Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

I'm A Twit!!

Am I a Twit?

God knows I've had this shingle hung around my neck by a few dismissive folks over the years.

But I've never willingly adopted the moniker. Until Now.

TOM'S NEW TWITTER FEED.

Yes, I joined twitter. I'm not quite committed to the TwitterRevolution as I'm not sure how it will increase my productivity as a blogger or quality as a blogger or the readership of my blog. Nor am I sure how it will increase the quality of the work I do for my Wark Communications clients. Both these considerations will determine if I remain a Twit.

It seems to me that one's enthusiastic adoption of Twitter into their daily lives amounts to taking the real plunge into social networking. Blogs are one thing. Scanning social networks (Open Wine Consortium) is another. But relenting to receiving tiny messages at random times from any number of of folks you choose to follow really seems like a leap to me.

I'm trying to figure out what place the following twitter message has in my daily life: "It's colder today. Sun trying to get through."

At this point, I think there might be potential to use Twitter as a way to point Fermentation readers who use twitter toward intriguing news and information that may not warrant a post at Fermentation. In addition, it might be a way to guerrilla-ize my communication work on behalf of Wark Communication clients. For example. I might send out this kind of twitter: "Mayo Winery Launches New Reserve Room Food/Wine Menu: http://www.mayofamilywinery.com/mayofamily/page/reserve_room.jsp (shortening the URL, of course)

If I take this route I'll find out somewhat quickly what type of client info is acceptable to my "followers"—that does sound nice: FOLLOWERS...Like I have some sort of torch-wielding army at my disposal.

In any case, there is an experiment underway here.

I'd love to hear from others who live in and around the on-line wine world just how useful or intrusive they've found Twitter to be.

The Next Wine Movie (trailer included)

One of the two forthcoming films about the 1976 Paris Tasting, Bottle Shock, has made its debut at the Sundance Film festival. Below is the official trailer for the film. There are initial reviews of the film out too. Not many of them are terrific

FROM VARIETY: "A peculiar demand placed on the cast, from Farina in Paris to Pine, Rodriguez, Taylor and Pullman in Napa (and Rickman in both locales), is credibly reacting when tasting vintages, sending the visual clue that a great wine is at hand. Rickman plays the snob to human scale and never to exaggeration, while Miller lets Pine and Pullman go overboard with unevenly calibrated perfs. Taylor and Rodriguez, despite one ridiculous love scene, pull off big-screen charm. Production is slick on a budget (though using Napa spots as a location substitute for France is an obvious flub), and plenty of visuals serve as little more than commercials for California wine country."

FROM CINEMABLEND: " Is there room in the world for yet another movie about wine?  If the movie is Bottle Shock… then nope. Director Randol Miller has assembled an amazing and talented cast, but he uses them on a disjointed script which never seems to find its focus."

FROM FILM.COM: "With the runaway success of Sideways you just know the general public is ripe for a good wine movie. Even better, the concept here (at first blush) is even better than Sideways and the filmmakers have gotten Alan Rickman involved too. So how did things go so terribly wrong? Well, they violated rule No. 1 of storytelling: they forgot what story they were trying to tell."

FROM PHILLY.COM: "Director and co-screenwriter Randall Miller insisted in a phone interview that Bottle Shock is "as close to the truth as possible."

 

In that case, the screenplay from June that I read must have undergone major surgery before shooting started in August. Even so, big chunks of truth apparently have been jettisoned for wider cinematic appeal, and an invented love triangle has been added."

I for one plan to withhold judgment until I see "BottleShock". What I do know is that one more film about wine is nothing but good for the wine industry in general. 

The Good & The Bad

The issue of direct shipping brings out the best and the worst in folks, no doubt about that. But I also think the Direct Shipping issue is the kind of topic that can demonstrate the power of online media and the power of blogs.

First the good in people. Alder's post on the Wine.com Stings has resulted in a remarkably coherent and well thought out set of comments on the issue. I can tell you that people are reading them too. In the past few days I've been interviewed by upwards of 8 different media outlets on the issue and what it means for retailers in general and to direct shipping in particular. But I want to bring you back to this issue of bringing out the good. Consider the comment on Alder's Vinography by one Emily & Stephan of Winemonger.com. It's at the bottom  of the comments. If you want to see a comment on a blog that not only sets the issue in context, but also delivers an appropriate rebuke, is amazingly articulate and actually takes action by putting their money where their mouth is, theirs is the comment to read.

More than anything you have to congratulate Alder for having what is clearly one of the most involved and well spoken readership anywhere.

But then there is the Bad that this issue of direct shipping brings out. I simply must highlight a comment I received on the post just below this. It is in fact the kind of comment I like to see if only because I know they are reading Fermentation. But it also highlights what this issue of direct shipping can do to people who are personally engaged in the issue. "The Big Boys" had this to say:

The last thing this world needs is a presumptuous prick like you telling everyone else that a system thats worked great for 70 years is corrupt.

You think you've got this figured out don't you. If there weren't any wholesalers you and your faggy California vintners would be up shit creeke.

You think drinkers and your precious SWRA will win against distributors then think again. You don't stand a chance and it's not cause of few mllion doallars. Its because no one wants to buy 100 dollar bottles of wine ovr the Internet. And it's because states don't want kids ordering booze.

Why don't you take your shitty blog, your shitty SWRA and leave the work to the big boys."

The issue of Wine.com and its stings will eventually fade away and we will all be on to another topic and another conversation. But the fact that the issue was unwrapped by bloggers and blog readers and by those that comment on wine bulletin boards will be remembered by Wine.com, "The Big Boys" and all those in the media and the simple wine lovers that found introduction to the issue online.

 

Whimsy

One thing you don't see on TV too much is Napa Valley being dissed. It's even less common to see Sonoma be hailed over Napa. Yet this very occurrence was brought to my attention today in the form of a recent episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Derek, played by Patrick Dempsey, is soliciting advice from Mark, played by Eric Dane, on whether he should take his girl to Napa or Sonoma for a couple days. The advise he gets back is straight forward: Sonoma, because there are less tourists and smaller hotels.

I know...it's a small little item, but...damn, you just don't see that sort of thing often on your average network show.

And I'm not suggesting it's a Sideways-moment that will catapult Sonoma in to the American consciousness. I think what we probably have here is a case of one of the writers having probably recently had this very discussion and they thought they'd pass on the seemingly insider kind of knowledge to the show's script.

