New Year's listings update: Family style at Rustic Canyon, and more

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From Chelsea to Vienna

This blog will be mainly dedicated to the upcoming European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) in Vienna over the next week or so – assuming I find a moment to write thoughts down. However, I am also writing a bit on my Posterous blog (which is easier to write from my iPhone) which will, I hope, [...]

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2007 Pomerol

In this post you'll find an overview of the ratings of the 2007 Medoc 2. Grand Cru Class�. We have gathered all ratings from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator.

Marisa Tomei Marla Sokoloff Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing

The wines from Pierre Usseglio I

Domaine Pierre Usseglio is first and foremost a maker of�Chateauneuf-du-Pape but has also a couple of vineyards just outside the appellation. From these they make a good value�C�tes-du-Rh�ne and�a Vin de Table, where Merlot makes up�80 % og the blend. �I gave the 2006�C�tes-du-Rh�ne 2006�88-89 p. which makes it a good value. It’s a sort [...]

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Taste Mediterranean Grille reviewed: a preview, a link, and a follow-up

Sarah Wynter Scarlett Chorvat Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks Shakara Ledard

Good News Spreads Fast

Word on the winners of the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition is spreading like wild fire! A preview tasting for the media last week in Beverly Hills has generated a lot of buzz that we are really excited about! Take a look at some more posts: http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2009/06/event-la-wine-competition-preview-and.html http://thirstyinla.com/2009/06/19/2009-la-wine-spirits-competition/ http://lablips.dailyradar.com/story/los_angeles_international_wine_and_spirits_2009/ http://www.womenwine.com/posts/journals/18487-winners-of-the-2009-la-international-wine-competition

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Article in City Pages

I’m a week late but some Twin Cities readers might have picked up last week’s City Pages. In the Wine & Dine insert is an article about Argentine wine I wrote including 8 wine recommendations. Since most blog readers are not local, the digital version is just a click away with a one-page HTML version [...]

Article in City Pages originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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WBUR Massachusetts Alcohol Tax Interview

Last Thursday, Curt Nickisch from WBUR (a Boston National Public Radio station) came over to do an audio interview about Question 1 of the upcoming election which would repeal the 6.25% sales tax on alcohol in Massachusetts.  We had some minor audio difficulties so I hope my part of the 4 minute piece doesn?t get edited out of the story as a result, but I wanted to share some thoughts on the issue before listening to the to the story on the radio myself.

What?s strange about this issue for me is that I?m not really trying to sway anyone?s opinion or urge anyone to vote either way.  I consider myself independent and moderate politically.  I?m not even really that politically-minded come to think of it.  I am, however, disappointed with the lack of useful information provided to date on this issue by traditional media outlets.  So far, the collective coverage I?ve found was long on opinion and short on information which is the exact opposite of what I?m looking for.  What I?m looking for is some information that I could use to make an informed decision.

For example, the most common reason supporters give for keeping the sales tax on alcohol is that the revenue raised goes to programs that help residents with behavioral health problems.  I?ve heard conflicting statements on this important point as to whether the money goes exclusively to this cause.  It?s entirely possible that the state has no means for separately collecting and disbursing funds in this manner and the claim is a total fabrication.  I honestly don?t know whether it?s true or not.  What I would like is someone with more familiarity with the state?s finances to do some research and fact check the claims I?ve heard and then share that information.

On the other side of the argument, retailers say their business is suffering.  Yet we hear the tax has raised more revenue than anticipated.  That alcohol sales are brisk.  How about some data from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue showing sales trends by volume and dollar over the past few years?  Overlay it with location and we?d have something to think about.

But instead we get high level rhetoric boiled down to a useless opinion built on a shaky foundation.  Maybe this is the way politics always work, and maybe that?s why I usually focus my attention elsewhere.

For my part, I compared current Massachusetts excise taxes to other states and found they were on the average-to-low side.   The Twitter account representing those in favor of maintaining the tax chose to share that data out of context with no attribution.  I didn?t appreciate that because I shared my (admittedly simple) research in the context of an overall story on the issue that doesn?t come through in isolation.  Why didn?t they do their own research?  What if my interpretation was incorrect?

I fear this vote is coming down to an either/or decision:  Support behavioral disorder programs -or- support package store owners.  If that?s the case, those in favor of repealing the tax are in trouble.  But how did the discussion come down to that?

What the discussion should be about is determining the appropriate level and means of taxation (excise vs. sales) in the context of our state?s overall budget.  I think knocking down the general sales tax rate from 6.25% to 3% (Question 3) is a pipe dream.  Others disagree.  Why don't I favor reducing the state sales tax to 3%?  Because the state sales tax rate was at 5% and things seemed to be working just find at those levels for a number of years.  Just as with alcohol sales tax it seems to me that something should need to change (other than the economy being in the tank) to justify changing taxation levels.  The state needs to spend less when times are tight just like the rest of us.

So where does that leave us?  My thoughts are on other things that conspire against Massachusetts wine consumers.  Things like stifling interstate shipping laws, a general lack of consumer-friendly competition annoyingly held in place by the three-tier system and other antiquated Massachusetts laws.

Stay tuned for more on that in the future.

In the mean time, here?s a link to the story on WBUR.

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When Should You Return Wine?

From time to time everyone gets a bad bottle of wine. Most cases it’s due to faulty (natural) corks or high temperatures in shipping or storage. But there are also winemaking flaws that can make a wine undrinkable such as bacteria, wild yeast or reduction. Recently I came across a bottle that appeared to be [...]

When Should You Return Wine? originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Where are you dining New Year's Eve?

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A Tough Reminder

As I sit in the middle of what has to be referred to as the holiday rush, there are still signs that the wine industry as a whole has some issues. Outside of the standard complaints about big distributors and their affect on smaller production wineries, the direct shipping assault led by wholesalers through HR [...]

Amanda Detmer Amanda Marcum Amanda Peet Amanda Righetti Amanda Swisten

Gluttony, By Way of Photo: Oh geez. What does it look...

Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell Jennifer Scholle Jennifer Sky

Inventing The New Language of Wine Reviews

I sat down yesterday to record another Quick Picks podcast but didn’t come up with a usable recording. No, it wasn’t due to some audio setting mishap or lack of a great wine to talk about but something more fundamental. I didn’t want to read my review. For some time now I’ve been struggling with [...]

Inventing The New Language of Wine Reviews originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Supreme Court, FIJI, Lafite, boats and dragons ? sipped & spit

SIPPED: miracles? FIJI water LLC, which recently shut down production in a showdown with Fiji’s (military) government but then caved, will be turning their water profits into wine. In a merger of all caps, FIJI will be acquiring JUSTIN vineyard in Paso Robles. The FIJI CEO noted that JUSTIN has “fantastic products” and is “not [...]

