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July 18 2010
Despite reports that numerous wineries have sold or are on the market, and a recent Wine Spectator analysis indicated that 190 Wine Spectator wine award-winning restaurants have closed in the last two years, the economic struggles within the wine business haven’t been deep enough to create the kind of everlasting change that is necessary for healthy, long-term domestic growth.
And, despite the fact that a “double-dip” recession looms like gathering storm clouds on the horizon, 2010 feels like we have escaped the nuclear winter business climate of 2009, and a return to “normalcy” has cautiously crept back into our lives.
Yet, it is exactly this “return to normalcy” that is the problem.
Obviously, for the wine business, the “old normal” was not healthy in the first place. There are too many wineries growing on expensive land with a high degree of financial leverage selling wine at too high of prices with too few distribution options. When coupled with the “lifestyle” marketing that the wine business is addicted to, it makes you wonder if a harder slog is necessary to jolt the wine business into a new set of rules that run parallel with the U.S.’s ascent to the top of the heap in worldwide consumption and sales.
Simply, a wine lifestyle could be the centerpiece of genteel living and not the province of snobs, recasting the notion of the “good life” as something obtainable for all … wine as a vessel for something bigger and more profound than conspicuous consumption …
However, as evidenced by wines over $20 leading dollar volume sales growth, as reported by Wine Industry Insight from Nielsen data, I’m fearful that the wine business will continue in its current form, taking the last half of ’08 and all of ’09 as an aberration instead of seeing that a golden opportunity is within its grasp if only the fortitude existed to wean itself off the luxury and lifestyle positioning that has substituted for imaginative engagement with customers.
And, dollar volume growth in the luxury segment is not the only indicator, either. Elsewhere, I have noted that Visa Signature now has wine benefits associated with its credit card. Crushpad has set-up Napa Valley concierge-like services for its customers at other wineries, and Destination Cellars has bolstered its management team for its very high-end, membership only wine club, amongst other clues that the wine business is still planning to be in the luxury business as a rule.
Perhaps I have been running a fool’s errand in thinking that this economic crisis would be good in the end – giving the wine business a chance to collect and recast itself after a 25-year run that pinned it into being the nearly impenetrable drink of the affluent.
Maybe I was naïve in thinking that wine could be a salve in a return to a simpler way of life and a means to reclaim our souls, a level-setting part of life that celebrates conviviality, the joy of family, friends and a good meal shared with those we are closet to, a spirit-nurturing tonic that enlivens relationships, but forsakes the importance of a wealthy lifestyle to go alongside it.
As writer Kurt Andersen said in his influential book Reset on the long-term impact of post-recession consciousness, “The new economic culture should be about proportion and function, efficiency and accessibility.”
Yet, I fear that a short-term recovery in the economy will bear no fruit in bringing clarity of purpose to the role that wine can play in our lives – there will be no reset on proportion and accessibility. I fear that a recovery in the near-term will continue to engender luxury lifestyle as the marketing vehicle for selling something that should be viewed in an entirely different light.
The Pacific Rim’s embrace of wine can act as the folly of a lesson learned already in the states – wine is a beverage in which there is a luxury segment, but for which luxury does not define the public perception of its place in our life.
Perhaps the last bit of idealistic zeal that I possess after realizing that the American dream can come crashing down in a near instant is that the mistakes of old won’t be repeated in the future.
Wine? Are you listening?
July 15 2010
Imagine a professional in any field of endeavor and then imagine that professional chronically misspelling a key word in their trade language. The offender would be dismissed as an amateur that had somehow infiltrated the ranks and everybody would continue about their business.
However, in the realm of wine there is a frequent misuse and misspelling of a word that goes unchecked, the user continuing along their merry way without repercussion.
I feel like a young, curmudgeonly William Safire even though, with a book editor for a wife and a brother-in-law who is a professional writer, I get my own share of gentle nudges based on my assault of the English language – passive voice, the possessive and a couple of other bugaboos.
Yet, I can no longer cast a blind eye to the misuse of the word “palate” and the mistaken twins of, “pallet” and “palette.”
This misuse is a noxious and pervasive stinkweed in a field of online wine writing that goes largely unchecked allowing the offender to continue blithely unawares. It’s everywhere. And, it’s more omnipresent than another frequent misuse of a word: compliment and complement.