But this is a reminder. The power of popular culture and its icons to influence American's views of the world is immense. The movie "Sideways" and it's effect on Pinot Noir sales is only the latest example. Before that we saw "60 Minutes" catapult the sales of red wine based on their coverage of the health benefits of the beverage.

The point, of course, is whimsy. No one as far as I know anticipated the effect that Sideways would have, even though many knew this movie was being released. One never knows what kind of popular culture event might ignite an idea or industry or wine or region.

When is Wine Info Reliable?

What is "reliable" information?

This question might take on more significance when discussing matters of life or death, the value of your home or information upon which you are going to base business decisions. With regard to wine and our passion for the beverage I'm not sure it's nearly as important. After all, if someone tells you, "This is the best wine in the universe" and it turns out not to be...big deal.

But it still remains something we should all keep in mind as we peruse blogs like this one, the various wine magazines, as we listen to wine experts and as we take in the various wine-related political riffs that folks like myself and other bloggers and writers indulge in from time to time.

How then does one determine if the information we suck up is reliable? There are some basic rules that deserve repeating.

Is a source cited?
When you read or hear that X did or said Y, can you get to that source? The fact that blogs and increasingly non-blog but Internet-housed information does this quite well generally is an overlooked asset to the blog format. We tend to link. The other day I ranted a bit about what appeared to be a web site that stereotyped gays. And I linked to the site. That allowed a number of folks to look at the site and offer their opposite impressions. Look for citations.

Know who is Doing the Talking
These days if I can't know the name and the affiliation or background of the person making the claims or doing the commenting I simply won't spend time at that website. It's a matter of putting one's name behind something. Increasingly, I won't give much time to a blog or website that doesn't give me a way to contact the person doing the writing outside the comment section. If they feel the need to be detached from their reader, I don't feel the need to be their reader.

Objectivity
It seems a diminishing commodity these days, but given the amount of biased (celebratory bias?) one is exposed to these days, a source that self consciously tries to be a genuinely unbiased source is a real treasure. In the wine world there are a few of those sources: Wine Business Monthly, Wine Market Report, Wines & Vines, Practical Winery & Vineyard, Vineyard & Winery Management. What all these have in common is they serve the trade...business. They attempt to be sources of information that others can use to run a business. Those behind these publications surely have biases. But they rarely come out in the news and research they report.

The entertainment an lifestyle publications are biased. In fact you want them to be if you are looking for a good, provocative, interesting read. The reviews of wines are by definition the source of bias. What else could they be. And, the editors and writers bring to the table a solid idea of what they believe is a compelling story. There is no way to do this without using one's bias. If a reader knows this, they can get a great deal more out of the wine publications.

Experience
I'm looking for experts. I'm looking for folks that have been around the wine business long enough that they've seen and heard a lot. I expect them have a bias, but I also have a great deal more respect for these folks. They've tasted widely, talked to more folks, including others like themselves and, importantly, they've seen trends come and go. These folks may not give us unbiased information, but that is different than unreliable information. My experience is that the information I get from those that have been around this business for 20 years or more is going to be of a higher caliber, better filtered, more contextual.

More and more I'm thinking about what's reliable information and what's not. I've not been burned of late by relying on bad information. But of late I've seen more opportunity to be burned.

Simulating Wine

Word is that Nintendo is about to release a new "wine game" for the Nintendo DS. According to Decanter, "the educational game features a glossary of wine terms, several quizzes, wine advice and tips on etiquette."

Somehow I don't think the Nintendo folks have any hope of creating much of a stir with this game, nor much of record of sales.

If any of the game console folks really want to create something cool they should create a winemaking and wine marketing simulation. While this kind of a game would, like the soon to be released Nintendo "Beginners Wine DS", fail to make any kind of a significant audience, it would be an interesting thing to try and create.

I remember some time ago the folks at Maxis that made the SimCity games put out SimFarm. One of the crops you could grow and sell were grapes, which you sold to wine producers. But that was the extent of it. I recall playing the game and thinking it worthy of a 7/10 score. It just didn't rise to the level of SimCity, which of course does get a 10/10 score as one of the most innovating and time sucking games every created.

What variables could a real wine making/wine marketing sim include?

-Where to plant?
-Cost of land
-Cost of winery vs. custom crush
-How's the weather?
-What's the market like for various wines
-How do you plan on selling your wine?
-What scores do you get from reviewers?
-How much do you spend on marketing vs. winemaking?
-Pricing.

Admit it, this would be fun...albeit for a very very small group of gamers. Any game developers in among the readership that want to make me happy and lose a great deal of money??

Meaninglessness

I've not commented on the recently announced alliance between Martha Stewart and Gallo, who it appears will make wine for the doyen of all things domestic under the new "Martha Stewart Vintage" line of wines.

It just seemed so obvious that this announcement had very little meaning. Who knows, maybe some meaning will emerge. Maybe that meaning will be the creation of a new wine brand that produces and sells over 1 million cases annually.

However, today in Dan Berger's weekly Vintage Experiences newsletter, we get a perfect explanation of the meaning of Martha's new line of wine. The meaning is meaninglessness:

"But how on earth can anyone take the MSV line of wines seriously? Why would an MSV wine be any better than a Gallo of Sonoma bottle? What bothers me most about this is that it is yet one more new brand that clearly has no particular meaning … except, perhaps, to Martha Stewart fans."

Of course the thing about Dan's interpretation of these new wines that I really appreciate his his emphasis on the idea that a wine should have meaning that goes beyond meaninglessness. This view, of course, really only has meaning to those who take wine seriously. There are those who will assess the idea that wines should have meaning will a big roll of the eyes and say, "yea, and my soap needs to have meaning too."

This should tell you a couple things. First, it should tell you that if you do believe that wine should have meaning then Dan Berger's newsletter is probably something you should be reading. It should also tell you that meaning is in the mind of the beholder. Dan knows this and he knows his audience too.

If you are so inclined, here is the best article that attempts to eek out some sort of meaning of the new line of Martha Stewart wines. I'll settle for Dan's interpretation of it's meaning: meaninglessness.

A Chance To Take Down The Munchkin

One of the very best (meaning fun) winery events I've ever attended was the Roshambo Rock-Paper-Scissors World Championships. As Virginie Boone at WineAbout Blog points out, there was fear that Roshambo would not be able to carry on with this contest of skill, wit and intuition after having sold their winery to Silver Oak.

