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March 21 2010
One of the most powerful functions of a wine blog (or any blog for that matter), should the writer choose to accept a challenge bigger than themselves, is the ability to create positive change by shining a light on an issue(s) that might not otherwise attract the mainstream spotlight.
Advocacy of any sort starts as a solo from the voice of the lonely before turning into an A capella and then a choral piece before finally becoming majestically orchestral.
I find issue and policy work of any nature to be noble work done by noble men and women.
For this reason, I really admire Tom Wark from Fermentation for so consistently taking up the mantle of consumer and retailer choice in the wine shipping battle. It is lonely work. Many a man has taken up the cause in the wine business before turning to less Sisyphean tasks.
Nearly five years after the Granholm ruling, what many expected to be an epochal event, not enough has changed. Tom presses on, logging miles to testify in courts hither and yon, while using his platform for something that serves the greater wine community.
The utter bullshit of our wine laws and the machinations of the three-tier hints at national partisan politics writ large.
Last week, in an ongoing salvo, Wark wrote one of the most lucid, cogent and compelling reads I’ve seen for why the three-tier system is irrevocably broken and unequivocally corrupt. Tom published this screed, this manifesto, as a blog post – a 9,000 word blog post.
To me, Tom’s work deserves wider attention than what a 74-second attention span affords in a scan and flit from the page of the web browser.
With his permission from my request, I proactively formatted the piece into a white paper-like format and added a couple of flourishes for readability. I touched nary a word of his otherwise dandy work. Here, you can download, “A Manifesto for Change in the Wine Industry” by Tom Wark.
Forward to a friend, discuss it, talk about it, generally give this work life as a set of talking points for making wine shipping issues something more than an A capella, when the opportunity is orchestral.
March 20 2010
I made it through my monthly stack of food and wine-related magazines—Spectator, Quarterly Review of Wines, Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, Sommelier Journal, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and others. A funny thing jumped out to me—a bunch of new wine-related advertising made their debut.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been on something of a quest to put my wine world into context—the media (and advertising) I consume being a significant part of putting the pieces together into an understandable whole.
In addition, as a cub Journalism student 15 years ago, I wanted to go into the advertising business and now many years later, I work with advertising agencies. Because of this, I tend to pay attention to advertising in general and particularly wine advertising—mostly for how bad it tends to be (in violation of design tenets, clarity or persuasiveness), but occasionally, I note the well-executed, too. I fall into the David Ogilvy school of thought—advertising has one purpose: to sell. Therefore, it’s always interesting to me to see how a winery “sells” itself.
By understanding how a winery tries to gain mindshare and persuade, we’re able to understand as much as what goes into the bottle, in my opinion, creating a savvier perspective (if not more world-weary).
Below, are three examples of recent advertising (with commentary) that in one way or another address our current economic climate(full size versions are linked below as a PDF).
Silver Oak
Full size PDF version: Silver Oak
As seen in: Food & Wine
Goat or Gloat?
Initially, I found this ad peculiar—the subtle header says, “An American Classic” and the copy head says, “Our Cabernet Sauvignon is Aged in 100% American Oak Barrels.” 100% American Oak isn’t exactly a badge of honor for wine enthusiasts in the know. Why would they tout this?
The copy goes on to read, “We have been steadfast to this commitment for nearly 40 years.”
After giving this some thought, I think it’s very forward-thinking and a near masterstroke for Silver Oak. Why? I live in Indianapolis which is a very geographically and spiritually segregated city. Eastside / Westside / Northside / Southside—all tend to have their images, for better or worse. The northside, where I live, is known for being “new money”—luxury cars, big suburban sprawl, a lot of retail. The southside, however, is known for “old money,”—quiet, less flashy, more of the “millionaire next door” sensibility.
I think a reasonable outcome once we’re a little further along in the economic recovery is an “old money” sensibility about luxury. Gone for the foreseeable future is the flash and the ostentatious presentation of material wealth, but in its place will be a more understated acknowledgement that some things are worth paying for—Harley-Davidson, Cadillac, Silver Oak—brands with a history and track record should find favor amongst consumers interested in “acquirable luxury” that doesn’t brand them indelicate or showy.
Main Street Winery
Full size PDF version: Main Street Winery
As seen in: Food & Wine
Goat or Gloat?