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Sifty Hearts Ludo, Too: NY Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton...

Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci Chyler Leigh Ciara

Inside the Headlines:  A Bordeaux Conversation with Jeff Leve

Have you ever read a wine article and when you finished it you had more questions than answers provided?  Of course you have; much of journalism is like this—when a piece is straight reportage and balanced, vital context is often missing. Is this important? Should I care? Why do I care?  These are all questions we silently calculate when reading something that has context for us.

Information without context is, well, just words on paper or a computer screen.

That pretty much sums up the international wine scene for me.

I have a good grip on the U.S. wine scene.  What I see and hear makes sense to me because I can place the news in my mental jigsaw puzzle.  However, what confounds me is the fact that the international wine scene is difficult to penetrate. I don’t have the same level of dimensional understanding.  Something’s been going on in the New Zealand wine business this year, not that I can figure out what.  And, a lot of news has been coming from Bordeaux this year, as well.  Still, it’s mostly a riddle to me.

As the potential start to a “Kitchen Cabinet” group of international wine analysts who occasionally contribute here, I start with Jeff Leve from Winecellarinsider.com who takes us behind the headlines in Bordeaux.

Jeff’s a longtime, self-taught wine enthusiast with bona fides. He’s a moderator for Robert Parker’s message board, a habitué of Bordeaux and an up and coming authority on the Bordeaux trade, their Chateaux’s and wines.

I gave Leve a news article and a question and asked him to provide some background, which he does in good spirit and good form, and usually with a complementing link to his coverage of the issue.

News example:   Link to Decanter article on 2010 vintage
Good Grape:  Early reports indicate the 2010 Bordeaux harvest was stellar … again.  What’s your take on quality and what’s your take on an incredible run of quality in Bordeaux? 

The Wine Cellar Insider:  It’s too early to tell.  Many producers have not finished malolactic (fermentation). Blending won’t take place until January.  And I have not tasted the wines yet. So it would be precipitous to have a strong view on the vintage.  However, based on what producers have said about the harvest, my guess is, 2010 will be a good vintage. The style of the wines will be different than the previous vintage, 2009. 2010 should be a more structured vintage. Acidity will be higher than in 2009 and probably than in 2005 as well. The wines will feel fresher. By fresher, I mean they will have a bigger pop in your mouth, or more lift from the acidity. The wines will probably express slightly more red fruits than they did in 2009.

2010 (may) favor the cabernet based wines from the Medoc and Pessac Leognan. The year was one of the driest vintages in decades. But the wines will not be like ‘03. 2010 was shaped by drought, not heat. 2003 was hot morning, noon and night. 2010 was dry, but the nights were cool.

More coverage.

Good Grape:  Is there more room to the Bordeaux ceiling from a price perspective?

The Wine Cellar Insider: Sadly, probably not.  American wine consumers have been fortunate. We have purchased the majority of the great wines from Bordeaux, along with the top wines from most European wine producing nations for almost 3 decades.  Plus, many of those wines were bought with a strong dollar.  There was no competition.  Things are starting to change. 

Asia and other emerging markets are only starting to compete for the top wines.  It will take some time, perhaps 10-15 years, but sooner or later, and probably sooner than later, much of the wines that American’s have been able to buy will be allocated to countries that have never had the opportunity to buy the wines before.  They never knew what it was like to buy wines at a cheap price. To them, the price is the price.  It might seem expensive to them but it will not appear overpriced. It’s a different mind-set.  They have the money and the willingness to spend it on wine.

News example:  Decanter article on Asians in the auction market
Good Grape:  Asia is becoming a dominant world player in Bordeaux. Both futures and the auction market.  What do you think this means in the long-run?  Are First Growths destined to be museum wines for rest of the world—seen, but never drunk?

The Wine Cellar Insider: I am not sure this is the case.  Asia is not yet a dominant player for Bordeaux futures. In fact, very few Bordeaux wines are selling in Asia as futures.  I imagine this will change. But selling futures on a wide variety of different wines to Asia will be a difficult hurdle for the Bordeaux negociants to overcome. 

The First Growths are already expensive and that small, select group of wines is destined to be more expensive as time goes on.  They will only be opened by people who were lucky enough to have bought them a few years ago for low prices.  Or, by people with vast amounts of wealth.  I can say without a doubt, many of the First Growths are being opened and consumed in China.  They are not being bought for the sole purpose of investment.

News example:  Decanter article on Burgundy and Bordeaux in China
Good Grape:  A recent Decanter article indicated that Bordeaux and Burgundy were engaging in a competitive battle for Asian mindshare.  For readers that are more New World inclined and as such don’t follow Burgundy and Bordeaux closely, what does this mean? 

The Wine Cellar Insider: From my previous experience along with what I learned from two weeks in China during November, at the top end of the market, Bordeaux is the only game in town.  Burgundy does not have the same level of demand. 

The two regions do not really compete.  They are different wines, in different styles that sell at different price points.  Most consumers buy one region or the other. Although a few consumers purchase wines from both areas.

News example:  Bordeaux politics in action ( link,link and link)
Good Grape:  For much of the past decade it seems like the CIVB has had one plan after another to help the lower-end of Bordeaux flourish, all while there has been political turmoil amongst its members.  How can readers get a sense for what the issues are?  And, will there be a day when Bordeaux will be out of planning mode and growing?

The Wine Cellar Insider: The CIVB actively promotes Bordeaux and tries to help the wines at the lower end of the price point scale.  There are over 10,000 different producers making Bordeaux wine.  Most of the generic wines are not that good.  Bordeaux has a hard time competing in the $8 and under price range.  There are stronger wines in that price being produced in South America, Australia and Spain. 

The smaller growers are unhappy with the results being achieved by the CIVB.  In fact, within the past few days, several growers recently defected from the CIVB hoping to set up a rival alliance called the CAVB, The Bordeaux Wine Growers Action Committee.  The disenchanted growers claim the CIVB has not helped promote their wines in the marketplace.

News example: Women in Bordeaux
Good Grape:  Some of the male-dominated tradition in Bordeaux was hinted at in Mondovino, but we’ve recently seen some more news reports celebrating female vignerons in Bordeaux.  Help readers understand some of the cultural issues that have prevented women from playing a more dominate role in Bordeaux.