Naomi Brilliant wouldn't let that happen.

The 5th Annual Roshambo Rock-Paper-Scissors World Championships is set for October 6th at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California.

I've competed in this event before. I even trained for it...a little. When it came my time to throw my fist into the fray I was soundly defeated by what appeared to be a 10 year old boy with some sort of supernatural intuition. I did not think it possible that he would know my plan to always throw paper. The little savant however threw scissors every single time. I was outwitted by a munchkin. THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!

Despite that setback, it turned out that getting a little tanked up on Roshambo Zin and SB and competing with a ten year-old on the Rock-Paper-Scissors battleground turned out to be loads of fun. I recommend this event highly.

The folks at Roshambo have not lost their edge after selling their amazing facility to Silver Oak. Anyone who knows Naomi never thought she would. It struck me she'd either get out of the business altogether or carry on valiantly, slashing her way through the sometimes mind-numbing baroqueness that can be the wine industry.

The other good news is that Roshambo has joined a co-op tasting room right here in my own Sonoma Valley. Roshambo wines can be found at Cornerstone Gardens, a very cool stop at the entrance to the Valley that includes not only a tasting room but some very cool and weird shops, not to mention a smart cafe.

So, put it down on your calendar:
5th Annual Roshambo Rock-Paper-Scissors World Championships
October 6th
Flamingo Resort Hotel
2777 4th Street, Santa Rosa , CA

Harvest Widows & Widowers Prepare for Abandonment

Driving through southern Napa Valley and the town of Sonoma yesterday I saw no less than 8 trucks hauling grapes—nice, plump, aromatic grapes. (ever drive behind a truck hauling just-harvested grapes? It smells like I imagine the Welch's production factory does.)

Harvest is undoubtedly underway here in the North Coast. My reports have Sauvignon Blanc coming in just about everywhere. Pinot can't be that far behind, particularly in the warmer areas.

There is still a lot that can happen between now and when the last grape is plucked from the vine. But that said, 2007 has been a remarkably uneventful growing season. No weird heat spikes. No unseasonable rain. The fog has been steady. This year however will be remembered for a very mild winter and spring. It just didn't get too cold and we saw very little rain. That means in many cases the grapes will come in a little early. That's no worry to the growers. In fact it's something of a blessing because it reduces the odds of having fall rains catch your grapes on the vine.

Veteran Harvest Widows and Widowers are no doubt readying themselves for their annual abandonment. Toward the middle of the harvest when anything and everything can find their ripeness and demand picking, winemakers are basically on call 24/7 or working 24/7.

Behold: The Golden Age of Artisan Winemaking

Today, on the front page of the SF Chronicle, above the fold, was a huge story about the sale of venerable Stag's Leap Winery for $185 Million. This story, along with the news that William Hill and Canyon Road went to a consortium of St. Michelle and Antinori and Duckhorn sold most of it's value to an equity firm, led to the state of Napa Valley being a BIG concern not just in the media but in the industry.

I was trying to muster some sort of concern or even interest in these developments but just couldn't. There is a suggestion swirling around all the media reports that Napa Valley is "evolving" or becoming more corporate or that the California wine industry is changing:

"The transaction is a big step down the corporate path for the renowned valley, where wineries once were strictly family enterprises."

I simply don't see how the sale of Stag's Leap is a "big step" down the corporate path.

The fact is, today in America and in California we are in a GOLDEN AGE of small, artisan winemaking.

The vast majority of wineries in CA are privately owned. You can't travel on foot in this state without tripping over a new winery or brand "dedicated to exposing the unique terroir of (name the region)". It's an embarrassment of riches for wine lovers who value a diversity of experience.

Why I'd bet that at least four or five new privately owned wineries were founded in just the past two days here in California. New custom crush facilities that winemakers rent to make there wine are popping up all over the state to deal with the demand for winemaking space. I read about more and more co-op tasting rooms emerging...in urban areas.

Hell, there's a god damned Renaissance of private winery ownership in America today.

Someone go talk to Jim Laube of the Wine Spectator or Robert Parker or the San Francisco Chronicle Tasting panel.  Ask them about the wines that are crossing their desks these days. My bet is that on a weekly basis they are confronted with a brand of wine they've never heard of before. My bet is that they are receiving more wines as samples than ever before.

Here's the real question: How is it that corporate American and the big investment funds haven't yet found Napa Valley, let alone Sonoma, Santa Barbara or Mendocino. Corporate America hasn't even begun to dabble in wine. Corporate and Investment Fund purchases of wineries are infrequent, few and far between. Now, that might change as more and more Americans drink wine or as India and China mature as markets. 

But rest assured, the small, privately owned, artisan-oriented family wineries has never been stronger in America.

It's a great time to be a wine consumer who likes variety and loves discovering new winemakers.

Ask For that Sweet Caress

Do you know who Randall Dunn is?

For those of you who do, bear with me.

Dunn is one of the most respected winemakers in America. He built Caymus Special Selection. He defined the meaning of mountain-grown Cabernet. He helped put Howell Mountain on the viticultural map. He consulted for the likes of La Jota and Pahlmeyer. His Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet was identified by Jim Laube as one of a very few produced at the time to be a 5-star wine and among the very best California has to offer. Robert Parker likes to give his wines 95, 96 and 97 points.

Randall Dunn also believes "The current fad of higher and higher alcohol wines should stop."

This was the message contained in an e-mail (read it HERE) Dunn sent out to the American wine media a couple days ago. Coming from a man as respected as Dunn, the result of the electronic shot across the bow of American winemaking and American wine criticism was to get LOTS of people talking.

That accomplishment alone gets this message from Dunn nominated for E-mail of the Year.

Very simply, Dunn is saying that the trend toward 14%, 15% and higher alcohol wines is 1) destroy the ability to taste terroir, making drinking wine with dinner less enjoyable and resulting in less wine being sold in restaurants. Though he believes its the wine media that is encouraging winemakers to producer higher alcohol wines, he lays it at the feet of consumers to stop the trend:

"It is time for the average wine consumers, as opposed to tasters, to speak up....Ask for wines that are below 14% when you are out to dinner.  The reactions are fun, but the results are not good for United States wines.    The sommelier usually comes back with a French or New Zealand wine....Consumers – wake up and get active.  Reviewers -please at least include the labeled alcohol percentage in all your reviews, and try to remember that not everyone is spitting."

