When I hear comments such as “I don’t like …….” (add a variety such as Merlot or Aglianico, etc.), or “I don’t like wines from ……” (add South Africa or Chile, etc.), I always wonder whether the decision was due to a poorly made wine or perhaps the result of drinking a tainted bottle.

My advice: if you suspect TCA…have them take it away!

After many personal encounters over the years I can say with confidence that if you suspect TCA then have them take it away and provide a fresh bottle, or if you bought the bottle at retail pour the wine back in, replace the cork and bring it back for a new one. I say this because it is the best decision for you, for the restaurant or retail store, and for the winery. How so?

• From your standpoint, if you drink a corked bottle you will not enjoy the wine… that’s an understatement. The nose will have lost all of its nuance being replaced instead by a smell of wet newspapers. If there was any fruit in the bottle, you won’t taste it in the glass.
• From the view point of the restaurant, the fact that you have paid good money for a bottle of wine that tastes and smells off my mean you don’t return to the restaurant .. and you may even tell your friends to stay away as well. If you bought the wine at a retailer, you will surely feel you didn’t get your money’s worth…. maybe time to find another retailer.
• From the viewpoint of the brand / winery, you now have a very negative impression of their wine. It is very unlikely you will buy or recommend any wine from this producer.
• From the viewpoint of the region / variety, you may now think you “don’t like Spanish wines or French or Greek wines” or you don’t like Merlot, Pinot, or Lemberger, etc.

Again, I am speaking from personal experience. I have in the past made the mistake of saying to myself “oh, I think I smell TCA but not sure … it’s only a little corked”, so I continue to drink the wine. Most often, as the bottle opens, the smell and the taste of the wine gets worse.  I no longer worry about being embarrased if someone else can’t easily smell the TCA – I automatically return it. Here’s why:

• At an upscale restaurant in Sonoma (the girl & the fig) I ordered a bottle that I was not familiar with but that sounded like something I would like to try (Tullulah Syrah). When brought to the table I smelled the wine… oh oh … TCA. I called the waiter back and suggested it was corked. She at first said she would have to check with the Wine Manager, but promptly returned with a new bottle having confirmed it was corked. The difference in the wine was like night and day. Had I accepted the bottle I would have never known how good the wine really was, AND … I recently found this wine on the net and bought a few bottles as a result of tasting it while in Sonoma.
• Recently I bought a bottle of 2008 Ferrari-Carano Merlot. The bottle was on special and I wanted to try the wine since I have enjoyed several other bottlings from this producer. Uncorked the bottle, took a sniff …ugh.. TCA. Keep in mind that approximately 3% – 5% of all bottles are corked (although the incidence has been reduced greatly by new processes put in place by the Portuguese Cork producers), so this is not an issue of the winery typically (although TCA can sometimes result in the facilities themselves – see above).  What did I do? I returned the wine from my glass into the bottle, recorked the bottle, returned it to the retailer for a fresh one. A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! Very pleasant bottle of Merlot at a good price…. an excellent value (see tasting note below).  I went back to buy more!

2008 Ferrari-Carano Merlot

 

Ferrari-Carano Merlot 2008

 

winemaker’s notes: Select lots of grapes are chosen from our vineyards in Sonoma County to create this beautifully-balanced and full-bodied Ferrari-Carano Merlot. This is a velvety wine with a complex nose of cherry cobbler, blackberry caramel and vanilla intricately woven with lingering flavors of baked berry pie, cinnamon and spice. This wine has a viscous and full mouthfeel, impressive length and velvety tannins. The fruit forward, easy drinking qualities of our Merlot make it the perfect wine to pair with any red meat course, Italian entrée, and roasted or grilled fragrantly-spiced poultry dishes. alcohol by volume: 14.3%

So my advice one more time … if you suspect TCA …. have them take it away! Don’t be afraid to speak up. Keeping a corked bottle makes no sense for you, the restaurant or retail shop, or the winery. You are doing everyone a favor by sending it back:

• Your evaluation is based on untainted wine. You can now judge whether you like it or not.
• The restaurant or retailer are made aware of the issue. They can inform the distributor (who will inform the winery), while keeping you as a customer.
• The winery can make appropriate changes to decrease the likelihood of corked bottles.

Albany courtesy Ryan Mori

When it comes to regulations, special interest is never “at rest”.

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about regulations in reference to the US economy. The logic is that regulations in just about any form hurt business, reduce jobs, and cost the nation dearly as a result. Now the reality is that Capitalism without any regulation doesn’t work very well. Corporations are in the business of building wealth for their shareholders (and in so doing often build tremendous wealth for their corporate managers).

Now … nothing wrong here – that’s what Capitalism is all about. However, if there is no regulation at all than the focus on wealth becomes the driving force to the exclusion of responsible citizenship; that is, anything goes just as long as the company is optimising profits. There are numerous examples of corporate greed that cause enourmous harm from the catastrophe in the New York garment industry in 1911 to the recent banking fiasco that contributed to a worldwide recession.

