Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

Kevin Costner and the Nature of Wine Ratings

The practice of declaring which wines are better than others is a fool's errand that must be undertaken.

How do I know this? I know it because I believe that Keven Costner's "Waterworld" is fine art.

I also know this because the Wall Street Journal recently reminded us that the results and reliability of wine competitions and professional wine ratings are sketchy at best, particularly when subjected to statistical analysis. But what's significant about all this is not that the Capitalist's Bible has deemed it time to present this point of view, but rather that it is likely that within a decade the power of the professional reviewer will be diminished significantly in favor of consumer reviews.

The conjecture that meta reviews of wines driven by collected and collated consumer ratings will play a more and more important role in consumer purchasing patterns isn't new. In my mind, the only questions is whose collections of reviews and ratings will carry the most weight. In the end it doesn't matter if CellarTracker, Snooth or some other consumer review aggregation site comes out ahead, unless you are CellarTracker, Snooth or some other consumer review aggregation site. What matters is that the same unreliable assessment of wine that is currently delivered by single wine reviewers or wine rating panels will be replaced by equally unreliable assessments made by consumers.

All ratings and reviews, no matter who or what generates them, are unreliable if what you seek is definition and definitive assessment of quality. We know this is unreliable because I believe Kevin Costner's "Waterworld" is fine art.

Still, I recognize that there is a strong desire among the well-schooled wine professionals, the avid wine lover and the average wine drinker to get a little help in  navigating through the thousands of wine they are able to purchase. How does one use any rating or review vehicle, particularly one that depends on numbers when numbers like 94 or 86 are incredibly inaccurate, to help them assess the relative quality of wine? How do you do this when it's a well known fact that I think Kevin Costner's "Waterworld" is fine art?

My suggestion to those who want to use numbers to help guide them is to put the numbers in the broader context that most review and rating platforms themselves provide.

Take the Wine Spectator for example. If you read its own explanation of its numbered ratings you find that despite the fact that each wine is given a single numbered rating, that number falls into a category which is given its own general description:

95-100=Classic
90-94=Outstanding
85-89=Very good
80-84=Good
75-79=Mediocre
50-74=Not recommended

So, if you see that the Wine Spectator rates a wine 89 points, your best bet at understanding what that means is to recognize that this 89 point wine is no better or worse than a wine the magazine rates 85 points. Both are "Very Good". 

Robert Parker, Jr. does the same thing at the Wine Advocate, where he explains what his numbers mean:

96-100=Extraordinary
90-95=Outstanding
80-89=Above Average to Very good
70-79=Average
60-69=Below Average
50-59=Unacceptable

You'll find that nearly every recognized wine rating vehicle gives similarly broad definitions for a range of scores, indicating that even these Exactness-mongers understand the validity of my assessment that Kevin Costner's "Waterworld" is fine art.

Tasting Wine and Snoring: The Non-smoking Edition

Two months into nicotine sobriety I can report that among the side effects that come with a cigarette free existence is a palate with heightened sensitivity. However, I can't say how heightened my sensitivity is to a wine's attributes and  characteristics. I can only say that it is heightened.

Perhaps without a layer of smoke and tar covering the inside of my mouth I am 40% more sensitive to taste, smell and texture. Perhaps it is only 20%.

The big question, however, is this: Do I enjoy wine more than I did when I accompanied each sip with a shellacking of smoky goodness?

This is an important question to me. I do like wine. I have since I was legally too young to drink it. But the moment in time when I liked wine the most, when I enjoyed the drinking experience most, was when I was tasting things I'd never tasted before, learning the fundamentals of wine's history and its component parts and when each wine I tasted helped fill up my vessel of wine experience and knowledge that was relatively empty.

Today, much less mystery exists for me where wine is concerned. And, importantly, the degree of sensitivity that has returned since stopping smoking is not so much that the drinking experiences I've recently had have been too much more enjoyable than those that came just prior to quitting that nasty, life-sucking, habitat-glazing practice of smoking.

It seems to me that the degree of joy we take from an experience is not so much only connected to our ability to use our five senses,  but rather from the actionable knowledge (of it or ourselves) that we gain from the experience. Proving once again that deflating the sensual characteristics of a 1945 Petrus by smoking cigarettes while consuming it may not lesson the real pleasure it can deliver much at all as long as the experience or knowledge connected to its consumption is primarily taken from the context in which it is consumed.

That said, for anyone wondering, since stopping for only 2 months I have indeed acquired a heightened sense of taste and smell; a greater lung capacity; an increased sense of what I'm capable of achieving and accomplishing; I've saved approximately $360; I smell better; And I'm told I don't snore quite as much.