Dunn has taken a bit of a beating for his disparagement of high alcohol wines over at the e-RobertParker wine forums. What I glean from those who don't like Dunn's message is that he should understand that everyone has their own palate and it's not right to say that high alcohol wines are bad because they simply are higher in Alcohol.

One of my favorite things about wine reviews and criticism and commentary in general is we get to see folks take a stand, which it strikes me is exactly what Dunn, and Robert Parker, are doing.

As it turns out, I really hate being left out of a good old fashioned piling on of opinion. So, allow me my 2 cents: Those who disagree with Dunn and who defend the high alcohol wines, particularly those in the 15%+ range are simply wrong. Unless it's Zinfandel or Port, a 15.5% alcohol wine is not good. It may not be bad. But it's not good. Though I can appreciate a firm slap in the face, that never feels nearly as good as a sweet caress on one's cheek.

The defense of these absurdly high alcohol wines is amusing at best, particularly when you get to the point when the defender gets to the point of using the phrase "physiologically mature”. Start stepping away slowly, never turning your back on them, when you hear a defense put up with these words as the basis for the defense.

Here's hoping that many more folks in the media and many more consumers take Dunn's advice and start asking for a sweet caress rather than a slap in the face.

Can a Film Help Popularize $175 Napa Cabs?

There's a good deal of Hollywood Intrigue surrounding the cinematic interpretation of the famed Paris Tasting that put California on the maps. There are apparently now two rival productions in the works that will bring the story to movie theaters.

"Bottle Shock" is set to go into production staring Alan Rickman as Steve Spurrier and Bill Pullman as Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena while "Judgment of Paris" is the "official" film based on Jim Tabor's book "The Judgment of Paris.

"Bottle Shock" focuses on Chateau Montelena (which made the winning Chardonnay)
"Judgment" focuses on Stag's Leap (which made the winning Cabernet)

Talk of lawsuits are in the air. It's believed the film that gets into the theaters first will usually do better than the one that comes second. The story of the dueling movies may turn to be more intriguing than the subject matter of the two films as there is word that the Barretts of Chateau Montelena are funding "Bottle Shock" that focuses on them. However, that may or may not be true. The director of "Bottle Shock" is Randy Miller who's "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" opened the 2006 Sonoma Valley Film Fest.

Who knows, maybe these movies will do for $175 Cabernet Sauvignon what "Sideways" did for Pinot.

A Very Unusual Wine Book

"The House of Mondavi", a new book by Julia Flynn Siler, is a very unusual wine book. As an indication of just how unusual take a look at what  the "Customers who bought this item also bought" at Amazon.com:

Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich

The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy

The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of the Lazard Freres & Company.

Not many books are ever released that focus on the business of wine. Most are "how to drink" and "how to know what you are drinking". But then Siler is taking on a very unusual wine business in "House of Mondavi". Despite the ubiquitousness of Mondavi-branded wines in America, it remains one of only a handful of wineries to ever be traded publicly and to ever reach the heights of general public recognition.

On the other hand, Julia Siler is a very unusual reporter. You can count the number of folks who cover wine as a business outside the trade publications on one hand. This unusual position puts Ms. Siler in the position of getting the middle finger on that hand since unlike most writers on wine she actually doesn't write about the "glamor" and tastiness of wine, but rather the character of its underbelly.

The book itself is part history, part wine book, part business expose with a dollop of gossip thrown in. That's about the right combination to attract a pretty wide audience. And all in all it seems to me the author has done a pretty good job of combining all those perspectives, delivering a page-turning event, and opening up the other side of wine to folks who probably only know that Napa Valley makes damn good wine and is a pretty cool place to visit. There's also intrigue in them thar vineyards.

Robert Mondavi, the focus of the book, comes off pretty as I see it. This man was a force of nature, a seer, and someone with a remarkably generous disposition. This all comes through in "House" despite the occasional implication that Mr. Mondavi could have known better at times, perhaps treated some folks close to him better or taken different directions that would have made for a happier outcome for many people. But I don't think the delivering the kindly and farseeing side of Mr. Mondavi was the author's intent. Why should it be? She wasn't writing, "Mondavi: Great Man of Wine". That story has been written over and over. But the fact that his greatness does come through loud and clear in a book that is a business expose is testament not only to him but those who know him and provide background and information to the author and despite the implications of the book that Mr. Mondavi's charitable inclinations had something to do with the course of the company's stock price and viability.

As I was reading the book, I started wondering just how man such stories could be written about the wine industry. How many compelling business-related books on the wine industry actually deserve to be written and would resonate with enough readers to justify their publication by a company in the business of making money through book publication?

I can think of two or three that have already been written, but those focused more on the business of wine or of Napa Valley, rather than a person or company. Those books will surely be written again as more and more folks become interested in wine and want a peak behind the curtain. Then of course there was the recent book on Robert Parker that was both personal profile and part business profile.

I'm not sure another "House of Mondavi" will be written anytime soon as something similar would take finding a character such as Robert Mondavi, someone nearly larger than life in the business who personally changed the business and became known most American households.

There are a number of folks around Napa Valley who are upset with the tone and substance of Julia Flynn Siler's book and by extension with her. Napa Valley and the wine business is a pretty small place and folks can be understandably protective of their home and friends. They'll probably get over it. In the end, Robert Mondavi is far more than what are between the pages of this book for these folks, for Napa and for the wine industry. However, "House of Mondavi" is a pretty darn interesting look into the wine industry, particularly for those not living here, not FOM and who enjoy a good read.

Altruism, Community, Wine & SNOOTH

I've been thinking a lot about Snooth lately. The recently launched meta site that aggregates reviews from numerous sources, as well as those entered directly on the site, to come up with aesthetic and critical profiles of wines, is a good thing. A very good thing.

If the web is to become a reliable place to go for opinions on products then we'd better have a variety of opinions. That's what makes me particularly interested in Snooth.

When running on all cylinders Snooth has the potential to deliver an array of opinions on wines ranging from the consumers, the retailers, the critics and the wine competitions. They attempt to translate all this information into a five point rating scale (it delivers half points...that's good). This is ambitious. But it wouldn't be worth doing if ambition were not built into the project. Just look around the net at all the other websites that offer "community reviews" of wines. Seems to me if you are going to enter this space, enter it big and bold. And that appears to be what Snooth is doing.

Snooth is currently pulling reviews from around the web, including CellarTracker, which seems to be the most successful community review site. However, there are also scores from the Spectator, Tanzer and others. There are medals listed from competitions.

