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| | The Complete Grape Growers Guide. |  | | A Complete Guide For Growing Grapes. Converts Very Well At A Reasonable Price! Growing Grapes And Making Wine Is A Very Popular Topic Right Now.
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| | Fool-Proof Wine Values. | | | Learn How To Easily Find Wines Of $50 Quality For $10 Or Less. Impress Friends With Your Expanded Wine Knowledge. Eliminate Your Dependence On Wine Salespeople. And Take The Hassle Out Of Buying Wine.
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| | Making Wine From Home. | | | A Fun And Very Informative Book On Home Wine Making. The De Facto Standard For All Home Wine Enthusiasts With Recipes, Advice And Tricks.
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[10/10/2008, 13:54]
Wine of the Week - Herdade da Malhadinha Nova 2006 | |  It’s been a month and a half since the European Wine Blogger’s Conference, and shamefully, we’re just now getting around to not only retasting many of these wines, but simply entering our notes on the numerous great wines we tasted. Today, I want to point out a wine that I think is starting to mature gracefully and is worth your attention.
In 2006, I visited Herdade Malhadinha, while still in a learning phase regarding Alentejo wines. My palate was exercising itself to include a whole ranging of grapes and flavors I wasn’t used to. It was at Malhadinha that I first realized the great potential of the Alicante Bouschet grape having tasted a wine that was vibrant and alive after spending 16 months in oak. Not surprisingly, the winery has grown fast, and now boasts a Spa/Country house that we have yet to visit, but I did see the beginnings of the construction last time I was there. From there website (warning heavy use of flash), you can get a feel for the facilities; and it appears to be a nice offering for the growing wine tourism industry of the Alentejo. Only a few hours by car from Lisbon, this is definitely something to check out if you craving a relaxing vacation in the Portuguese countryside. So how are the wines? A few nights ago, we popped open a bottle of the 2006 Malhadinha Nova and were very impressed. A blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is foot trodded in a lagar and aged in French oak for 14 months. During my first trip, and subsequent tastings of their wines, I found that I liked the wines, but they seemed to be in a phase of sorting out their personality and identity. The 2006 feels as if its coming into its own, and the youthful exploration of the first few years is beginning to move to the refining stage. In short, we both enthusiastically give this wine our thumbs up. Full of fruit, perfumy nose and wonderful layers, this wine was open for hours, as we enjoyed it with grilled pork and artichokes. It is a modern styled wine, where its fruit is pure and up front, but still tastes of Portugal. aAnd from my experience of Portuguese wine, I would even say that it tastes of the Alentejo. For me the “flavor” is something I wish I could explain, but personally my sensory memory of Portugal and Alentejo wines stems from our trip through the region back in 2003. Maybe it’s the soil, the air, or the memories, but there are times when I stick my nose into a glass and it brings me back to this place and time, a smell that has been reinforced many times since with subsequent trips. This Alentejo wine is worth seeking out. Perfect for some backyard grilling, where smokey meats require a strong, yet juicy, wine to deal with their powerful flavors. Congrats to Herdade Malhadinha, and we look forward to tasting more of your wines as you further refine your style. Ok and now a few housekeeping notes before we head into the weekend! - Delong Iberian Wine Maps! Yes, they have arrived in Spain, and we are selling them! Thanks to Steve DeLong, we are your new European distributors. Hence, if you want to order a comprehensive Iberian wine map, head on over to our Iberian Wine Map page! We’re still working out shipping details throughout Europe, considering that it’s more expensive than we had hoped, but we’ll have the numbers for you shortly. If you are in Spain, however, you can order one today for considerably less than shipping from the US.
- If your a wine blogger, please fill out the Wine Blogger survey to let us learn about you. We are trying to get a snapshot as to the demographics of a wine blogger. Hopefully, we’ll have some interesting results to share soon!
- New client in the Sidebar - la Casa de las Vides is a familiar winery in Valencia that is just now beginning to export. We’ve built their site, and are now helping to spread their message. What’s interesting about these guys is their history. The name in English means, “house of the vines”, describing the family’s long history of selling vines from their nursey, a business they continue even today. We’ve asked them to share these experiences with us, so hopefully, we all can learn about the intricate details in growing vines! Please give them a visit, and say hello to Emilio, the export director from Tintoralba fame! And if you have any design skills, please leave a comment on this post.