My 2010 Drinking Buddies List

The term "Drinking Buddies" probably doesn't have one standard meaning that everyone will accept. For example, in my case I hear "drinking buddies" and I think about those guys with whom I want to share a drink or two without launching into a coma-inducing binge. On the other hand, "Drinking Buddies" have been known to drink until they induce a coma in themselves. I've heard tell of wives that really hate their husbands "Drinking Buddies" because they take their man away from the family. And of course, I've known wives who can't wait for their husbands to go out to drink with his buddies if only to get him out of their hair.

The list that follow includes those folks who I want to share a drink with in 2010 primarily because I'm willing to bet that they will fascinate me. I'm a fan of fascination. The other common denominator amongst those on my 2010 Drinking Buddies List is that I've never met any of them.

1. Scott Beattie (mixologist/author)
I got turned on to Scott's cocktalian virtuosity through a book of his that a friend had him sign for me. Scott, who lives in Healdsburg, developed the bar program at famed Cyrus Restaurant. He got noticed for incorporating locally grown produce and agricultural products into his unique cocktails. This led to "Artisan Cocktails", the book my friend had signed for me and the book I intend to use extensively. It surely makes sense that the first person on my 2010 Drinking Buddies List would be a cocktail virtuoso.

2. President Barack Obama (President of the United States)
Just because the presidents Chicago dwelling had a 1000 bottle wine cellar in it, many people have reported that our President is a wine lover. I have my doubts. I want those doubts removed and I figure one drinking session with the President would clear them  up. But in addition, I think I could, over a few drinks, convince the president to support federalization of wine shipping laws.

3. Mel Dick (President, Southern Wine & Spirits)
I'm thinking it would be an interesting evening.

4. Michael Sandel (Political Philosopher)
Michael Sandel teaches the famous "Justice" class at Harvard where he explores different theories of "Justice" using current day political and social dilemmas. His book, "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do" is a extraordinarily accessible philosophy text. I have a lot of questions about what's the right thing for me to do these days. I wouldn't expect him to give me an answer to these questions. But I bet after a Manhattan or two, he'd be able to creatively point me down the road to answers.

5. Matt Kramer (columnist, Wine Spectator)
I've corresponded and spoken with the Wine Spectator columnist, but never actually met him. He strikes me today, as he has for quite some time, as one of the more interesting wine journalists in the land. This is best displayed today in his new (freely accessed) column at the WineSpectator.com called "Drinking Out Loud". The plan is to get Mr. Kramer looped over a couple bottles of really idiosyncratic, mountain grown Italian wine and sign him up as a pro-direct shipping advocate. Of course, the plan is also to learn a thing or two about writing and wine.

6. Butch Harmon (Golf Instructor)
If I don't learn how to stop leaving my game on the range, I'll never be able to hustle anyone on a golf course. I need help. Butch, considered the #1 golf instructor in America is just the man for the job. Now, I don't know if he drinks, but odds are he does if he's a golfer. I'm imagining a couple days of instruction then a couple nights of wine and cocktails somewhere in the vicinity of Pebble Beach should do the trick.

7. God (Deity)
My big question is just how omnipotent and omniscient this Guy (Gal? Folks?) really is. See, I've always thought that He could not be all knowing and all powerful, especially when you see some of the dastardly work done in His name all about the planet. I figure...throw back a couple with Him and it will all come out. Plus, the news will make for a good blog post, assuming I can work wine into it somehow.

8. Gore Vidal (Author)
I think Gore, the ex-pat American literary legend and sometimes cultural commentator living in Italy, would be a profoundly good drinking buddy. When you read Gore you get the impression he not only possesses fascinating secrets, but also can keep them. This is the perfect sort of drinking buddy.

Organic Wine—Eh! But Like The Videos.

When I drink them I can't identify anything about "organic" wines that set them apart from non-organic wines. As such, I don't have a real heightened interest in them. However, Winston, Jennifer and Brent sure do!

Their Organic Wine Review, now in beta stage, is devoted to organic wines and to video. In other words, what you get is video reviews of organic wines. And I like them.

There's a lot of movement on the organic wine front, including the admission by smart people that there needs to be some real clarification on the idea "green" wine terms because consumers are getting confused. Some folks think that organic wines will be the majority within some near term time frame. I don't think that will happen, but I do think that consumers like the idea of organic wines—not because they think organic wines happen to taste better, but because they probably think "organic" is better for them and the environment.

But back to the "Organic Wine Review". I like it because I like the people behind it and how they present their views of the organic wines I don't think are special for their organic-ness. Winston, Jennifer and Brent are quietly enthusiastic, informed, easy on the eyes and persistent.

You'll find the Organic Wine Review site pretty straight forward.Video Reviews! And more Video Reviews. Think of Organic Wine Review as Wine Library TV with better looking hosts, a focus on organic wines, fewer references to football and the inhalation of aromas rather than the sniffy sniff of aromas.

