend time talking and kibitzing?
You would think this is a secret society based on its lack of larger awareness in the general wine industry.
This has me thinking that a Dummies book to the “world of wine online” might be an idea whose time has come. It’s not a stretch; actually, having a book published around a topic is almost a badge of honor for a constituency that is underserved, or where there is an appetite for information for a larger audience.
There are Anger Management For Dummies and Golden Retrievers For Dummies books. Surely, there’s room for a book to explain the growing influence of internet-based wine communities and sites.
With wine in the U.S. on a course towards mainstream acknowledgement as a cultural touchstone, it actually makes sense and might be beneficial for everybody engaged in the world of wine online.
If I were to write this book, I would break it up into the following sections:
I. Understanding Wine Online (background and historical preface context community boards and email listservs to present day including commerce sites like Wine.com)
II. Wine Communities and Discussion Groups (eBob, Jancis Robinson, Wine Lovers Page, et al)
III. What is Wine 2.0 (blogs, tasting note sites, consumer sales business models, social networking)
IV. Understanding and Engaging in the wine blogosphere (a short history, types of blogs, setting yourself up with a feed reader to read blogs, recommendations, et al
V. Wine & Social Networking
VI. Wineries that sell online
VII. Online wine resources
Because I have some first-hand publishing experience, I know that most book publishing decisions are based on anticipated sell-in upon publication to Barnes & Noble and Borders as well as anticipated first year sales. I have little doubt that this book could find a receptive audience if a consumer was interested in exploring their wine passion, but didn’t know where to start online.
My question for you is: what would add to the book that would help round out the information for your friends, neighbors and colleagues that had an interest in developing their understanding of wine, and were inclined to get online to do so?
Please leave a comment on how you would enhance the above outline. The publishing company for the Dummies books has an anti-nepotism rule, and I’m not in it for me. I’d be in it for all of us and I’m pretty sure a good number of bloggers could write this book.
See this link for a fun Dummies book cover generator.
October 17 2007
I’ve been running crazy lately and should return to a normal five or more times a week post schedule after the weekend, but in the meantime it’s off to New York for some Harry Potter madness.
My wife, the lovely and dear Lindsay, was an English Lit. major in school, she is in book publishing and she actually considered becoming a librarian. Her love of books runs deep. We share an enjoyment of reading except I read magazines because my attention span taps out at about the 39 minute mark. That aside, we’re both kind of nerdy in a hardcore reading kind of way.
Her love of all things printed word runs so deep in fact that she has read the Harry Potter series and or listened to them on book-on-tape at least three times a piece. Yes, each book at least three times a piece.
She loves Harry Potter so much that is was actually a condition of marriage, as in: “You have to promise me that you’ll read the Harry Potter series.” This might have been shortly after she accepted the engagement ring, I don’t recall exactly.
I addition, I went to a perfectly horrible Broadway play (I didn’t have a choice) that had a very short run and starred Jim Dale, the voice author for the Harry Potter books-on-tape.
The point is she loves Harry Potter. Her fandom might exceed my wine enthusiasm.
So, she enters a contest run by the Harry Potter publisher, Scholastic. The prize is tickets to go to a book reading and autograph session by the Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Um, guess who won? Alongside 999 of our closest Harry Potter fan friends; we’re heading to New York.
I have to wear a custom made t-shirt, too. My wife is crafty like that. Apparently it has something to do with Quidditch, which means something if you’ve read the books.
Now winning these tickets is well and good because I happen to love New York City, but this also puts me in a bind because I have to at least read the first book now. The reading with the author is on Friday night. My own reading commences now. Fortunately, the first book is geared towards kids, because I can do 300 pages of big print.
This whole scenario led me to ask my wife if there was anything wine-related in Harry Potter. Four minutes later I’m at my desk looking up Madame Rosmerta on the Internet.
