Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

The Wine Lover's Media Feast

It should be clear to anyone who has paid close attention to the wine media over the past decade that the amount of good, entertaining and useful information available to consumers and the trade has exploded in quantity. Interestingly, it is on the Internet, not the print media, where the vast majority of that exploding information is coming from.

This makes the evolution of the wine media different in no way from the rest of the media. There is a slow but gradual transformation from pulp to electrons when it comes to the publishing and entertainment world. While the innovative ways by which we can find, view, publish and share information has multiplied exponentially on the Internet, I can think of not a single innovation that has come to the print publishing world over the past decade. Why there is a stagnation of the print world is a question answered by the explosion of innovation in the Internet world: simply, no money is being invested to make magazines and books and newspapers better information delivery vehicles.

What’s interesting about the wine media is two fold: who is delivering the information now on the Internet and the lack of an Internet-based wine media hero.

CITIZEN WINE WRITERS
The vast amount of new wine voices on the Internet belong to “citizen wine writers and critics”, people largely unschooled in writing or journalism and many of which are only hobbyists. Yet, in so many cases, many of them found on blogs and in wine forums, these voices are extraordinarily articulate and insightful.

We tend to think of the “wine expert” as someone who has written a book or who writes in a magazine or newsletter or perhaps someone who is a sommelier or a high profile retail personality. We’ve been culturally schooled to do this because the number of venues where we were able to witness wine expertise were limited. Hence, the number of experts was necessarily limited.   You have to wonder just how many potentially blockbuster voices and thinkers on wine never saw the light of day because they simply didn’t want to pursue wine beyond their own obsessive imbibing or because there was no place for them to show off their talent to a large number of people.

Well, this last factor has changed, hasn’t it? Today, it’s easy as pie to create your own venue (read: blog) on the Internet. And with a little bit of work, you can grow the size of your audience. This is exactly what has happened on the Internet.

In wine forums and on numerous wine blog, as well as at ambitious wine informational websites, there people who have a very unique take on wine and a talent for communicating that are telling their story. And people are listening.  The number of wine blogs on the net approach 300. They have been growing at very fast clip. However, more important is that the number of people investing their time in a read of the Internet wine media is expanding at a pace far outpacing that set by the ever increasing number of wine blogs. There’s an audience out there that wants something more.

WHERE IS THE DOMINATING WINE WEB SITE?
The second interesting thing about the Internet wine media is that there is no dominating web site, a site that is a “must read”.  We’ve yet to see a “Daily Kos”, a “Defamer”, a “Slate” a “NationalReview.com” or even a simple Yahoo-like wine media aggregation site emerge from the pack. Now, perhaps this is a function of the fact that wine, unlike politics and gossip, doesn’t attract a very large pool of interest among Americans. But even among the wine obsessed, there is no single site that dominates the wine-online-world. This strikes me as a “ground floor”-type opportunity rather than an indication of little potential.

For example, if I want to find the most compelling wine info on the net, I have to do a number of Google searches, read a series of RSS feeds over at Bloglines as well as just get lucky. It’s not easy to do. Why isn’t there a site that does this for me and the rest of the wine-obsessed?

Why has no enterprising palate-master not started an on-line reviewing project this is heavily promoted and marketed to draw an audience.  Clearly reliable wine critics are in demand. Hell, a huge portion of the marketing of wines depends upon them. Am I to believed that there is no room for a new critic to step up and gain fame and following? The Internet would be the perfect place for this?

Why has nothing like the old “Winetoday.com”, the only truly journalistically serious wine website ever, emerged? Why is there no Internet-only, Wine Spectator/WineNews/Wine&Spirits-like publication around? The New York Times eventually closed down WineToday.com. But not because the newsgathering format and original reviews and high caliber talent approach didn’t succeed qualitatively. It did. I’m sure it shut down due to the expense and the fact that it probably never made much money. Still, am I too believe that such a venture could not be realized for a profit on the Internet?

The question is why hasn’t a site that does all these things appeared? I can tell you this: it’s not a question of the talent pool. Rather, it’s one of those things you’ll look at one day and say, “Damn, I thought of that…why didn’t I do it back then.”

I’m not suggesting we count out pulp any time soon. After all, the wine magazines and newspapers still retain the best wine journalists and writers in the world. Why would you give up this? You wouldn’t.

