Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

The Right Reason To Get Out of Bed

Worst case scenario is you get up in the morning and shuffle off to a job you despise. I've done that. Believe me, it's the worst possible career/work scenario.

Best case scenario is you get up in the morning and you know that through your job today you get to be a part of something groundbreaking, something you are excited about and something that's going to drive real change.

That was today.

Today I got up knowing I would be sending out a press release that would hit, literally, 10,000 journalists', wine writers', magazines' and wine bloggers' email boxes and would deliver a message of hope and change.

Inertia Beverage Group is a client at Wark Communications. Today they officially announced to the world the birth of a system that allows restaurateurs and retailers in New York to order wine directly from wineries in California. It will eventually--soon--be deployed for other states too.  I know, it sounds mundane. But it's not.

For the past five billion years a winery has had to procure the services of a wholesaler in New York in order to sell their wine to retailers and restaurants in that HUGE market. If you are a new winery or a small winery it has generally been very difficult to obtain the services of a wholesaler. They represent tons of wineries already and if the winery doesn't stand to deliver enough immediate profit to the wholesaler, which they likely don't, they simply don't bother with new or small wineries.

Plus, restaurants and retailers in New York often can not get their hands on 1000s of wines for this same reason.

Inertia Beverage Group's new REthink Wine Trade System changes all that. This launch has been a long time coming, involved countless man hours of programming as well as significant discussion with the regulatory powers that be in New York in order to make it a reality.

But today was the day.  I got to send out a press release that LEGITIMATELY included the words 'historic", "paradigm change" and "groundbreaking". We don't get to do that very much. No PR person gets to do that very often. So you can see why today was a Best Case Scenario work day.

Describing this new web-based software that Inertia has created, discussing its implications and trying to explain the complexity of the wine distribution system in America that it changes forever is not an easy thing to do unless you are talking to folks who already get it. Those were the folks I tried to talk to first today. In the coming days we'll be explaining this system to those who aren't so well informed. That will be tougher. But just as fun. More good reason to get up in the morning.

Why am I writing about this given I rarely write about Wark Communications clients?   I've been thinking a lot lately about how too often our careers tend to drive our interests, rather than our interests driving our careers. I think the later is clearly preferable, yet the former seems unavoidable. Isn't the ultimate goal, when it comes to career, to move the slider as far as possible toward being engaged in what we enjoy? Shouldn't figuring out how to do that occupy at least as much time as figuring out how to make sure you are out of the office by 5:00pm?

This has been my goal for the past two years. Today I was reflecting on the the degree of success I've had making my career meld into interests. Anyone who has read FERMENTATION for a while knows that I"m deeply interested in legal implications of wine distributing and the necessity of an equitable system. The REthink Wine Trade system Inertia is deploying helps level the playing field without plowing it up. It means more sales for small wineries, more access to great wines for restaurants and retailers and the potential for wholesalers to help incubate a brand without a significant outpouring of capital. When I can be involved in even a tangential way in launching this kind of system, you know it is a real "happy-to-get-out-of-bed" kind of day.

An Eye-Popping Wine Suggestion

A group of French lawmakers have issued a report recommending that school children be taught "how to appreciate wine" and the commencement of "education programs to inform young people about the origins, history and characteristics of French wines."

Can you imagine the hysterical outrage that would be aimed at those who suggested such a thing here in America. The folks at MADD would...well...go mad.

The justification for this proposal in France is pretty obvious. Their industry is ailing to a degree and they need future wine drinkers. But they say it like this:

"Teaching our children about regional products, about how they are cultivated and transformed to acquire their taste can only help them keep their health and promote demands for quality and respect for nature."

Given the demands on our educational system to "teach the tests" it's unlikely such a program could be accommodated even if there were no outrage, unless of course we could some how gets questions about terroir, malolactic fermentation and Zinfandel into the exit exams for science and social studies.

Wine education in America will probably always be left to the private sector. That's the best we can hope for and likely the best way to handle it anyway. Still, I'd like to see someone suggest a high school-based wine appreciation course here in America only because I've never actually seen a person's eyes actually pop out of their head. And even the suggestion would have some people's eyes popping before the picketing and protesting ever began.

