Sep 8

Every winery, including me, should be appreciative that you are willing to spend your hard-earned money on our wines. Heck, no one NEEDS wine! (I’m ducking, awaiting the arrows coming out me from the rest of the industry!). Read the rest of this entry »

Sep 7

As a relatively new winery, I feel it is important for me to submit my wines to a select group of reviewers to get their feedback on my wines. Why? There are a few reasons I do this:

1) I am truly interested in their professional opinion about my wines – ‘they’ drink and review a lot more wines than I ever will . . .

2) Their reviews can only help me, as far as I’m concerned, in getting my wines known by more people in the ‘wine world’.

That said, the points that are associated with the reviews are certainly of interest to me, but they are not ‘end alls’. I am always amazed at the apparent disparity with the reviews of many wines, including mine, and the points that are awarded to them.

For instance, in the latest Wine Advocate, out 2006 Cuvee Christie GSM Blend had the following review:

The 2006 GSM Cuvee Christie, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, reveals abundant aromas of cedar, spice, pepper, black cherries, and raspberries, a round, gracious texture, medium to full body, and a heady, pure finish with no hard edges. It is a seductive red to drink over the next 3-4 years.

I really enjoyed reading this review, for I think it captures the essence of the wine at this time, and is in line with what many who have tasted the wine at the various events I have poured at over the past 6 months.

At the bottom of the review are the ‘all important’ points . . .an 88. So does these points ‘match’ the review? I don’t know, but I’ve been told by a few who read it that they do not – that the points should have been higher . . .

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this issue – and not just about a specific reviewer, but about reviews and points in general . . .

Cheers!

Sep 6

I frequent wine boards (kind of like frequenting wine bars, but just a tad ‘safer) and find all kinds of topics being discussed these days . . .and I like to add my $.02 where appropriate.

A few recent comments about a few wines by a very well known wine reviewer have created quite a stir on multiple boards, including his own. Here are the facts:

* This reviewer compared a high scoring Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir to a famous 1990 DRC . . .

* This reviewer also made the comment about a very high alcohol syrah that saw extended time in barrel : This is not for everybody (especially those incapable of thinking “outside the box”), but it is unquestionably an impeccably well-made example of a completely different stylistic spin on Syrah.

Personally, I do not take ‘offense’ or ‘question’ either of these statements . . . You know why? Because this is simply ONE PERSON’S VIEWPOINT! Just remember that the term ‘objective wine review’ is an oxymoron in and of itself – it is NOT possible to be completely objective about rating or writing about something as ‘subjective’ as wine.

You cannot have a ‘consumer reports’ – type publication dealing with wine because there are too many ‘subjective’ aspects that go into discussing and dissecting wines . . . Period.

I personally LOVE the second of his comments because I think it rings true for way too many wine drinkers, including those that consider themselves connoisseurs. The fact is, we all use generalizations or stereotypes in our every day lives, whether we choose to believe we do or not. So why would this be different when it comes to wine? It isn’t!

And if this reviewer feels that a wine compares favorably to a great wine that he or she has had in the past, do be it – your mileage may vary . . .and it probably will. And that’s okay . . . It’s kind of like a person who compares the aromas of a wine to ‘Grandma’s perfume’ or ‘a walk along the Sonoma coast’ . . . These are subjective takes that are REAL for the person reviewing . . . But may not resonate with you.

Just a little rambling this morning . . .

Would love to hear your take on these . . .

Cheers!

Sep 4

As many of you know, I actively post and share my thoughts on wine and other things on many wine boards across the Net. I really enjoy doing so and feel it is a great way for me to not only share my knowledge but increase my knowledge by interacting with those that either a) have a lot more experience with wine than me and/or b) discuss concepts with those that may share differing viewpoints.

This latter group is an incredibly important section of the wine world I love to interact with. I am not an island in this wine world – I have developed my own thoughts and beliefs based on my education and my own experiences, but I am the first to admit that I am in no way an ‘expert’ about ANYTHING in the wine world. I have a LOT to learn , and cherish every day, as it gives me opportunities to do so.

That said, it has come to my attention that a handful of wineries have yielded their ‘powers’ to knock folks off their mailing lists / allocation lists based on what these folks have written about the winery on wine boards. On the surface, I am appalled that any business in this day and age would kick someone out simply because they had a bad experience with a wine, and I need to be careful to make generalizations here.

IF someone simply did not like a wine they had purchased or shared with friends and wrote about it in a non-inflammatory manner, there should be no repercussions in my mind. This is simply a situation of someone stating their opinion, and it’s okay to not like a wine – heck, I’ve had PLENTY of folks take issues with some of my wines!!!

That said, if someone not only has something negative to say, but does it either a) in an inflammatory mode or b) takes personal potshots, then the winery is put in a much more difficult situation. The winery could do one of the following: a) kick the person off the list without any notice (which has happened recently); b) Contact the person directly and discuss the matter and then decide what to do; c) Go on the wine board themselves and get in a ‘discussion’ with the person and see if a resolution can be reached; or d) ignore it entirely.

Just remember that you are visible on wine boards, and what you say is read by a lot of different people both within and outside the wine industry. Therefore, I always use caution before posting anything . . .and I hope all of you do as well!

I’m curious as to what YOU would do if you owned a winery and someone went on to erobertparker.com., wineberserkers.com., winespectator.com, wine.woot.com, or one of the many other wine boards or wine blogs out there and dissed your wine/company . . .

Looking forward to hearing your responses . . .

Cheers!

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