Hope you all have a great weekend! We’ll be meeting with some fellow bloggers on Sunday for tapas and then off to the north of Catalunya to meet with the cork producers. Evidently, they want to start a blog! Should be interesting to see what they have to say! Cheers, Ryan Opaz Similar Posts: | | | |
[09/13/2007, 02:19]
Tait The Ball Buster 2005 | | | Tait The Ball Buster 2005 $15 Wine Label says: G’day Mates, I don’t know what aromas and flavors you’ll find when you try this wine - wine appreciation is so subjective and often too pretentious for my liking. I make my wines the way i like them - big, thick, juicy an deep in color. I wanted to [...] | | | |
[10/23/2008, 07:00]
Valpolicella | | Giuseppe Lonardi
Classico
2005
Imported by Small Vineyards( if yo can find stuff from them they are a great importer)
I am not going to lie I am a little thrown of by the Classico on the label, since it is a D.O.C. and not From Chianti? same grapes and all but still.
Any how I digress, this is a pretty old world style not fruit driven( yes my favorite type) but it still has good red fruit, earth a bit of herbs, and stems.
It is pretty cheep, around $13 bucks a bottle, and is very food friendly, worth checking out for sure. | | | |
[11/10/2008, 14:30]
Long Winter Nights? A Chilean Red Could Be the Answer | |  After daylight savings ends, my thoughts turn increasingly to red wine. Once I set the clocks back, it gets dark faster than I expect. I start cooking dinner. The heat comes on. I wonder "is there a red wine in the house?"
And then there are the winter foods that start sounding just perfect right about now: beef stew, chicken chile, and soups made with late fall vegetables.
If this sounds like you right now, I've got a red that will knock your socks off and have you praising the wine gods. It's from Chile, which (like Argentina) produces some excellent value wines. This one is no exception, and it's made by Veramonte, the winery that also makes exceptionally good value Sauvignon Blancs.
The 2005 Veramonte Primus represents the best of what Chile has to offer to people seeking great value and great taste. This excellent QPR red wine drinks like a wine that's two or three times the cost. It's big, bold,a n balanced. Made from a mixture of 51% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Carmenere, the first thing that will strike you if you get your own bottle is the beautiful, dark plum color. Then you will be bowled over by heady aromas of plum, blackberry, spice, and plum blossom. I loved the way that the promise of the aromas was delivered in the flavors, which echoed the smells beautifully--although the plummy notes did take center stage. The wine had rich, satiny texture that seemed more opulent than a wine with an under $20 pricetag deserved--but I'm certainly not complaining. Well-integrated tannins and a taste that reminded me of the spicy smell of my mom's cedar chest rounded out this nicely made, well-balanced wine. It's drinking very well now, but if you find some for a good price I think you might want to buy a couple of bottles and put them away for drinking between now and the end of 2009.
I received my bottle as a sample, but you should be able to find bottles of this wine all over the US for between $14 and $26. And they bottled some in 375 ml bottles, as well, which are retailing for $7-$14.