This brings up a big difference between Snooth and other review aggregate sites: A skepticism with altruism. Cellar Tracker was built on the idea that wine lovers would be kind enough to offer their reviews of wines. And they've stepped up and done so. But there is no guarantee that this model of relying on folks to deliver their views on a wine to your website will pan out. There is in fact a real and obvious possibility that many a wine will be missed or ignored.

Altruism can't be counted on. And the folks at Snooth, while they encourage the kindness of wine lovers by asking them to rate wines, have made a point of creating software that scours other sources of altruism, not to mention the professional points of view.

Snooth currently has over 1.5 million "reviews" or comments on various wines. How long would it take to generate that kind of useful content if you relied on altruism?

The other beauty of Snooth, and the reason you should use it and bet on it, is the way it allows one to search for wines or receive recommendations for wines based on wine-related words: heavy, big, cherry, oaky, low alcohol, etc. What this means is that both the review-obsessed as well as the ordinary wine lover who  simply knows what they want, can make good use of Snooth.

Snooth will eventually be monetized by allowing retailers to upload their inventory, which allows a "buy now" button to be associated with any wine in the system that is currently sold by any participating retailers. Eventually snooth will take a cut or percentage of each sale. I suspect if the community grows advertising will also be a revenue generating possibility. And why shouldn't it be a part of the site? A good ad for a good product isn't offensive in the least.

Everything depends on the user base Snooth can create.

Here's hoping it creates a base of millions of users.

A 100 Point Party Reveals Cultural Differences

You've got to give it to the Wine Spectator. These folks know how to throw a party.

Last night I went as Jeff Mayo's date to the now annual Wine Spectator Party at the Hotel Healdsburg. Marvin Shanken and crew used to only throw a Napa "big bottle" party in conjunction with the auction. A few years ago they started holding a Sonoma version of the event.

I've been to the Napa party also, but it has been a few years. What was interesting was listening to one of the writers for the Spectator explain to me the difference between the Napa and the Sonoma events:

"Here in Sonoma there will will be a slow and steady in guests arriving. Then there will be a 45 minute crescendo when it's hopping. Then, it will die down and the folks will go home to sleep. But in Napa, it reaches that crescendo and they just keep on going partying hard."

His description of the pace of the Sonoma party was dead on. After the peak of the party (which seemed to coincide with the passing of cigars and the band moving into a rendition of Sweet Home Alabama) the attendees started slow drift out, no doubt getting home to sleep because we all know that over here in Sonoma the vintners actually work for a living.......woops. That slipped out.

Nevertheless the food was spectacular (that ham that Charlie Palmer cooked up was outrageous!) and the many folks who contributed magnums to the party brought their best stuff, so there was ample opportunity to taste stuff I'd only read or heard about before. The Sonoma wine community came out in full force for Mr. Shanken's party. And this was another of the very cool things. I got to meet a number of vintners and wine types who I knew of and whose wines I've drunk but never met face to face.

But this morning I keep thinking about the distinction the Wine Spectator writer made for me about the difference between the Sonoma and Napa parties. It is a truth that there is a real difference between the Napa culture/experience and the Sonoma culture/experience. It's hard to sum up with a simple line. But a few things occur to me about the reality and perception between Napa and Sonoma:

Upper Class vs. Working Class
Developed vs. Developing
Cultured vs. Multicultural
World Class vs. Class

I'm hoping I can get my own invite to the Wine Spectator party next year or at least be Mayo's date again. It wasn't so bad. I didn't have to dance with him.

Drinking In and trying to Define Wine 2.0

There sure are a lot of people using the "Wine 2.0" label to help position their products and services. Nary a caution was issued at the Wine 2.0 get together in San Francisco on  Friday. All the speakers, including me, were in the mood to embrace, rather than really critique, this buzzword that seems to mean....something...if not most things.

The event itself was terrific. Cornelius and Jeff from RadCru.com did a damn fine job of creating a nice venue where a hefty collection of wine folk gathered. The event was at Club Sportiva in San Francisco. As part of the event, OnTheFly.com, an online mens outlet that sells beautiful clothing and men's gear and schwag, opened a well appointed showroom where the wine was flowing. Through the doorway into the showroom of Club Sportiva, surrounded by Ferrari's, Jags and more Ferrari's, was the seminar room. Here two panels of speakers sounded off on their relationship with the wine 2.0 phenomenon and sounded somewhat sage in the process.

I think my only real  interesting contribution to the second panel, of which I was a part, was pointing out that the wine 2.0 phenomenon may be no more complex than a new set of technologies by which wineries communicate their story and product line to consumers, something they've been doing with some success with different technology long before the Internet. This would be the less reverent view of the wine 2.0 phenomenon. The most reverent view of this thing we celebrated on Friday would be the view that Online Social networking around wine will change the way all Americans understand the beverage and lead to a startling democratization of the beverage that will lead laggards to the partly in the dust.

The highlight of the panels was clearly Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV. Gary's a star now. It appears he knows this too and I think that knowledge has made him an even better advocate for the kind of full frontal wine enthusiasm he is spawning via WineLibrary TV. This is an excitable man who balances cynicism with pure love for wine. He pulls no punches, is a good performer, a good advocate for wine and one of the smartest young men in wine today. And he cracks me up too.

This Wine 2.0 community is a small one; that is to say, those behind the technology driving the new ventures seem to know or be aware of one another. About half way through the event I stopped counting the number of folks who I've had previous email or comment conversations with or spoken to on the phone  but finally met face-to-face for the first time that night. I got the impression this was the experience of many of the folks in the room. What's hard to tell is if I was in the middle of a gathering of the future brain trust of the American wine industry. It's entirely possible. But one can't be sure. Much will depend on the success of the various entrepreneurs that were in the room.

The next Wine 2.0 event, assuming the RadCru duo hold it again next year, will be bigger and better. Everyone I spoke to agreed this second gathering was much better and more useful than the first. I'm looking forward to it. These annual gatherings of wine's tech-happy folk will be a good gauge of just how fast new technology and ideas catch on or slide by the wayside.

Gawking the Awards

I like Awards. I think it's because I'm a gawker. But also, these thins often point to real talent and alert me to things and people I need to pay attention to. Recently the James Beard Awards were announced. They are the food and wine world's equivilent of the Oscars. Folks get dressed up, attend the ceremony, get their awards and even have to back stage photos taken of them in front of a board that splashes "James Beard Foundation" into the camera.