So you would think that government would focus on strong regulations where certain protections for the public are warranted, but do their best to eliminate regulations where they are not needed.

OK…. someone help me here! If regulations are so detrimental to our nation, why do lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and in the States continue to avoid regulations that are needed (one example: the current rush to drill for natural gas called “fracking” is exempt from the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts – it may be safe, but how can we know if no one is watching out for the general public?), while focusing on special interest legislation that is not?

I have written before regarding Bills  HR 1161 as well as its predessor, HR 5034. Both bills are backed by special interests in an effort to reverse past Supreme Court rulings that pit the Interstate Commerce Clause against a State’s ability to discriminate between in and out of state alcohol interests. Here supporters of 3-tiered distribution are working hard to ensure that the monopoly they have enjoyed since the 21ist Amendment was passed continues.

In this blog I’d like to highlight a new special interest effort in the State of New York called “at rest“. First some background.

The New York City is currently served by two major wine distributors and dozens of smaller distributors. The major distributors warehouse their wine inventory in New York. The smaller distributors typcially warehouse the wine in New Jersey where the cost of storage is cheaper. Irrespective of where the wine is held, it is available for immediate purchase and delivery to New York customers. Because there are numerous distributors in the area, New York enjoys a much larger choice in the wines it purchases and can do so at better pricing. You know … that element in Capitalism called competition?

So how best to reduce competition? Simply have the large distributors use their influence to get law makers to change the playing field. How you may ask? Elementary … by requiring all wine sold in New York City to be warehoused in New York for a minimum of 48 hours. Yes … you guessed it! The major distributors can comply but all of the smaller distributors will not be able to sell their wares – many will no longer be able to service New York.

Well you say that there must be benefit to the citizens or the State of New York,  right? No .. this change will not have any beneficial effect on the citizens of New York. Actually it will likely result in price increases, less choice, and loss of jobs.  However, it will setup a great monopoly for the two largest distributors!

If you are a citizen of New York I urge you to sign a petition saying no to “at rest”.

To read more about this special interest wine legislation, visit Jancis Robinson.com and read “Protest against NY’s ‘at rest’ move”.

And while your at it … let’s all focus on getting money out of politics. Its time our lawmakers focused on building a strong nation instead of  supporting the will of those that finance elections.

Litchfield News Logo

I see stories such as Wine merchant petitions against Sunday sales bill quite frequently. The focus often is on special interests – a virtual tug-a-war between small and big business with consumers in the middle. In this case the focus is primarily on Sunday sales of wine in Connecticut. Whether Sunday sales, increased liquor licenses, sales of wine and beer in grocery stores, or direct shipment of wine from out of state retailers or wineries, the rhetoric becomes quite heated. Sometimes quite justified, but not always.

(To get a better perspective regarding the pro and con elements, here are two stories  – the first, Uncork Ban On Sunday Alcohol Sales in the Hartford Courant for changes to the current alcohol regulations in Connecticut, and the second – Liquor sales rally to be held from WNTH News 8 speaking to small liquor stores against the legislation. )

Large and small business have their plus and minuses. Large businesses can help to provide access, choice and best price. Small business creates many of the jobs and support mechanisms in the community as well as more passion and knowledgeable help.

The arguments for big business are clear – more licenses and more hours translates into more volume and more volume typically translates into higher margins and profits.  Small business has trouble competing since they have neither the resources (financial / personnel) nor the volume to compete directly.  A great example here is Walmart, which has huge economy of scale. (Don’t know about you, but if I see “MADE IN CHINA” much more I am going to scream… not wine related but relevant to this issue:-).

On the other hand, protection of small business interests in the face of changing market or economic conditions is often not viable long term considering available alternatives. One example: if one state protects its small business operators by not allowing wine on Sundays, but adjoining states do not, business (tax revenues) are lost to the adjoining states (and sales to out of state stores). This is also the case where one state charges a high sales tax and the adjoining state(s) charges less or no sales tax.

So the tug-a-war between small and big business continues.

Consumers as usual are caught in the middle. We want what we want when we want it … and we want it at a good price. We also want good advice from knowledgeable people, good value, and lots of choice. And, we are not all the same. Some are happy buying anything at the lowest price, while others are searching only for fine wines where price is much less in consideration. Yes .. we are a finicky lot.

So what is the best answer when there is this tug-a-war between small and big business with consumers in the middle?

I’m not sure there is a “best answer”. There is no “one size fits all”. What we need is sensible legislation that takes into account the needs of small and big business while also considering the needs and behavior of consumers. Let’s be honest.  Whether a believer in capitalism or an economic liberal, markets are complex and solutions are seldom simple … and often driven by special interests.

What’s your take? I am including a brief survey on the issue of small versus big business (please also feel free to comment). I’ll keep the survey live for two weeks and then provide the results on Wine Survey Results page.

Taste new wine

In a previous blog “Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 1″, I described three options to help you find and taste new wines and varieties in 2012.