Can 1,129 Postings on wine be fun? YES!!

I sure hope my fellow wine bloggers are having as much fun as I am!

This day marks the 2nd anniversary of my first blog post. This very short amount of time, the 1,129 posts, the countless typos, the three different URLs, the ongoing interaction with a readership far more astute than I and the chance to deliver my own brand of hubris into the blogosphere all adds up to GREAT FUN.

What's next for Fermentation?

Certainly more of the same. After all, the way in which wine, culture and I mix never ceases to amaze me.  But I have been thinking about this question.

Maybe I'll find a reputable palate that reviews wine for Fermentation.
Maybe I'll attempt to organize wine bloggers and bring them together.
Maybe I'll take it upon myself to evangelize on behalf of wine bloggers using ads and PR.
Maybe I'll produce an annual learning conference on wine blogging for wineries and bloggers.

Maybe I'll ask my readership, what should be next for Fermentation. Yes, that's it!!

Here's the question:
What would you like to see happen, evolve, change, be added to or be promoted here at Fermentation?

Tell me!

In the meantime, I want every reader of Fermentation, even those who arrive here after a search at google for "sex in the back seat", to know how grateful I am for your attention.

The Most Magical Vineyard in the World

Jack at Fork & Bottle tipped me off to this very interesting tidbit at Dr. Vino's Blog (leave it to the good Doctor to find the really magical and fascinating things about the wine industry).

Apparently Gallo is marketing a wine in Europe, Asia and Canada that appears to come from the "Sierra Valley" appellation here in California.

What's really cool is that Gallo is the first winery in America (the world?) to actually get the trademark for a specific appellation. This means that no matter who uses grapes from the Sierra Valley appellation, they can't use the name of that appellation on the bottle the way Gallo has.

It's almost as though it's a phantom appellation.

But...This reporter has actually been to "Sierra Valley" and can report that it really is an amazing and unique terroir:

To get to Sierra Valley you have to travel down the Deep End Road in the Central Valley. Eventually you have to go off of the Deep End and follow Cockamamie Street. That will take you directly into the heart of Sierra Valley.

There is really something magical about this appellation. I was particularly taken with one vineyard that is identified as The Emperor's Clothing Estate. The vineyards were perfectly manicured. In fact, the vineyard is actually "sun drenched"; that is, the sunshine ACTUALLY drips off the leaves on the vines. I know this sounds miraculous, but I read it myself.

Now, if you follow Cockamamie Street and go Around the Bend, you'll find another vineyard site in the Sierra Valley: Farciville Valley Vineyards. Most remarkable about the Farciville Valley planting is that in between the rows of vines they have planted Beanstalks. Jack, the caretaker of Farciville Vineyards, explained to me that the grapes, when harvested, each weigh over 20 lbs, all because of the special beanstalk cover crop planted between the rows.

For more information on this wonderful California appellation, check out Dr. Vino's Blog.

Wine Ratings: Who Loves Them...Who Doesn't?

Anyone who doubts the power of numerical wine ratings, particularly the 100 Point system, just isn't living in the same world as me. Let me explain what I, a wine marketer, see when I look at numerical ratings:

1. The opportunity to become an overnight success with a single rating from the right reviewer

2. The opportunity to have my entire brand dismissed with a single wrathing from the wrong reviewer.

3. The chance to sell out 1000s of cases of wine on the back of one good rating and little marketing.

4. An enormous incentive to make a wine that mimics those that get high ratings.

5. The most powerful sales tool in the history of winemaking, more important even than the quality of the wine.

In our recent "Tough Wine Questions" survey here at Fermentation I asked three questions about numerical wine rating. In the first question I wanted to know what people thought of the utility of wine ratings in terms of choosing a wine. The responses were split down the middle with 51% saying they are helpful in choosing a wine and 49% saying they are of no use.

WOW.

What's really interesting is what happens when we examine those who thought them useless. These people are 1) far more likely to believe numerical ratings are HURTING the wine industry, more likely to believe numerical ratings promote "sameness" in wine styles and...importantly...much more likely to work in or around the wine industry.