The Wine Cellar Insider: Mondovino is more fiction than fact.  It’s a skewed look at the wine world from one point of view.  Bordeaux has had strong women at the helm for decades. A few examples from the Medoc and Pessac Leognan are:

May-Eliane de Lencquesaing at Pichon Lalande

Corinne Mentzelopoulos at Margaux

Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, at Mouton Rothschild 

Veronique Sanders at Haut Bailly

Marie Dussech at d’Issan

In Pomerol, the most famous proprietor who helped promote the success of Pomerol as well as the most expensive Bordeaux wine was a woman. Madame Loubat is responsible for much of the success at Petrus.  In St. Emilion there are numerous women that run properties:

Christine Valette at Troplong Mondot

Juliette Becot at Beau-Sejour Becot who also works with La Gomerie and Joanin Becot

Sophie Fourcade with Clos St. Martin who also manages two other St. Emilion estates, Grandes Murailles and Cote de Baleau.

Helene Garcin runs four properties. Two in Pessac Leognan and one each on Pomerol and St. Emilion. 

Murielle Andraud runs Valandraud, Clos Badon and Bad Boy.

I can cite a lot more examples. This was just a short list.  Bordeaux has been open to women for ages.

Ed Note Pt. I:  Yup, glad I asked for context …

Good Grape: With Suckling and Parker both carrying en primeur influence, do you think James Suckling loses currency by not having the Wine Spectator masthead for 2010 barrel tasting in early 2011? Parker influence aside, does the magazine make the critic, or does the critic make the magazine?

The Wine Cellar Insider: First of all, I wish James all the best of luck in his new endeavor. It takes a lot of courage to go out on your own. He’s a nice guy and a good taster with a lot of experience. However, it remains to be seen how well James will do without The Wine Spectator. His site only went live (very recently). Time will tell.

As far as influence on Bordeaux wine prices and sales, Robert Parker has no peer.  His report is the number one quoted report in the entire wine world. Bordeaux price their wines after Bob’s report comes out.  While all professional critics (including James), yield some influence, Bob is at the top of the pyramid. 
Most people read The Wine Spectator because it is The Wine Spectator. The Wine Spectator is a hugely successful brand.  At the Spectator, individual critics are not as important as the masthead or brand.  They can be changed at will and sales of the magazine are not going to go up or down.  But when it comes to Bordeaux, Parker’s journal, The Wine Advocate remains the most important buying and selling source all over the world for Bordeaux consumers, merchants and the chateaux.

Good Grape:  Thanks, Jeff.  I appreciate the insight. 

Ed Note Pt. II:  Leve has a lot of content on this site covering many of the great Bordeaux Chateaux’s.  Have a look around and spend some time. 

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The State of My Ego and Six Years of Wine Blogging

On the sixth anniversary of starting this blog, I see that I've produced 2,170 posts in those six years of blogging about wine, the wine industry, wine politics, wine public relations and marketing, and my affinity for bourbon. However, all...

Leelee Sobieski Leighton Meester Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela

Wine Word of the Week: Transversage

This week?s Wine Word of the Week is transversage. Official definition from Jancis Robinson?s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Transversage is an occasional twist on the traditional method [of sparkling winemaking] whereby, immediately after disgorgement, the contents of bottles of sparkling wine made by the traditional method are transferred into a pressure tank to which [...]

Wine Word of the Week: Transversage was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

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FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson

The Future of Wine Writing

Image via Wikipedia “There’s something happening here / What it is ain’t exactly clear…”� — Stephen Stills, “For What It’s Worth” I’ve been away from the blog for much of this month but have been keeping up with my reading and, oh course, tweeting. A few weeks ago Tyler Colman, who blogs as Dr Vino, [...]

The Future of Wine Writing originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Ciara Cindy Crawford Cindy Taylor Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz

A Little Competition Never Hurts!

That’s right – it’s time. The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition begins tomorrow. Nearly 100 international judges, more than 3,000 international wines. Who will take the gold? Keep coming back to find out more information about the 3-day event and watch for judges to be blogging and twittering in between judging!

Gina Philips Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park

Harvest in the Napa Valley ? Get Ready for the Fun

One of the highlights for any wine buff is watching all the activities that take place during the harvest. The Napa Valley is one of the best spots for viewing the “crush” because of the number of vineyards and wineries … Continue reading →

Melissa Sagemiller Mena Suvari Mia Kirshner Mía Maestro Michael Michele

Why the Supreme Court Was Asked To Hear Retailer Wine Shipping Case

QUESTION: Notwithstanding Granholm v. Heald, does the Twenty-first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution overrides its Commerce Clause and allows States to discriminate against out-of-state businesses in the sale of alcoholic beverages? This is the question that the Specialty Wine Retailers...

Elisha Cuthbert

EaterWire : Zeke's Under new Ownership, SIV Speaks, MORE!

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The final report assessed the 2007 total economic impact of the Texas wine and grape industrie

A report from Txwines.org Its amazing the amount of money from this Texas industry that impacts this great state. The link is to the PDF of the report. Texas could be the next California in the wine industry if more people got involved in the grape growing and wine making aspect of the business. The [...]

LeAnn Rimes Leeann Tweeden Leelee Sobieski Leighton Meester Leila Arcieri

Social Media Quick Tip: Tag Your Favorite Wine Brands on Facebook

This is old news for some, but if you haven’t explored the status tagging feature (similar to photo tagging) on Facebook, take a few minutes and check it out. Status tagging can help your winery’s Facebook fan page to become more engaging and vibrant.� Facebook users can type the “@” symbol before a Facebook fan [...]

Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes

It is so loud in here, I can?t hear myself drink

Interesting research reported on the BBC today: The level of background noise affects both the intensity of flavour and the perceived crunchiness of foods, researchers have found. It also makes me wonder about wines. We’ve known for a while that wines don’t taste the same in the air, and I seem to recall it was [...]

Norah Jones Noureen DeWulf Olivia Munn Olivia Wilde Padma Lakshmi

There?s Zin. And then there?s Ridge Geyserville. [mature wine]

All too often, Zinfandel is a highway to a quick, cheap buzz. It’s often confused with white zin, rarely celebrated by wine writers aside from patriotic holidays, and it’s almost never aged. However, there’s Zin, and then there’s a wine like Ridge Geyserville. I had a chance to visit the property and talk with the [...]

Vanessa Marcil Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay Veronika Vaeková

Adventures in Shilling : Wurstkuche's Joseph Pitruzzelli Designs Your Home Furniture

Naomi Watts Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Portman Natalie Zea Natasha Bedingfield

Comptroller's direct wine shipping report gets a 9.5 from Maryland wineries

Jessica Cauffiel Jessica Paré Jessica Simpson Jessica White Jill Arrington

Dry Comal Creek Vineyards ? Order of the Purple Foot? Grape Stomp

Time is getting near for Dry Comal Creek?s 8th Annual Grape Stomp at Dry Comal Creek ? Aug 7-8 & 14-15 As of this post the Sat Aug 14 day has been sold out as per their web site.  Sat Aug 7,8,15 are still open.  What a great way to spend a weekend get away [...]

Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco Jaime King Jaime Pressly

Samundari Khazana - Yummy Curries of the World

Ever imagined of a curry that will cost you around $3200 or �2,000? Samundari Khazana is the most expensive curry of the world. India is the place of origin for this curry. In this time of recession, people are craving to grab this unique curry.
Samundari Khazana or to get the exact meaning of the dish [...]

Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco Jaime King

Inside the Brand: An In-Depth Look at Cakebread Cellars

It?s a chilly October morning when I arrive at Cakebread Cellars in Rutherford, California.  Harvest has completed for the most part, and there?s a sweet smell in the air - the smell of grapes being crushed and fermented.  Napa Valley is as busy and alive as it will be any time of the year, and I?m looking forward to learning more about one of the most admired brands in Napa Valley.  Cakebread Cellars somehow manages to be ubiquitous yet elusive, old school yet modern, and above all exclusive yet down to earth.  Over the course of the next few hours, my goal would be to learn what it is that makes their wines special and how they?ve built and maintained their brand over the years.

I spot a pair of sleek black Lincoln Town Cars in the parking lot delivering small groups of enthusiastic, well-heeled visitors to their first tasting room of the day.  The main reception area is a bustling with activity as people confirm various 10:30 am appointments.  Today I?ll be meeting with Dennis Cakebread who, among other things, heads up sales and marketing for the winery.  I wander around looking for the business offices hoping to find him there.  I get a bit of a sick feeling in my stomach as the receptionist says she?s not sure whether Dennis is in today ? do I have an appointment?

Moments later, he appears and mentions they?re having a beet crisis.  Beet crisis?  They?d committed to bring beets from their gardens to a wine dinner and they?re not sure they have enough of all the beet varieties.  I got to know Dennis by way of some things I?ve written about Cakebread here on this site so he reached out via E-mail and said he?d be happy to show me around next time I was in Napa.  As luck would have it, I was in Napa a few weeks later so I took him up on the offer.  He also sent out an informational packet including a DVD which I reviewed ahead of time.

Dennis is one of three children of Jack and Dolores Cakebread who started the winery back in 1973.  Robert Mondavi started the 32nd winery in Napa ? Cakebread was number 38.  Today there are over 400 wineries in Napa.  When I first became familiar with Cakebread I wrongly assumed it was a newer winery, and suspected the name on the bottle was somehow contrived.  It?s not.  It?s just their family name (other wine brands are confusingly similar).

The family ran an auto repair shop in Oakland, and Jack also had a side interest in photography.  After visiting Napa Valley to do a photo shoot he casually mentioned to the previous owners of the ranch that if they were ever interested in selling to let him know.  The next day they called him up and said they actually were interested in selling, and Jack said yes.  But after talking it over with Dolores he realized he?d made a mistake.  He didn?t have that kind of money and the romantic notion of starting a winery got the best of him.  He went to tell the owner he?d gotten carried away.  The owners liked the Cakebreads and wanted to see the land taken care of, so they came to terms for the amount of the advance he?d received for photographing the book: $2,500.

From then until 1989, the Cakebreads would split time between Oakland and Napa.  Eventually they closed the garage and focused full-time on wine.  Today, the winery is situated on Highway 29 in Napa Valley with a subdued sign and a ?Cakebread Cellars? mailbox out front.  The architecture of the winery itself is humble, with redwood siding that rises gently off the earth and surrounding rows of grape vines.

Our tour begins in the shipping area where pallets of Cakebread wines are waiting to be sent.  Dennis stops to chat with a colleague about some maintenance issues and while I?ve got the chance I?m gawking at the wines.  All-in Cakebread produces over 100,000 cases of wine a year.  They?re not small any more, but they?re still very much a family winery.  And they?re not expanding anymore which creates unique challenges in terms of running the winery profitably in light of ever-increasing production costs.

Next, Dennis tried to kill me.  Well, not really but he did play a pretty funny joke with the fermenting tanks.  We climbed up steep stairs to a walkway that rises high above the tanks.  He said, ?There?s a right way, and wrong way to smell fermenting wine - do you know the difference??  I say I don?t so he scouts around to find just the right tanks to show me.  The first tank is white wine that's largely completed fermentation.  I stick my head in the tank and smell some of the most beautiful things I?ve ever smelled.  There are aromas of lemon curd, pineapples, and honey.  ?Now try smelling this one.? It?s got some red wine actively fermenting in it.  He draws some air out of the tank with his hand and it too smells wonderful.  Big ripe blackberries, earth, a little tar, and very much alive.  ?That?s the right way to smell a fermenting grapes.  Now let me show you the wrong way ? stick your nose in there right above the opening in the tank and take a whiff."  I do as he says and my vision immediately goes black.  Imagine taking a huge spoonful of horseradish and stuffing it in your mouth and swallowing it.  Imagine the sensation you?d get as your nose would momentarily suffocate and your eyes would open wide ? that?s what it felt like times 100.  Thankfully the sensation lasted for only a fraction of a second so I could enjoy the rest of the visit.  But it was a memorable exercise to point out that Carbon Dioxide in the winery is serious business.  On with the tour!

Next stop was the cellar where oak barrels were being filled and stacked high for aging.  It's chilly - probably just over 40F - and smells of wood and wine.  Barrels are being filled, and some are being stirred - their Reserve Chardonnay Dennis explains.

Adjacent to the cellar was a variety of rooms where private tastings and hosted.  We stop to check out a new video they?ve just produced for their Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet.  They call it Dancing Bear because they could imagine this bear dancing around their vineyards on Howell Mountain after skillfully climbing the barbed wire fence.  Check it out around the 4 minute mark in this video clip.

The property has been added to over the years, and what I liked about it was the scale and thoughtfully carved out niches.  The gardens, little tasting areas, tables.  It's a beautiful place.  Classic Napa Valley.

We stopped by the main tasting area and grabbed a couple glasses of Sauvignon Blanc ($24/btl) and found a table in a courtyard.  It was the same grape variety with the beautiful aromas in the fermenting tank that didn?t knock me out.  Tasting wines after walking through the vineyards and cellars is one of the great moves in all of marketing as the wines always seem to rise to higher levels at the winery.  Impeccable provenance to say the least, clean high quality stemware, and complete immersion in the winery.

Dennis is a likable guy:  Smart without being a pretentious, friendly but not gregarious, affable but not goofy.  He?s got a quiet confidence about him.  He seemed grateful for the position he?s in and he clearly loves the wines of Napa Valley.  I asked him whether he considers Cakebread a Chardonnay winery or a Cabernet winery ? he asked me what I thought they were.  It?s probably just because I drink way more red wine than white (by a 6:1 ratio this year) but I?ve always thought of them as a Cabernet Sauvignon winery.