Main Street Winery is a new brand from Trinchero Family Estates, a top 10 company on the Wine Business Top 30 U.S. wine companies list. The new brand and its five varietals are in national distribution at the “sweet spot” price point of $9.99. This ad with its headline, “Trust in Main Street” and it’s sub-head of, “Crafting honest deals for the American wine drinker since 1948” gives the impression of strength, durability and down home goodness, in stark contrast to the public sentiment that has been railing against big business and financial institution abuses.
To me, while I get what they are going for, this positioning is a risky move. I’ve been in contact with Trinchero and hope to have a subsequent post with insight from their Marketing and Creative Directors on the origination of the brand elements for the launch, but in the meantime, there’s absolutely no substantiation or explanation for how a “new” brand backs into a history since 1948. Likewise, the web site mentions Trinchero only on its “Privacy” page—not exactly a spot where people are searching for information. Everything else points to “Main Street Winery”—a winery with its contact information being a PO Box in St. Helena.
If you’re going to present, “trust” and “honest deals” since 1948, the back story better be airtight. I’m not sure that it is here.
Jordan Winery
Full size PDF version: Jordan Winery
As seen in: Wine & Spirits
Goat or Gloat?
In stark constrast to the Silver Oak ad is Jordan, though the positioning isn’t too much of an outlier, just a different approach to luxury for a different target. Whereas the Silver Oak ad is squarely aimed at consumers, the Jordan ad is aimed at the trade (white linen napkins and silver) in Wine & Spirits Restaurant Poll edition (April) where Jordan ranked 10th as a best-selling on-premise wine. The headline says, “When Every Detail Matters” and the supporting copy says in part, ”...a celebration of of life’s important moments.”
Over the course of my lifetime, we’ve seen white table cloth restaurants go from being a “special occasion” type of thing—anniversary’s, birthdays, and promotions to being something that becomes a small splurge because you can. The Jordan copy supports the manifest reality that our collective consciousness is moving back to a sense that spending $150 on dinner for two is back to being more, “special occasion.”
On the whole, I like this ad because it follows the “rules” for good print advertising—good headline, good supporting copy, laid out in the eye-tracking “Z” pattern, with striking photography. The only thing that flummoxes me about this ad is the silverware—what the heck is that utensil on the plate?
Up next: In Pt. II I’ll look at the battle for the Pinot Grigio consumer, and organic positioning from King Estate.
March 17 2010
Coming off a winemaker dinner on Monday night with Mac McDonald from Vision Cellars, a notable, small Pinot producer from Sonoma, I have North Coast Pinot on my mind.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mac’s wines and the meal while also noticing that Mac worked hard at not breaking character from his shtick.
Mac’s a very bright guy, and makes his wines at Caymus, but he dodged the question about how he got to California (amongst others), and let the Texas cotton picking story from his youth hang pregnant as his well-honed patois redirected askance, matching the favored position of his straw hat on crown; a quick one-on-one reference to formerly being a chemist at Sherwin-Williams belied his persona.
The guests ate up the pork and Pinot pairings while McDonald charmed with timeworn rib ticklers that have more mileage than his coveralls and frequent flier card. He definitely plays a character when he’s on the road – somewhere between John Coffey in The Green Mile and Minnie Pearl from Hee Haw. And, he’s probably seen it all – perhaps one contributing factor to why he was in Indianapolis doing a winemaker dinner with a room full of people that could have just as easily fit in at the Friday night Kiwanis Club fish fry.
Such is the life of a boutique producer.
Because of this, or perhaps despite this, I have a keen interest in the fledgling and their story, real or manifested by omission.
Strip away the shiny veneer and luster of the wine lifestyle and the going is tough when you’re building a brand. The domestic wine market isn’t wanting for another “boutique” producer over $25 a bottle, let alone $45. Which means those that are successful—McDonald and others—must possess an enduring charm and moxie that rides shotgun to the good juice.
Undaunted or, perhaps, too far in to turn back, Mike Hengehold, by day the VP of Sales for Luna Vineyards, no stranger to the road, released his inaugural wines under new label Chronicle Wines in 2008.
15 years from now, after having gone through his certain and imminent red hot streak, Mike will laugh nervously—the titter giving way to a sigh of relief … yes, he launched with two varieties and 1300 cases in the midst of The Great Recession and lived to tell the story.
