Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Touring New Zealand?s Central Otago Subregions
Links to Article Sections: New Zealand’s Central Otago-Pinot Noir In-Depth: Introduction Overview and Vertical Tasting Touring Central Otago’s Subregions Conclusion The following morning, our tour of Central Otago?s subregions began in earnest. The format for visiting the various regions involved a bus ride to the tasting room of one of the regions more prominent wineries, [...]
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 [...]
Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2010/08/08/by-russ-kane-my-messina-hof-winery-harvest-dinner/
Georgina Grenville Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips Gisele Bündchen
Friday, October 22, 2010
How Sweet it is ? The Growing Sweet Wine Trend
Is the table set for a boom in varietal sweet table wines in the U.S., wines that are known to have some residual sugar (RS) instead of being a wink and a smile from the wine business? The tea leaves say, “Yes.”
I touched on the “knowing” sweet wine topic earlier this year in a post about Jam Jar, a stated semi-sweet Shiraz that, according to importer Cape Classics, has been enjoying robust sales since domestic launch.
And, while it’s common for a domestic white wine, generally under $12 a bottle, to have a whisper of RS, what is not common is reporting that there’s residual sugar in it.
That said, I think we (the royal “we” as in the collective of all wine enthusiasts who participate symbiotically with the wine business) are on the cusp of participating or being swept up in a sweet wine trend – the kind of trend that takes sweet wines out of the back alley and onto Broadway as an accepted varietal wine while no longer being viewed as a quaff only for the uninitiated, or dessert, instead being seen as something that is occasion appropriate and can be paired on the dinner table.
I note this because much of what I find interesting in writing about wine is looking for disparate common threads that can be tied together. Related to sweet wine, over the course of the last several weeks, I’ve seen these disparate common threads and, as they say, once is an accident, twice, a coincidence and three times is a trend ...
Simply put, Muscat, typically known as Muscato or Moscato on the wine shelf is growing … big time growing ... as a still wine, not an Italian sparkler nor as a dessert wine.
The first “hmm …” moment regarding Moscato came with an announcement from the NextGen Wine Competition this summer, based on judging from a twenty-something panel, awarding a non-vintage Barefoot Cellars Moscato a “Best in Show” award. Was this a fluke worthy of derision? Some thought so …
… Until a larger context started framing itself ...
The second reference I saw came in a presentation from the Wine Industry Financial Symposium last month. In that presentation, in response to a question posed to wine industry leaders, “Have your sales begun to revive? For which products at which price points?” The anonymous, non-attributed response came:
“I would say at the low-end, Muscato is the varietal that is standing out. There is not enough Muscato right now in California to feed the beast. It is a sweet wine, similar to our Pinot Grigio at the lower end. Every producer that can ramp it up is.”
The third flag I saw is a Fresno Bee article on Moscato (also in September) that noted in reference to the Muscat grape, (quoting Nat DiBuduo, president of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno):
“Now, we are at the point where demand may be outpacing the current supply.”
DiBuduo estimates that acreage will increase by at least 50% over the next two years, from 3,245 acres in production statewide today.
Among the reasons for the surge is a growing number of muscat wine drinkers.
Sales of Moscato—a muscat wine—rose 78% during a one-year period ending in June, said Jon Fredrikson of Woodside-based Gomberg, Fredrikson and Associates, a wine industry consulting firm.
Finally, as a capstone, I paid a visit to the wine section at Sam’s Club this past weekend – in a bin, nearly empty, next to nearly full bins of other white wines, was the Terra d’Oro Moscato, a wine that clearly was selling extremely well against other whites.
Is this all coincidence? No. Moscato is coming on strong.
The reason for the growth, organic as it may be, is harder to pin down.
Anecdotally, I think there are four reasons:
1) Distribution. Large wine producers are able to get Moscato varietal wines to large retailers at competitive prices, where many people are buying their “value” wines
2) No stigmas. Gen. Y doesn’t carry legacy stigmas of what to drink, or not to drink. And, even if they did, they probably wouldn’t care. Plus, they are inveterate explorers drinking globally from the word “go” and Moscato d’Asti from Italy is a pleasant introduction to the varietal
3) Rising consumption and new consumers. With the rising wine consumption in the U.S. there are some late converts, like my Mom for example – Age 60 +. She is slowly but surely taking the path of palate development, but White Zinfandel wasn’t her gateway wine, it was semi-sweet varietal wines from Midwest wineries. Moscato is tailor made for her as she evolves to Riesling and soft tannin reds. Her journey is one shared by many.
