60 Second Wine Review — Odette SLD Cabernet Sauvignon

Published on June 17, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 Odette Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Note: This wine was tasted as a sample. The Geekery In 2012, the PlumpJack Group acquired 45 acres in the Stags Leap District from Dick Stelzner. Along with Nathan Fay, Stelzner pioneered Cabernet Sauvignon in the area. In addition to Odette, the PlumpJack Group also own PlumpJack in Oakville and CADE on Howell Mountain.  While each property has its…

Published on June 17, 2019
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Introducing the Mystery Grape Game

Published on June 13, 2019

A lot of my writings the past few months have been focusing on wine business and marketing topics. That’s always been an interest of mine that I’ve enjoyed exploring. But it’s also an area that I need to stay up on as part of my WSET Diploma studies and eventual attempt towards getting a Master of Wine. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust and the Institute of Masters of Wine were both founded by figures…

Published on June 13, 2019
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One Night Stands and Surprises

Published on June 11, 2019

When is the last time that a winery really surprised you? Now I’m not talking about a wine that was unexpectedly delicious (or atrocious), a shocking winemaker departure or an owner selling. Instead, I’m talking about being genuinely surprised by the way that a winery interacted with consumers. I’m talking about a “Morton’s Surprise.” Back in 2011, a hungry businessman boarded a flight destined for the Newark airport. The flight was going to arrive late…

Published on June 11, 2019
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60 Second Wine Review — Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Elia Rosé

Published on June 8, 2019

Today is apparently National Rosé Day. In the US? Globally? Who knows?, but I figured it was as good as any day to share a few quick thoughts on the 2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Elia Rosé from Napa Valley. Note: This wine was tasted as a sample. The Geekery First released in 2015, the Elia Rosé is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the legendary Fay Vineyard in the Stags Leap District. The 2018 vintage…

Published on June 8, 2019
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Groans and Hoses — Or how I saved wine writing from satirical dick pics

Published on June 5, 2019
by  in General
I really shouldn’t be writing at 2 am. I should be in bed, lying next to my gorgeous wife. But instead, I’m downstairs on my laptop so as not to disturb her with ruminations that have been bothering me for the past few days. Ruminations that I’m far from alone in sharing as evidenced by the eruption of anger towards a recent piece posted on Master of Wine Tim Atkin’s site. There Ron Washam, the…
min read Millennials, Shopping for Wine, Wine marketing

375ml Bottles — A halfway good idea?

Published on June 4, 2019
by  in Millennials, Shopping for Wine, Wine marketing
Before we hit the bottle, let’s talk about cans. I’ve been a canned wine skeptic for a while. But my skepticism has faded quite a bit in the almost three years since I wrote that post. One reason for that is the data showing that consumers are adopting canned wines to the tune of $45 million in sales (June 2017-June 2018). That quickly jumped to $69 million by the end of 2018 with more than…
min read Food Pairing, Millennials, Shopping for Wine, Wine grapes, Wine Knowledge

The Sleeping Giant of Italian Wine

Published on June 2, 2019
by  in Food Pairing, Millennials, Shopping for Wine, Wine grapes, Wine Knowledge
A couple of days ago, Harper’s UK posted an article about the dominance of Old World wine in the Chinese on-trade sector (restaurants, bars, etc.). While New World regions like Australia are making an active play, France still rules the roost with a 36.7% market share. But the French have been focusing on China for a few decades now–starting not long after France and China formally established diplomatic relations in 1974. Interest was strongly led…