Focused on Pinot and Zinfandel, wines that his consulting winemakers Ted Lemon and Dan Cederquist coax into what I call the “Nü California” style – fruit forward, restrained, elegant, food-friendly OR delicious alone. Mike has much to be proud of to this point as the real work begins in order to develop a business that constitutes an ongoing concern. I caught up with him to talk business and fun. The transcript from our interview is below.
The Serious Stuff
Good Grape: Starting a garagiste wine project on nights and weekends is the way many wineries get their start – what was the impetus for you to augment your responsibilities with Luna and start your own project?
Mike: It was a burning desire to apply what I’ve learned over the last many years toward my own project, one that returned me to my Sonoma roots. I’m fortunate through my relationship with Mike Moone and Maryann Tsai at Luna to have the latitude to act on that creative inspiration.
Good Grape: Each of the wines are what I would call “lovely.” Very evocative, but restrained – delicious without being blowsy. Did you start with a vision for what you wanted the wines to be, or did you work backwards from the talent of the winemakers you work with?
Mike: I’ve always felt naturally drawn to wines with elegance, balance, and subtlety; wines that reflect a sense of place that extends beyond their simple fruit characteristics. Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from the North Coast are particularly well-suited to this style. With that in mind, I sought out two winemakers at the top of their craft who could help execute my vision. The key component was working closely with Ted and Dan at the outset to identify which vineyard sites we could source from that would serve as a foundation for the Chronicle program.
Good Grape: An opinion on the state of Zin and Pinot in California – varietals that have morphed (in many cases) to be something different than what their history as a varietal would indicate?
Mike: I am a contrarian by nature, and these “trends” have strengthened my conviction for the style of wines we pursue at Chronicle. It differentiates us from many other producers.
Good Grape: Your presence right now is mostly on-premise in CA and allocation based. In this economic climate, what are the challenges to building a brand for a small and new(er) winery? And, what are the challenges to growth outside of CA?
Mike: As a new brand, you must find a way to connect with your target consumer, amidst an abundance of brands. It takes much patience and consistency to gain a customer’s loyalty. Especially during these times, I believe it is vital that a new brand offer competitive value (at whatever price point) - it is a challenge to maintain that component and yet be uncompromising in approach. Beyond CA, it is of course difficult to get a brand represented with so much competition and consolidation on the wholesale side. It is also a challenge to keep the messaging consistent over a broader scope.
Good Grape: Any future plans to add a white to your lineup?
Mike: Yes, a Chardonnay starting with the 2009 vintage.
The Fun Stuff
Good Grape: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Mike: All forms of outdoor adventure – hiking, fishing, kayaking, skiing. I regularly play tennis, golf, and basketball and have recently dabbled with coaching. My son Drew is 7 and daughter Lauren is 5 – I try to spend my spare time with them as much as possible. I am also a volunteer fireman, which involves weekly training.
Good Grape: Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you most guilty of?
Mike: I suppose Extravagance! I have a small but ever-increasing classic car collection. I struggle with the constant urge to add to it.
Good Grape: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Mike: Be true to your word. If you say you’re going to do something, then get it done. It’s a true measure of your integrity.
Good Grape: What is on your nightstand? Men’s Journal and A. Lincoln, a Biography by Ronald White Jr.
Good Grape: What is in your refrigerator or pantry that you might be embarrassed other people knowing?
Mike: Haribo Gummy Bears - The Best
Good Grape: What do you drink when you’re not drinking wine?
Mike: Fresh fruit juices, especially guava nectar. I will drink beer on occasion, preferring crisp pilsners and creamy Belgian ales.
Good Grape: Are you always early or terminally late?
Mike: I used to be terminally late, but with some age and wisdom I believe I’ve corrected that.
Good Grape: Who would you want to play you in the movie about your life?
Mike: Ewan Macgregor or Emile Hirsch
Good Grape: What super-power would you most like to have, and why?
Mike: Precognition - it would be a subtle power, yet one I could use to perform a tremendous amount of good in the world.
Good Grape: You are moving and can only take three or four articles with you—what do you grab?
Mike: My iTunes music collection, family photo album, a mixed case of select wines from my cellar, and my pillow.
Good Grape: Where and what was the last great meal you had?
Mike: Christmas dinner at my in-laws - fantastic honey-baked ham with scalloped potatoes and fresh winter greens.
Good Grape: What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mike: Dulce de leche gelato
Good Grape: What is the best compliment you have ever received?
Mike: “You are the best Dad ever!”