For all other Muggles, Madame Rosemerta is the owner of The Three Broomsticks pub. The Three Broomsticks is one of the local pubs in Hogsmeade (Hogsmeade is the village outside of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school that young Harry Potter attends). The Three Broomsticks is known for its delicious butterbeer and they also apparently serve Mead there, as well.
See, throw in a little tavern action and I can get down with Harry. I do have to say, however, all of this Potter backstory stuff is a little forbidding. But, I do have a greater appreciation now for what it’s like to be a wine layperson. Just as my wife takes this stuff as assumed knowledge, I guess I do the same with wine …
Nonetheless, in the spirit of my trip to NYC to hear a British author and billionaire (who lives in Scotland) read a kids book to me while I wear a homemade t-shirt, I thought I’d offer up a couple of recipes found on the Internet for butter beer and mead.
Please pour a glass of wine in my name on Friday at 7:00 pm.
Butterbeer (excerpted from MuggleNet)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup (8 oz) club soda or cream soda
• ½ cup (4 oz) butterscotch syrup (ice cream topping)
• ½ tablespoon butter
Directions:
Step 1: Measure butterscotch and butter into a 2 cup (16 oz) glass. Microwave on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completely incorporated.
Step 2: Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in club soda. Mixture will fizz quite a bit.
October 15 2007
I love my home state, really I do, despite the plentiful warts. I feel like the most we have going for us sometimes is some basketball fandom, the movie Hoosiers, the movie Rudy, the Indy 500, the Colts and corn. If I was 10 years older, I might also cite the movie Breaking Away, but you gotta draw the line somewhere. Oh, and we have a really incredible cost of living, too—likely because of my first point in which two of your five selling points are movies that are 15 years old or more, but who is quibbling about inexpensive housing?
And, man, Gene Hackman was awesome in Hoosiers … even if the best line in the movie goes to Dennis Hopper’s character, Shooter Flatch, when he draws up a play as the Assistant Coach pressed into action called the “picket fence” and tells his team: “Don’t get caught watchin’ the paint dry.”
Ah, such are the small joys in life … good movies and a nice glass of wine.
I used to bemoan the fact that we couldn’t get any wine in the state. All out of state consumer shipments of wine were illegal. We were left with the wine that our six or seven distributors carried, which left out about 97% of the wine available.
When you think of wine, Indiana is probably far down the list in terms of desirability for a wine producer and our smaller pool of distributors made it even less desirable.
But, alas no more!
Last month I wrote about recent legislation in Indiana allowing direct shipping (here and here) and immediately run into a buzzsaw of confusion. The net-net of the situation is that the Indiana ATC, in the wake of a judges ruling allowing direct shipping, had some opaqueness about responsibility for a consumer cap—no consumer could receive more than 24 cases in a year, but who is responsible for tracking? The winery? The consumer?
In the wake of that confusion, it was the stance of the Wine Institute for wineries not to ship lest they put their federal license in jeopardy.
No, wait!!!! Please ship to Indiana I exhorted!
And, while I would love to take credit, in reality, I had nothing to do with it. The fact is Wine Institute did some magic with our ATC, the leader of whom, David Heath, is an alleged ex-law enforcement guy and not prone to flights of consumer advocacy. Their regionally placed lobbyist, Nino Ciaravino (great name!) and Wine Institute local counsel, John Keeler, met with the ATC to define that the consumer was responsible for their own purchasing activities, and not the winery.
This is incredibly significant because wineries were taking the approach that risk, any risk, was bad and therefore not shipping, despite the favorable consumer ruling.
If our Governor didn’t have strict rules regarding gifts from vendors, I might think that the Wine Institute showed up to talk with the ATC with some Colgin, Bryant Family and Screaming Eagle. However, whatever goodwill that was built was earned the hard way—through conversations with mildly reasonable people.
There aren’t too many free passes around this blog, but I honestly have to say that the Wine Institute does as fine of job of advocating on behalf of its membership as any association that I have seen or been associated with. Kudos to them for bringing some sanity to this situation and for finally, blessedly, allowing a freakin’ consumer to have wine shipped to their door.