Wine & The Pitch

It's one thing to write and distribute a press release.

It's one thing to write and distribute a press kit.

It's one thing to maintain a client's Facebook page

It's one thing to write the copy for a website.

But it's an altogether different thing to pick up the phone and pitch a story to a journalist.

It's this last act, this act of pure salesmanship, that I find most aspiring PR people either aren't very good at or don't have no interest in doing it at all. And it's this act of "pitching a story" that MAKES a PR person.

I don't remember the first time I picked up the phone, called up a wine writer and proceeded to tell them, "...and it's a quality that most winemakers are willing to expose" or "...probably the only wine producing region in Northern California that..." or "...the opportunity to meet them and taste these wines you'll see that...". But I do know that at some point in my first year in this business I realized I had no problem doing this and this made me a rare commodity among those who, like me, thought they wanted to be in the wine PR business.

So, assuming you don't mind pitching a story what elements of a pitch are important?

1. Know EXACTLY the specific story pitch you want to make

2. Be able to communicate that pitch to the journalist within 1 minute of getting on the phone.

3. Know when to hang up the phone because the person you are talking to isn't interested.

4. Don't take "I'm not interested" personally

5. Keep notes about your conversation, no matter how short.

If you are looking to hire a PR person to bring in house, inside your wine organization, make sure they have the ability to reach out and deliver an effective story pitch to a journalist. If you are looking to hire a consultant or agency, make sure they can and will use the story pitch and can use the story pitch as a tool.

It's interesting. Nearly every article or white paper or blog post I read about wine and PR the topic is about social media or websites or online tools. Few if any talk about this most basic of PR tools...the pitch.

In The Bunker

THAT'S ME, IN THE BUNKER...IN KAUAI.

I like Aromas

Here's a confession: I like to decant wine because I like the way a bottle of red wine looks in a big, crystal decanter, not because of the benefits of aerating the wine.

Still, don't knock the benefits of aerating wine, I say. The folks who make Wine Soiree also say that.

And because these good folks say that, and because these good folks gave me a Wine Soiree to try, and because it was Sunday afternoon and I was in the mood to have a glass of wine, and because I'd been staring at that Wine Soiree for two or three months, and because a lady I like suggested I try the Wine Soiree, I decided to take the Wine Soiree out of its package and give it a whirl.

Guess what. The Wine Soiree makes a glass of wine poured through it taste different from a glass of wine that was poured without the Wine Soiree.

Why would this be so? Well, the Wine Soiree exposes the wine poured throughh it to more oxygen than it would be exposed to were the wine simple poured straight into the bottle. This is important because wine that is thoroughly aerated tends to expose its full package of aromas and, in my experience, delivers softer tannins on the palate. Would you be surprised to learn that the wine poured through my Wine Soiree delivered and expanded array of aromas and softer tannins?

By the way, the wine used to conduct this highly unscientific experiment was the 2005 Mayo Family Winery "Random Ridge Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon(clients). It's a big wine on its own. In the hands of the Wine Soiree it's a big wine with softer tannin.

So then, do I recommend the Wine Soiree. Of course I do. It allowed more of the wine's aromas to expose themselves. And Lord knows, I like aromas.

The Fall Wine Pairing Guide

At the risk of being called a copy cat and at the further risk of squeezing in this post barely before the deadline, I offer my list of WINE PAIRING FOR THE FALL.

1. RAKING LEAVES
I know, I know. The go-to wine for raking Fall leaves has always been a Sangiovese. But I'm going out on a limb (is that a pun or a half pun?) and suggesting that the leaf raker uncork something refreshing and spicy. Put the rake down and pull out nicely chilled Gewurztraminer. Think about it. Not only do those multi colored yellow, brown, red and and green gewurztraminer grapes LOOK like fallen fall leaves, but when chilled and gulped, Gewurztraminer can quench a thirst that builds from all that raking.

2. DAVE BRUBECK'S "INDIAN SUMMER"
My new quintessential fall recording, not only for its name but for it's soulful and reflective tempo, Brubeck's "Indian Summer" recording is surely on anyone's playlist that appreciates jazz and the reflective nature that is Fall. This Fall recording calls for a contemplative wine. My suggestion is white Burgundy, preferably something 7 or 8 years into its life. The subtle mix of caramel, apple, lime, oak and herb you get with middle aged white Burgundy tends to stop you, like this Brubeck recording, and ask you to look deeper.

3. RAIDERS FOOTBALL
The idea here is understanding that it will be during the fall months that the Oakland Raiders confirm their nastiness; their terrible abilities; their disrespect for their fans by playing terribly. One needs something strong and bracing in order to remain a fan of the ugly efforts you'll see thoughout the Fall. You will need to pair the Oakland Raiders with a high alcohol wine. My suggestion is Napa Valley Cabernet. These traditionally 14.6% gems are many most certainly in the 15.4 or 15.6 range. A couple glasses and you'll be in the perfect mood to watch Jamarcus Russel confirm what everyone but Al Davis seemed to know.