Yet, as it becomes more and more apparent that getting our media fix is easiest by using the Internet, more and more of the existing pulp-based talent will move to the Internet to join the new, citizen wine writers that will by then have morphed into professional wine communicators.  Maybe the switch to the Internet will be a reaction to successful publishing ventures in this medium. Or perhaps the success of blogs will convince a serious publisher/wine writer that their money is best invested building a website than buying paper and ink. CA Wine and WineReviewOnline are just two reflections of this thinking.

A CONSUMER'S FEAST
It is a veritable feast for the wine-loving media consumer right now. As someone who works with, watches and consumes the wine media, this transformation has been fascinating and continues to hold my interest.  Much of the blogging here on FERMENTATION reflects that interest and will continue to. The rise of the Citizen Wine Critic and the potential for a new kind of successful wine media is now an important part of the history of wine in America. We’ve always told that story partially in the context of how Americans have taken (or not taken) to wine drinking. How we learn about wine has always been part of that chapter of the story. The new chapter currently unfolding is inescapably connected to the story of the rise of the Internet media.

10 Things I've Learned About Wine Blogging

10 Things I've learned About Wine Blogging

1. The more you post the more readers you will have.

2. If you can't show an interest in your peers' blogs, why would they show an interest in yours?

3. The greatest luxury for a blogger is having an editor (wish I had one).

4. HTML and style sheets aren't as difficult to learn as you think, but they are very hard to master.

5. Linking out to other sites and pages is more a gift to your readers than to the linkee.

6. Responding to comments is the single most important thing you can do to create a community within your blog

7. The best post are those that provoke polarized responses from your readers.

8. Wine reviews are a dime a dozen. Give readers the tools to review wine on their own

9. There are far more people who don't care what you have to say than there are those that do. Ignore the former and engage the latter.

10. Blogging can help you build your business.

Examining the Atlas Peak Appellation

I think it's simple: A designated growing area, an appellation or, as they are called in the United States, American Viticultural Areas, are only useful if they are able to deliver expectation to the drinker.

If I can't have a pretty good idea of what I'll experience in the bottle if it says "Anderson Valley" or 'Oakville" or "Russian River Valley" on the label, then what's the point of putting the appellation on the bottle at all?

This is also the view, as far as I can tell, of the folks over at Appellation America who are on a mission to clarify the meaning of America's AVAs by conducting a series of tastings that hopefully will put us on the road toward giving meaning to the words on the bottles.

What they are discovering, I think, is that in the United States, the cart has been put in front of the horse when it comes to carving out appellations. Lines and boundaries that describe our AVA's are really political boundaries approved by the feds for the purposes of vintners' marketing desires at worst and acknowledgments of geographically consistent areas at best. None of this speaks to the drinkers expectations for the character of the wines that are produced from an AVA's grapes.

Today I'll be attending a tasting of Atlas Peak appellation wines hosted by Appellation America. I have high hopes for this tasting and for it's ability to find a similarity in style across the different Atlas Peak appellation wines we'll be tasting. Why? Because this appellation nestled in the Vaca Mountain range int he southeast corner of Napa Valley is in fact relatively distinctive in its geology and climate, something that is not easy to say about most of California's AVAs.

The Atlas Peak appellation is unique in a number of ways. When it was approved there was really only one operation on the mountain: Atlas Peak Winery. Up on on the mountain Atlas Peak Winery planted acres and acres of Sangiovese with the hope of capturing the market for that varietal. The money and the commitment was behind the effort. Unfortunately, the result was fairly mediocre, usually under-ripe Sangiovese that actually hurt the reputation of the appellation. Atlas Peak the appellation became associated with mediocre Sangiovese.

This has been a tough judgment to overcome for the now many more vineyard owners and wineries that toil in the thin soils of the appellation. Slowly however, the region is being recognized as an outstanding source of Cabernet Sauvignon. It happens that while not occupying any part of the valley floor, the Atlas Peak appellation is within the "Napa Valley" appellation. This means that any fruit one uses from Atlas Peak can be made into "Napa Valley" wine. That's a VERY valuable two words to be able to put on your label.

The value and quality of Atlas Peak Cabernet as been a bit of an insiders secret. A large number of Napa Valley wineries buy Atlas Peak-grown fruit for their Cabernet programs, but few acknowledge that they get their grapes from Atlas Peak. This is different from the other mountain appellations that surround Napa Valley such as Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder. These appellations are often placed on the bottled with pride. Yet, the older association of Atlas Peak with mediocre wines keeps Atlas Peak off the labels.