But I think more people would think of them first as a Chardonnay winery.  According to Wine & Spirits Magazine's 2009 survey of restaurants, Cakebread was the best selling wine brand overall and their Chardonnay was the 2nd most popular (behind Sonoma-Cutrer in the Chardonnay category).

The 2008 Reserve Chardonnay ($55) shows  why.  It is utterly delicious.  Rich with ripe pear aromas and ample creaminess.  A streak of flinty bluestone flavors keeps things serious and brings balance to the wine.  Absolutely stunning.  Textbook Napa Chardonnay.  Highly recommended.

Next up were the Napa Valley Merlot ($54) and then the Cabernet Sauvignon ($61).  The Merlot was showing generous aromas and incredibly enjoyable mouth feel. Their Cabernet did for me what it always does ? deliver an elegant distinctive flavor that I have a hard time finding in any other wine (believe me I?ve tried).  On immediate release, for immediate consumption, I think I prefer the Merlot.  The Cabernet would benefit from a little more bottle age to open up.

Their 2007 Syrah ($51) is an inky, purple, opaque wine.  At 15.1% alcohol - it's heart warming.  I had this wine previously and picked it as my favorite out of a line-up of 8 other Syrahs blind.  I think it plays well as a cocktail wine.  Dennis said he sometimes has it after dinner and said he was considering lightening its color up a bit in future vintages.

The last wine we tasted was the 2006 Dancing Bear Ranch ($106).  It?s not necessarily a bigger bolder wine, but it does deliver even more excitement than the Napa Valley bottling.  I would have enjoyed getting to know that wine better by way of a couple glasses over dinner with friends.  Note the different label style which is screened on rather than paper.  Interesting.  Cakebread's regular label is a classic and one of my favorites.  But I like the Dancing Bear Ranch label too.

The tasting itself was a delightfully casual affair with Dennis rifling through a nearby cooler grabbing a little of this and a little of that.  I thought all the wines were great.  The common thread of their line-up, for me, is the focus on enjoyable mouth feel and delicious flavor profiles along with elegant balance.  Most all were food friendly (the possible exception being the Syrah) because they?re slightly higher in acid than normal, but rich and round at the same time.  Like a stereo turned up to ?7? playing your favorite song.  Nothing is distorting or out of control and you?re just focused on enjoying the experience.

Since Cakebread is such a popular restaurant brand, and I?ve heard restaurant wine sales are down the past few years, I asked how they were weathering this.  Dennis said they?ve changed their restaurant/retail allocation mix from 70/30 to 60/40 which might explain why we?ve been seeing Cakebread more available in Massachusetts wine shops recently.  If you?ve been interested in buying their wines now might be the best opportunity in a while.  Check Wine-Searcher.com for availability in your area or buy online directly from Cakebread if they can ship to your state.

Speaking of shipping laws, I particularly appreciated Dennis?s awareness of the situation in Massachusetts. He serves on the board of the Coalition for Free Trade -and- Free the Grapes.  Let?s hope our legislature can seal the deal in next year?s session and finally enable winery-direct shipment to Massachusetts.  More info on that issue here in this brief history of wine shipping laws in Massachusetts.

Side note: Kudos to Cakebread for having the clearest and most useful wine shipping info page I've ever seen.  I don't need to waste a lot of time to see that they can't ship to Massachusetts and if they could ship to my state I could see exactly what the terms and conditions were.  Well done.

We even had a chance to talk about wine aerators.  Dennis showed me a simple "back and forth" trick where you pour a wine back and forth between two glasses a few times and it opens up the wine pretty nicely too.  I'll have to add an 8th option to my next wine aerator blind tasting.

After my visit I was hoping to connect with a friend for lunch but couldn?t quite manage to work it out.  So I stopped off at the nearby Oakville Grocery to grab a sandwich.  I forgot a napkin so I went back in and there was Dennis grabbing lunch himself.  Just a regular guy getting a sandwich in his truck.  That?s one of the cool things about Napa.  You never know when you might be standing next to someone responsible for making one of your favorite wines.

If you have a chance visit to Cakebread Cellars I'd recommend one of their more involved programs rather than just a quick hit and run.  I?ve tried a quick taste and/or short tour a couple of times previously and they really didn?t provide enough time to get to know the winery.

So what is it that makes Cakebread special?  It's everything really.  Having the courage to buy the land when they did.  Slowly building up the winery with sweat equity, family and friends.  Great viticulture and vinification.  Their UC Davis son (Bruce) and the Berkely CPA (Dennis).  Carefully managing the brand over the years.  But above all, I think it's balance and moderation in everything they do.

Getting to know my favorite brands better has been one of the best things about writing this blog.  If you enjoyed this post you might also like this review I did of The Capital Grille.

Looking for other wineries to visit in Napa?  I've also enjoyed Buehler and Lewelling.

Check 'em out:
Cakebread Cellars
8300 St. Helena Hwy
Rutherford, CA 94573
800-588-0298
Facebook: CakebreadCellars
Twitter: @CakebreadWines 

Are you a fan of Cakebread Cellars?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on their wines, and any other recommendations you might have for similar wines or wineries to visit.

Mischa Barton Missi Pyle Missy Peregrym Molly Sims Monet Mazur

Spitting, India, Wal-Mart, millennials, Champagne ? sipped & spit

SIPPED: spitting! “The length and precision of the stream are just unbelievable.” No, this is not something from Urology. They actually have a wine spitting contest in France! [France24] SIPPED: tariffs Will India develop a thirst for wine? Maybe after it reduces its thirst for 150+% tariffs & taxes. [WSJ] SPIT: human interaction Remember those [...]

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Inside the Brand: An In-Depth Look at Cakebread Cellars

It?s a chilly October morning when I arrive at Cakebread Cellars in Rutherford, California.  Harvest has completed for the most part, and there?s a sweet smell in the air - the smell of grapes being crushed and fermented.  Napa Valley is as busy and alive as it will be any time of the year, and I?m looking forward to learning more about one of the most admired brands in Napa Valley.  Cakebread Cellars somehow manages to be ubiquitous yet elusive, old school yet modern, and above all exclusive yet down to earth.  Over the course of the next few hours, my goal would be to learn what it is that makes their wines special and how they?ve built and maintained their brand over the years.