This feels good—like hitting a 20 foot jumper from the baseline to wine, er, win the game.
Thanks to Wine Institute for not letting the paint dry!
*thanks to Jeff Carroll at Six88 for the head’s up on these developments. See his blog post here.
October 11 2007
Ed. Note: The below is satire. I had a lovely reader send me an email with the belief that this might be true and not an “onion” like satire piece. So, just to make sure I don’t get any slander lawsuits, please read the below understanding my tongue is firmly planted in cheek.)
Ripped straight from the AP newswire, noted faith healer Benny Hinn reports that he is stopping the use of his faith healing and moving towards an integrative use of wine to cure his followers.
He notes, “Today’s article from the U.K. indicating that wine can prevent stomach ulcers and food poisoning culminates 50 out of 52 weeks in which a new research study has come out touting the health benefits of wine. I now believe that wine is a cure-all for virtually all of the ailments of the human body. I believe that God is moving his divine intervention from blessed mortals like myself to that of simple table wine. I now plan on providing massive quantities of wine at my faith healing ministry. The below list represents just a mere sampling of what I believe wine can do as a cure-all and I’m pleased to be able to expand my healing as some health problems like restless leg syndrome and nail fungus have proven difficult for my healing touch.”
In other news, Fred Franzia, an alleged gout sufferer, has announced a strategic alliance between his company, Bronco Wine Company, and Benny Hinn Ministries. An insider reports they are planning to jointly bring a new wine to market called “Tithe Tipple.”
Hinn partial menu of wine healing services (Ala Carte)
Allergies
Allergy, Anaphylaxis (Severe Allergic Reaction), Chronic Rhinitis, Cold / Flu / Allergies, Food Allergy, Hives, Latex Allergy, Sinusitis
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Warning Signs, Bladder Incontinence, Dementia, Senior Health
Arthritis
Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia, Gout, Lupus, Osteoarthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Reactive Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis
Asthma
Air Filtration, Asthmatic Complexities, Asthma,
Cancer
Cancer Causes, Cancer Detection, Cancer - General, Brain Tumor, Bladder Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Colon Polyps, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Skin Cancer, Testicular Cancer
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, Fiber, HDL, LDL, Heart, Stroke Prevention, Triglycerides
Chronic Pain
Acupuncture, Acute and Chronic Pain, Cortisone Injection, Degenerative Disc, Low Back Pain
Cold & Flu
Aches, Pain, Fever, Chronic Cough, Cold, Flu, Allergy: (OTC Remedies), Common Cold, Encephalitis and Meningitis, Eustachian Tube Problems, Flu (Influenza), Flu Vaccination, Immunizations, Pneumonia, Pneumonia Vaccination, SARS, Sinusitis, Sore Throat, Strep Throat, Tonsillitis and Adenoiditis
Depression
Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Dysthymia, Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Stress
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Home Care and Monitoring, Diabetes Insipidus, Insulin, Insulin Pump
Digestion
Abdominal Pain, Appendicitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Constipation, Crohn’s Disease, Diarrhea, Dyspepsia (Indigestion), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Intestinal Gas, GERD (Heartburn, Acid Reflux), Hemorrhoids, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Lactose Intolerance, Laxatives for Constipation, Motion Sickness, Ulcerative Colitis
Disease Prevention
Disease Prevention, Exercise & Activity, First Aid, Home and Family, Nutrition: Healthy Eating, Obesity
Eyesight
Cataracts, Eye Allergy, Eye Care, Glaucoma, LASIK Eye Surgery, Macular Degeneration, Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis), Retinal Detachment, Sjogren’s Syndrome
Hearing
Deafness, Eustachian Tubes, Ear Wax, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Vertigo (Dizziness)
Heart
Angina, Atherosclerosis Prevention, Congenital Heart Disease, Coronary Angiogram, Coronary Angioplasty, Coronary Artery Bypass, Heart Attack, Heart Murmurs, Heart Palpitations, High Cholesterol, Stroke
Hepatitis C
Cirrhosis of the Liver, Essential Mixed Cryoglobulinemia, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis A and B Immunizations, Jaundice, Lichen Planus, Liver Cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas
High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), Pulmonary Hypertension
HIV
Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease (AIDS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),
Liver
Cirrhosis of the Liver, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver, Hemochromatosis (Iron Overload), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Jaundice, Liver Blood Tests, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC), Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
Lungs
Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema, Lung Cancer, Pneumonia, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Smoker’s Lung Photo Essay, Smoking and Quitting Smoking
Menopause
Depression, Hormone Creams, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Hot Flashes - Alternative Treatments, Menopause, Vitamin and Calcium Supplements
Men’s Health
Angina, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence), Hair Loss (Baldness), Prostate Cancer, Prostatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Testicular Cancer, Vasectomy, Viagra
Mental Health
Acute Stress Disorder, How To Eat Smart, Postpartum depression, Social Phobia, What Makes Marriage Work?