The options suggested included:

1. - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
2. - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
3. - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines

In Part 1 the first option was discussed “Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines”. This option requires that your state allows DtC (Direct to Consumer) shipments from wineries and/or retailers.

In Part 2 the focus was on tips when traveling to new wine regions to taste new wines and varieties (Time to taste New wines and Varieities – Part 2)

In Part 3 the focus is on identifying one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups in your local area where you can taste and try new varieties nad wines.

Let’s focus first on local wine shops.

So where can you learn about other local wine events?

LocalWineEvents.com

There are several ways. First, ask your wine advisor .. yes the person you ask for wine recommendations. He/she should be aware of all of their events and likely will also be aware of events in the area. Another way is to sign up with sites that allow you to indicate your location and then send you notifications of all activities in your area. Local Wine Events is good place to start. Registration is free. You will recieve periodic emails that contain local events as well as wine questions and quizzes to test your knowledge (or simply learn more about wine). If you visit the site, it will provide a list of local BYOB restaurants, wine shops, wine education/schools, wineries, wine groups and more. You can also friend LocalWineEvents on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, or if you have a mobile phone, you can download the Local Wine Event mobile app for iPhone or Android.

You may also want to try RetailMeNot for discounted coupon codes or a myriad of specialized sites that deal with wine and food events in your area. An example is Wine-Expos.com that provides details of wine expos in Newport, RI, Boston, Washington, D. C. and New York. You can also get listings of not only wine tasting events, but wine education as well at Totalwine.com.

Finally, if you are into wine and would like to meet like minded people, you can join or start a wine focused group on sites like Meetup. On the other hand if you have several friends that would also like to learn more, consider starting a wine tasting group locally. Should you decide on this option, here is some advice that might be helpful:

• If one of the people in your planned group is very knowledgeable, you may want to ask that person to help you decide where to start. If all are about the same level of knowledge, then you can ask your local retailer for some ideas or simply agree as a group on what would be of most interest to the group – a particular grape variety, a region, a style of wine, etc.
• Keep the numbers down to a max of 10 if possible. Larger numbers mean you can try more wines, but the tasting itself can get confusing.
• Use a good wine glass. This doesn’t need to be expensive. It should be fairly thin glass and it should be shaped so that the bowl is larger than the rim of the glass. It should also be clear rather than etched.
• Decide on how you want to taste the wines. There are pros and cons with each. I often will setup blind tastings, but I try to keep the ensuing discussion simple – Which wine did you like the best? Why? Which wine did you like the least? Why? This allows everyone to participate without feeling they are “wrong” or a poor taster. As time goes on once everyone is comfortable, then expand to what kind of wine do you think it is? How old do you think it is? Where do you think it comes from? ….
• In terms of cost, the simplest way is to set a budget and split it by the number of people at the tasting. It doesn’t have to be exact. If the budget is not fully spent at this tasting, you can buy a bit more at the next session. Take advantage of your local advisor to suggest a number of wines for the tasting. Another option is to set a target bottle price and region or variety, and have everyone bring a bottle. I prefer the first method. I find that if everyone brings a bottle they will often bring one that they are comfortable with rather than expanding the options for the group. However, either can work.
• You can choose from a variety of options for the tasting: wines from a particular region, wines made from a particular variety from the same or multiple regions, or horizontal tasting. Or, try a vertical tasting – wines from the same variety and producer from different years. You can also try tasting new versus old world wineries or flights of white versus red, sparkling, dry, or dessert.
• I tend at least at the first few tastings to avoid cards or similar since it can make people feel uncomfortable.

Bottom line…. have fun with it and don’t worry about “right or wrong”.  The federal Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) recognized 260,000 in 2010 (sold in the US).

So much tasting to do …. and so little time!

Taste new wine

In my previous blog “Time to Taste New Wines and Varieties – Part 1″, I described three options to help you find and taste new wines and varieties in 2012.

The options suggested included:

1. - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
2. - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
3. - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines

In Part 1 the first option was discussed “Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines”. This option requires that your state allows DtC shipments from wineries and/or retailers. As of the first blog, 38 states allowed direct to consumer shipment. I am happy to tell you that a 39th state (New Jersey) has passed legislation to allow direct to consumer shipments. (On a side note, Representative Kurt Schrader (D) Oregon has withdrawn his sponsorship of the CARE Act HR1161 – great news.)

We’re making progress!

In Part 2 let’s focus on the second suggestion, “Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties”.

Southern New England Coastal Wine Trail

First, you don’t necessarily need to travel to far off places in order to try new wines. All 50 states now have wineries that you can visit and many may offer varieties that you have yet to try.  For instance, in Southern New England you can follow the Coastal Wine Trail  which stretches from Westerly, Rhode Island to the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Keep in mind that not all wineries produce Vitis Vinifera wines although many wineries will purchase grapes that cannot be grown locally and offer these wines along with locally grown based wines. Some may offer only locally produced  or fruit wines. In any case, lots of options to explore.