It may be that by being in the wine industry you are more likely to have been affected in some way by a bad review and this taints your view of the utility and effect of numerical wine ratings. But I think there might be more to it than that.

WHY THE INDUSTRY IS SKEPTICAL OF RATINGS
First, it's likely that if you are in the industry or around wine a lot or drink a lot of wine you simply don't need reviews to help you find a wine. Maybe you even resent their ubiquity. I also am convinced there is a genuine concern that numerical wine ratings are promoting greater sameness of style among wines from various terroirs and varietals. When we asked if numerical wine ratings promote "sameness" in wine 78% of respondents said yes. Of those who find ratings of no use in choosing a wine, 85% said it promotes sameness. It's no surprise that those who said ratings promote sameness in wine styles were more likely to say the wine industry was hurt by ratings.

As with the issue of high alcohols in wine there appears to be a concern INSIDE the wine industry over the utility and effect of numerical wine ratings. Of those who identified themselves as not being in the wine industry, they were much more likely to think ratings were helpful in choosing a wine and that ratings made wine more accessible.

I don't think there is any question that numerical wine ratings make wine more accessible to more people. Folks that just want a good wine stare up at a shelf of over 50 cabernets, 50 chards and hundreds of other wines all on the same shelf. Which to buy? That 90 point Pinot must be good.

I"LL KEEP USING RATINGS
Will the skepticism of the industry filter down to the buying public? Not in my lifetime. What's more, I'll continue to use numerical wine ratings to help promote the wines of Wark Communications clients, even though I'm one of those folks who think they hurt the creativity and diversity in the wine industry. Not using these scores would simply be letting my clients down given their huge potential to gain customers from them.

Who Wants High Alcohol Wines?

By my reckoning and perspective, both personal and from within the industry, the biggest issue facing the wine business is the emergence of high alcohol wines as the norm.

This was why I included two questions about them this blogs recent "Tough Wine Questions" survey. I could, and probably should, have included more questions on the the topic.

If it's not clear, I should spell out my general objections to the trend that is higher and higher alcohol levels in wines.

1. I can't drink as much wine when the alcohol level is 14.5%
2. Hi brix (leading to high alcohol) appears to diminish the more interesting nuances in wines
3. Hi brix (leading to high alcohol) appears to diminish terroir characteristics in wine
4. Hi brix (leading to high alcohol)  seems to come with higher pH which  reduces aging potential.

I don't think it's worth discussing whether or not alcohols have risen over the past decade or so. It's a objective fact. Survey takers realized this too as 86.1% said they have seen the increase.

Yet, it seems my objection to high alcohol wines is a minority view. Of those taking the survey who were asked to identify how they react to these wines, 54% said they "didn't mind" or they "liked" high alcohol wines. Thirty-six percent of respondents said their either "don't like" or "don't buy" high alcohol wines. As a side note, 8% of respondents said their best description of how they react to high alcohol wines is "they are hurting the wine industry".

It is very interesting to note that those who seem to approve or not mind higher alcohol wines are also much more forgiving of numerical wine ratings than the average survey taker. They are more likely to believe numerical ratings are helpful in choosing a wine to buy and that numerical ratings are making wine more accessible to more people.

One of the common reasons given for the rise of higher alcohol wines is that high alcohol tends to be associated with the kinds of bigger, more extracted wines embraced by wine critics.

There are in fact a number of reason that conspire to bring more high alcohol wines to market today.

1. More efficient yeasts
2. New clones
3. Better canopy management
4. Fewer virused vines in the vineyard

These reasons however don't address the change in style that has overcome the industry and why. This is a complicated matter that has much to do with ratings, true and false perceptions of why high ratings are given to high extract wines, the way wine is sold at retail, and the experiences of the newer wine drinkers that came into the fold in the 1990s.

Yet there is no question that those in the industry do seem to be sparking a backlash against high alcohol wines. There is certainly anecdotal evidence found in various articles on the subject and in talking to those in the industry.

And in the survey just ended here, those who identified themselves as "in the wine industry" are much more likely to say that they don't like or don't buy high alcohol wines. They are also more likely to say that wine ratings are of no use in helping to choose a wine and that numerical ratings hurt the wine industry.

