Comments on: Baboons, biting hands, Bordeaux disarray, sommeliers – sipped and spit

By: Leisure Nouveau

Leisure Nouveau — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:10:09 +0000

Heavy Oak Tests Italian Wine Journalists…

I read on Dr. Vino’s Wine Blog about a meeting of Italian sommeliers, wine journalists, and wine bloggers who were given blind tastings of a variety of fine Barberas. It doesn’t seem like too much of a surprise that the……

By: Important wine update from Cougar Town | Dr Vino's wine blog

Important wine update from Cougar Town | Dr Vino's wine blog — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:23:33 +0000

[...] subscribe to the latest posts by RSS, or daily email. Thanks for visiting!Last week we heard about baboons who give Chardonnay a thumbs up. This week we learn that cougars like [...]

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:02:49 +0000

oh my god, that is so funny. the NYC sommelier and his winery idea.

“Do you know what wine making is all about? Yes 49 % moving heavy shit around and 2 % drinking beer..”

I really had to laugh.

By: ben wood

ben wood — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:01:36 +0000

hmmm . . .
the charbon-nay is a crazy idea- but if the wine sucks, its still won’t sell!!! transparency is the key- please tell the customers what you are doing- perhaps if you tell them, someone will buy it anyway.
Field blends are kicking my ass- the best things i’ve tasted lately are the coturri alberello and the zahel and christ gemischter satz.
Cheers,
Ben

By: Hardy

Hardy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:22:55 +0000

Thanks for the mention Tyler!

By: Ed Thralls

Ed Thralls — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:51:55 +0000

I think the Crazy Bear is gonna rawk the world! Seriously, Hardy’s point on the chardbono-nay is using the new marketing tools are useless (or should be) if you making crappy juice. Why aren’t wineries increasing the quality instead of increasing the hype? The bigger problem is that those “listening on the wire” don’t know the difference.

By: John

John — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:13:41 +0000

$5,000?!!! Now THERE’S a comp for you if you are looking to sell your winery.

By: ...

... — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:12:57 +0000

the gal in the video, she sound just like the one in these video http://bit.ly/cNHuGg

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:52:58 +0000

The Diageo dump came on the US market in fall ’09. Distributors started shopping the list to retailers at least as early as September. A segment went to cruise lines earlier (cruisers can get some unusually good deals at the higher end).
This Diageo stock was already in the US. A lot of great wines, cellared for us by Diageo.
The result: export/import figures may be askew. China bought more from Bordeaux than the US in 2009 (though at half the euro price – must have been bulk on those boats, too.)
Meanwhile, there now seems to be a distribution gap with Diageo, the largest Bordeaux negociant, out of the picture (at least temporarily-said they weren’t out of the market and would be looking at ’09).
Axa (the insurance company) through its Companie Medocaine des Grand Cru and Joanne Bordeaux are setting up US import. Diva may be a contender. Millesima, with a retail story on NYC East Side, is looking at more retail stores. One trend is for the chateau, often also a negociant, to set up its own import company. Bon courage.
My take: Nervous chateau owners. To whom do they sell en primeur ’09? (I’ll be writing on winemag.com)
My other take: Why do accountants (who else would have created such a fine wine fire sale) have such an impact on wine?

By: hamishwm

hamishwm — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:47:35 +0000

Would Chris Cutter have still sold more if he had KEPT the same distributor and still cut the price and lightened the bottles?
Selling directly is very pure and clean, but it is not always easy. Many vignerons do not have the time or inclination to press the flesh and always be a smiling happy ambassador for their wines! Being an ace winemaker, fastidious and caring guardian of the earth and vines and human dynamo (and proficient accountant) isa rare commodity!

By: El Jefe

El Jefe — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:04:32 +0000

I thought it was cougars that went for the chard…?

Seriously though, field blends aren’t just for Zin. We’re making a Monastrell-Mazuelo-Graciano blend called Parcel 17 that is field blended by design. It’s one of the more interesting and complex wines we produce.

By: 1WineDude

1WineDude — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:09:38 +0000

Well – those of us who are fans of all things monkey-related do enjoy the comprehensive baboon coverage!

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:51:24 +0000

The Barbera story is a GREAT example of why bloggers are, and will continue to be, relevant. It is sad to me to think that such a large group of producers missed the interpretation of the ‘market’s desires’ so drastically. But bloggers are frequently ‘the consumer’ more than the regular media, and I hope that their rejection of this overoaked juice is a nudge to these winemakers that will ultimately give us all a better product.