Want proof? Sequentially Google, “wine palate,” “wine palette” and “wine pallet.” You’ll quickly see how insidious the incorrect usage of “palette” and “pallet” truly are.
What started out as a muse for me is now feeling like a compulsion to take on as a pet project. Of course, instituting the grammar Gestapo is not akin to a resveratrol fueled cure for the gout, but, hey, we all want to make our mark on the world.
With that, I am now enacting a 30-day amnesty on the use of the incorrect word for palate and thereafter I will be setting up a donation mechanism, 100 pennies per offense.
It’ll work something like this: When the incorrect use of the word “palate” is seen online, the reader will contact the offender, indicate that they have been cited by “Pennies for Palates” and then direct them to a page where they can make a $1 donation. It is like a swear jar on a large scale. All proceeds will be donated to a still to be determined charitable cause – perhaps the Sonoma County Wine Library.
Please join me as a lieutenant in the fight for protecting the sanctity of the word “palate.” In doing so, consider the following, “We tasted next to a pallet of wine. The bouquet offered up a wonderful palette of aromas and the palate offered up more of the same.” Or, “We tasted next to a palate of wine. The bouquet offered up a wonderful pallet of aromas and the palette offered more of the same.”
Thank you, in advance, for joining me in a worthy cause.
July 13 2010
Within the canon of good advertising, the laws of, “To sell,” and “To be memorable” exist for noble men and women of character, creativity and marketing acumen to abide with sanctity. Nowhere, however, is there a law that says, “To create confusion.”
Yet, it’s “confusion” that passes for most wine advertising these days.
Regular Good Grape readers know that I like to take the occasional look at wine advertising to find the “memorable,” often times with disappointing results.
Comedian Patton Oswalt, as quoted in a Paste magazine article, has said, “Pointing out that stuff sucks is not edgy or dangerous anymore. Everyone knows what sucks. What’s better is to find the stuff that’s amazing and hold it up.”
I agree with him. But, I’ll start with the next article, though.
Herewith, a couple of examples of recent print ads from importers or producers that have appeared in major wine-related magazines in the past 60 days (with my commentary).
Ghost Pines
As seen in: Wine & Spirits
Goat or Gloat?
Ponderous, man. Ponderous. The Sub-head says, “Excellence has no boundaries.” The scant copy says, “Our winemaking philosophy will not be bound by county lines.”
I haven’t the slightest idea what this means. Fruit is sourced from both Sonoma and Napa? The winemaker lives in Sonoma, but keeps a mistress in Napa?
Is “Excellence has no boundaries” enough of a sales value proposition to support an advertising campaign, let alone live on as a platitude on the wall of a high school locker room?
I went to the Ghost Pines web site (under construction), and it offers this nugget, “Sonoma spirit, Napa elegance proving that excellence knows no bounds.”
I have no idea what this ad is about, who it might be intended for or what it is supposed to be compelling me to do. It’s like flipping on an HBO movie 45 minutes into it and realizing that your time is better spent on something that you don’t have to work too hard to figure out, which is what 99% of readers of Wine & Spirits probably did as they flipped the page past this goat of an ad.
J. Lohr
As seen in: Wine Enthusiast
Goat or Gloat?
This ad represents a new direction for J. Lohr who have been using the same campaign featuring Jerry Lohr and winemaker Jeff Meier for years.
Unfortunately, it needs work. One of the principal lessons I learned as a student of advertising in Journalism school is to never go “clever.” Clever is a crutch for those that don’t have a clearly articulated idea. And, so it is here.
The headline says, “Leave no ‘stone unturned.” I looked at this ad for three minutes trying to figure out how the headline matched up with the visual.
Ah, upon close inspection, real close inspection, the wine turned upside down in the ice bucket is the J. Lohr “Riverstone” Chardonnay. I get it, even if it’s like a bad “knock-knock” joke.
If an ad is like conducting a speech to a live audience of 500,000 people and you want to tell a joke, but at least 2/3 of the audience won’t get it, do you still tell the joke? Of course not, you say something that resonates with as many people as possible.