I've tasted a number of Atlas Peak Cabernets and will taste more today. At Wark Communications we work with Astrale e Terra Winery, an estate that farms Cabernet, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc at about 1,250 up the mountain on Atlas Peak. I have a big interest in seeing Atlas Peak's reputation change from a source of mediocre wine to a source of outstanding mountain grown cab. The best way I've found to demonstrate this transformation to the media and trade and consumers is by tasting the wine and by bringing them up the mountain. The wines are really terrific. Like most mountain grown wines they tend to be more big and ridged in their youth, but the fruit is very well established in these wines. Today the 2000 vintage of Cabernets are just  starting to drink really well. This is a different animal than so many of the Napa Valley Cabernets from the valley floor that are opulent and ripe and fleshy from the moment of release.

Sometimes it's easy to see the future. In the case of the Atlas Peak appellation and its wines it's clear that it's reputation will grow over time and serious wine drinkers will eventually recognize its great wines and seek them out. Of this I have no doubt at all. I've tasted the wines and met a number of the winemakers and growers who know what they have. They simply need to get the word out.

Today's Appellation America tasting will be only one step on that road, but a very good one I suspect. I'll report back on the results.

Fixing Winemaking Mistakes Is The Fun Of It

The "Wine Pod People" (just looking at that phrase gives you the willies, doesn't it) got some GREAT publicity today when the San Francisco Chronicle published a fine story about their unique home winemaking system: The Wine Pod. We caught wind of the Wine Pod back in February and were very taken with the idea of having such a compact, integrated system for making wine in our home. (I'm still working on the wife..she hasn't relented...yet.)

The anecdotal evidence that Americans are finally adopting wine as a more common beverage is building. We see wine showing up far more often in Pop Culture, which is a sure sign that a kind of movement is happening whereby we as a people are more comfortable putting bottles of wine on our tables.

This bodes well for the the people who make the Wine Pod,    ProVina. For $2000 one can invest in what would surely become a very serious and sumptuous hobby.

Tina Caputo, also the editor of Wines & Vines Magazine, wrote the story for the SF Chron. In the story Caputo talks with Winemaker Kris Curren of Curren Wines who points out that making wine in such small batches as the Wine Pod allows means you are likely to have a greater chance of making flawed wine: "The smaller the container of wine you make, the greater the ability to screw it up. I'm a professional winemaker, and if I tried to make a 5-gallon jug of wine, I would have a much greater propensity for having that wine be flawed."

She's got a good point. However, isn't this really the fun of the Wine Pod?   Being able to experiment with different grapes, different winemaking methods, working at getting your five gallons of wine just right? If this weren't the fun of it, then why would you buy the damn thing?

Get Them Drinking Young!

Is it OK to question the policy that drinking alcohol should be outlawed for anyone under 21 years of age?

Or if you do, are you promoting inappropriate behavior?

You don't hear many people advocating that the drinking age be lowered from 21. It's a no win argument that will lead to being painted as irresponsible and uncaring for the well being of America's youth. But the fact is, a drinking age of 21 is simply ludicrous.

Diageo, one of the largest drinks companies in the world that owns the likes of Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines is touting its desire to prevent underage drinking and keeping adults from providing alcohol to minors. I'm not willing to question their commitment to these goals by suggesting that such a PR initiative is just cover for the fact that it's often their products that wind up in the hands of minors. But I am willing to question theirs and others nothing that a 19 year old person is incapable of drinking responsibly and ought to be prevented by law from doing so.

In a press release, Diageo states, "Diageo supports a zero tolerance policy for underage drinking and we are proud to lead the industry by proactively working with lawmakers across the country to combat underage drinking,"

I'm just dying to know what Diageo thinks of my habit of putting a small taste of wine in front of my 12 year old Boy and letting him taste it as well as try it alongside whatever disaster I've cooked up for the family meal? Would they have "zero tolerance" for this attempt to educate my boy in the complimentary character of wine and food and the way by which one can evaluate a wine?

Again from the Diageo press release we learn that Diageo supports the creation of "Administrative Driver's License Revocation (ALR) for any adult who knowingly furnishes alcohol to a person under the legal drinking age."

Now, given the way my car has been functioning of late I'm inclined to dump the vehicle on the capital steps and just give it to them. But does Diageo support the revocation of my drivers license if I put a small glass of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir in front of him and ask him what he tastes and feels on his tongue?

It has become a cliche to point out that 18 year old's can die in the service of their country,that they can take on the responsibility of voting for elected officials and that they can stand trial as an adult. Yet somehow, they are deemed incapable of lifting a mug of lager or a glass of wine with responsibility. This cliche ought to be very convincing to anyone, or any large drinks company, that believes respect is something that 18 year old's deserve.