4. FIRST COLD NIGHTS
The first cold nights that arrive in the Fall remind us that long, warm nights are temporary, at best. And while that little fact is seen by some as unfair and God's biggest mistake, the first cold nights remind us why courtship and romance should and often does lead to long term coupling. So, what wine goes with the act of scootching up close to your mate under a blanket? That's easy. Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is the wine romance, love, courtship and the first cold nights of fall. And if you have to ask why then either you don't trust my recommendations or you've never drunk PInot Noir with someone you want to kiss.

5. IN STORE AND ONLINE SALES
The sales that come a 'callin during the fall and particularly between Thanksgiving and Christmas are undeniably impressive. That Peacoat you were looking at in April that went for $280 is now $99. So, what wine goes with walking the malls or surfing Overstock.com? You need something racy to match the adrenalin you feel when you see that amazing item at an amazing price. The answer is Gruner Veltliner. The nice, minerally, austere yumminess of the Austrian Gruner is the perfect companion for online shopping and pitstops between mall stores.

Wine Blogs and Loving the One You're With

Please...Say hello to FERMENTATION's newest advertisers/sponsors.

If you like this wine blog, if you like your daily dose of FERMENTATION, then consider these two new sponsors and the rest of the advertisers you see on this blog to be one reason why my blog is rewarding enough for me to continue. Yes, yes. I'd write this blog even if people paid other to diss it. But the fact is, having sponsors and advertisers is very helpful.




The Wine of the Month Club
These good folks want you to consider clicking through and purchasing a bottle of 2007 Chateau Montelena and a DVD of "Bottle Shock", the movie ABOUT Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. You have to agree, it's a pretty cool gift idea. In any case go check out their website and see what's there for you.

The Wine Cellarage
Then there is The Wine Cellarage. They'll cellar your wine, they'll sell you great wines and they'll even help you sell you wines. Located just outside Manhattan, they are a premier wine storage an services company. I urge you to learn more about them.

Make Your Gift Giving County: Jarhead Red

We are highlighting those wine companies that give part of the purchase price back to the community, who you know that by buying their wine you are also helping those that need help. If you know of or are such a wine company, comment in this post and I'll write about you this holiday season.

There is no better day than Pearl Harbor Day (You remember, right, kids? That day that will live in infamy, when the United States Pacific fleet in Hawaii was attacked in 1941 and the U.S. entered the war in the Pacific and Europe!) to look to a wine brand that works to elevate those connected to the U.S. military. And that generous brand would be: Jarhead Red

To quote directly from the Jarhead Red website, "Jarhead Red is a wine made by Marines, for Marines, on California’s Central Coast. Net proceeds from the sale of this wine benefit the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which provides educational assistance to children of U.S. Marines, with special attention given to children of fallen Marines."

This is good stuff. That "Net Proceeds" by the way. Not a portion, but rather ALL net proceeds. What ever is left over after the bills are paid the U.S. Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation gets the rest.

So, here's what I'm suggesting: GO TO THE JARHEAD RED WEBSITE AND BUY A BOTTLE OR A CASE OF THE WINE FOR FRIENDS THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE GIFTS TO. THE WINE DOESN'T COST THAT MUCH: $13 FOR A BOTTLE OR $115 FOR A CASE. KNOW THAT WHILE YOU ARE GIVING A NICE BOTTLE OF WINE TO YOUR FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES OR COLLEAGUES FOR THE HOLIDAY, YOU ARE ALSO HELPING RAISE FUNDS FOR THE MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION.

3 Tier System Replaced by Wholesaler Protection System

On December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment to the U.S Constitution was fully ratified. Commonsense, along with the effects of the Great Depression, finally put an end to constitutionally endorsed prohibition on the sale of alcohol in the United States and the most radical reaction to a social problem ever attempted in this country. However, the greatest legacy of Repeal is not the re-balancing of commonsense that came with the reintroduction of capitalism to to the alcohol sector of the marketplace, but rather long-term installation of the three-tier system and the market-inhibiting and diminishment of  entrepreneurial possibilities that came with it and still reside with us today.

The 3-tier system was put in place in nearly every state following repeal in order to assure that producers, wholesaler, and retailer were kept separate where ownership was concerned. Given the experience of pre-Prohibition marketing practices it was assumed that unless a strict separation was imposed between the three tiers of the marketplace, then the inevitable vertical integration of the alcohol business would result in extreme marketing practices that in turn would lead to the kind of excessive consumption that was instrumental in leading to Prohibition. Without separation of the tiers, it was assumed, large producers would exert excessive control over retailers and taverns, forcing them to either only sell their products or to sell them in ways that encouraged excessive consumption.