If visiting wineries in North America often there is no need for a reservation, but you should confirm this by calling ahead or by checking locally before the visit.  As an example, there are many wine alliances or similar organizations that provide information about the wineries in their AVA or Region such as the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance that will have a listing of the wineries, location and often a description of the wines offered.

If on the other hand you plan on visiting international wineries, plan on making a reservation for a visit. Although some wineries are open during certain hours each day, many require a reservation. This may seem to be an annoyance, but the benefit is that you often will have the owner or winemaker pouring the wines and hosting a tour. One exception is that in some wine regions you will find cooperative tasting rooms. One example is in Gigondas in the Southern Rhone where you can stop in the center of town to taste. There are dozens and dozens of well made Cote de Rhones offered, both white and red. However, in order to remain neutral, the pourer will ask that you choose the wines you would like to taste. Simply indicate the type of wine you like – fruity, earthy, spicy, etc., and he/she will suggest several to choose from.

When is the best time to visit? That will depend upon what you are looking for … visiting off season means less crowds and more time to spend with the winery. Harvest time is very busy and often more crowds, but there are also many festivals or local activities. Several wineries will offer special dinners or celebrations. Often there are celebrations offered at holidays (Halloween). Lastly, there are opportunities to participate in picking and/or processing the grapes. Eagles Nest Winerey in Ramona near San Diego is a great example. Dennis and Julie Grimes offer multiple opportunities during the year to help in the harvest and vinification, design your own labels, celebrate a holiday or simply come by for an outdoor movie  where Julie will serve pizza and you can purchase a  bottle of their award winning wine to enjoy with the movie.

You might also consider staying at a winery or close by. For instance, in Sardon de Duero (approximately 100 miles north of Madrid) you can stay at Abadia Retuerta, where the old Abby has been fully renovated. There are many wineries in France, Italy, Germany and many other countries (including the US and Canada) that offer accommodations as well as fine food.

Abby at Abadia Retuerta

Another option for  tasting and trying new wines is to take a wine or river cruise that focuses on wine. There are literally dozens of companies that specialize in wine cruises including Food & Wine Trails, Arbaster & Clarke Wine Tours Ltd. , or Fine Food and Wine Cruises. Others focus on wine river cruises such as Avalon Waterways, AmA Waterways, and France Cruises.

In any case, expect to visit no more than say 4 wineries per day, and this number should be less if you are driving. If you only like white or red, most wineries will accommodate the request if possible. Sometimes you will be offered a choice between tasting the higher volume wines versus special reserve wines. Tasting fees are sometimes free, but much more common they will range from  $5 – $25 (reserve wines). Many will apply the tasting fee to the purchase of a bottle or some minimum purchase. Some will include the glass with the tasting fee.

Keep in mind that many wineries will offer six or more wines to taste, and several may offer a taste of wines not on the tasting list. The bottom line is that a visit to perhaps only two wineries could mean you are trying 12 to 20 wines. Assuming only a 1 ounce pour (29.6ml) that could be as much as 20 ounces (591.5ml) or approximately 3/4s of a 750ml bottle. Visiting 4 wineries could equate to 1.5 bottles. If these are 2 ounce pours, that’s 3 bottles of wine! Needless to say you may enjoy the wine but you won’t really be tasting much after the first few pours. So ensure you have a designated driver or hire a driver or service. These are available in every wine region

Regardless of whether you are driving or not, if you really want to “taste” new wines, practice the four S’s of responsible tasting, Swirl, Smell, Sip, Spit. Although the “spit” may seem vulgar to those who do not often visit wineries, it is the only way you can try and taste many new wines without getting tipsy. Further, many wineries appreciate the fact that you are there to taste their wines and not simply to get drunk. My suggestion: if you are traveling with a partner and  you are driving (and spitting), ask for a single serving and share the taste. The winery will notice that you are there to taste their wines (and perhaps offer special wines not on the tasting list), your partner will imbib only half as much (so will be able to taste the wine), and you will save quite a bit by spending only half as much on the tasting. Getting drunk and obnoxious is not good for you or the winery. Another suggestion when visiting is to plan on a picnic since many wineries offer tables and really nice views. You can pick up a lunch at your hotel, local restaurant, on the road or at the winery ( many wineries do not offer food).

Keep in mind that wineries offer a taste of their wines as part of their business – it is the best way to showcase and sell you their wines. Although not as easy today to buy and carry the wines back as it used to be, there are many options. Here are four to consider:

• Purchase wines at the winery and have them ship them to you. This may or may not be possible depending upon where you reside. Based on the plethora of wine regulations in the US (frankly easier to buy a gun than it is a bottle of wine!), one winery may ship and another may not.  Be aware, shipping from outside the US can be expensive.
• In many locations there may be other shipping options. For instance in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in Southern California you can use Safe Haven Wine Services. In this case you buy your wine and write down the name of the winery and number of bottles  bought. Do this for each winery. Provide the information to Safe Haven and they will pick up your wines and ship them to you. You can save 15% if you take the wine to your hotel and they pick it up there rather than picking up at multiple wineries.
• Your in wine country! Buy a bottle or two and enjoy with a picnic lunch or in the evening.
• If shipping is not an option but you want to bring some wine back (keep in mind that several wineries offer some wines ONLY at the winery or through their wine clubs), purchase some wine skins. You can purchase a few either before the trip or at many of the wineries. These are leak proof single bottle carriers that you can put in your luggage. I have used them several times and never had one break. But if it does, it won’t spoil your cloths. The only caveat is to watch the weight. You will find that fees on small airlines are quite restrictive and the extra weight can be costly (I purchased a lightweight Balanzza luggage scale that allows me to precisely weigh my bags.)