As you may recall Tyler Colman of Dr. Vino's Wine Blog was nominated in the Best Website category. Tyler did not win. But the man was there. It was very encouraging to see a blogger up there. Maybe next years Tyler or another great blogger will get the award. For now, here are wine related winners of this year's awards:

Best Wine & Spirits Book
ROMANCING THE VINE
by: Alan Tardi
St. Martin's Press

Best Magazine Writing on Wine, Spirits or Beer
Fiona Morrison, MW
Wine & Spirits Magazine
Chambolle-Musigny

Best Multi-Media Writing
Edward Deitch
MSNBC.com/NBC Mobile
On the Trail of Great California Syrah

Best Newspaper Section
Miriam Morgan and  Jon Bonne
San Francisco Chronicle

Best Newspaper Writing on Wine, Beer or Spirits
Eric Felten
The Wall Street Journal
He Drinks, She Drinks

Celebrate The Day!

It's April 1st...April Fools Day.

To Truly Celebrate you need THIS

My Hero

The measure of a person's commitment to an idea must surely be the length to which they are willing to go to make their point. When a person is willing to go the distance, and do so with the kind of delicious satire that Darryl Roberts of Wine X Magazine does, you really have to step back and marvel at the brilliance.

As we recently heard, Roberts shut down his subversive Wine X Magazine after years of publishing. In doing so he criticized, shall we say, in no uncertain terms, the lip service we in the wine industry give to younger drinkers that doesn't come with a commitment to support efforts to reach out to these consumers. In other words, they applauded Robert's Wine X Magazine but never supported it with advertising. Darryl hit his closing volley into the cheap seats way up top. He minced no words.

He's been criticized for this by a number of folks who thought his outburst was tinged with bitterness. Some pointed comments were aimed his way in the same acerbic fashion that Darryl level is aim at the industry.

Maybe his comments were bitter. But the real parting shot that Roberts has left the Wine Industry with is not his words of criticism but one of the most brilliant acts of satire ever to hit the wine industry.

But first some background.

For years Darryl has been out to get the 100 point rating system for wine. He's mounted argument after argument about the way he sees it subverting the appreciation of wine. He's ridiculed those who use it to rate wines and dismissed those who use it slavishly to buy wines as "wannabees". Few people have been as opposed to the 100 point system as Darryl. In fact, much of the message of Wine X Magazine was you only need your own palate. His unique, pithy, pop-culture-referencing reviews made this same point.

Still, it seemed the wine industry didn't want Darryl's message. They never supported the magazine and his message of personal liberation from the scores and the wine industry's message that wine makes you a better person seemed to fall on deaf ears.

In the end, Darryl decided to give them all what they wanted: Scores. And not just any scores...we're talking BIG TIME SCORES.

Out of the ashes of Wine X Magazine came JustWinePoints.com, the motto of which is "because nothing else matters." We are talking 99 point Sauvignon Blanc, 98 point Zin for $10, 96 point Grenache Rose. Why, it's a virtual parade of 99 and 98 point wines coming out of JustWinePoints.com. It's what everyone seemed to want. Well now they have it. A source for perpetually high 90 point wine reviews for nearly any wine you can imagine.

How do the proprietors of JustWinePoints justify this?

"we’ve decided to take a different road and value a wine on what it’s supposed to be. For example: if we taste a Bordeaux that’s a wannabe “First Growth” than we judge it against a First Growth ideal. If it’s a $10 red blend from California that aspires to be a $10 red blend from California, then we value it on that ideal. Honestly, why judge a $10 red blend from California against a First Growth Bordeaux if the $10 bottle just wants to be a nice, easy-drinking, everyday red wine? If it lives up to everything it’s supposed to be, why devalue it just because it’s not a First Growth?"

Read this carefully. It has the benefit of being both incredibly subversive and at the same time as fair as any wine rating system you've ever seen described before. And, it's an approach to rating wine that lends itself to 99 point wines. It rewards how well the winemaker nailed their INTENTIONS for the wine, not the relative quality of the wine.

Knowing Darryl's thoughts on the 100 point scale and understanding his view of the industry's response to his original attempt to undermine the wine industry's happy self perceptions, you have to admit that JustWinePoints is a brilliant piece of performance art that literally wreaks of irony and satire. It the kind of send off that only Darryl could deliver.

So those of you who dismissed Darryl as bitter, you've got to give him is due. This is man who knows how to make a point and is willing to go the distance to do it.  That makes him my hero.

A Colorful Display of Wine Extravegance

Last week many of us read about the sale over in London of an extraordinary collection of wine: A 135-Bottle Vertical Collection of Chateau d'Yquem ranging from 1860 to 2003.

First off, if you don't salivate at the very thought of obtaining such a collection of wine then, well, then I question your status as even a semi-wine geek.

Steve Bachmann over at The Wine Collector Blog, a member of the board of directors of the society for wine geeks, has a very interesting post on the collection, including thoughts on the $1.5 million price paid for the wines and the custom cabinet it came in.

What interest me about this episode in wine geekery and wine collecting is not so much the price since I'm not in the wine investment or collecting business. Rather, I'm fascinated by the appearance of the youngest and oldest bottle next to each other.

The impact that the appearance of these wines has on someone looking over the collection critically or casually is much more than if we were looking at an ancient bottle of claret next to a new bottle: You can actually examine in detail the change in the liquid that occurs over time. This can't be done with colored glass. And I suspect this unique aspect of d'Yquem has a real impact on its cache, particularly older bottles. I don't care...that's just pretty damn cool.

You can check out images of all the bottles in the collection HERE.

Those interested in a good analysis of the sale and the price should read Bachmann's post at The Wine Collector Blog

Now THAT'S! A Winery

I was moving through the various satellite imagery of wineries and vineyards at Appellation America today and came across these images of what is surely the largest winery facility in America, if not the world.

Talk about a "Tank Farm". Gallo's production facility in Modesto, California is more like a "Tank County". I'd love to tour this facility. By all the accounts I've ever received, this is but the tip of the iceberg.

WOW

Now, THAT'S a Tank Farm!!

Just how big are these tanks??

Sonoma: From Home to "Lifestyle"

How do you know when your hometown has officially morphed from a place to live into a "lifestyle"? When a magazine is published that is named after your town.