This separation of the tiers was the primary reason for state legislators turning to the three tier system after Repeal. And the fact is, it made sense as long the market remained as it was in 1933 and your goal was to reign in excessive marketing practices that resulted from vertical integration of the wine industry.

Of course the world is different now than in 1933.

Tomorrow, 76 years after Repeal, seven and a half decades after repeal, three-quarters of a century after repeal, you no longer have simply a "Three Tier System" (TTS). That system has morphed into a market diminishing, protectionist, amalgam of laws better described as "The Wholesaler Protection System" (WPS).

Somehow the goal of preventing vertical integration between the tiers morphed into the goal of assuring wholesalers receive a cut of every bottle of alcohol sold, whether they need be brought into the transaction or not. Yes, the current WPS prevents vertical integration by continuing to prohibit common ownership between the tiers. But you have to ask yourself if the legislators who crafted the creation of the three tier system in 1933, legislators born in the 19th century, legislators who could not imagine a logistics system that would allow the shipment of wine from producer or retailer to consumer, would have ever imagined there would ever be a market for the direct shipping of wine? The question is rhetorical.

There is nothing about the remaining prohibitions on direct shipment from wineries to consumers in 13 states or the prohibitions on direct shipments from wine merchants to consumers in 37 states that advances the primary goal of the three tier system to prevent vertical integration of the three tier system.

As for the claim that the three tier system prevents minors from getting their hand on alcohol, anyone with limited access to the logical processes of the mind or the ability to look over statistics will tell you that there is no relationship between preventing minors from accessing alcohol and preventing the vertical integration of the producer, wholesale and retail tiers of the alcohol distribution system.

Repeal is an important moment. And I can't think of a better day to have celebration. But for wine lovers and for craft beer lovers, it might be a day to keep in mind that the amazing expansion of craft products that has occurred over the past 20 years, an expansion that clearly could not have happened without repeal, is an expansion that can't be taken advantage of as long as the original Three Tier System has morphed into the Wholesaler Protection System.

Make Wine Gifting Count: VINOFINA

We are highlighting those wine companies that give part of the purchase price back to the community, who you know that by buying their wine you are also helping those that need help. If you know of or are such a wine company, comment in this post and I'll write about you this holiday season.
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Where wine and charitable giving is concerned, "VINOFina" may just be the most ambitious attempt to link commercial-philanthropy and wine I've yet seen.

VINOfina was specifically developed by Tony and Danielle Westfall to provide an online venue for charitable causes to create fundraising programs around wine. With marketing and wine experience under their belt and a desire to do more than simply give to their favorite charity, the husband and wife team have created a wine retail website that is intricately linked to charitable giving. Buy a wine and choose the charity that you want a portion of your sale price to go to. It's that simple. They currently sell more than 850 different wines at VINOfina.com. And they currently are promoting a number of different charitable causes.

We are living through one of the toughest economic climates in decades. Many people are hurting and need help. Many important charities and causes are seeing their resources dwindle. Those of us lucky enough to be in a position to give gifts need to make the effects of that gift giving reach beyond the recipient and into our communities. VINOfina allows you to get your wine, give your gift, and help the community too.

What I'm suggesting is this: GO TO VINOFINA.COM, BUY SOME WINES AS HOLIDAY GIFTS AND HAVE THEM SENT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT MOST OF VINOFINA'S 850+ WINES ARE $30 AND UNDER. AND AS YOU DO THIS, KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRULY IN NEED.

Vulgar Wine and the Bandwagon of Debasement

The coarsening of American culture appears to be proceeding on schedule and the wine industry has, in at least one instance, grabbed the reins and is helping drive the bandwagon of debasement.

I'm happy to report that the good folks over Grateful Palate have begun importing "Bitch Bubbly", a cheap sparkling wine from Australia. This is the second in the "Bitch" line from winemaker Chris Ringland. It began with "Bitch Grenache". I would not have known about this line extension had Lew Perdue of the Wine Industry Insight not Tweeted out his response: "Bitch wine: the coarsening of America".

In an email I asked Lew to clarify his tweet. Being one who can't mince words, Lew wrote me saying:

"I believe that the impact of a profanity is in obverse proportion to its frequency of use. I also think that people with limited vocabularies resort to crude cliches when they can't come up with something original and more interesting. It's just a general devaluing of perfectly good profanity and an indication of the dumbing down of verbal skills. And when your wine can't be distinguished by virtue of its quality, then I suppose relying on shock value can make a few bucks."

Lew is correct, in every respect.