I spot a pair of sleek black Lincoln Town Cars in the parking lot delivering small groups of enthusiastic, well-heeled visitors to their first tasting room of the day.  The main reception area is a bustling with activity as people confirm various 10:30 am appointments.  Today I?ll be meeting with Dennis Cakebread who, among other things, heads up sales and marketing for the winery.  I wander around looking for the business offices hoping to find him there.  I get a bit of a sick feeling in my stomach as the receptionist says she?s not sure whether Dennis is in today ? do I have an appointment?

Moments later, he appears and mentions they?re having a beet crisis.  Beet crisis?  They?d committed to bring beets from their gardens to a wine dinner and they?re not sure they have enough of all the beet varieties.  I got to know Dennis by way of some things I?ve written about Cakebread here on this site so he reached out via E-mail and said he?d be happy to show me around next time I was in Napa.  As luck would have it, I was in Napa a few weeks later so I took him up on the offer.  He also sent out an informational packet including a DVD which I reviewed ahead of time.

Dennis is one of three children of Jack and Dolores Cakebread who started the winery back in 1973.  Robert Mondavi started the 32nd winery in Napa ? Cakebread was number 38.  Today there are over 400 wineries in Napa.  When I first became familiar with Cakebread I wrongly assumed it was a newer winery, and suspected the name on the bottle was somehow contrived.  It?s not.  It?s just their family name (other wine brands are confusingly similar).

The family ran an auto repair shop in Oakland, and Jack also had a side interest in photography.  After visiting Napa Valley to do a photo shoot he casually mentioned to the previous owners of the ranch that if they were ever interested in selling to let him know.  The next day they called him up and said they actually were interested in selling, and Jack said yes.  But after talking it over with Dolores he realized he?d made a mistake.  He didn?t have that kind of money and the romantic notion of starting a winery got the best of him.  He went to tell the owner he?d gotten carried away.  The owners liked the Cakebreads and wanted to see the land taken care of, so they came to terms for the amount of the advance he?d received for photographing the book: $2,500.

From then until 1989, the Cakebreads would split time between Oakland and Napa.  Eventually they closed the garage and focused full-time on wine.  Today, the winery is situated on Highway 29 in Napa Valley with a subdued sign and a ?Cakebread Cellars? mailbox out front.  The architecture of the winery itself is humble, with redwood siding that rises gently off the earth and surrounding rows of grape vines.

Our tour begins in the shipping area where pallets of Cakebread wines are waiting to be sent.  Dennis stops to chat with a colleague about some maintenance issues and while I?ve got the chance I?m gawking at the wines.  All-in Cakebread produces over 100,000 cases of wine a year.  They?re not small any more, but they?re still very much a family winery.  And they?re not expanding anymore which creates unique challenges in terms of running the winery profitably in light of ever-increasing production costs.

Next, Dennis tried to kill me.  Well, not really but he did play a pretty funny joke with the fermenting tanks.  We climbed up steep stairs to a walkway that rises high above the tanks.  He said, ?There?s a right way, and wrong way to smell fermenting wine - do you know the difference??  I say I don?t so he scouts around to find just the right tanks to show me.  The first tank is white wine that's largely completed fermentation.  I stick my head in the tank and smell some of the most beautiful things I?ve ever smelled.  There are aromas of lemon curd, pineapples, and honey.  ?Now try smelling this one.? It?s got some red wine actively fermenting in it.  He draws some air out of the tank with his hand and it too smells wonderful.  Big ripe blackberries, earth, a little tar, and very much alive.  ?That?s the right way to smell a fermenting grapes.  Now let me show you the wrong way ? stick your nose in there right above the opening in the tank and take a whiff."  I do as he says and my vision immediately goes black.  Imagine taking a huge spoonful of horseradish and stuffing it in your mouth and swallowing it.  Imagine the sensation you?d get as your nose would momentarily suffocate and your eyes would open wide ? that?s what it felt like times 100.  Thankfully the sensation lasted for only a fraction of a second so I could enjoy the rest of the visit.  But it was a memorable exercise to point out that Carbon Dioxide in the winery is serious business.  On with the tour!

Next stop was the cellar where oak barrels were being filled and stacked high for aging.  It's chilly - probably just over 40F - and smells of wood and wine.  Barrels are being filled, and some are being stirred - their Reserve Chardonnay Dennis explains.

Adjacent to the cellar was a variety of rooms where private tastings and hosted.  We stop to check out a new video they?ve just produced for their Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet.  They call it Dancing Bear because they could imagine this bear dancing around their vineyards on Howell Mountain after skillfully climbing the barbed wire fence.  Check it out around the 4 minute mark in this video clip.

The property has been added to over the years, and what I liked about it was the scale and thoughtfully carved out niches.  The gardens, little tasting areas, tables.  It's a beautiful place.  Classic Napa Valley.

We stopped by the main tasting area and grabbed a couple glasses of Sauvignon Blanc ($24/btl) and found a table in a courtyard.  It was the same grape variety with the beautiful aromas in the fermenting tank that didn?t knock me out.  Tasting wines after walking through the vineyards and cellars is one of the great moves in all of marketing as the wines always seem to rise to higher levels at the winery.  Impeccable provenance to say the least, clean high quality stemware, and complete immersion in the winery.

Dennis is a likable guy:  Smart without being a pretentious, friendly but not gregarious, affable but not goofy.  He?s got a quiet confidence about him.  He seemed grateful for the position he?s in and he clearly loves the wines of Napa Valley.  I asked him whether he considers Cakebread a Chardonnay winery or a Cabernet winery ? he asked me what I thought they were.  It?s probably just because I drink way more red wine than white (by a 6:1 ratio this year) but I?ve always thought of them as a Cabernet Sauvignon winery.

But I think more people would think of them first as a Chardonnay winery.  According to Wine & Spirits Magazine's 2009 survey of restaurants, Cakebread was the best selling wine brand overall and their Chardonnay was the 2nd most popular (behind Sonoma-Cutrer in the Chardonnay category).

The 2008 Reserve Chardonnay ($55) shows  why.  It is utterly delicious.  Rich with ripe pear aromas and ample creaminess.  A streak of flinty bluestone flavors keeps things serious and brings balance to the wine.  Absolutely stunning.  Textbook Napa Chardonnay.  Highly recommended.

Next up were the Napa Valley Merlot ($54) and then the Cabernet Sauvignon ($61).  The Merlot was showing generous aromas and incredibly enjoyable mouth feel. Their Cabernet did for me what it always does ? deliver an elegant distinctive flavor that I have a hard time finding in any other wine (believe me I?ve tried).  On immediate release, for immediate consumption, I think I prefer the Merlot.  The Cabernet would benefit from a little more bottle age to open up.

Their 2007 Syrah ($51) is an inky, purple, opaque wine.  At 15.1% alcohol - it's heart warming.  I had this wine previously and picked it as my favorite out of a line-up of 8 other Syrahs blind.  I think it plays well as a cocktail wine.  Dennis said he sometimes has it after dinner and said he was considering lightening its color up a bit in future vintages.