Enjoy the change in seasons. Get some red wine, snuggle with the one you love, and catch up on your movies and TV now that the election is over. Long winter nights can be a good thing, after all. | | | |
[11/01/2008, 01:35]
lignier-michelot morey st.denis vieilles vignes 2003 | | | 2003 Lignier-Michelot, Morey St.Denis Vieilles Vignes Medium-plus colour. The nose is forward, maybe a hint porty and certainly very ripe but generally the fruit talks of pinot. Ripe, plenty of concentration and very well mannered tannin. The understated acidity provides good balance and just enough freshness. It’s riper than I prefer, [...] | | | |
[07/06/2007, 17:15]
Tennessee Hypocrisy | | | As many of you know, one of the rallying cries of the anti-wine-shipping crowd has been "Protect Our Minors!" | | | |
[10/25/2008, 18:32]
Advance web site copy, British version | | | Fredric Koeppel expressed skepticism (or should I say scepticism) about the first-draft copy for our coming web site, which I posted a week ago. I was stung when he suggested that it was a parody. I reread it and saw where he was coming from. My disquiet was redoubled when I received the sarcastic comment from Gianpaolo Paglia. I'm not a fool. I did not stay the course. I asked the writer to come up with something completely different, perhaps a bit less rapturous and florid this time. See below... | | | |
[09/29/2008, 17:01]
2007 Wine & Fire - Part I | | Welcome to our video podcast Wine and Fire - Part 1 - Video Show #42. Click the Image Below to Play the Video: Right Click Here to Download File The Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance held its 2nd annual Wine & Fire event in June of 2007. The festivities began on Friday evening with a reception at the restored La Purisima Mission, where over two dozen winemakers poured library wines and current releases from their Sta. Rita Hills appellation. People mingled from late afternoon through dusk and into dark, sampling the various wines. Join us at the opening night tasting as we talk with attendees, growers like Peter Cargasacchi, and producers like Norm Yost (Flying Goat), Peter Work (Ampelos), and Victor Gallegos (Sea Smoke) to hear how and why the Sta. Rita Hills is unique as a Pinot growing area. Wine and Fire and Santa Rita Hills Wine Growers Alliance: www.staritahills.com | | | |
[10/20/2008, 18:01]
New blog name, I mean it | | | The other day I casually threw a reference into a post, that we're looking for the name of a new blog to report on our wines, do tasting notes, etc. In other words, no screeds or rants from me. More informational and less, er, quirky. Something Jeff can live with too. The name should be short (1-2 words) and relate somehow to wine. If there's an Italian aspect to it, so much the better. Certainly that's not a requirement.So, I beg you for suggestions. Comment below or send me an... | | | |
[11/19/2007, 17:58]
The Search Continues | | Just thought I'd share a few of the keywords in searches that have lead viewers to The Wine Chicks: Vomiting chicks yuntrip That's how I roll Vin Diesel italian hash ... and a disturbing number of image searches for Edie Brickell and Shaggy from Scooby Doo... | | | |
[01/28/2008, 08:47]
Seven Cheap Corkage Spots | |  Apparently I don’t get out much. Until recently, I didn’t know that some restaurants charge as much as $250 per bottle for their corkage fee. Excuse me, but that is insane. As Lettie Teague in Food and Wine magazine asked recently, “What could you get for $250 that you couldn’t for, say, $25?”
The average cost of corkage around the country is about $25, which is infinitely more reasonable, but even those establishments that have reasonable corkage fees, they, perhaps surprisingly, come with their own set of rules. One of the more popular restaurants in San Francisco, Michael Mina, for example, has a two-bottle limit with their $35 per bottle fee, and the bottles that you bring can’t be something that they have on the house list. That certainly makes sense, and if you’re planning on bringing your own bottle of wine to your next dinner reservation, it’s a good idea to call ahead to inquire as to the restaurant’s fee and their own individual rules. You know, “know before you go,” and all that. In her recent Corkage article, Lettie shared seven cheap corkage spots for your drinking pleasure: Where to Go Metro Marche, New York City ($10). This bus-station brasserie has good food and cheap corkage. 625 Eighth Avenue, 212-239-1010 Sip Sak, New York City ($13). Great Turkish food and a low corkage fee. 928 Second Avenue, 212-583-1900 Dehlia Lounge, Seattle ($15). Corkage here is just $15, as it is at all of Tom Douglas’s restaurants. 2001 Fourth Avenue, 206-682-4142 Market, St. Helena, California ($15). Corkage is free on Tuesday nights at this friendly diner. 1347 Main Street, 707-963-3799 Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington, DC ($25). If you bring an American wine, the corkage is free; otherwise, it’s $25. 101 Constiutution Avenue NW, 202-547-8100 Naha, Chicago ($25). There are lots of great corkage spots in Chicago, but this restaurant also has terrific food. 500 North Clark Street, 312-321-6242 Michael Mina, San Francisco ($35). This top restaurant has a great wine list and a fair corkage fee as well. 335 Powell Street, 415-397-9222.