When did "Bitch", "Bastard", "Fuck", "Asshole", etc all become just another set of words to use freely, rather than remain the obscenities they are and used well and sparingly and in the company of those you know well enough to say these words and not completely undermine your own reputation?

I could ask the same thing about a number of other subjects. For example, when did graphic displays of vomiting become regular fare in movies, when before all that was shown was the character gagging, his head go out of frame, then hear the splash of liquid projectiles?

And when did wine companies decide to take advantage of the coarsening of American society by introducing wines with names like "Bitch"?

I suspect Lew is probably right: "when your wine can't be distinguished by virtue of its quality, then I suppose relying on shock value can make a few bucks."

Of course none of this means that Bitch Bubbly will languish on the shelves. I've learned for example that the wine is popular in sororities. And why wouldn't it be. And why wouldn't any parent be pleased to know their daughter is swilling something called "Bitch". Let's just hope we can find a vintner somewhere to shove some juice in a bottle and call it "WHORE!". And while they are at it, why not bottle up some easy juice and label it "IMADICK"? What red blooded American girls and boys could resist debasing themselves with such tastefully named wines?

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate a profanity properly uttered and proficiently used. There is not a person on earth who knows me that wouldn't laugh at the idea that I'm a prude of any sort. I am however offended by unthinking, money-grubbing efforts that popularize profanity, coarsen dialog and expose us all to vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity.

Make Your Wine Giving Count: Newsome Harlow Wines

We are highlighting those wine companies that give part of the purchase price back to the community, who you know that by buying their wine you are also helping those that need help. If you know of or are such a wine company, comment in this post and I'll write about you this holiday season.
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Scott Klann presides over the Sierra Foothills gem, Newsome-Harlow. Now with eight harvests under their belt, Newsome Harlow is one of the bright lights of Sierra Foothills winemaking. They specialize in single vineyard Zinfandel as well as producing a number of other varietals and blends that showcase the Sierra Foothills winemaking and terroir.

As with most wineries, NH donates a tremendous amount of their production to charitable organizations and events. But in addition to this effort to be a contributing community member, Newsome Harlowe also gives 10% of its holiday season sales to the Calaveras County Resource Connection.

The Calaveras County Resource Connection is a 29-year-old Amador and Calaveras based private nonprofit organization providing services and programs in three critical areas: children and families, nutrition, and prevention and intervention. Its mission is to engage families, empower communities, and enrich the lives of the residents of Amador and Calaveras counties.

Here is what I am suggesting: GO TO THE NEWSOME HARLOW WEBSITE, BUY A BOTTLE OF THEIR OUTSTANDING WINES FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WHO YOU WANT TO GIVE A GIFT TO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND HAVE SCOTT KLANN SHIP IT OUT TO THEM. YOU'LL GIVE A LOVELY GIFT AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALSO HELPING THOSE THAT NEED HELP!

Make Your Wine Giving Count: VERGE WINE CELLARS

We are highlighting those wine companies that give part of the purchase price back to the community, who you know that by buying their wine you are also helping those that need help. If you know of or are such a wine company, comment in this post and I'll write about you this holiday season.
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Mike and Jay founded Dry Creek Valley's VERGE WINE CELLARS with the intent of proving and otherwise promoting the notion that "Syrah is hereby declared the world's finest grape varietal with no second or equal."

It's a small brand with grandiose aspirations and a damn fine web presence.

But just as important for the purposes of this post, during the month of December, VERGE will be donating 10% of its GROSS profits to FEEDING AMERICA (formerly named "America's Second Harvest)

This means when you buy a bottle of their Dry Creek Syrah, you know you are helping in the effort to feed people who need the help. We aren't talking about getting toys out to them (though that's a noble thing to do), but rather put food in their mouths—a pretty basic need.

So here's what I'm suggesting: GO TO THE VERGE WINE CELLARS WEBSITE, BUY A BOTTLE OF SYRAH FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WHO YOU WANT TO GIVE A GIFT TO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND HAVE MIKE AND JAY SHIP IT OUT TO THEM. YOU'LL GIVE A LOVELY GIFT AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALSO HELPING THOSE THAT NEED HELP!

Make Your Wine Gifting Count

In early January of this year I predicted that "chances are we will see 10% unemployment in America by the end of 2010." I was right...only it came a little early.

Statistics, however precise, don't really tell the story of the Great Recession. What tells the story are all the people you know that lost their jobs, lost clients, lost their homes and otherwise were effected by the economic downturn.

Most of the people I know in the wine industry who are part of the 10% are pretty damn capable people. They are usually smart enough and dynamic enough that they'll find a way to weather this storm or innovate their way out of it. But this is the wine industry. What I'm thinking about now are those folks who, when upon losing their job, have little or no way to weather the storm, find themselves in desperate...I mean really desperate...straits.