We have a new magazine in this neck of the woods. It is named, simply, "Sonoma".

It is aimed mainly at tourists, though it is distributed to subscribers of the local newspaper, The Index Tribune. It will also be delivered to the rooms at "The Valley's Finest Hotels".

It's a good looking magazine. Nice thick paper, glossy, lots of color. In the end it sells the idea that everything in the town of Sonoma and about the town of Sonoma is beautiful, refined and unique. This is the nature of such magazines. All is beautiful.

The fact is, Sonoma and Sonoma Valley is a pretty cool place to live. The biggest controversy or problem we currently have is where to build and how to finance a new hospital. In general, the 13,000 or so inhabitants sustain themselves and their mortgages by working in the wine industry, hospitality trade or commuting to other areas for work before coming back home to their "lifestyle".

Sonoma is not a cheap lifestyle. This 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home will run you over $1,000,000.

Nevertheless, the new magazine has a lot of fodder for its pages if creativity, hedonism, natural beauty wine and food is enough to sustain the content demands of a quarterly publication.

If you actually live outside the town of Sonoma, as I do, you can avoid the constant reminders that the region is a tourist destination...though not if you head to the Sonoma Plaza on a weekend. Napa is still the big tourist attraction around this neck of the woods, but towns like Sonoma and Healdsburg are attracting more and more tourists and visitors every year. And even though I live here and would as a result not be expected to advocate for more tourism, I can't help but recommend you visit. This area can be a very relaxing place to hang out for a few days and the fact its...it's not overcrowded or overrun by cars and tourists.

That said, I just hope the next publication is not named "Glen Ellen".

A Great Day for Winemakers/Bloggers

Regular readers of Fermentation will know that I've enjoyed following the exploits of Amy and Matt, the proprietors of Domaine de la Grameire. I get to do this via their fine blog.

Amy and Matt basically bought a vineyard in the town of  Saint Quentin la Poterie in the Rhone Valley, set up shop, and went about making wine they like. A dream for many of us. They've been working hard and from the looks of things having a good time of it too.

But I wondered how I'd ever taste their wine.

Then, today, the Kermit Lynch Newsletter arrives and what do I see? An entire page devoted to the 2005 Domaine de La Gramiere Cotes du Rhone Rouge.

Now, Amy used to work at Kermit Lynch which leads one to think, well maybe Kermit is just throwing some good will at a former employee. Clearly Kermit is aware of this perception. He explains in his prose that he "made an effort NOT to import this red Rhone."  The problem was, he liked it. So, he decided to get an outside opinion of the wine from Daniel Ravier of Domaine Tempier...yes, THAT Domaine Tempier.

"That's great Cotes du Rhone...It has character and it is a wine of pleasure."

Clearly Mr. Lynch was won over.

I don't know what kind of accolades Amy and Matt were hoping to receive for their efforts. I do know this. There are very few third party endorsements in this business that mean more than inclusion in the Kermit Lynch portfolio. I'm guessing they are happy.  Well, actually, I don't have to guess.

The 2005 Domaine de La Gramiere Cotes du Rhone Rouge is $14.95 per bottle,   and $161.00 per case. The contact info for the Kermit Lynch retail operation where you can order this wine is HERE.

Congrats to a couple of great wine bloggers/winemakers.

The "Top 100 Wines" Impact

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Russ Bebbe over at the Wine Hiker Blog has done a preliminary assessment of the effect on a wine's aftermarket price when it hits the Top Ten of the Wine Spectator Top 100 list.

The Top 100 came out Monday. What was unique about the list is that the #1 wine was relatively inexpensive Ar around $69 (2001 Casanova Di Neri Brunello Di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova).

Russ has some interesting comments to make and his run down of current pricing two days out might surprise.

On this same issue, I had a conversation with a small specialty retailer yesterday. It turned out he had a couple cases of the wine on Monday. In fact, he had over the past few months sent out three emails to his customers that highlighted the wine. The announcement of the top 100 Wine Spectator Wines happened early Monday morning East Coast time.

When the retailer arrived in his store here on the West Coast around 10am he had over 100 messages on his answering machine and his website had crashed due to the number of folks that had been ordering the wine (he didn't have a system on his website that tracked inventory).

According to the retailer, the messages on his answering machine offered just about everything short of sexual favors in exchange for the #1 wine. He has had the #1 wine in stock when the list was announced for the past few years but never received this kind of response. He suspects the $69.00 price tag had something to do with it. He also noted that at the time this year's list was announced, they importer still had over 100 bottles in stock.

The building Franchise that is The Wine Spectator's Top 100 List is nothing less than a benchmark and a powerhouse in the retail wine sector.

Check out the Wine Hiker Blog.

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Nancy Pelosi, Right Wingers and a Bad Understanding of Napa

With the prospect prior to the last election and confirmation afterward that Representative Nancy Pelosi would be come Speaker of the House of Representatives, lots of attention is now being paid to the congresswoman from San Francisco. It turns out that much of that attention has been turned to the fact that Speaker Pelosi and her husband Paul own a vineyard in Napa.

But not just that she owns a vineyard. The folks writing on Right Wing blogs, for Right Wing Internet publications and those who comment on Right Wing blogs are fascinated by the report that Pelosi's small vineyard holdings apparently employ non-union labor. The Speaker's long defense of labor has spawned many to call her out on charges of "Hypocrisy". These charges can be found Here, Here, Here and Here.

I'm not so concerned about this. If you can find a politician anywhere who can't be charged in some small way with hypocrisy then you've probably found a dead politician.

What interests me about these writings is the way the writers and commentors tackle the wine industry in general. Specifically, I find THIS story that delves in deep to the finances of vineyards to come up with the conclusions that, among other things, Napa Grapegrower Andy Beckstoffer wants his Napa grapes to go into $10 and under wines, that Pelosi treats workers so bad they all quit and that it's possible Pelosi is laundering money through her vineyard.

Interestingly, the writer's source for this and other nonsense is identified only as "Our knowledgeable Napa Valley source."

I have to quote from this story...just because it's so damn funny:

" The congresswoman’s total planted grape acreage equals 9 acres x $13,500 income per acre of highest quality grapes = $121,500 total gross grape income for the two properties.

"More curiously however, our California wine country source revealed that “the AVERAGE cabernet price, however, is only $1,850 per ton x 4.5 acres x 9 acres = $75,000 total gross income for the Pelosi grapes from average quality fruit. So as you can see, the congresswoman may have some explaining to do about who buys their grapes and why they may be getting such an extraordinary price for them.”