Photo from Morgue File. | | | |
[10/22/2008, 13:43]
Wild Mushrooms of Catalunya | |  Prior to my arrival on the Peninsula, my experience with wild mushrooms were both infrequent and rather tame. Having lived in Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado and Minnesota, my knowledge of mushrooms solely consisted of cute little button white mushrooms bought in the grocery store that had a slightly sweet flavor eaten raw, and when cooked, seemed to absorb any of the stronger flavors surrounding it. However, truth be told, both Illinois and Minnesota are renowned for their wild mushrooms. Every November, festivals are celebrated across the Midwest, with avid mushroom lovers coming in droves to hunt Sheepheads, Stumpers (or Honey Mushrooms), Goldentops, and Morel mushrooms, among many others. And although I have very fond memories of picking forest berries, my family was never keen on scavenging for fungi. Granted, my four year stint in Japanese restaurants exposed me to a wider range of exotic mushrooms including: Shitake, Maitake, Bunashimeji, Nametaki, Hiratake, and a long stringy snow white mushroom with a wee little head, Enoki, but nothing as compared to the variety you can scrounge up here in Catalunya, Spain.
Come fall, as humidity sits upon our valley like a thick wet blanket, fruit stands come alive with various plastic containers filled with exotic mushrooms. Many of these mushrooms are so incredible ugly that your wondering if your local vender isn’t trying to pull over your eyes, selling you something more fitting for your compost heap than your evening meal. Tófona Negra, or the Black Trumpet, is one of the most frightening looking buggers you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Black as charcoal, with polygonal warts, grooved longitudinally, the Black Trumpet’s inside, or gleba (word of the day), is born snow white in color, and through its maturation turns a dark reddish hue and eventually, jet black. However, this is rich and aromatic mushroom needs only a small piece to infuse any dish with its flavor. Another common mushroom used in Catalan cuisines at this time of the year is the Rovelló. This funky dusty reddish-orange mushroom can be identified by its small forest green stains in concentric rings that alternate from light to dark in hue. The cap is also rather unusual, as its wide and concave, as if it never fully finished its development. These are meaty and delicious mushrooms that pair well, according to my Catalan fruit vender, with the Llenega mushrooms, a fat white stemmed mushroom with a small stocky black cap. ?Having put both of them into a cherry tomato, spinach and red pepper risotto sprinkled with cured manchego cheese, I’d have to agree with him. It was absolutely mouth watering, but I warn you, the Llenega mushrooms were covered 4 cm thick in white mold the following day. Why? I have zero idea, but my neighbors felt I overreacted when I threw them away saying, “Gabriella, just wash it off with a little water and put them in the refrigerator to stay fresh.” With the exception of placing mushrooms in the refrigerator, Ryan agreed with their consensus, but after seeing such a dramatic change in one evening, I feared for my for my poor stomach, which is anything but ironclad.  Speaking of potentially live altering mushrooms, let’s chat about mushrooms you should not eat no matter how funky and exotic they may appear to you. Although I’ve never noticed these toxic balls of fungi in the wild, I did receive a nice little lecture a few weeks ago at the “Bolets de Catalunya” festival. By chance, while walking down the Rambla Catalunya to the Boqueria Market, I passed twelve 6ft long tables in an enormous rectangle filled with mushrooms. Each mushroom sat infront of a small white sign sharing its various names in Latin, Catalan, etc; history; taxonomy; and I kid you not, level of toxicity. One skull and bones sign is enough for me to stay away for any mushroom, but 3 back to back has be running for the hills.
That said, you know the classic mushroom we all drew as a kid with its big cherry red cap with small white spores on it? Yeah, don’t eat that one, because depending on the quantities, you’ll either be hallucinating for a long while, or you’ll be on your way to the hospital. Called the Amanita muscaria, or “fly agaric”, this is not one you want to bring home and cook up for your sweetie. Nor would I attempt to eat the Ou del Diable, or Devil’s egg. From a 10-20 cm long thick white stem shoots out a medium sized teardrop head of white or gray color. Trust me, you can’t miss this mushroom, as its phallic structure and rather unappealing color doesn’t make you want to uproot it for a spontaneous picnic in the forest. So what should you take away from this? If you can plan a visit to Spain during the mushroom, I highly suggest it. There are festivals all over Catalunya from the end of September to the beginning of November, where restaurants will even dedicate an entire meal, dessert and all, to wild mushrooms. Additionally, wines from Catalunya are a wonderful pairing with mushrooms. Whether you choose a crisp, lively Cava to a rich buttery Chardonnay, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re interested in learning more mushrooms, while picking up a few Catalan words, head over our local mushroom site. I’ll go over some of the terms listed in the header, so that you may peruse pictures at your leisure to know what is, and is not, toxic to eat in Catalunya. Tots els Bolets = All Mushrooms
Bolets + Apreciats =
Bolets Toxícs = Toxic Mushrooms
Fires de Bolets = Mushroom Festivals
Rutes Boletaires = Mushroom Routes
Receptes = Recipes (I’ll check these out in the near future and report back!)