Many of us will buy and give wine as Holiday gifts. Let me suggest something. This year, look for wines to gift that also give back. Look to purchase wines that will lead to help being given to those who need it.

For those producers out there that give back to those in need and who give back to their community and who I am about to not mention...I apologize.

The one winery I know of that actively gives back to the community in which the wine is sold is HUMANITAS WINE.

Owned by Judd Wallenbrock, this winery not only produces outstanding wines, but gives back to numerous organizations across the country.

I was pretty proud to work with Judd when he first started Humanitas. A number of years later, Humanitas is still at it.

So here's what I'm suggesting:

IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT, GO BUY A BOTTLE OF WINE FROM HUMANITAS, HAVE IT SENT TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE AND WHO YOU WERE GOING TO OFFER A GIFT TO ANYWAY. IT WON'T COST YOU THAT MUCH, BUT IT WILL MAKE YOUR FRIEND HAPPY...AND IT WILL HELP OTHERS.

Now, for those wineries and other companies that give back to the community, comment on this post with brief information about your company and who how it gives back. Put your URL in the comment section. When you do that, I'll write about it here at Fermentation.

Let's make our gifting really count this year...NOW...Go buy some HUMANITAS

On Five Years of Wine Blogging

Time is the enemy.

Time always moves faster than we think it will and in the end it more than anything else is responsible for dashing hopes, destroying lives, ending strong bids and shutting the door on alternatives.

But what makes Time that really sneaky devil dressed in a cool white dress is that for a while it is the primary source of wonderful developments. I don't have to describe how this might be where wine is concerned do I? While the enemy will ultimately destroy a wine, it first lifts it to new heights.

And where FERMENTATION: The Daily Wine Blog is concerned, today Time is a friend.

Today marks the 5th Anniversary of this blog.

What does this mean? Nominally, it means:

1,961 posts (more than one post for every day of its existence)

-11,600+ comments-

Over 100,000 references on the Internet

-An estimated 58,000 minutes writing blog posts

-Three Years of  American Wine Blog Awards

In the Time span of five years, FERMENTATION has grown into something I never expected it to become: A vessel that held the content that would redefine (or, simply, define) Tom Wark in my eyes and in the eyes of many in the wine industry. But five years of wine blogging has done more than that for me. It has introduced me to people I never would have known otherwise. It has opened doors to educational experiences. It has given me the chance to promote causes and people in much more positive and active ways, and it helped play an important roll in staying smoke free. It has been, in a word, a blessing.

And yet even after 1.074 posts per day for five years, wine blogging remains primarily a hobby. The vast majority of my professional life is focused on serving the communication and marketing needs of my clients via a practice I founded 15 years ago when Wark Communications opened its doors. Wark Communications pays nearly all my bills, provides me with all my opportunity and is likely to be the source of my professional identity for many years to come.

And yet, on this fifth anniversary of pursuing a hobby, I have fantasies of my hobby becoming a profession. Nearly every time I sit and craft a blog post, in the back of my mind I imagine making a living as a wine blogger; I imagine generating six figures worth of income by blogging about wine. The fantasy has at times been so intense that I've spent good chunks of time examining various models that might allow this fantasy to come true. Alas, I've yet to find the model or circumstances that would make this happen without an infusion of serious investment funds.

Be that as it may, today, while Time has not yet taken a severe toll on me or this blog, I celebrate five years of wine blogging. It is an accomplishment of sorts. I'm proud of it. And I hope to one, unfortunately all too soon, celebrate a decade of blogging at FERMENTATION.

The Little Annoying Wine Club

As some of my readers may know, I founded the American Wine Blog Awards. For three years I administered the awards program that attempted to identify the best blogs in a variety of categories and honor them for their contributions and efforts. After the third year, I gifted the Awards to the OpenWine Consortium.

Well, I'm starting a new awards program: THE MOST ANNOYING INTERNET WINE PROMOTION AWARDS. Or...the MAIWPA.

There can be no question as to what Internet Wine Promotion gets the inaugural award: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WINE CLUB PROMOTION!

I've counted. In the past two weeks alone, I've received 65 emails, all exactly the same, each asking me to buy "A Dozen Magnificent Reds For only $69.99—SAVE $120" and to join the WSJ wine club.

Sixty-Five Emails! Keep in mind that twice I've asked that my name be taken off their mailing list. And twice I've been told that I've been removed, but that more emails may arrive because they are already cued up. 

In a word, this is extremely A N N O Y I N G !!!!

For some reason I expect the Wall Street Journal to not allow their marketing folks or surrogates to engage in spam email marketing. What was I thinking?  Don't get me wrong, I think it's just great that the venerable WSJ, with its impressive demographics, would get into the wine club business. But for the Love of Conservatism Editorial Policy and al that is otherwise holy, can they please act respectably?