"We were also told that “her vineyards are ’postage stamp’ sized and basically ‘irrelevant’ to the industry -- small, nuisance-sized parcels that at best are difficult to contract with any winery, and are in areas not known to produce quality fruit within the Oakville district. It is marginal land, which is why it was not planted historically.”

"The Napa source told us that “the biggest grape grower on Skellenger Lane [where one of the Pelosi vineyards is located] is Andy Beckstoffer -- and he likes to price his grapes to sell in a $10 per bottle of wine, for goodness sake. This is hardly an indication of extraordinary grape quality!” [suggesting that Pelosi’s Skellenger fruit is average at best.]

"Pelosi’s actual approximate “wine-grape income” is between $75,000 for average fruit and $121,500 for top-line fruit, given their reported planted acreage, and provided their fruit is of average quality -- if less than average quality, then income is even lower, suggesting that there is need of an explanation unless they show significant rental income from the vineyard properties. If Pelosi's tax return shows more that $200,002 income for the two vineyards, then there may be a significant problem.]"

You've got someone speculating on why in the world Pelosi could sell her grapes, farmed in the MIDDLE OF NAPA VALLEY, for more than $1,850 per ton, then concluding that there "may be a significant problem" with what Pelosi has reported as income. Anyone want to offer me some Oakville appellation Cabernet for $1,850 per ton? PLEASE!!!

Pelosi and her husband Paul recently sold their acreage on Skellenger Lane in Napa, but still own property on Zinfandel Lane in the middle of Napa. The property is described has having vineyards and residences. In reading the conspiracy theorists who tend to comment on the Right Wing writers' stories there is some speculation on where the vineyard is actually located, who buys the grapes and even what the name of the winery is. Though the Pelosis have apparently gotten a permit to build a 5000 gallon winery  the property on Zinfnadel Lane, it do not believe it is completed, up and running or even under construction.

There is no specific information on th Internet as to which piece of property on Zinfandel Lane is actually owned by the Pelosi's. However, I think I determined which it was by using the handy dandy Google search tool, Google satellite imagery and little common sense. I suppose I could have done the research down at the planning department in Napa, but that's not nearly as fun.

First, it appears that Liparita Winery in Napa has purchase the fruit from Pelosi's vineyard. Also, it appears that Jack Neal and Sons does the farming. The vineyard, if I am correct about its location, is in close proximity to vineyards owned by Heitz, Frogs Leap and Quintessa. This is hardly bad grape ground.

I suspect that over the next two years we will continue to hear a great deal about the "vineyard baroness" slash Speaker of the House. I suspect the issue of union labor will continue to arise. That's fine. That's politics. However, it would be nice if those doing their best to do some smearing of Pelosi would get their facts straight about the wine industry and grape growing.

A Good Year...A Bad Wine Promo?

"Sideways" the movie was able to have such  huge impact on the wine market and on Pinot Noir sales primarily because it received such great reviews. It was not a big blockbuster so it too these kind of reviews to put rears in the theater seats where they could encounter the happless wine lovers and the picturesque vineyards of Santa Barbara. The Acadamy Award nomination sealed the deal.

There was hope that the new film, "A Good Year", might have a similar effect on consumption patterns and raising interest in wine. It still might do some of this but based on the initial reviews of the film it seems unlikely that the film will have anything near the impact as Sideways.

The initial reviews of the film are average to poor:

"...audiences will be checking their watches..."USA TODAY)

"Crowe tries a romantic comedy, manages neither." (SF CHRONICLE)

"You know what the filmmakers are trying to achieve and see the labor going into the attempt, but for them to fall so short is unsettling." (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)

"...unbearably sweet and emotionally lifeless..." (CHICAGO TRIBUNE)

I've not seen the movie yet, but I plan too. By all accounts the film is beautful to look at.But based on the type of reciepts this "small' film with average to below average reviews is expected to reap, it seems likely that it might attract a few more folks to Provence rather than to wine in general. I had higher hopes for the impact this film might have. That said, as long as it doesn't bomb it will at least put the idea of wine in more artists' minds. And who knows what that might lead to.

Obsession and Reckless Consumption

Talk about getting this boy excited.

I wake up yesterday, tromp out to the lawn to pick up the Sunday papers, sit with coffee by my side and open the my favorite Sunday reading material. And what do I see? An article that brings together two of my favorite things in life: Baseball and wine.

There in my Sunday paper is an article about Tom "Terrific" Seaver, one of the best pitcher to ever throw a baseball and, apparently a grapegrower and winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you you are not a baseball fan, particularly a fan of baseball history, you can probably move on to another spot on the Internet and feel you've lost nothing. Because I'm about to gush.

First, I had no Idea that one of the greatest pitchers to ever hold a baseball was also a grapegrower ands soon to be winemaker. Apparently about 8 years ago Seaver purchases about 115 acres on Diamond Mountain in the northern Napa Valley, a region famous for it's Cabernet. Seaver found a south facing hillside on his property, called Vineyard Consultant extraordinaire Jim Barbour and put down the vineyard Seaver had apparently been looking forward to creating for more than 30 years.

So, here's a little insight into me. I'll buy this wine sight unseen. I don't personally care if it is any good or if it costs $100. What we are talking about is a kind of reverential appreciation for a guy that provokes one to spend money simply to be closer to him. It's sort of the same thing that happens to those folks who buy every last item they can find about a particular movie star they idolize. Only my reverence makes sense. Consider...

-3 time Cy Young Award Winner
-First Ballot Hall of Famer
-National League Strikeout Record for a Right Handed Pitcher
-Set the Record for the lowest ERA
-Struck out 200 or more batters in 10 Times

And now he's making wine?  Is he just trying to tease me?

It's a strange thing, isn't it. The way some folks will become another person's best customer based not on the quality of what they are selling but due to the connection you feel toward them. I'm not much of a collector. I have my obsessions. But they aren't the kind that lead me to consume recklessly. But this compulsion to want to purchase something due simply to some connection you feel you have to someone is a powerful thing. It's the reason and science behind celebrity endorsements. It's also why wineries are, or should be, very careful who they have in their tasting rooms. You never know when a visitor will feel a strong connection to the person pouring them their sample of Cabernet and become their best customers.

Tom Seaver's wine is expected to be released in 2008. I wonder if he needs a wine publicist.