Guias = Mushroom Guides
El Bolet = The Mushroom (Great page providing you the vocabulary to describe a mushroom…in Catalan 
Happy Mushroom Hunting! Gabriella Opaz PS: Ryan here. I had a chance to play with some mushrooms recently when Gabriella and I decided to make a mushroom tart of sorts. Here’s the general recipe off the top of my head: Take a half an onion and saute it in some olive oil, the more the better! When it starts to get soft, toss in enough mushrooms (assorted wild ones) to make your tart. As they are cooking, roll out a few of squares of filo dough and make two round circles that fit in a pie tin, or cazuela. Pre-bake the bottom filo crust for a few minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200C or until brown. Remove the pan and allow it to cool. As the mushrooms are starting to wilt in the pan, toss in a 1/4 cup of Tawny Port, some black pepper and salt to taste. When the moisture is almost gone, empty the mushroom mix onto the bottom crust and cover it with the second piece of filo. In the oven, after sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the tart, cook until nice and brown. That’s it! The results:  
Similar Posts: | | | |
[06/04/2008, 13:47]
1995 Bordeaux and more at Azuma | | A superb recent dinner at Azuma. The food was some of the very best that I’ve had anywhere in Sydney and I would highly recommend trying it if possible. -Pacific Oysters with Ponzu dressing
-Prawn Tempura served with curry salt
1982 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque
Light straw gold colour belies the age of this wine. The nose showed aromas of citrus, honey, vanilla and nuts. The palate is fresh, with remarkable vibrancy and acidity. The depth and the length were both outstanding. Superb - looked after bottles will probably get better over the next 6-7 years as well!
95/100 1996 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses
Doughy, citrus, talc, raspberry and with some time in the glass some light nutty characters. The palate is undoubtedly powerful, with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. Great length. As it had time to breath in the glass it unwound and just got better and better. Bursting with potential, I was glad to try this young and I hope I have another encounter with it when it has aged.
94/100 - Azuma Style Tuna Carpaccio
- Grilled Lobster with tartar sauce 2000 William Fevre Chablis Les Preuses
Delightful nose of flowers, minerals, honey and a touch of vanilla. The palate has great structure and balance, with fine acidity along its length leading into a long finish. One of the best Chablis I have tried this year, this will get better and I think be close to peaking over the next 5 years.
93/100 2001 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet
Gunflint, florals, chalk and some light oak on the nose. Bold palate with massive intensity and depth of fruit that is tamed by an excellent line of acidity. Well textured and superbly long. Very primary at this stage, I would like to see another bottle in 10 years time.
93/100 - Grilled Chicken Fillet marinated in garlic miso
- Grilled Chicken Balls served on skewers
- Twice Cooked Duck Breast with teriyaki sauce and yuzu citrus pepper 1990 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze
Concentrated and deeply coloured, the nose is expressive and had aromas of redberries, earth, black cherry and dark chocolate. The palate was more refined than I thought it would be based on the nose, it showed some intense fruit but also a lot of class and structure. Beautiful length and quite delicious to drink. Set to improve over the next 5+ years.
94/100 1990 Mommessin Clos de Tart
This showed strawberry, cherry, earth and some red floral characters on the nose. The palate is pleasant except for some tannins poking through abruptly on the finish. Based on this bottle, close to its peak. Still a very good wine and I was happy to experience it.