The question is will this industry trend that seems to be moving against high alcohol wines spill
over into the minds of the consumer. I have no good answer for this question.

"OLD VINES": A Term In Need of A Meaning

What does it mean when you see the term "Old Vine" on a wine bottle? The answer is, nothing you can count on. It falls into the same category as the term "Reserve". "Old Vine" is a term you often see on the front of the wine label, yet unlike the varietal, appellation and vintage, the government plays no role in dictating what that term should mean.

Should it?

The question we asked in our latest survey of Fermentation readers was: The criteria for labeling a wine "Old Vine" should be?

In addition to offering the choices of 20, 40, 60, 80 or 100 for the age of the vine we also let folks choose "None, there should be no criteria".

Clearly this question should have been broken up into to questions, first asking if the govt. should regulate the use of the term, then asking what criteria should be used.

Nine Percent of respondents said there should be no criteria for the use of the term. I'm not one of the 9%. I think there should be a criteria for putting the term "Old Vine" on your bottle simply because it implies the wine is special in some way that others aren't. You could say the same about the term "reserve", but you could not so easily verify what it is about a "reserve" wine that made it special without laying down a whole slew of regulations and dictates on who the wine was made. With old vines, you'd need only say how old the vines must be to be considered "old" and what percent of the wine must contain juice from those older vines.

For the record, I'd go with the vines must be 80 years old and the wine must be 100% from these Old Vines.

"But this is an arbitrary age," you say. Indeed it is. And that's one of the real mysteries of "old vine" wines. Although most folks attribute something special to their character, there really is no solid determination of what that special quality in the wine really is.

Are they more intense?
Are they spicier?
Are they more balanced?

I don't know. But, I should know that they are made from older vines.

What's interesting about "old vine" vineyards in California that tend to be at least4 60 years old is that they seem likely to be field blends with Zinfandel carrying most of the load. This is particularly true of vineyards that have been in the ground for more than 80 years. This is not so much the case with 40 years old vines and certainly not the case with 20 year old vines.

And by the way, 13% of respondents in the survey said the vines should need to be only 20 years old to be called "old vine". These folks tended to be overwhelmingly male, more educated, more likely to not mind high alcohol wines and much more likely to attribute the meaning of terroir to simply soil characteristics. Interesting, but I don't know what that means.

What I do know is that it is very unlikely to seen any regulations on the term "old vine" appear any time soon. The outcry against regulating the term would be HUGE. All those folks that own vineyards or buy grapes from vineyards that are about 30 years old and call them old vines would protest. They'd claim any requirements regarding age are arbitrary. And they'd be right.

America's MOST Infuential Critic: Robert Parker?

The December 2006 issue of the Atlantic Monthly (a magazine any self-respecting intellectual-minded person should read) has a fascinating cover story on the 100 Most Influential People in American History. There are no wine-related people on this list.

However, there is an interesting series of sidebar stories such as Most Influential Poets, Filmmakers and...Critics. Inside this sidebar story comes the following sentence:

"No critic in history has ever wielded as much influence as Robert Parker."

Clearly the author of his sidebar story, Atlantic Monthly Managing Editor Robert Messenger, is referring to American Critics. However, I don't think he's merely suggesting that Mr. Parker is the most influential  WINE Critic. I think he's say that in terms of overall influence, no other critic in American history has ever wielded a much influence than Parker:

"His ratings send customers scurrying to wine shops and drive price skyward. Wines are being made on five continents to suit his preferences. With his exceptional palate and Nader-like devotion to the consumer, he revolutionized an industry that was dominated by insiders, obfuscation, and hyperbole twenty years ago. He's been attacked from all sides but it hard not to admire his consistency and his independence."

With the exception of the third sentence in this love letter, it's hard to disagree with Messenger's appraisal of Robert Parker. But it's that 3rd sentence that gets to me.

First, I think you can make  a significant argument that Parker does have a devotion to the consumer. However, so do the folks who make the "Girls Gone Wild" videos.  I often wonder if what seems like a commitment to bestowing high scores on wines from across the globe that have similar characters is a benefit to the consumer.