4) Quality. Even hard-bitten wine enthusiasts have to admit that Moscato is an enjoyable glass of wine, pleasingly floral, typically balanced, and able to be made with some character, with reasonably low alcohol and an inexpensive price.
In sum, keep an eye on growth of not just Moscato, but semi-sweet varietal wines in general – they will have higher price points, but still with a “value” orientation and they won’t be garishly packaged on the bottom shelf of the wine aisle, having earned a higher degree of respect in the court of wine consumer opinion.
Reference Link
USDA grape varietal acreage in California table
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/how_sweet_it_is_the_growing_sweet_wine_trend/
Nicollette Sheridan Nikki Cox Nikki Reed Norah Jones Noureen DeWulf
Half Off at West On Centre through Buy With Me Boston
Step 1:
Visit the offer page for West on Centre on BuyWithMeBoston.com to take advantage of the offer. Buy $40 vouchers for $20. The thing I like about this offer is that you can use up to one voucher per guest. Some offers like this limit you to one voucher per table.
Step 2:
Make a reservation for a Tuesday night as part of West On Centre's weekly promotion where they enthusiastically allow guests to bring their own wine. Their phone number is 617-323-4199 and here is their website. Ask for Lawrence as your server if he's available- top notch guy who has taken care of us incredibly well each time we've been there.
Step 3:
Arrive at the restaurant with your wine and they'll take care of the rest. They've got nice glassware and enjoy seeing what wines guests choose to bring. Great food too. Quite affordable in the first place but with the Buy With Me vouchers it's an even better deal. Combined with the amount you'll save by bringing your own wine I think it's an amazing deal. Don't forget to tip your server on the full amount the meal would have been if you didn't have the vouchers and you bought the wine from the restaurant.
Deal only available for a limited time. Thanks to friend JF for the heads up on this.
Want to find more BYOB-friendly restaurants near you? Check out: GoBYO
Natassia Malthe Nelly Furtado Nichole Robinson Nicky Hilton Nicole Richie
Cascade Valley Wine Country: Leavenworth
For those of you who have never been, Leavenworth, Washington, is a quaint and beautiful Bavarian Village nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the heart of the state. No matter the season, it is a great get-away tourist destination. And in recent years, it has also become a destination for wine lovers [...]
Cascade Valley Wine Country: Leavenworth was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/D0-hCWtroL4/
Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli Beyoncé
Rodney Strong, Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
I’m not sure where to start with this wine since my review of the previous vintage became the subject for the first wine blogger meltdown ever last year. I even thought of not posting a review due to this experience but my curiosity got the better of me and I had to see what the [...]
Rodney Strong, Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/pIJ-HI6T-MY/
Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes
Value Alert: 2007 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot
The 2007 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot is one I've had my eye out for since Wine Spectator gave it a Smart Buy designation and a 92 point rating. They said:
Ripe, pure, focused and beguiling for its balance, offering blueberry, raspberry and plum fruit at the core, layered with hints of red pepper, clove and peach fuzz as the finish extends extraordinarily well. Drink now through 2017. 3,030 cases made. ?HS
With a release price of $22, it's an attractive QPR wine on paper. I picked up a single bottle of this at VinoDivino over the weekend. Here are my notes:
2007 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot
14.5% Alcohol
3,031 Cases produced
$22 Release price
Aromatically vibrant immediately upon opening. 22 months of aging in 32% new oak imparts caramel aromas on top of warm black cherry preserves. The initial attack on the palate is straight fruit, but spice quickly dominates. Keep it in your mouth a while and nice acidity is revealed. Medium length of finish. Nice stuff. Pair it with beef stew on a chilly autumn evening.