90/100 2000 Leroy Romanee St Vivant
Densely coloured. Earthy, spice and black pepper. Brilliance is evident on the palate - textured and layered, there is plenty of complexity here even though the wine is young. Long and balanced, this was delicious now but also has a bright future.
95/100 - Kakuni ? Braised Bangalow Sweet Pork Belly
- Wagyu Beef Sirloin Steak served with garlic soy sauce 1995 Ausone
Chocolate, cedar, blackberry, minerals and cassis aromas. Rich, deep fruit on the palate. Great balance and the components seem well integrated even at this early stage. Has the structure and depth to improve for the next 15+ years at least.
93/100 1995 Cheval Blanc
Seductive nose of musk, cinnamon, red berries and cherry. Silky on the palate, with good complexity and weight. Impressive balance and length. Despite its alluring nature now while young, it does have very good structure and will improve over the next 10 years.
94/100 1995 Lafite Dark purple in colour. Cassis, pencil shavings, chocolate and smoke on the nose. Powerful palate with incredible quality fruit. Balanced, with nothing out of place. Outstanding persistence. This is a brilliant wine, with the potential over the next 20 years to develop into something very special.
96/100 1995 Petrus
Powerful blueberry, cedar, tobacco, liquorice and coffee bean aromas comprise the nose. The palate is bold, rich, deep, intense and yet also balanced - with each component in proportion to the other. Layers of flavour and complexity. A great experience. Will improve over the next 15+ years.
95/100
- Vanilla Crean Brulee
- Green Tea Ice Cream
- Japanese Kyoho Grapes
2001 La Tour Blanche
Tropical fruit, ginger, botrytis and citrus peel on the nose. Balanced palate with medium sweetness and lovely crisp acidity. Good length, drinking really well at this young stage. This should develop very well for those that can resist it over the next 15+ years.
92/100 | | | |
[09/26/2008, 11:48]
Gaja: relax Brunello rules on Sangiovese | | A two tier qualification proposal for Brunello? I can't believe it's come down to this... talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Richard Woodard (decanter.com) writes: Italian winemaker? Angelo Gaja has said that Brunello should operate a two-tier system and allow other varieties other than Sangiovese.
As the Brunello grape blending furore continues, the veteran Piedmont producer - who also makes Brunello di Montalcino ? has suggested DOC? Brunello should move on and no longer demand the wine is made from 100% Sangiovese.
In an article published this month in Italian newspaper Libero and local Tuscan paper La Nazione, Gaja says that if indeed Brunello producers have been adding other grapes illegally to the wine, then those producers should have been lobbying to get the appellation? rules changed.
» Full Story Tags: melgab, wine, brunello, montalcino, appellation, italy, south-africa, South Africa | | WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, brunello, montalcino, appellation, italy, south-africa, South Africa, | | | |
[10/19/2008, 07:02]
The Home Team | |  In keeping with my earlier post, The Joy of Selling, once I returned home there was a little surprise waiting for me. The dreaded semi-annual management meeting, a two day affair, with speakers, workshops, wining and dining ( that?s what we do) and some looking back or forward in this channel of the wine business we have found ourselves nestled within.
I read on the occasional blog about how misdirected the wholesale/distribution channel is. And there are many things that need addressing. But we are not evil people; in fact most of the folks I work around and with are good family people. Sure we might not all share the same political persuasion and we may look differently at the horizon of the wine future. But we are all in the boat together and we are rowing like hell to make a difference for our industry and our families. We are not the problem; perhaps those who look, from the outside in, do not know of our camaraderie or our devotion to this business. I am always humbled and impressed when I spend a day or two, sequestered with my peers. No, we definitely are not the problem. So let the whiners and the naysayers say whatever they like, we aren?t going away. In fact, we?re stronger than any dirt the toxic blogger or two can throw in our direction.
 If it sounds like I'm drawing a line in the sand with the direct marketers, I?m not. Let them try to dismantle the last 75 years of this industry. And if they can build a better framework, so be it. But as a past president of India, Radhakrishnan, once said, it is easier to destroy than to create. Much easier to talk about how corrupt and outdated the wine industry is rather than pitch in an actually do the heavy lifting of raising the tide for all boats.