The last wine we tasted was the 2006 Dancing Bear Ranch ($106).  It?s not necessarily a bigger bolder wine, but it does deliver even more excitement than the Napa Valley bottling.  I would have enjoyed getting to know that wine better by way of a couple glasses over dinner with friends.  Note the different label style which is screened on rather than paper.  Interesting.  Cakebread's regular label is a classic and one of my favorites.  But I like the Dancing Bear Ranch label too.

The tasting itself was a delightfully casual affair with Dennis rifling through a nearby cooler grabbing a little of this and a little of that.  I thought all the wines were great.  The common thread of their line-up, for me, is the focus on enjoyable mouth feel and delicious flavor profiles along with elegant balance.  Most all were food friendly (the possible exception being the Syrah) because they?re slightly higher in acid than normal, but rich and round at the same time.  Like a stereo turned up to ?7? playing your favorite song.  Nothing is distorting or out of control and you?re just focused on enjoying the experience.

Since Cakebread is such a popular restaurant brand, and I?ve heard restaurant wine sales are down the past few years, I asked how they were weathering this.  Dennis said they?ve changed their restaurant/retail allocation mix from 70/30 to 60/40 which might explain why we?ve been seeing Cakebread more available in Massachusetts wine shops recently.  If you?ve been interested in buying their wines now might be the best opportunity in a while.  Check Wine-Searcher.com for availability in your area or buy online directly from Cakebread if they can ship to your state.

Speaking of shipping laws, I particularly appreciated Dennis?s awareness of the situation in Massachusetts. He serves on the board of the Coalition for Free Trade -and- Free the Grapes.  Let?s hope our legislature can seal the deal in next year?s session and finally enable winery-direct shipment to Massachusetts.  More info on that issue here in this brief history of wine shipping laws in Massachusetts.

Side note: Kudos to Cakebread for having the clearest and most useful wine shipping info page I've ever seen.  I don't need to waste a lot of time to see that they can't ship to Massachusetts and if they could ship to my state I could see exactly what the terms and conditions were.  Well done.

We even had a chance to talk about wine aerators.  Dennis showed me a simple "back and forth" trick where you pour a wine back and forth between two glasses a few times and it opens up the wine pretty nicely too.  I'll have to add an 8th option to my next wine aerator blind tasting.

After my visit I was hoping to connect with a friend for lunch but couldn?t quite manage to work it out.  So I stopped off at the nearby Oakville Grocery to grab a sandwich.  I forgot a napkin so I went back in and there was Dennis grabbing lunch himself.  Just a regular guy getting a sandwich in his truck.  That?s one of the cool things about Napa.  You never know when you might be standing next to someone responsible for making one of your favorite wines.

If you have a chance visit to Cakebread Cellars I'd recommend one of their more involved programs rather than just a quick hit and run.  I?ve tried a quick taste and/or short tour a couple of times previously and they really didn?t provide enough time to get to know the winery.

So what is it that makes Cakebread special?  It's everything really.  Having the courage to buy the land when they did.  Slowly building up the winery with sweat equity, family and friends.  Great viticulture and vinification.  Their UC Davis son (Bruce) and the Berkely CPA (Dennis).  Carefully managing the brand over the years.  But above all, I think it's balance and moderation in everything they do.

Getting to know my favorite brands better has been one of the best things about writing this blog.  If you enjoyed this post you might also like this review I did of The Capital Grille.

Looking for other wineries to visit in Napa?  I've also enjoyed Buehler and Lewelling.

Check 'em out:
Cakebread Cellars
8300 St. Helena Hwy
Rutherford, CA 94573
800-588-0298
Facebook: CakebreadCellars
Twitter: @CakebreadWines 

Are you a fan of Cakebread Cellars?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on their wines, and any other recommendations you might have for similar wines or wineries to visit.

Ehrinn Cummings Elena Lyons Elisabeth Röhm Elisha Cuthbert Eliza Dushku

Week in Reviews : Two Seasonal Stars For Cube; Pan-Asian at Daisy Mint

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Joanne Montanez Jodi Lyn OKeefe Jolene Blalock Jordana Brewster Josie Maran

How Wine Became Modern: Design + Wine 1976 to Now; an SF MOMA Exhibit

The wine world can basically be compartmentalized into two worlds: The New World & The Old World. The Old World is France, and basically any other country within a trebuchet’s throw of France. Wines have been ratified by treaties, classified by region and not varietal, and are poured in chatea�s beckoning you with long dusty [...]

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By: Russ Kane My Messina Hof Winery Harvest Dinner.

Photo by Russ Kane Messina Hof Winery Harvest Dinner Russ Kane is one of my favorite Texas wine bloggers. His style of telling the story is amazing. Visit Vintagetexas.com and see all his write ups. Another great blog write up by Russ Kane. Its that time of year for Grape Harvest in Texas and Messina [...]

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Deals From the Vine Flashes On to the Scene

One of the most conspicuous outcomes of the economic downturn that has effected the American economy and, with it, the American wine industry, is the "Flash Sale". These quick-turnaround sales of single wines at significant discounts have popped up across...

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Listage: Q & A with Top Chef Jamie Lauren; Richard Blais Discusses New Show

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Bloggers, Credibility and Wine Writer Surveys

Take a close look at this chart. It comes from the recently released 2010 American Wine Writer Survey and outlines some differences between those that have been writing about wine for 5 years or less and those writing about wine...

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Certified Open, Baby : The Cosmopolitan Opens Today! Shooting The Breeze With Vegas' Newest Group of Culinary Talent

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Appearing on Winechat tonight

I’ll be Jess Altieri’s guest this evening on her #winechat video show. From her site you can watch and interact with us live starting at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific. We’ll be talking about how I got started in podcasting and blogging, social marketing (my day job) and what comes next here. We have plenty to talk [...]

Appearing on Winechat tonight originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Clean up time

Over the next few weeks I will be cleaning up my blog. Adding some new things and taking off other stuff. If you would like to have your site/blog added to the new links page please email me at thegrapesaroundtexas @ Gmail (dot) com <–trying to cut the spam. Cheers!

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Now This Is How To Throw A Party: Chinatown Express Reopens With Parking Lot Blow Out

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A New Harvest 2010 Photo Essay

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C. Donatiello Winery, Chardonnay 2006

At the beginning of June I wrote a post in response to Pinotblogger Josh Hermsmeyer’s wine blogger contest. Basically, Josh challenged us to write about what motivates us to blog and if the role of a wine reviewer is to prescribe the ways in which a wine should be made or just write about what’s [...]