90/100 WWP: Outstanding
Where to Buy in Massachusetts:
Want to go in on a case or two of this wine? Drop me an E-mail and let me know how many bottles you'd be interested in: wellesleywinepress@gmail.com
Padma Lakshmi Paige Butcher Pamela Anderson Paris Hilton Patricia Velásquez
New Zealand?s Central Otago-Pinot Noir In-Depth-Overview and Vertical Tasting
Links to Article Sections: New Zealand’s Central Otago-Pinot Noir In-Depth: Introduction Overview and Vertical Tasting Touring Central Otago’s Subregions Conclusion E’ Sensual Pinot formally began on a chilly Thursday evening (this being Winter down under) with an initial overview of Central Otago, given by winemakers Matt Dicey (Mt. Difficulty) and Duncan Forsyth (Mount Edward), at [...]
TasteCamp East:Bloggers Arrive in the Finger Lakes
This is one of my favorite times of the year.� I’m fortunate enough to be included on the list of wine bloggers and writers who get asked to attend TasteCamp East, organized by Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson at The New York Cork Report. Last year, Long Island Wine Country hosted our group and although [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/tastecamp-eastbloggers-arrive-in-the-finger-lakes/
Charlies Angels Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler Cheryl Burke China Chow
Thursday, October 21, 2010
2007 Sauternes & Barsac
Here you find the ratings of the 2007 Sauternes and Barsac wines from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator:
Sauternes & Barsac
Decanter
Wine Advocate
WineSpectator
Price
Chateau d’Yquem
***** 19
96 - 98
97 - 100
Chateau Guiraud
**** 17,5
92 - 94
91 - 94
Chateau La Tour Blanche
**** 18
86 - 88
90 - 93
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey
**** 18
91 - 93
91 - 94
Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau
***** 19
91 - 93
92 - 95
Chateau [...]
Sauternes & Barsac
Decanter
Wine Advocate
WineSpectator
Price
Chateau d’Yquem
***** 19
96 - 98
97 - 100
Chateau Guiraud
**** 17,5
92 - 94
91 - 94
Chateau La Tour Blanche
**** 18
86 - 88
90 - 93
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey
**** 18
91 - 93
91 - 94
Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau
***** 19
91 - 93
92 - 95
Chateau [...]
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/41/2007-sauternes-barsac/
More on Tasting Room Jargon
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the difficulties wine “newbies” have in deciphering tasting room jargon. I received this email from Pat over the weekend and asked her if I could post it, because I thought it … Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/more-on-tasting-room-jargon/
Katharine McPhee Katharine Towne Katherine Heigl Katie Cassidy Katie Holmes
Online Wine Marketing with Conway Family Wines Pt. I of II
A recent Wines & Vines article had me scratching my head in ponderous wonderment. While I admire Pilot Peak winery in the Sierra Foothills for their participation in a reality television that led to an increase in their wine club signups by 50%, I have to wonder if their success is something to emulate for other wineries.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the answer is a resounding, “No”—a “lightening in the bottle” public relations coup does not make for sustainable success, nor a case study for that matter.
Now, to be fair, a good story must have a human-interest element to it, which the Wines & Vines article has. In addition, getting a winery to go on record about a successful and PLANNED marketing program is as difficult as, say, getting KFC to turn over their recipe for 11 herbs and spices. Case in point, Duane Hoff, owner of Fantesca, mentioned in a marketing story on this site in May, declined to divulge any details about his Google Adwords marketing program on several occasions, pat theoreticals standing in for any substantive information. So, it may be that a television production featuring a winery makes for good story fodder, absent emulatable results, and that’s good enough.
However, focusing on and SHARING actual, sustainable marketing tactics that lead to results is something that IS needed in the domestic wine business – if for no other reason than the fact that success breeds confidence and confidence breed’s innovation.
If a winery sees other wineries doing something well in the ultimate industry parlor game of, “Show me, don’t tell me” then we could begin to see a wave of proactivity (and coloring outside the lines of the standard marketing playbook) as others gain the confidence to try their own hand at success, appearances on Lifetime TV notwithstanding.
Instead of glorifying marketing moxie and luck, which the domestic wine business clings to like a woobie, I am going to focus on two wineries and their online wine marketing campaigns that have shown Smith Barney-like results by increasing their mailing list, sales and mindshare the old-fashioned way, by earning it.
In the first of two parts, we start with Conway Family Wines in the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA in San Luis Obispo County, California.
A family-owned business started in 2007 with the purchase of the Rancho Arroyo Grande Vineyards; Conway Family Wines have scaled production to 30,000 cases around two labels: Deep Sea and the eponymous vineyard estate wines. Deep Sea is sourced from maritime influenced vineyards on the Central Coast.