 There are reports and studies that postulate how important this industry is. I don?t need to read every one of them. All I need to do is look in the eyes of my colleagues to know this is a vital and necessary business for now.
 Over those two days last week, we took a break from meeting and piled into two buses, 79 of us. Our group represents the state management for a large wholesaler here in Texas. With about 2,700 employees, our mission is to provide leadership and direction, along with making money and building brands. And while there are plenty of essential employees up and down the org-chart, we are tasked with steering the ship. It?s a big ship, one in which on any given day, over 150,000 cases of product are being delivered. That?s about 1,200 40-foot containers. Amazon can?t handle that, nor can USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL or any number of delivery companies. Physically improbable.
 Our buses took us to the Milestone/Viking center, where we were broken into 9 groups (8-9 people per group) for an ?Iron Chef? burger cook-off. We had a set time to assemble a burger. There were three essential segments of this contest; 1) the idea of the burger, what it was conceptually, 2) Selling it to the judge (the pitch), and 3) what it tasted like. Our group, made up of folks from their late 20?s to their late 60?s, got together and we moved pretty fast through the concept of the burger. Assembling it, along with eighth other groups, took a good deal of teamwork and co-ordination, along with making sure we didn?t ?overwork? the idea of the burger. It all flowed pretty well. Meanwhile the other teams were brainstorming and trying to come up with their idea of the perfect burger.
 Hey, it could have been anything, but the burger was the fulcrum upon which the teams directed their attention. The idea was to transfer some of that energy, in the days to come, with other projects and working outside of our normal groups.
 Through the process I snapped shots of the other teams, people I have known, some for as long as 25 or more years. People I admire, but because we are all so darn busy and directed in our tasks, we seldom get the opportunity to hang out and do these kinds of exercises. Remember there are 2,700 people whom we usually are directing out attentions to.
 I know this sounds real Pollyanna and I am sorry, I cant help it, but I was really stoked about getting to be involved in an exercise in which when it was all said and done we sat down and ate what we dreamt up along with a glass of wine or a nice pale ale.
 Folks seemed to really light up over this event, lots of laughing and great, great memories.
 The next day, we went back to the conference room and continued with our workshops and discussions, back to business. But as if to put icing on the cake, we took a short break to recognize one of our peers who was turning 70 that day.
 As the cake rolled up and we all sang ?Happy Birthday? to him, I saw a colleague who was not only surprised but also very pleased that we not only celebrated his birthday, but a birthday, that in many industries the person would already have been retired and celebrating it quietly. Not so in the wine and spirits business. No, we?re a spirited bunch and we need all hands on deck, from 24 to 70 and counting. That bodes well for some of us other silverbacks in the pack, who just want to swing from the trees and make a little difference in the world we have found ourselves in.
 So, folks looking on the outside in want to call what we do, and who we are, wicked? I call it the home team, and am very proud to be on it.
| | | |
[10/10/2008, 21:14]
Cellar's Market: Fine Wine Investing On the Rise | | It looks like the trend mentioned a few weeks back is still popular. Jennifer Waters (marketwatch.com) writes: CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- On a hot, sunny Friday here in September only days after the first Monday market meltdown, two well-heeled wine buyers battled each other at a private auction for the privilege of shattering a world-record price for a single case? of 1982 Chateau? Lafite Rothschild.
A Chinese buyer who flew in from Beijing for the Hart Davis Hart Co. auction won with a final bid of $54,970 -- a whopping $4,580.83 a bottle. At its release in 1984, a single bottle would have sold for roughly $100. A case of 1990 Romanee-Conti Domaine? de la Romanee-Conti that was released at about $500 a bottle sold for $179,250, or $14,937.50 each. A case of 2000 Chateau Petrus was bought for $57,360, or $4,780 a bottle. At its release, the price was $750 a bottle.
Such dramatic price appreciation is not the norm for wine investments, but it does underscore how lucrative and resilient investing in fine wine can be -- particularly so at a time when market volatility is deflating 401(k) accounts and retirement nest eggs, and low interest rates are choking returns on cash and other investments.
Full Story Tags: melgab, wine, investment, ROI, auction, south-africa, South Africa | | WorldWine Tags: melgab, wine, investment, ROI, auction, south-africa, South Africa, | | | |
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