Not surprisingly, the sub-head of, “Flavor second to none” is a complete non sequitur from the visual and the headline.
Nice striking visual, bad concept. Overall, a goat of an ad.
Opici Wines
As seen in: Wine Enthusiast
Goat or Gloat?
Likely the first ad from this longtime importer. The copy, on the backdrop visual of a pair of rolling dice, says, “Why roll the dice? Bet on a sure thing.”
I get this ad, but the majority of Wine Enthusiasts’ readers probably don’t. Wine lovers who are really in tune with the wine world know that the sticker on a bottle of wine from certain importers is a badge of endorsement, indicating quality and thoughtful curation within a portfolio. Obviously, Opici wants to brand themselves as arbiters of quality and a correlating portfolio.
Unfortunately, most of the wine consuming world doesn’t know what Michael Skurnik wines represents, let along Opici wines.
This ad is a good idea that needs to be substantiated with some copy … overall not a goat, not anything to gloat about, either. At least it’s the only ad that will not get a potential intern thrown out of an interview with a good Creative Director.
Seen any good (or bad) wine advertising lately? Let me know in the comments.
July 11 2010
When shopping for wine this weekend, I was nearly and irrationally compelled to buy the iconic Kenwood “Jack London” Zinfandel (a wine I have never had and know little about) when I saw its price—$21.99. The combination of the bottle as objet d’art combined with a snap emotional response to the wine as a “value” by price nearly had me tugging at my pocket book.
A calmer head prevailed, mostly because I long ago lost my 180-degree view of the consumer wine experience. However, given that I now know via wine-searcher.com that the price in between the ‘06’s and the ’07’s from Kenwood have dropped at least $5 a bottle, I’m certain that other consumers will likely have an emotional response triggered when they see the sleek, hefty screen printed bottle at its current, reduced price.
This collision of design and price is the same secret sauce that has allowed the retail store Target to elevate itself beyond that of a mass-market purveyor of commodities and into the realm of stylish design.
Target has figured out that taking everyday items and adding a little bit of panache works wonders on holding and even increasing price points. Witness: the recent announcement that, available exclusively at Target, designer Cynthia Rowley and Pampers have collaborated on designer diapers. The retail price? A 33% premium over a 10 pack of regular Pamper diapers.
Laugh if you will, but there are moms who will, without question, buy the dandy diapers.
And, of course, Chefs have long known about the value of design with artfully composed plates that allow restaurant patrons to “eat with their eyes first,” while the restaurant charges a premium in the process.
These aren’t the only examples of design commanding price premiums, either; they’re just the most apparent as I’ve considered wine sales, flattened price thresholds, brand discounting and the myriad of issues that go into creating and selling a wine.
One of the chief challenges that the wine industry is now grappling with is the fact that over the course of the last decade, prices escalated at a much faster rate than perceived value increased. This is okay in flush times, but not okay when the economic times are tighter. Thus, in a very simplistic nutshell, what the wine business is now experiencing is a narrowing in between the perceived value of what a consumer receives and what the wine costs.
If luxury wineries can find the sweet spot—where price and perceived value intersect, as in my Kenwood “Jack London” Zinfandel example, then wineries are putting themselves in a good position.
Yet, lowering price to match perceived value is a grapeshot defensive tactic and it is a lot more fun to play offense. One offensive move is upgrading wine packaging. This notion is substantiated in a recent cover story on wine packaging from Wines & Vines magazine. The article notes:
Dave Schuemann, owner and creative director of CF Napa Brand Design, Napa, concurs. “Strategically, many brands have been upgrading their product lines to be more premium and expensive looking in order to hold their price-point,” he notes.
“With this 2010 economy, showing the wine package as quality comes first,” says Patti Britton, principal of Britton Design, Sonoma, Calif. In the 1990s, she explains, “A conservative, quality wine label design with the vineyard illustration, embossing, foil stamping (was typical of the) $20 per bottle price range. Now, it’s more like the $10-$12 range.”
I think the signs point to a renaissance in wine packaging in the domestic wine business. And, frankly, it is about time. Just like vini and viticultural research, the Aussies long ago kicked our ass in wine packaging, if you have progressive beliefs, that is. Wine packaging is like politics, you have conservatives and you have progressives.