Migraine Headaches
Cluster Headaches, Headache, Migraine Headaches and Prevention, Tension Headache
Osteoporosis
Bone Density, Calcium Supplements, Estradiol, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Menopause, Osteoporosis Prevention
Pediatrics / Healthy Kids
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Bedwetting, Birth Defects, Chickenpox, Colic, Diaper Rash, Lactose Intolerance, Nosebleeds, Pink Eye, Measles, Mumps, Tonsillectomy, Vaccinations and Immunizations
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Arthroscopy, Celebrex, Cortisone Injection, Remicade, Total Hip Replacement, Total Knee Replacement
Senior Health
Alzheimer’s Disease, Anemia, Angina, Cataracts, Dementia, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Hearing Loss, Heart Attack Prevention, Osteoporosis, Sleep Disturbance, Stroke, Wrinkles
Skin
Acne, Actinic Keratosis, Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema), Boils, Bumps and Bruises, Burns, Dandruff, Hives, Itch, Keloid, Melanoma, Nail Fungus, Poison Ivy, Psoriasis, Rash (Dermatitis), Rosacea, Scleroderma, Shingles, Skin Cancer, Warts, Wrinkles
Sleep
Insomnia, Jet Lag, Narcolepsy, Sleep, Sleep Apnea, Snoring (Somnoplasty)
Thyroid
Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy, Synthroid (levothyroxine sodium), Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Nodules
Urology
Blood In Urine (Hematuria), Cystinuria, Interstitial Cystitis, Kidney Stone, Prostatitis, Urinalysis, Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Tract Infections
Weight Loss & Management
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, Calories Burned During Exercise, Cellulite, Obesity and Weight Loss, Weight Loss
Women’s Health
Birth Control, Breast Cancer, Breastfeeding, Hormone Therapy, Hysterectomy, Menopause, Miscarriage, Osteoporosis, Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cysts, PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Uterine Cancer, Varicose Veins, Yeast Infections
For more (legitimate) medical news, see the following links:
Wine & Diabetes
October 10 2007
Normally in this spot, on the second Wednesday of the month or thereabouts, I would participate in Wine Blogging Wednesday, a communal exercise in online wine drinking around a theme. This month the featured theme from our gracious hosts, Catavino, is Portuguese wine.
However, unfortunately, sitting in the land of milk and honey, Napa, California, traveling for business, I’m coming up dry on Portuguese wine. Two stops in these parts yielded nada, so, alas, I’m sending good vibes in lieu of an actual wine review.
But, the good news about the trip out to CA this week is I got caught up on a bunch of reading on the flight out, including a couple of October issues of Wine Spectator. This marks the third time in the last three weeks that I have referenced Wine Spectator, easily a record here, the magazine receiving only grudging acknowledgement in the past.
As an inveterate consumer of wine information, it has been easy for me to take shots at Wine Spectator in the past—the content frequently seemed aimed at a fictitious, stereotypical demographic—the fifty-something male with more money than actual knowledge and a proclivity for buying wines by the point. Some of the articles bordered on the insipid explaining things that would seem to be a base level of knowledge for any wine enthusiast; the sole redeeming value being Matt Kramer’s always smart columns.