Those of us who keep alcohol in their lives and enjoy it, have a responsibility to introduce this category of drink to young people at an early age precisely because it's the responsible thing to do. Today we are printing "WET PAINT..DON'T TOUCH" on alcohol. And we all know what happens when a sign like that is held up in front of a younger person. Teach them that too much alcohol impairs them. Teach them that alcohol is for drinking, not chugging. Teach them the great traditions that surround the consumption of alcohol. Teach them.

Elevating A Wine Region and its Pinot Noir

How long does it take for a new grape growing region to establish a reputation for it's wines? It can take quite a while or no time at all, because this kind of development is not dependent on the passage of time. It is dependent on the quality and quantity of fine wines from the region.

Marin County, one county south of Sonoma, is attempting to build a reputation for its wines and primarily for it's Pinot Noir. Over the past 12 months the Marin County wine region created a very nice buzz among those who follow wine closely. The buzz was built by the work of a few vintners who are absolutely convinced this cool region can produce grapes of superior quality and who set about showing the gatekeepers and trades people that the wines made from these grapes are worthy.

The Pinot producers of Marin County are offering wine lovers a chance to determine for themselves just how good these wines are. "A Celebration of Marin County Pinot Noir"  will take place on Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10 in Larkspur, California. The tasting will be held between 5pm and 8pm. Tickets can be obtained at www.malt.org or by calling 415-663-1158. Tickets are $40.

Among the producers of Marin County Pinot  Noir that will be on hand are: Corda Winery, Dutton-Goldfield, Pey-Marin Vineyards, Pt. Reyes Vineyard, Stubbs Vineyard, Sean Thackrey and Vision Cellars.

I grew up in Marin County, left, then came back some years later before leaving again for Sonoma. I spent a great deal of time in the western reaches of Marin County where many of the new vineyards are located. West Marin is simply breathtaking in its beauty. The ocean and sea shore and Tomales Bay looms constantly over one hill or another that one encounters. Vast patches of grazing land fall away from either side of the backroads that one can drive. Old barns mark the terrain, leaving over from age. And fog is a regular intruder. It is...Pinot Country.

I suspect as more winemakers taste the Pinots and Rieslings from this region there will be a move to plant more vineyards. Marinites, having a sturdy tradition of land conservation, will look at these vineyards with a wary eye and doing what they can to make sure the farm land does not get painted over with vineyards. Hopefully they will see that vineyardists and winemakers tend to be the most proactive conservationists you can find. And it turns out that the upcoming "Celebration of Marin County Pinot Noir" will benefit the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. One more reason to mark your calendar and buy your tickets.

Wine Blogs that Look Good

It's true the wine blogging is about more than words on a screen. Occasionally you come across wine blogs that show it as well as spell it out.

In my occasionally  regular semi-biannual look at the wine blogging world, I've come up with a collection of wine blogs that appeal the visual as well as the literary.

Vin Vini Vino
Surely some of the most interesting photography. Proprietor Tricia was even kind enough to show us her stitches.

Basic Juice
Beau gets the award for best use of celebrity shots, including this entry that brings us not only a scary shot of Conan O'Brien But of Mr. Raisin too.

The Daily Palmer Blog
Brings us the best collection of smiling French people...bar none.

Chez Ray Winemaking Blog
By far the best collection of photos that portray even the somewhat unappetizing phases of wine

Wine Waves
Hands down the best bottle shots in Blogdom.

Margaret River Blog
Easily the best collection of good looking, happy winery workers.

Florida: The Whorehouse of Wine Laws

$1,400,000. This is the price that Florida legislators are willing to take in order to allow wine wholesalers in that state to bend over and have at Florida's wine lovers.

Over the past five years, the Florida alcohol wholesalers have contributed more than $1.4 Million to Florida legislators.

What does that buy? Besides politicians, it purchases a restriction that will prevent Florida consumers from purchasing wines directly from some of America's largest wineries. If you ask me, that a piss poor return on $1.4 million. However, Florida legislators yesterday voted down an amendment to a bill that would have removed a restriction on a wine law that prevents wineries producing more than 250,000 gallons of wine from shipping directly to Florida residents.

Nevertheless, if you are a Floridian and you belong to the wine clubs of Robert Mondavi, Kendall Jackson, Bonny Doon, Beringer, Chateau St. Jean, Kenwood, Joseph Phelps, Beaulieu, Benziger, Bogle, Domain Chandon, Cline, Dry Creek Vineyards, Franciscan, Ironstone, Kunde Estate, Louis Martini, Merryvale, Montevina, Murphy Goode, Niebaum-Coppola Estate, Ravenswood, Renwood, Rodney Strong, St. Francis, Simi, Trefethen, Wente and others, it's likely that you will soon have to give up your membership in these clubs.