I am not here to debate left vs. right, New World vs. Old World sensibilities, but I have been watching packaging web sites like The Die Line and Lovely Packaging, amongst others. Below is an amalgamation of wine packaging examples that I have pulled from their sites and elsewhere. Pay attention to the wine aisle. Chances are good that wine enthusiasts will see a leap in domestic wine packaging innovation over the coming years, wrought by trying to match price perception to reality.
*Update* A rogue link caused the previous version of this post to have a paragraph removed. I’m republishing the entire post for clarity.
July 9 2010
A recent Wall Street Journal article suggested that the American palate is evolving toward more intense and exotic taste sensations – “adrenaline cuisine” as the author dubbed the phenomenon. While one might consider this trend validation for the popularity of “big wine” over a more refined style, more interesting, however, is how new taste sensations make their way into wine tasting notes.
Consider the pomegranate, for example.
Over twenty-five years ago, my social studies teacher brought a pomegranate to class as a part of a Native American Indian diet lesson. She was careful to peel the foreign-looking fruit, and then gently pull out the delicate juicy nubs, divvying up the small kernels while admonishing us to not get any of the staining juice on our shirts. This was the first—and last—time I saw the pomegranate until the early 2000s when scientific research surfaced touting the fruit’s antioxidant properties.
Then, in 2002, an opportunistic California company resurrected the nationally moribund pomegranate industry, creating Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice. A trend was ignited, and soon an entire industry sprang up around the use of the pomegranate in all manner of edibles.
This anecdote would be germane to little more than observation were it not for the preponderance of pomegranate references in contemporary wine tasting notes … tasting notes that, coincidentally, started immediately after the introduction of Pom Wonderful in 2002.
To test my hunch that so-called “adrenaline cuisine” influences wine tasting descriptors, I conducted an analysis of Wine Spectator’s ratings database, comprising 232,000 reviews and tasting notes dating back to the mid-80s.
A search of the WS review database retrieved 546 wine reviews with “pomegranate” as a tasting note descriptor. Wouldn’t you know it, but of those 546 wine reviews, a mere nine pomegranate references occurred in vintages released to market prior to 2002 — the year, again, that Pom Wonderful launched.
Coincidence? Surely not. However, it’s not necessarily a conspiracy, either. Rather, it’s a statement about the evolution of our palates: we taste flavor components in wine based on what our palates know, and prior to 2002 not many people knew the taste of a pomegranate.
Aside from the pomegranate, The Wall Street Journal article caused me to wonder about the next big flavor in wine tasting notes. After all, before the Asian food aisle at the grocery store expanded beyond chop suey, nobody used “lychee” to describe Gewürztraminer, either.
I conducted fruit trend research to determine what might be the next pomegranate or lychee in our tasting notes.
Fruit trends come to market via three channels:
• Niche health foods and juices
• The produce aisle
• Flavorings for mass market foods
You can find examples for each that don’t necessarily cross over to the other. Goji berries and the mangosteen live in the health food section. Star fruit lives in the produce aisle and dragon fruit primarily exists in processed flavorings.
While the wine taster is influenced by new flavors that crossover to the wine palate, it seems that we pick up most of our influences from whole foods. A dragon fruit flavored chewing gum does not a wine descriptor make. Nor does a super food juice drink from the likes of the noni tree or the goji berry.
So, I’d postulate that the best predictor of new flavors in tasting notes is the fruit in the produce section. A glance at the California Rare Fruit Growers web site and additional research analyzing yield, perishability and distribution to supermarkets suggests two upcoming fruits the wine enthusiast should taste:
Cherimoya: Soft scoopable white flesh tastes like a blend of pineapple, mango, and banana with a tinge of strawberry.
Star fruit: Slice and eat, or eat out of hand like an apple. Very subtle. Tastes like a plum with subtle tropical hints.
In short, a new taste sensation—even one super-charged by marketing hype or made into a processed confection—doesn’t necessarily translate to a desire for bigger flavors in wines. But these new influences do broaden our taste sensations and pique our interest in the fruits that inspire them.
So, go get a cherimoya and remain mindful that the next decade’s wine tasting note reference point, equivalent to a pomegranate, is likely in a produce section near you.
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