Trying and tasting new wines can be a real pleasure and often an experience to remember especially when combining it with a trip to some place new.

In Part 3 I’ll focus on how to find and taste new wines at local wine shops and events.

Taste new wine

Its 2012. Time to make some new resolutions, explore opportunities, learn new things – time to taste and try new wines! And, when it comes to wine, there’s always lots to learn. While I always strive to learn more about the wine industry, wine issues and trends, I also look for ways to discover and  taste new wines and  varieties. So .. how best to find and taste new wines and varieties?

There are several good choices:

1. - Take advantage of wineries, new flash sites or out of state retailers that carry wines you cannot find locally to taste and try new wines
2. - Travel to wine regions to taste new wines and varieties
3. - Identify one or more local wine shops and/or wine focused groups as an opportunity to taste new wines

If you are located in the United States and not within the 38 states (hopefully New Jersey will be #39) that currently allow for direct shipments, you will be limited by what is distributed  through the 3-tiered system (producer – distributor – retailer), unless you travel nationally or internationally. This means the distributor first, then the retailer will decide what will be made available. Unfortunately, this greatly limits both the wines and the varieties available as well as your options for trying new wine brands or grapes.

Should you reside in one of the states that allow direct shipment, you can take advantage of either joining a winery wine club, scouting wines from retailers outside of your area, or trying new flash sites that have come on the scene over the last 3 or 4 years as a result of excess inventory and reduced demand brought on by the worldwide economic mess.

Lets take a quick look at each.

Buying wine direct from a winery: There are over 7,000 wineries in the US alone. Because of the 21st Amendment, shipping wine across state lines can be mind boggling at best. Even if you are within one of the 38 states that allow shipment, it is possible that the winery does not ship to your state. This could be a matter of cost (fees or other costs keeping up with regulations) or simply not enough wine produced to support broad shipment. If you find a winery that you would like to try and it does offer shipment, then you can proceed to purchase either individual bottle(s) or join the wine club. If you purchase by the bottle be prepared to pay full retail and likely shipping costs. This is the most expensive route for the buyer. In order to get discounts and special offers, it makes more sense to join the wine club, which is better both for the consumer and the winery.

Bottles are normally shipped quarterly or semi-annually to wine club members. Most of the time you only need to sign up for one year and then renew if happy with the wine and the service. Many times the wine maker will determine the contents of each shipment, although often there are some variations. For instance, many wineries will provide the option of shipping only white or only red wines. The major benefit to the wine club is not only discounts and sometimes free shipping. You will also be offered wines that are not available generally to the public, and if you plan on traveling to the winery, often you will be able to participate in no cost tastings and events.

 Buying wine from an out of state retailer: Again, there are thousands of retailers that sell wine. Depending upon your location and the out of state retailer’s location, you can assume some of the same wines are offered, but often additional wines that you cannot source locally. Here you can buy one bottle or cases at a time (again depending upon your State’s regulations). The out of state retailers will operate much the same as those in state in terms of promotions, so you can assume close outs and sales at different times of the year.

Normally, buying from an out of state retailer is done on line. There are many out there including Wine.com, Wine Anthology, K&L Merchants, and Wine Library (think Gary Vaynerchuk:-) to name a few. There are also special sites more like a “negotiant”, where they will buy wines from wineries, then rebrand. This will often drastically reduce the price that the original wine would fetch, but you will only know the general location, variety or blend, and year from which it was sourced, not the actual winery or winemaker. A good example is Cameron Hughes, where you can purchase single bottles, cases, or samplers, or join the wine club (you can chose red, white, red and white or seasonal lots).

Buying wine from a flash site: Sites such as Tillsoldout, Lot18, Cinderella, Invino, Last Bottle Wines, Last Call Wines, The Wine Spies, Wine Woot and Wineshopper(see below for a summary of each).

Above descriptions courtesy Wine & Vines Flash Report

According to Wines & Vines, the number of offers have doubled from 300 to 700 in just the last year. These sites normally sell one wine at a time,  one wine daily, or sometimes 2 – 6 at a time, and often at large discount. Last month the top discounter was Til Sold Out at 54% (Amusee). Some ship directly, while others act as the middleman letting the winery ship (Lot 18 – which in some cases may limit shipment based on where the winery is located). Regardless of the economy going forward, most believe these sites will continue unabated.