I always like to look at the public reasoning for wanting to impose restrictions. In the case of restricting Floridians from purchasing wines from wineries that make more than 250,000 gallons of wine (roughly 100,000 cases), the reasoning is that if these large wineries are able to ship direct to Floridians, it will run Florida retailers out of business.

This is, of course, nuts. But worse than that, everyone making this argument knows it's nuts.

Years ago when the direct shipping battles first emerged, Florida was the epicenter. They passed a law that would make it a felony for out-of-state wineries to ship into the state. I remember being at a meeting of Family Winemakers of California at which they took a vote as to whether or not to start a boycott of wine sales to the state. The organization turned down the idea by only 2 votes.

Nothing like that will happen this time around. However, it's likely that someone will challenge the notion that a state can restrict shipping to consumers based on the size of the winery. That challenge may in fact happen in another state. This restriction is being instituted in other states as well as Florida. Florida has become high profile because it is a huge market for wine.

In the mean time, Florida's politicians will continue to allow wholesalers and the state's retailers to bend over their constituents and give it to them in order to keep getting "campaign contributions" from the wine wholesaler lobby. It's a business transaction without which politicians don't know how to function.

Wine, Food & An Intelligent Slice of Vice

Darryl Roberts has been threatening it for quite some time and now it's here.

Wine X Magazine's new website is up and running and it looks great. But it reads better.

Darryl Robert's Wine X Magazine changed the way people viewed wine simply by offering a new vocabulary for describing  it. In the beginning the magazine was panned by a number of people in the business, including writers and winery-types. It got to the point where you could break down the American wine trade into two camps: those that "Got" Wine X, and those that despised it. I think it was just too different for many to wrap their arms around.

But the combination of irreverence, fun, good education and a touch of attitude kept a base of loyal readers following the exploits of of the magazine.

The new website is stuffed with articles from current and past issues of the magazine, reviews of wines using the memorable XXX system of rating, and of course there is the Jelly Bean bar for those who want instruction on how to experience zinfandel on the cheap.

If you are unfamiliar with the...unique...way in which Darryl and his crew describe wines you really do need a taste:

2004 GRGICH HILL FUME BLANC
Lawn seats at a Jefferson Airplane reunion concert-some grass, some acid, some flowers...XXX

2003 Summerwood "Diosa Blanc" Rousanne-Viognier
Pogo Stick Night at Hooters-Do we really need to explain this? XX

2003 Napa Ridge Pinot Noir
Gettin some at the discount ho house-simple, spicy and economically satisfying   X

Indeed, this is not your father's wine magazine. But is sure is fun. And you'll likely learn a lot.

Becoming the master of your wine domain (name).

I've seen people use a number of methods to get into the wine industry, to get their winery up and running. However, this particular method is, well, inspired.

Over at Acme Winery Startup Blog, Chris Campbell is bartering away his impressive collection of wine-related domain names in exchange for the various services and goods he'll be needing in order to get his winery up and running.

First of all the collection of domain names Chris has acquired is truly impressive.

Are you a wine attorney? Chris will need one and is willing to barter your services for either Winelawyer.com, Wineattorney.com or winelaw.com.

Label Designer who wants a very useful domain name? Chris can get you "Winelabel.com" in exchange for some packaging design services.

Are you a winemaking consultant or a budding publisher? Chris has "ratewine.com" available and I'm sure he'd find a way to get it to you in exchange for consulting services or possibly for some long term advertising.

Is anyone out there thinking of creating a clearinghouse for wine blogs? Chris owns "wineblog.net", a URL that might truly come in handy if the growth of wine blogs continues at it's present rate. Got anything he'd be able to use to help start up his winery?

Chris' story is fun and it's a great idea. I suspect he'll be getting some good publicity as soon as a member of the Mainstream Media or well traveled web site points to his efforts. However, what I find really fascinating is the way his efforts point to the myriad ways the Internet can be used to help dreams become reality. Entrepreneurs have always been people who caught our attention. But it seems that the Internet continues to offer new ways for smart people to get things done and off the ground.

Chris is originally from Sonoma, but currently living in Wisconsin. The idea is to get Acme Winery off the ground then get back to Sonoma. If you have services you think a new, start up winery might need, and if you see any domain names that Chris owns....you might want to go down the barter road.