I have to believe that their repeated and numerous emails to me are some sort of a mistake. Could they really believe that somewhere around the 61st or 76th email, I'd finally bite? Maybe there is some marketing lore out there that says, "Get the message in front of the prospect 60some-odd-times and the chances of them biting goes up 40%. I don't know. All I know is that I'm a little annoyed at the Wall Street Journal.

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IMPORTANT UPDATE: The original post was uploaded at 5:07pm. The next email from the WSJ came at 5:10pm.

The Truth About Wine and Thanksgiving

No wine "GOES" with Thanksgiving Dinner. Give up the ghost. Don't try to match a wine with this stupendous meal. The task is without reward.

Sure, they'll tell you the wine to serve is Gewerztraminer because it's spicy character will work well with the roast turkey and maybe even with that stuffing. It might.

Some will tell you to go with the Pinot Noir. This wine, not being to big and massive and having any number of aromas and flavors associated with it, can be said to pair up nicely not only with the Bird and stuffing but maybe even with the Cranberry sauce. Whatever.

See, the problem is this: If you are serving a traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner you are going to have so many different dishes on the table there's no way one wine will work with everything, including the Turkey, stuffing of many different types, the mashed potatoes, the green beans, the cranberry sauce, the rolls, the Brussels sprouts, the salads of various historic appellation and who know what else.

And what the hell are you going to serve to go with that "fantasia" mix of marshmallow, little oranges, coconut and God knows what else?

But it's all good and here's why:

Because no one wine truly works with this meal, you are at liberty to pull out ANY WINE YOU WANT, serve it and make it work! That means the wine can match the mood, the people, the season...anything. It means you can pull out that wine you've been saving to impress your new boyfriend or the wine you want to pawn off on the unsuspected.

Bottom line: Thanksgiving is the Black Hole of wine...EVERYTHING CAN GET SUCKED DOWN INTO ITS CULINARY VORTEX!

Me? I'll be serving a Mayo Family Winery Cabernet, a 2002 Failla Pinot and Chardonnay and a Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Grenache (very rare!!). Besides these highly coveted bottlings, I suspect we'll be sampling Wiliam Selyem Pinots, and chards, an Adrian Fog Pinot or two a few Napa Cabs, a Port or two and who knows what else. And the good thing is that it's just not possible that whatever wine is being poured won't match with something that is on the Thanksgiving table.

And for those of you wondering, the answer is "YES". Cocktails are perfectly suited for this Holiday. My recommendation, however, is to do what I do: as soon as the guest arrives ask them, specifically, "what cocktail can I mix for you?"

I tend to think the Bloody Mary is a nice mid afternoon/Pre-Feast drink. The Sazerac, being an American concoction and having two my favorite spirits among its ingredients, is also a fine choice. But really, any cocktail will do. There's nothing wrong with with assuring your guests have a tiny little buzz on as they enjoy this wonderful holiday and it's lovely traditions.

So there is is. Don't waste any time trying to match the wine to the food. It won't go well. Choose the wine based on what you want to drink.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Napa Considering Its Future

If you ever doubted the veracity of the idiom, "Necessity is the mother of invention" then just read what the powers that be are considering in Napa.

After 20 years of living under the Winery Definition Ordinance that banned anything but "Appointment only Tastings" and weddings at wineries founded after 1989, there is consideration now of loosening those restrictions. Why? The economy sucks and many who previously saw no need to tempt a "Disneyland-like environment that many see as the natural outgrowth of easy tastings and weddings, are now thinking maybe we need to loosen restrictions on wineries to help them survive this downturn.

This is a very contentious issue in Napa Valley and Napa County. Many in and out of the wine industry fear that allowing too much "marketing" activity in agricultural zones will serve to threaten the agricultural nature of the Valley by encouraging development as well as by clogging the roads with even more cars filled with travelers who are only seeking their next taste of wine.

But then, again, the economy sucks!

From a political perspective, the question seems to be can the anti-development/pro-agriculture crowd come to terms with the pro-winery/pro-commercial group over how to allow greater commercial activity in ag zones.

The point is made by some that without unshackling the wineries so that they may be allowed to do more "marketing" on their land and in their winery, they may not survive. The point made by others is "give the wineries an inch and their lawyers will take a mile."

I look around and I see a lot of wine-related business, businesses that form the core of the economy in this region, hurting like they never have before. Many are being bought up by larger concerns. Others are going into bankruptcy. If there is not a way to give wineries more latitude to market in a way that encourages more sales and economic activity and to do so in a way that satisfies the pro-ag/anti-development crowd, then both sides ought to be ashamed of themselves. In an economy like this, where many people's livelihood and futures on the line, this is not the time to put your back against the wall and insist on the purity of your position.