Particularly for the flash sites, but also pertaining to buying from any out of state option, the good news is that you will likely identify and be able to taste a variety of new wines that you are not able to find locally. The bad news is that if you don’t know what you are buying you may find yourself with several bottles of good wine that simply isn’t to your taste. Now there are ways to help avoid “mistakes”.

Wine Spectator Vintage Chart Application

Here are some tips to help you determine a likely good buy :

1. My first recommendation is to download (to your desktop, smartphone or pad)  handy vintage charts that give you an idea of the vintage ratings by location and variety.  In this case you’re not evaluating any particular wine, but rather getting a quick better understanding of the overall quality of wine produced in a particular year from a particular wine region, often designated by the variety. For instance, if a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is being offered from Napa Valley and you have downloaded the free Wine Spectator Vintage Chart, you will see that the vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa for 2007 was rated a whopping 99 points. This won’t guarantee the wine will suit your taste, but it will suggest there was a lot of good Cabernet produced in Napa Valley in 2007. On the other hand, if a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is offered, that rated a disappointing 85, which suggests a bit of caution. Some other charts to consider: Robert Partker, Chiff, Artisan Vineyards, and speciality charts such as provided by The Wine Insider to name a few.
2. Secondly, for pricing evaluation use sites such as wine-searcher.com or perhaps Snooth. Here you can check to see if the deal being offered is really highly discounted or not (keep in mind that some low production wines may not show up at all on wine-searcher since they are not in “distribution” per se).
3. Now that you have an idea on how to evaluate the vintage and the price, its time to decide whether or not the wine will likely be a winner for you. This is the most difficult decision since wine evaluation is subjective – a very well made wine may not be to your taste – so a 50%+ discount is not a good deal if you don’t like the wine.

One thing not mentioned above – these sites often will offer free shipping for some minimum number of bottles purchased. The number usually varies with the cost of the wine. As an example, on Tillsoldout the average number is normally 4 for bottles ranging from $10 to say $30. For more expensive bottles the minimum purchase can be as low as one. So if you are looking at a bottle with a price of say $15 the minimum purchase for free shipping is likely 4.  So how do you go about minimizing mistakes (don’t worry about flawed wines – if a bottle is corked it is returnable)?

Although I am in full agreement that wine reviews are extremely subjective, they can be a very useful tool when evaluated as a “clue” rather than as a conclusion. Most of the sites will provide reviews by the winemaker, winery or some person who is evaluating for the flash site. Here I would read the review looking for some clues such as “fruit”, “oak”, “earthy”, “spicey”, “full bodied”, etc. These can be either good or bad depending upon what you look for in a wine. Look especially for average weightings from people who have bought that particular wine from the site. Several sites will provide this information as well as encourage you to review and post your review of a wine you have bought.

Next check out other sites that may also include people that have bought that wine before. One very good site is Cellar Tracker.  Cellar Tracker now has over 180,000 users and over 2,000,000 wine reviews. These are typically wine enthusiasts not professional tasters and the reviews reflect a wide number of comments often on the same wine. Snooth is another site you can check regarding wine reviews as well as countless wine blogs and wine focused on line news. Lastly, there are dozens of wine columnists and bloggers that provide tasting notes on a wide variety of wines.

Daou Vineyard Tasting Room

When visiting a wine region such as Paso Robles, how do you decide which wineries to visit (keeping in mind there are well over two hundred in San Luis Obispo County)? One might first identify those that are familiar such as J. Lohr Vineyards, Justin, or Tablas Creek. Another might be based on recommendations from those in the know to visit small lessor known wineries such as Adelaida Cellars, Oppolo Vineyards, and Hearthstone Vineyard & Winery. One more way is to discover a wine while dining in Paso Robles at a top restaurant such as Robert’s Restaurant and Wine Bar (1218 Pine Street, Paso Robles). Besides enjoying a wonderful meal and great hospitality, my waitress suggested a wine I had yet to try, a 2008 Daou Celestus (a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Verdot)  from a relative newcomer, Daou Vineyards & Winery. This bottle was a great complement to the main course – beef stroganoff braised short ribs. There are several good restaurants in Paso Robles, but one not to miss is Roberts -  highly recommended.

I decided to visit the winery the next day.

The winery is really easy to find. From downtown (Spring Street) drive North to 24th street and take a left.  Follow 24th as it becomes Lake Naciemiento Road. Take a left

View from Daou Vineyard Tasting Room

onto Adelaida Road, and then another left on Hidden Mountain Road. Altogether about a 15 minute ride from downtown Paso Robles. The first thing you will notice as you see the sign for Daou Vineyards is that you are driving a fairly steep straight road to a new winery location. During my visit the construction crews were still hard at work on the patio ( a little distracting, but Blake Brown, Tasting Room Associate made the visit memorable).

I am always impressed by tasting room personnel who are not only very hospitable, but also very knowledgable when it comes to the vineyard and the wines. In between pours, Blake provided some background regarding the winery and the unique location in the Adelaida Valley.