Good Grape: Thanks for taking a couple of minutes, Mike. Any family man, who makes good wine and also knows to give credit to his mother-in-law is a smart guy and a friend of mine. Good luck with the rest of the year, the wines are fantastic.
March 15 2010
When I get an email from a friend saying, “You should check this out” it tends to pique my interest, especially when the subject is wine preservation.
First, I should say I’m an avowed Vacu Vin user. With a wife that’s nearly a teetotaler, and a constant flux of six to eight bottles of opened wine in the fridge, a Vacu Vin and a wine crock started with a vinegar mother is de rigueur for any self-respecting wine taster, as important as having a corkscrew, and especially important if you’re a wine taster that likes to play the field across a number of different bottles, similar to fiddling with your iPod to match your mood.
Pouring a week old wine into crocks (before the bottle hits the recycling bin or gets upcycled into drinking glasses) that turn the bottle remnants into wine vinegar (red and white) definitely soothes any anxiety from watching a wine circle the drain, the Vacu Vin notwithstanding.
So, when the tip came for the Platypus “PlatyPreserve” wine preserver I took heed.
The Platypus, familiar to campers and outdoorsman, is a reputable water carrier noted for its durability, its malleability in your pack, and the fact that it doesn’t pick up or throw off scents—meaning that the container that carries orange juice today can carry water tomorrow without cross-flavor contamination.
For its part, the PlatyPreserve is a wine-centric brand extension from the Platypus water carrier and technology. Made in the U.S. and just slightly bigger than a 750ml bottle of wine, the wine preserver has received rave consumer reviews on Amazon.com and other outlets. And, at $9.95 for one, it pays for itself for the wine enthusiast who winces with reticence at willfully pouring leftover wine into a vinegar crock or down the drain.
Likewise, if you’re an outdoor enthusiast, the PlatyPreserve could make a willing companion for some vino at the end of the day, when a proper bottle may be cumbersome to carry in pack or, at the least, from hither and yon.
One user at Amazon.com said of the PlatyPreserve, “I have used every form of wine preserving system out there: vacuum pumps, nitrogen tanks/taps etc. etc. This one beats them all cheaply and simply, by doing better what they all attempt to do, that is, prevent contact between wine and oxygen as much as possible.”
I decided to take the test myself.
I picked up five bottles of an inexpensive red wine – the Beringer Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, found for $4.99 a bottle. I suppose if I wanted to be thematically correct I could have chosen the Redwood Creek, positioned as an outdoorsman wine, but when $5 bottles are the game I don’t get choosy.
I placed one full bottle into a PlatyPreserve, a half bottle into a second PlatyPreserve, a half bottle under Vacu Vin, and a half bottle under regular cork and put it into the fridge for seven days to see what would happen.
I blind tasted each of the wines against a control bottle that was freshly opened.
The results of the blind tasting were somewhat of a surprise: a wine under Vacu Vin was the only bottle I guessed correctly, but the results also indicated optimism for the PlatyPreserve.
My notes said:
Control bottle (freshly opened): Bright cherry, blackberry, candied nose – Dr. Pepper flavors, bubblegum cotton candy, vanilla Stoli vodka and brown sugar. A fruit and oak wine, sweet, manipulated with an artificial finish. Drinkable at the end of the night.
Wine #1 (Under Vacu Vin): Nose is reductive with stewed flavors. Wine is starting to unravel with fruit minimized and acid coming to the front. Still drinkable and inoffensive.
Wine #2 (Full PlatyPreserve): Closest to control. Nose minimized slightly. Palate is still together and pleasant.
Wine #3 (Beringer under cork): Nose is gone, reductive and stewed. Oxidized.
Wine #4 (1/2 full PlatyPreserve): Nose is gone, alcohol and wood with faint blackberry. Oxidized.
Lessons learned: The wine under cork and the ½ full PlatyPreserve had virtually identical flavor profiles—both wines were shot. The full PlatyPreserve was in good shape and the wine under a Vacu Vin was in reasonably good shape. Given this, the natural comparison needs to be made with the Vacu Vin versus the ½ full PlatyPreserve and on that count the Vacu Vin wins handily.
And, of course, if you’re at home drinking, I can’t imagine why you would need to store a full bottle in a PlatyPreserve.
My overall recommendation: Use a Vacu Vin for home purposes while the PlatyPreserve makes a suitable airtight companion for day hikes, short overnight camping trips and when lugging a glass bottle is impractical.
