VineBuzz

Throughout the 7/22/2011 morning speed tasting at the North American Winebloggers' Conference in Charlottesville (Virginia), stereotypical views about the unmixability of styles took a pounding as winemakers embraced their roots and their future in a unified re-interpretation of the present where they declared who they are collectively.

Cheers Saint Helena is a marriage made in heaven for the merchants, entertainers, restaurants, and winemakers meeting first Fridays throughout the growing season from 6 to 8 p.m.

On May 14, 2011 Raymond Winery briefed a contingent of the wine press on transformations taking place throughout the Boisset Family Estates. Approaching the visitors' center, a Daliesque landscape offers clues to the innovative programs which lay in wait ahead.

March 23, 2011 (a very rainy day) was perfect for reviewing the current release portfolio at Cuvaison's Silverado Trail tasting room in a deep presentation by associate Travis Elder, and joined by their direct marketing specialist Suzanna Boogay. Their commitment to sustainable green vineyard and winery practices are commendable, from grey water treatment to solar power. Their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet are all extremely good.

With its' 1400 foot elevation, steep slopes, micro-climate, red volcanic soil, fog inversion layer, lower yields, mineral flavors, and smaller but more intense fruit, Howell Mountain earned the appellation designation for which its' growers and vintners collaborated so originally as well as effectively. It was the first sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA to gain certification, which is the form of classification that we can all rally around.

In the current exhibit entitled "How Wine Became Modern" at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one wall is dedicated to groups of labelling images that have craftily and categorically advanced brands.

The categories are:

Perhaps none of us are ready for our #Pinot Moment or just plain surprised when it actually happens. It wasn't the Fort Ross Sonoma Coast, which I was totally prepared for it to have been. It was fitting that the moment sprung itself upon me when least expected.

Is your inventory overhang exclusively the product of the recession? Has your brand lost ground in the never-ending battle for acceptance? Have your customer's tastes shifted? Are your brand's advocates as passionate and influential as ever, or have their followers drifted onto other paths? Has your percentage decline in sales outpaced the decline of your peer group or nearest competitor? Depending upon how this landscape is changing under your feet, your preoccupation with asking "How do I improve the ROI of my business?" may be leading you in the wrong direction.