As I sit here writing this and think back to 2008, when the financial universe was imploding at warp five speed, I recall having a discussion with my wife as to whether we should launch our very tiny wine site or sit tight for a bit and wait for our crystal ball to send a message. This came on the heels of two years of planning but then again, what do the financial Gods care about that? (As it turns out, I’ve since discarded the crystal ball). With the knowledge that sometimes, a very small niche concept can survive the worst of conditions and begin to grow once the worst has passed , we elected to go for it. If you can emerge from the fire with only a few scratches, chances are that you have a sound business model. Well, here we are three years later, that small niche concept, not only on a firm foundation, but growing.
2011 was a breakout year for us, our visitor volume swelling to over 80% from that of 2010 while our Facebook community tripled to 1000! We added new contributors such as Dr. Dave Muhleman and Gina Freize of Venissimo Cheese while expanding our Video segment. And our advertisers, so very important to our support, expanded significantly, as well.
I believe there are two major types of people in this world; people who find what they like and stay with it, and people who are always exploring for something new. It doesn’t matter if we are talking cars, or beer, or food, or wine; one group of people know what they like and continue to enjoy it, and the other group will continue to bounce from item to item, based on the sheer joy of trying something new. In my life I have been both.
The first group of people I refer to as the “Dog food syndrome.” Your dog eats the same food, day after day after day. These folks know what they like and they stick with it. Most of America believes in great consistency, and this is the group of people who do not like surprises.
The holiday season is upon us and so many will be gifting bottles of wine and spirits to family, friends and business colleagues. We attended two parties last weekend, attended by a bottle of wine for each host. At one of the events, the host kindly took us aside and asked if we would like to share a special bottle of fairly “expensive” California Cabernet from the case he’d recently ordered. All of this made me wonder what prompts us to spend more on a bottle of wine. I’d bet if researchers could figure this one out, wine retailers would pay a not so small fortune for the data.
There are several “triggers,” if you will, that encourage me to spend more on wine. Celebrations are a classic for me; a key birthday, birth, graduation, dinner party, and business events are classic. If someone thinks enough to invite me to a meaningful celebration, I just can’t show up with a two dollar bottle of wine.
Our visit in Piedmont would not have been complete without a visit to the storied estate of Vietti (www.vietti.com), run by Luca Currado. With storied Barolos such as the Brunate, Lazzarito and Rocche, an outstanding Barbaresco in the Masseria and the highly sought after Tre Vigne and Scarrone Barberas from Alba and the Tre Vigne from Asti, this estate is firing on all cylinders.
After greeting us, Luca took us on a tour of his facility that included a fascinating look at ongoing cold maceration. You can read more about this a see the photo here. From there, we headed for the barrel room, through some very ancient corridors, one of which displayed three very old large flasks from Napoleon’s time which were filled with several days rations of………………..you guessed it……………….wine for the troops. I think it’s safe to assume that it wasn’t the Brunate or Rocche.
Dr Dave recently sponsored (yet another) outstanding wine tasting event at his home in Italy (and yes, I somehow managed to miss this one, as well). Comprised of award winning wines from the last decade, he set out in search of the best of the best, the crown jewel of the evening. He found one……………but there was stiff competition. Here's the lineup.............
NV Pol Roger Reserve Champagne (Magnum), ‘04 Vincent Girardin Corton Charlemagne, ‘05 Clos Des Papes Chateaunuef Du Pape (WS #1 *2007), '01 Casanova Di Neri Brunello Tuscany (WS #1 *2006), '02 Insignia BDX Blend, Napa (WS #1 *2005), '01 Chateau Rieussec Sauterne Bordeaux (WS #1 *2004), '01 Paloma, Merlot Napa (WS #1 *2003), '99 E. Guigal Chateauneuf Du Pape (WS #1 *2002), ‘04 Chateau La Tour BDX Blend Bordeaux, '04 Erath, Pinot Noir Night Magic Oregon, ’04 Erath, Pinot Noir Prince Hill Oregon , ’02 Silver Oak Cab Sauv Sonoma, ’01 Chateau Loupiac Gaudiet Lupiac Bordeaux, ’05 Far Niente “Dolce” Napa, NV Limoncello Sorrento
I caught up recently with Robert Craig and his wife Lynn while they were in Tucson. Bob has been producing small lot hillside and mountain wines for over thirty years. You’ll have an opportunity to meet them and of course taste their wines during the Tucson Culinary Festival (www.tucsonculinaryfestival.com) this year at the Grand and Reserve Tasting. You’ll never meet a more humble and kind man. Check out his website at www.robertcraigwine.com.
In the 1960’s, Bob enrolled in the Coast Guard and later attended business school at the University of Chicago. After spending some time in real estate, Bob developed over 300 acres in a vineyard partnership at Mt. Veeder, later selling it to Hess where he worked at the GM for ten years.
As we approached Radda in Tuscany recently, for the start of our Tuscany video tour, we were greeted by a magnificent sunset over the rolling hills of vineyards. We pulled off on a side dirt road, flanked by vineyards as my wife stood in awe, snapping one photo after another until the hills devoured the last shards on sunlight. It was truly magical. After pulling into Radda and checking into the very friendly Hotel Relais Vignale, we caught a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant and prepared for an early start the next morning where our first visit was scheduled for Siro Pacenti (www.siropacenti.it) in Montalcino.
After being awoken the next morning by a couple of roosters in the distance, we grabbed a fast breakfast at the terrace overlooking the hills, set our GPS and we were off. We made it most of the way, entering the Montalcino area, cruising down a main road while attempting to rapidly scan the stacks of signs to different wine estates. That’s not quite as easy as it sounds because one single tall pole might have as many as twenty signs nailed on to it. Good luck trying to scan them all at even thirty miles per hour.
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