But, something positive has happened in the last year or so—the Wine Spectator’s editorial coverage seems to have changed. Maybe it’s me, but I don’t think so. The writing is sharper, more insightful and SMARTER. And, it’s smarter at a greater level of accessibility, if that makes sense. It’s not smarter by virtue of casting a wider net to appeal to more people; it’s smarter by virtue of better insight and analysis for people that already “get it.”
More or less, Wine Spectator is more appealing to me, and since I’m my own baseline, I’m assuming it’s the magazine that has changed and I haven’t gotten dumber (or smarter) in the intervening 12 months.
So, to Wine Spectator, I offer up thanks for creating a more relevant magazine and competing against the intelligence and verve that Wine & Spirits magazine serves up.
A couple of notes and things that provoked thought from the October 15th and October 31st issues:
1) In an October 15th article on Napa wineries selling, including Stag’s Leap, there was a quote from Gladys Horiuchi, manager of communications for the Wine Institute. The following quote, in context, is related to the number of wineries that have sold since 2000 (50). She says, “These California wineries are finding they’re not competing against single companies abroad, but whole countries.”
Keep that quote in mind over the course of the next several years as California wine prices and consumption increases create demand fulfillment challenges that will be filled by high QPR Int’l wines at much lower price points. It’s a very prescient quote from Horiuchi, in my opinion.
2) Somewhat obscurely noted in the opening editorial by Marvin Shaken and Thomas Matthews, WS Executive Editor, is the mention that they have added new team members to the tasting team, noting, amongst other team members, that James Laube is getting some company in California tasting with the addition of two new reviewers who are now allowed to sign their initials to their notes. What does this mean? One could speculate about hegemony and house style in tasting, but it probably simply means that Laube needs some help tasting through the ever increasing pile of wine that shows up everyday. From the editorial:
In order to bring you comprehensive coverage, we train new tasters. It’s a lengthy process. They taste with our senior editors for three to five years, learning to write tasting notes and give accurate, consistent scores. They undergo blind tasting evaluations in our New York office. When they meet our rigorous standards for expertise and reliability, they are authorized to sign their initials to their reviews.
… joining Laube is Napa-based tasting coordinator MaryAnn Worobiec and associate editor Tim Fish.
3) One of the things that Wine Spectator HAS NOT done is back down from the point’s adornment to cult cabs. It’s another year and notch on the belt for many of these untouchable brands. From the October 15th issue comes ratings for the following: Harlan Estate – 97 points; Bryant Family – 96 points; Colgin – 95 points; Dalla Valle – 94 points; Paul Hobbs – 94 points; Joseph Phelps Insignia – 94 points; Araujo – 95 points; … let the games begin for those inclined to buy wines at $225 a bottle and up …
4) Another reason why Wine Spectator is becoming a better magazine has to do with more of a contemporary and culturally relevant take on things for people other then upper-middle class white guys that drive Mercedes. Case in point is a blurb in the “Grapevine” sidebar written by Eric Arnold and Heather Morgan Shott where they mention backstage riders for celebrities. Riders are the contracted demands for food and drink that needs to be furnished backstage in order to satisfy a performing celebrity. The rock band Van Halen notoriously requested a bowl of only green M&M’s backstage after every concert leading to an urban myth that green M&M’s are an aphrodisiac, as an example. Either Arnold or Shott went through thesmokinggun.com web site to find out that several stars have fun wine related requests. If you have some time to kill check out this link and search for Diana Krall, Amy Winehouse and others …
What do you think? Wine Spectator is the pillar of wine editorial and that hasn’t changed? Wine Spectator is improving their content and staying current, their blogs and online content is demonstration of that, in addition to the magazine? Wine Spectator is dying the death of a thousand cuts by the rise of community journalism and wine blogging?
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