Daniel and George Daou (brothers) bought land that originally was part of the historic Hoffman Mountain Ranch Vineyard in 2007 with the intention of producing very high quality, low production Bordeaux blends as well as exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. This site (now nicknamed Daou Mountain) has the the right mix of elevation, marine influence, and sun exposure to produce exceptional grapes to support their vision. Combine that with meticulous vinification and selection, I think they have a winning formula.

To learn more about Daou Vineyards and their wines, you can sign up for the Daou Newsletter, follow Daou on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, read their blog, or become a member of Club Daou.

US Postal Truck

By a wide margin and significant support across both parties, the 29th Amendment has passed by an overwhelming majority.  After over 70 years of inconsistent, special interest regulations, direct shipment of wine in all 50 States of the Union will be the law of the land as of January 1, 2013.

This stunning turn of events was initiated as a means of ensuring the US Postal Service was profitable and self sustaining without the need to layoff significant personnel or curtail major services. This allows the US Postal Service to deliver direct shipments of wine and beer now on a level field of competition with other private carriers.

This new legislation came on the heals of the historic passage of the 28th Amendment just three months ago (See information box below) by overwhelming majority vote of the American people.

Details – Direct Shipment of Wine

The 29th Amendment repealed the 21st Amendment, which gave each State the right to individually regulate alcohol distribution. The States still have flexibility, but now businesses and consumers have a consistent and fair system. There is no longer pressure from special interest groups to adhere and strengthen the exclusive 3-tiered distrbution of alcohol. This new direct shipment of wine benefits wineries, the States, and most importantly, the American consumer. Common sense and the will of the people have finally prevailed.

Here are some of the reasons behind the historic legislation based on independent studies:

• The direct shipment of wine by wineries and retailers would have little adverse impact on the current 3-tiered model since medium to large wineries logistically still require this distribution model.
• Significant job creation would take place as small to medium wineries add personnel to support increased sales of their wines through direct shipment. In addition to robust job creation, costs would be greatly reduced as regulations would be consistent across all 50 States.
• No  increase in alcohol abuse is anticipated since any direct shipment would require an adult signature and ID – no alcohol would be left without proper ID and signature. Hefty fines or loss of license would result for infractures by individuals and/or distribution firms.
• States will also benefit significantly from the new legislation as they will no longer need oversight of inconsistent regulations. Further, States have the right to set their own license fees and collect any State taxes due. License fees will be self regulating since higher, unreasonable fees will result in higher loss of tax revenues.
• Consumers are the big winners in this new legislation. Competition will ensure that consumers have access to the best prices and the most selection. This is the way capitalism is supposed to work.

If only the above was true.…..

No … although four Senators are suggesting that the Postal Service should be allowed to deliver alcohol, 109 Members of Congress are backing legislation that would recind Heald v Graham in favor of special interests, which would in effect reverse the progress made in direct shipment over the last 10 years and negate any benefit should the US Postal Service be allowed to ship alcohol.

No… the Federal Government is still completely deadlocked in partisan bickering. Instead of working for the American people who elected them, they continue to address symptoms rather than solving problems.

No …. direct shipments of wine from wineries or retailers are still constrained in several States AND in those States that allow shipment, the regulations vary state to state. Here a great example of regulation that benefits only a few while raising costs and putting a damper on jobs for the majority. Consistent legislation across all 50 states would benefit the States, wineries, retailers, and most importantly, the American consumer. And, although the monopoly would be gone, the current 3-tiered distribution model would still be necessary and important to medium to large volume wine and beer producers.

I’d like your opinions …….

NOTE:  The results are posted on the Winery Survey Results page.

Social Media Signs

Its been a while since I talked about Social Media for wineries on this blog. In 2009 I posted some studies and surveys regarding the benefits of what was then a relatively new trend towards inbound (social media, blogs, etc.) versus outbound (PR, advertising, email, etc.) marketing for wineries. For these I focused on two of the top sites - Twitter and Facebook.

What’s happened since the 2009 articles? According to the #2 fastest growing software company, Hubspot, inbound marketing has been transformed:

- ..”the internet has turned what used to be a controlled, one way message into a real-time dialogue with millions”

-  “79% of adult Americans use the Internet”

- “78% of internet users conduct product research on line”

- “10.3 billion searchs are conducted every month on Google”

- “1/3 of US consumers spend three or more hours on line each day”

this the tip of the iceberg….

I can’t imagine that anyone would argue that social media today has not made a significant change in the marketing landscape. However, does the landscape change based on industry? Does social media affect markets disproportionally?

While I am a strong believer in the benefit that social media can provide to wineries, there would seem to be some evidence that the jury may still be out. In a recent Grapes & Grain Opinion Panel Research Report  highlighted on Snooth, 54% of the respondents strongly disagreed with the statement, “Online social networks influence what wines I buy”. A further 20% “disagreed somewhat”,  16% “neither agreed or disagreed”, 9% “somewhat agreed”, and only 1% “agree completely”.

Does this mean that social media and inbound marketing are all around us but that it is ineffective for some industries such as wine? I don’t think so, although I will say that social media likely has more relevance to medium to large wineries. I say that because many small wineries with limited fully allocated production spend most of their time focused on their wine club and tasting room. They don’t have a critical need to continually find a volume of new buyers (although this will vary based on their ability to retain current customers who buy their wines).