March 12 2010
…Flotsam and jetsam that doesn’t fit into a regular blog post…
Wall Street Journal and Wine
A very interesting (and lengthy) profile on Wall Street Journal (WSJ) owner Rupert Murdoch in the March 8th issue of New York magazine (a far more interesting and diverse read than the New Yorker in my opinion, even if it doesn’t earn you faux intelligentsia status).
The article isn’t about wine, but it is about Ahab’s Murdoch’s pursuit of Moby Dick defeating the New York Times.
The article is worth the read. If nothing else it offers some circumstantial insight into the abrupt disappearance of former WSJ wine writers Dottie Gaither and John Brecher and their subsequent replacement by Jay McInerney.
When winning is your goal, money is no object and you have the temerity to battle Google even, jettisoning everyman wine writers for somebody that is a New York society scenester who can figuratively hold down the other end of the wine bar against Eric Asimov at the New York Times begins to make some sense.
Garagiste
If the definition of persuasive charm is getting somebody to agree to do something before thinking about it, then I give Jon Rimmerman my Claude C. Hopkins Lifetime Achievement Award for his incredible (sales copy) writing at Garagiste.
Secondarily, for the contrarians who have marked Parker for dethronement, the news of his untimely demise is still awaiting coincidence with market realities.
Finally, for wineries who say they don’t kneel at the altar of Parker, they are only talking about the wines that DON’T get reviewed.
Take, for example, a recent Garagiste offer for Chardonnay that had me pulling my wallet from my back pocket before consumer jurisprudence took hold (quoting Rimmerman in a Garagiste offer):
A few weeks ago, I was offered this wine for what now appears to be among the best price/value ratios in a number of years. At the time, the wine was floundering around without much market demand and the prospect of the 2008 vintage right around the corner. I found the wine to be quite agreeable, even very fine (for domestic Chardonnay) and was surprised that it was not in greater demand. While I would rather not be known as a domestic Chardonnay specialist, the wine was quite surprising and I knew a number of you would be happy to enjoy it. I secured the wine (at a great price) and had it scheduled for the first week of April. That was two weeks ago.
Last week, the new Wine Advocate was released and Parker gave this the highest score in the last 5-10 years for a domestic Chardonnay in this price range (maybe the highest score in the last 15 years). For arguably the most influential voice of California wine, that is a major statement indeed. Let the market frenzy ensue…
The offer was for the 2007 Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Vineyard Chardonnay, a wine that was going into “deal” (read: priced to move) mode at $16.99 from Garagiste before Parker gave his review (a 93 score).
According to Rimmerman in his email newsletter, “…we can only have one shipment at the deal price – if we re-order, it’s at a “corrected” tariff that accommodates for the WA93.”
The “corrected tariff” means in winery parlance, “The bluebird of happiness of just shit on our desk and we’re no longer going to ‘fire sale’ this wine.”
These are interesting times we live in ... related to the wine world, I sometimes feel like it’s the ultimate game of bluff poker.
Personally speaking, I’d go to my local bottle shop and buy two bottles of the Snoqualmie Chardonnay (wooded or unleaded) and call it a day.
File in: Free content
Speaking of Claude C. Hopkins, he’s the forefather of advertising sales copy. He wrote a seminal book called “Scientific Advertising” that is as relevant today as when it was first published in 1923. The book is in the public domain and can be found at Scribd, a content sharing site.
Check out Scribd for a bunch of other interesting wine-related content, too. Recent wine books include:
• A History of Wine in America by Thomas Pinney
• Wine and Philosophy edited by Fritz Allhoff
• A Taste for Wine - 20 Key Tastings to Unlock Your Personal Wine Style by Vincent Gasnier
Winemaker Extraordinaire
In the fall, I highlighted a wine game called, “Wine Tycoon” that had an hour’s worth of notice in the wine world news cycle. And, I also just recently tripped across another game called, “Winemaker Extraordinaire” which is surprisingly well-reviewed and inexpensive ($6.99), compared to $19.99 for “Wine Tycoon.”
Released in the spring of last year, “Winemaker Extraordinaire” follows a Peter Mayle-like plotline:
When Maria Bellaventura finds out that she has inherited an Italian winery, she must leave her stress-filled life as a corporate lawyer to take over the family business.
I have downloaded the game and will do a head to head analysis between it and Wine Tycoon. If you’re the gaming sort, “Winemaker Extraordinaire” is worth a look.
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