Also, I'm unclear what kind of "obfuscation" was inherent in the wine business 20 years ago and what Mr. Parker did t save us from that. Finally, is there really less hyperbole, as Mr. Messenger implies, in the wine business today and, if there is (which there is not) how did Mr. Parker rid us of that?

The list of most influential critics in the Atlantic Monthly is an inspired effort. I'm a BIG fan of learned criticism. Among the others on the list are Bernard Berenson, the man who introduced the classic art world to Americans; Clement Greenberg, the author of "Art and Culture" and who championed the contemporary abstract art movement; John Hammond, the man who introduced Jazz to America; and Randal Jarrell, the modern American Poet's critic.

And yet, I'm still stuck wondering about the nature of influence and Robert Parker when I read, again, this sentence in the sidebar:

"No critic in history has ever wielded as much influence as Robert Parker."

ANSWERS To Tough Wine Questions

The recent Fermentation Survey on "Tough Wine Questions" was issued to to look at questions about wine that interest me as a marketer. In this post I want to deliver an overall look at what the 238 folks who answered the survey had to say.

ON TERROIR
For the avid wine drinker and wine enthusiast the question of Terroir looms large. Without it there really is little meaning to our relationship with wine since if all wine is the same, no matter where it is grown, well, then who cares.

I asked you to identify which statement best describes your own understanding of the concept of terroir. 70% said:

"The influence that the entire natural environment (soil, climate, slope, rain, etc) has on the character of a wine."

This is a New World concept of terroir insofar as it tends to give equal weight to both climate and soil. In Europe you are far more likely to see soils given more credit for the character of the wine. Also, you will see deference given to local and regional winemaking traditions in any descriptions of terroir. These two descriptions of terroir were given by 11% of respondents respectively.

OLD VINES
In my mind, the term "Old Vine" is among the most abused and misunderstood terms you will ever see on a label. What constitutes "old vines" and what character do they add to a wine? I didn't examine the latter, but only the former in this survey when I asked what criteria should exist for labeling a wine "Old Vine?"

38% said the vines should be 40 years or older, while 28% said 60 years or older. Upwards of 78% or respondents believed the vines producing the grapes for a wine labeled "Old Vine" should be older than 40 years.

HIGH ALCOHOL WINES
There is a debate in the industry right now as to whether the current concern often expressed in the wine industry over higher and higher alcohol wines will eventually trickle down to the consumer who will then reject them. It's definitely an open question. In this survey I wanted to know how Fermentation readers responded to high alcohol wines.

You are aware of them. Over 80% of you say that wines have drifted up in alcohol content over the past few years. However, over 50% of you say you either "Don't Mind" them or "Like them". 35% of you say you react to these wines either by not liking them or by not buying them.  Another 7% of you think high alcohol wines are hurting the wine industry.

WINE RATINGS
There is a significant split among Fermentation Readers over the utility and impact of numerical wine ratings. Half say they are useful in helping choose a wine to buy, while half say they are of no value. Half of you say they are hurting the wine industry while half say they are making wine more accessible to more people, something that is clearly beneficial to the wine wine industry.

Now here's something very interesting: Nearly 80% of respondents believe that numerical wine ratings promote sameness in wine. Less than 1% of respondents believe numerical wine ratings promote a diversity of style in wine.

DEMOGRAPHICS
You are overwhelmingly male. You are likely by a margin of over 80% to have an undergraduate college degree or better. You are likely to be middle aged. You probably live on the East or West coast. Well over half of you have an annual household income of $100K and..... more than half of you work in the wine industry or an industry that serves the wine industry in some capacity.

I have more to say on these findings. There are some very interesting nuggets when you break down the questions and parse them. They also give rise to some very interesting questions, which I will be raising in later posts.

In the mean time, you can view the results of the Survey HERE.

"Tough Wine Questions" Survey Ending Today

The current survey underway, "The Tough Wine Questions", will close tonight at 9pm PST.

If you've not already taken the survey I would be most pleased if you did. It won't take more than 3 or 4 mintues.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE "TOUGH WINE QUESTIONS SURVEY