C. Donatiello Winery, Chardonnay 2006 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Plan Now for Thanksgiving Weekend in the Napa Valley

One of the busiest weekends the entire year in the Napa Valley is Thanksgiving weekend. Family and friends from out of town are likely not to be traveling home until Sunday and one of the many things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area is visit the Napa Valley wine country. Continue reading →

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Pax Cellars, Syrah, Alder Springs 2005

I have blogged and podcasted several notes for Pax Cellars Syrah over the years so I was looking forward to revisiting this producer for my birthday dinner last night. The producer has been in a state of flux over the past year or so with winemaker Pax Mahle leaving in the summer of 2008 but [...]

Pax Cellars, Syrah, Alder Springs 2005 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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Video Interlude: People have been using the online...

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Ice Wine

Ice Wine Yesterday I saw a picture of snow on the ground in Bordeaux and added it to the Uncorked Ventures Facebook Page, we received a few comments about the post which is customary now, but one of those comments came from the Great White North and one of our favorite SEO experts, Jim Rudnick. [...]

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What to Watch for:&nbsp; More Digital Marketing Trends for 2011

It is a truism that most of us in marketing spend more mental energy planning personal parking exit strategies at a concert than we do planning marketing activities for the year.

We can’t get caught in a line coming out of the coliseum, yet we sure as heck can get caught bereft of a plan that maps to moving the proverbial needle for our professional responsibilities.

Well, if the idiom is correct and the early bird does, indeed, catch the worm, then now is a good time to prepare for 2011 before the D in OND is over.

Following up on a mobile marketing post I wrote recently, here are five more digital marketing trends (two big trends and then three tactical trends) that will impact wine marketers over the course of the next year.

Big Trend #1 / Marketing Automation

I learned a long time ago not to bet against IBM.  Having worked closely with them for a number of years, I know that IBM makes and moves markets.

In the late 90s they created and owned the word “ebusiness” as business internal operations integrated with the internet.  Several years later they created and owned “on demand” which is still manifesting itself in the move to having computer applications in the internet “cloud.”

So, when I read that IBM has been on an acquisition streak around marketing automation, I believe it’s worthy of mention.

According to Craig Hayman, general manager of industry solutions in IBM’s software group, as quoted in B2B, a marketing trade magazine, “Customers first make purchase decisions through digital experiences, but the marketing profession is beleaguered. The lack of IT support is a key bottleneck. We said to ourselves: How can we help move marketing professionals forward to drive relevant messages across all channels, optimize and measure ROI, and steward the complete customer experience online or onsite?”

Of course, this trend won’t fully realize itself in the next year, but paying attention to the convergence of customer relationship management (CRM), social CRM, and metrics management will keep savvy wine marketers poised to strike when the time is right for their business.

Big Trend #2 / Content Marketing

If 2009 and 2010 will be remembered for online participation by wineries, 2011 will be much more reliant upon wineries leading the conversation via content marketing.

Participation is one thing, but what are wineries bringing to the party that is unique, interesting, and original?

Think about content and interaction in the same terms as an intimate dinner party.  The gracious host is thoughtful about who is seated next to whom in order to facilitate shared interests, while serving delicious food, sustenance, in addition to food for thought by leading a conversation in which everyone can participate.

As quoted from eMarketer, “Content can include anything created on behalf of a brand—be it an ad, YouTube video, online game, Facebook page, Twitter promo or mobile app—that consumers genuinely want to engage with and pass along to others. This content entertains, amuses, informs, serves a function or satisfies a consumer need. It’s welcome instead of annoying or interruptive.”

Smart wineries, if they haven’t already, will begin to create unique content campaigns around various conversational points of entry.

Tactical Trend #1 / Social Curators

Have you noticed that there are hyper-users of social media that don’t have a blog and don’t theoretically create content?  These people with their online omnipresence are very active with updates from their mobile phone to Twitter, Facebook and other tools and they’re actively sharing photos, linking to stories, recommending experiences and the things they buy, living their life out loud. 

As digital marketing continues to grow to encompass different strata of participation classes, the class of people underneath those that create original content (so-called influencers) are the “curators,” an increasingly important class of people in online marketing.  Curators are the people that actively engage and organize their life, likes and dislikes for everyone to see. 

These secondary beta influencers should be a target for wineries that want to move farther afield from the current online wine scene.

How to engage these people?  Well, knowing who they are via social CRM and marketing automation is a good place to start, but, more importantly, engage these folks with kindness and status markers.

Tactical Trend #2 / Random acts of Kindness

I’ve written about Trendwatching.com at least a half dozen times.  I can’t underscore enough that if you’re interested in marketing and contemporary culture, this free trend-spotting resource is fantastic (newsletter sign-up here).  Random acts of kindness and tactical trend #3 both come from this site and their 11 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2011.

Simply, Random acts of kindness means companies and brands genuinely reach out to consumers by sending a small gift, a token of appreciation, or an acknowledgement, for no reason other than touching somebody just because.

Think of this as inexpensive concierge marketing on a one-to-one basis.  The goal is to foster positive sentiment in connecting with customers.

Panera, for example, with their loyalty reward card offers random $1 off coupons at point of purchase, a bakery item on your birthday and other niceties.

Wineries spend oodles and oodles of dollars on using PR to reach out to writers with samples and marketing folders.  Is that money, time and effort better put to use going straight to consumers in a friendly way in order to have them carry a message that has been couched in hospitality?  Perhaps so, especially because social curators live their active life on their digital sleeve and connecting has never been easier.

Tactical Trend #3 / Online status markers

Also from Trendwatching, online status markers are an extension of the times we live in.  When viewed without cynicism, the reality is most adults under the age of 40 are reasonably narcissistic, achievement-focused and status oriented, though that status doesn’t necessarily have to be luxury-oriented.

If I provide a Facebook status that says I’m at Notre Dame Stadium, it’s a sort of status badge for me.

So, the question becomes what can a winery provide to customers and potential customers that denotes a sense of specialness, a sense of exclusiveness (that is also inclusive) while helping people bridge their offline activities with their online activities.

The answer to that question is reasonably specific to the winery, but offering a memento of status based on club membership, a visit to the winery, or frequent commenting on a winery blog all add up to providing brand specific status markers.

In sum, I’m conscious not to say that these marketing trends are must-do for wineries.  It’s not a zero-sum game with winners and losers.  The fact is that should a winery ignore all of these trends they have a fantastic chance of doing just fine next year, but, increasingly, wineries that take proactive and innovative measures towards their marketing efforts, while recognizing that offline and online marketing are becoming indistinguishable, are the wineries that grow mindshare and subsequently sales.

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