Primarily run by the youngest generation of Conway’s, the five children of Chris and Ann Conway, I spoke with Gillian, VP of Communications, to learn more about their Facebook marketing program, an initiative I was tipped off to by ubiquitous, but discreet advertising on Facebook.
According to Conway, the Facebook advertising program developed very organically. First, upon graduation from Emerson College in 2007, Facebook was a means for Conway to update friends and family on the happenings at the winery. Then, as Fan pages developed it was a means to connect with customers of the winery in a one-to-one way. Finally, as Facebook introduced advertising, Facebook became an opportunity to create personalized awareness of Deep Sea and Conway Family Wines to wine enthusiasts on the social networking site, potentially converting the wine-interested into customers.
And, perhaps speaking to the generational shifts that are occurring in wine marketing, Conway notes, “We’re a young winery that is run by young people. We are used to being marketed –to online. I guess the old way of wine marketing was to have a tasting room, attend the big consumer tastings and hope for great scores.” That works for some, but not all wineries. “Online marketing and outreach (is) the best way to reach wine drinkers, and introduce ourselves to the world,” Conway noted.
According to Conway, “We aren’t spending a ridiculous amount for our Facebook ads, that’s one of the things that is so great about them (and) we are able to maximize everything Facebook offers in terms of ads, mailing list sign up’s, offers, etc. while still having a relationship with our friends and fans.”
The mechanics of the program are simple:
• Cost-per-click advertising on Facebook that are served to people who have self-identified an interest around keywords like, “wine” with a daily budget that is set by Conway ($5)
• Conway is running two sets of ads on Facebook – one links to a page on their web site with a 10% discount offer for those who sign-up for their email list and another is a September only offer for 30% off the Deep Sea red, also tracked via a page on their web site (see here and here).
The results, however, are staggering. Conway said, “ … It’s a long road to building a huge customer base online, especially for a new winery.”
Yet, in just a couple week period of time, with a daily budget of $5 (which has never been exceeded) and an average daily cost of .50 cents based on the number of clicks, Conway Family Wines has received over 2.5 million impressions and 800 clicks to their web site and the offers. While declining to offer specifics, she said, “A large percentage of those clicks turn into sales on our web site. It’s very easy to track.”
And, very easy to see a return on investment.
She continued in reference to their Deep Sea Facebook Fan page, “The Deep Sea page went from being something I occasionally updated to being a proactive method of reaching wine lovers, gaining fans, spreading the word and ultimately selling wine.”
The takeaway for other wineries? Steal this idea.
An hour of time and a non-technical layperson can have a campaign up and running on Facebook (more details here). And, the bonus is Facebook can integrate into an existing winery customer database. Said Conway, “There are ways to link your website email sign-ups with your Facebook email sign ups. So, if you join our mailing list on Facebook, it automatically joins you in our consumer database which is linked to our web site. The promotion code on Facebook automatically syncs with our web site if you enter your email and want to place an order.”
The final takeaway? “We’re dedicated to creating a discussion and interacting on a more personal level with our fans through Facebook … we will start to run special offers, and giveaways for our Facebook fans only … DTC is the Holy Grail of selling wine – it’s the best way to communicate with your customers because there is no third-party between you, and the winery benefits the most in terms of sales margins.”
Amen. And, a double “Amen” if Facebook can help a winery achieve those DTC results.
In Part II of this post, I’ll examine a different tactic, with similar positive results from Clos du Val.
Links for Reference
Conway Family Wines / Deep Sea Wines Landing Page #1
Conway Family Wines / Deep Sea Wines Landing Page #2
Deep Sea Wines Facebook Fan Page
Information on Facebook Advertising
Kelly Carlson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Hu Kelly Monaco Kelly Ripa
Arizona Wineries on Cork?d
Cork’d Article on Arizona Wineries I’ve mentioned before that I’ve done some writing in the past for Cork’d, which is one of the largest wine sites in the world and I was happy to add an article this week on Arizona wineries that I visited while on vacation. Also, pretty cool to note that Wine [...]
Source: http://winewithmark.info/archives/575
Alicia Keys Alicia Witt Amanda Bynes Amanda Detmer Amanda Marcum
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