So, has there been any growth for the Top 50 Wineries since my first blog, Survey results: Top 50 Wineries on Twitter? Well, let’s take a look at several from the original study: *

Winery:                                Followers 2009                 Followers 2011 (December 12)

Eaglesnest Winery                     18,848                                           33,061

Teusner Wines                              6,852                                           10,869

TasselRidge Winery                     5,800                                             7,637

St. Supery Winery                         5,476                                            11,511

Lynfred Winery                             3,013                                              7,176

*The number of followers will vary based on different sites. For this comparison, Twellow was used.

St. Supery Winery

St. Supery hired Rick Bakas a while back to spearhead their social media efforts.  Rick was their first Director of Social Media (now a certified sommelier and with his own company Bakas Media).

Lynfred Winery

Fred Koehler, founder of Lynfred Winery is considered the father of the Illinois wine industry. Lynfred Winery has a wine club and tasting room, but also a newsletter, local events and even a Bed & Breakfast.

EaglesNest Winery

If I look at EaglesNest Winery (Dennis & Julie Grimes), they are approaching tweet number 20,000. Besides Twitter, Dennis and Julie also have their own forum, email list, and continually work hard to connect and involve customers in the every day operations of the winery such as Holiday events (Halloween and custom labels for Christmas as examples)  As a busy vintner, I cannot imagine spending that much time trying to connect with current and/or  prospective buyers unless there was evidence that it helps to drive additional winery sales.

When it comes to marketing, social media may not be the top pick for wineries yet, but it is making some substantial headway.

(It may be time to update the original survey….!)

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2008 Shild Barossa Shiraz

I recently came across the results of a survey by a well known research firm (Tragon Corporation) that indicates 94% of those surveyed who drink wine prefer natural cork over synthetic closures or screw caps when purchasing a bottle of wine. One of the main reasons (93%) was that to those surveyed, natural cork indicates that the wine is of high or very high quality, while a screw top suggests cheap or mediocre wine inside.

This was an October 2011 survey of almost 350 people in the San Francisco and Chicago metropolitan areas. The survey was commissioned by the Cork Quality Council.

Although not as recent, the 2009 Closure Report at Wine Business.com provides a comprehensive reveiw of the use of and thoughts on using natural cork versus synthetic versus screw cap closures from the point of view of the wine industry, wine makers and wineries, and the general public at large.

 Now, I am not refuting or doubting the results of the survey. Tragon Corporation has been conducting this type of research for some time and I have no reason to question the validity of the results, albeit it was commissioned by the Cork Quality Council.  However, I have a tendency to analyze survey results to ascertain for myself whether the results are truly valid. For this particular survey, I find the results “interesting” to say the least. Why?

First a quick examination regarding alternate closures: If you’re a wine drinker and have been one for some time, you will quickly understand the reason that alternate closures

Cork Taint

have gained  ground over the years. If natural cork was perfect – in terms of quality and price, alternative systems such as screw caps would never have gained any ground at all since natural cork has been the closure of choice for decades. However, there was a time (and not long ago) that on average between 3%-5% of all wines were corked. They were afflicted with a natural compound commonly referred to as cork taint or TCA (Trichloranisole 2, 4, 6). What does this do? Well, it won’t harm you at all, but it will ruin a good bottle of wine by inserting a taste akin to wet newspaper. Yech!

Not all TCA spoilage is applicable to the cork alone, it can also come from the winery barrels and equipment as well. However, most of the time it is attributed to the cork itself. With this much spoilage it was no wonder that both wineries and consumers were looking for alternatives. With TCA detectable by human sensory systems at thresholds as low as 2-5 parts per billion, it is no wonder wineries have sort out alternate closures. Not only is tainted wine costly in terms of returns, in the instances where someone does not recognize it is cork taint, that person may dismiss the wine as poorly made or plonk. In this case, the winery may lose a customer altogether.

2005 Elderton Command Shiraz

When I look at the results of the survey, rather than viewing this as a scathing distain for screw caps, I see this more as a triumph of the natural cork industry within a  marketing battle currently ongoing in the wine industry between the advocates of natural Cork and those of screw caps. Why do I say this? In terms of wineries and wine makers, the advocates for screw caps have done well. There are thousands of wineries today that in fact have adopted screw caps for either some or all of their wines. Initially done as a way to reduce spoilage, now done often with the  belief that screw caps are an advantage more than simply an “alternative”. However, the natural cork industry has vastly improved their product over the last few years and have continually praised the merits of natural cork over alternative closures citing history, quality, and the fact that natural cork is a renewable resource.

They say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. In this case, the beholder is seeing something that may or may not be there (good wine) when a natural cork is used. My suggestion: don’t limit your purchase based on closure.  Try wines regardless of closure. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

UPDATE: To see the results of the brief survey, please click on the “Wine Survey Results: Link on the home page.

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