My laptop began crashing before the blogging conference, so on my way in on Friday morning, I took it in to my computer repair shop. Saturday, I heard the verdict: Time to buy a new laptop.
Monday, with my three youngest kids in tow, I headed to the Apple Store in Santa Rosa. I picked out one of the smaller MacBook Pros so that it would still fit in my briefcase, along with the AC adapter and a magnetic scanner that allows me to do credit card sales. The MacBook was loaded with OSX Leopard, so I decided that I'd upgrade my iMac to the same. "MobileMe" would let me keep my iMac, the MacBook and my iPhone all in sync, so I decided to throw that in. And the Time Capsule would let me backup the two computers wirelessly and effortlessly. Before you think that I'm just an Apple geek, I'll have you know that I bought an inexpensive PC laptop for my kids to use for internet access and word processing. So I guess I'm a CHEAP Apple geek.
Anyway, to make a long story short, after upgrading my iMac, I no longer had access to my email accounts, and I still haven't been able to retrieve my data from my crashed laptop! Moral: Make one change at a time! Now three days of cussing later, I finally can use my email again and Patrick is working on extracting the data from the old hard drive from the old iBook.
In the vineyard, we're pulling leaves to better expose the fruit to sunlight. We haven't been moving fast enough for two vintners who are concerned about their three rows, so they're out there as I type, pulling leaves and dropping fruit. Okay by me; I've got enough to keep me busy.
This is a weird year, economically speaking. The grape marketplace is basically silent, with vintners waiting to see what shakes out in the high-end segment. Value wines are selling, but premium wine inventories are backing up, reducing demand for the expensive grapes that go into them. The oddball thing about the wine business is that the economic decisions we make today will "bear fruit" two to three years down the road, when the wines actually come to market. Anyone care to make a prediction as to when consumers will return to finer wines?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wine Blogger Conference 3/ 50th
Sunday, Day 3, began as before, at 9am at the Flaming-O.
This was the meat of the conference, with sessions actually pertaining to wine blogging, both from the "citizen" perspective, and from the industry perspective. Between 9 and 12, we rushed through three sessions. There was so much information that we were only able to skim the surface. The final session was about "vlogging", the newest frontier of staying alive in the era of nanocasting.
Well, I'm proud to say that we're at the forefront , or at least among the early adopters of video logging. I've got one video log on the web. I'll get Kristin to link it - I'm so lucky to have her helping me out, along with Michael, who shot, edited and posted the video. Now we've got to get the time down from about three minutes to a manageable 12-20 seconds. I think I'll start each one with me playing some signature guitar riff, then going on about some tidbit of minutae regarding viticulture or winemaking or the wine business or whatever.
A lot of 12 second spots can cover a lot of minutae!
After leaving the Flaming-O at mid-day (the conference went on with vineyard tours... Ho-hum!), I stopped off at Dan Dutra's house for a bit more wine and conversation. We watched video of Dan's son winning a teen bodybuilding contest the night before - I didn't know those muscles existed! Dan brought out a couple of very-old bottles of Gallo cab, an '85 that tasted of acetone to me, and a '94 that was quite good. We also opened bottles of my '06 Pinot and Syrah, and my '03 Syrah. Dan disappeared out into the cellar, and reappeared with a bottle of '06 Kosta Browne RRV Pinot. We compared it to my Pinot, and I'll be damned if mine didn't stand up VERY favorably to the Kosta Browne!
I had to leave at 2:30 - I missed out on the abalone! - and went home to get my kids for their week with me. Cathy brought them to my house at about 3:30, and Patrick immediately urged me to get on the road to get to dinner with my parents in Marin at 4:20. Now, I had spoken to my Mom, and she told me that we had dinner reservations at 4:20, but how did Patrick know?
I asked him if he had talked to his grandma...
When we got to Marin Joe's in Corte Madera, my Mom met us at the entrance and led us back to a banquet room, where a rousing "SURPRISE!!" greeted me. My parents and my sisters & their families had all gathered to celebrate my 50th birthday!
I am blessed!
This was the meat of the conference, with sessions actually pertaining to wine blogging, both from the "citizen" perspective, and from the industry perspective. Between 9 and 12, we rushed through three sessions. There was so much information that we were only able to skim the surface. The final session was about "vlogging", the newest frontier of staying alive in the era of nanocasting.
Well, I'm proud to say that we're at the forefront , or at least among the early adopters of video logging. I've got one video log on the web. I'll get Kristin to link it - I'm so lucky to have her helping me out, along with Michael, who shot, edited and posted the video. Now we've got to get the time down from about three minutes to a manageable 12-20 seconds. I think I'll start each one with me playing some signature guitar riff, then going on about some tidbit of minutae regarding viticulture or winemaking or the wine business or whatever.
A lot of 12 second spots can cover a lot of minutae!
After leaving the Flaming-O at mid-day (the conference went on with vineyard tours... Ho-hum!), I stopped off at Dan Dutra's house for a bit more wine and conversation. We watched video of Dan's son winning a teen bodybuilding contest the night before - I didn't know those muscles existed! Dan brought out a couple of very-old bottles of Gallo cab, an '85 that tasted of acetone to me, and a '94 that was quite good. We also opened bottles of my '06 Pinot and Syrah, and my '03 Syrah. Dan disappeared out into the cellar, and reappeared with a bottle of '06 Kosta Browne RRV Pinot. We compared it to my Pinot, and I'll be damned if mine didn't stand up VERY favorably to the Kosta Browne!
I had to leave at 2:30 - I missed out on the abalone! - and went home to get my kids for their week with me. Cathy brought them to my house at about 3:30, and Patrick immediately urged me to get on the road to get to dinner with my parents in Marin at 4:20. Now, I had spoken to my Mom, and she told me that we had dinner reservations at 4:20, but how did Patrick know?
I asked him if he had talked to his grandma...
When we got to Marin Joe's in Corte Madera, my Mom met us at the entrance and led us back to a banquet room, where a rousing "SURPRISE!!" greeted me. My parents and my sisters & their families had all gathered to celebrate my 50th birthday!
I am blessed!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wine Blogger Conference 2
Day 2 began at the Flamingo Resort, also known as the Flaming-O...
We gathered at 9am and boarded a series of buses. Driving north on 101, the buses headed east on River Road over to Calistoga and on to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. We were treated to a fantastic continental breakfast as we sat down for the keynote addresses.
Introducing the speakers was the head of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, a woman whose face was familiar to me. She was one of my potential "matches" on match.com! I wondered if she recognized my face in the crowd. Small world!
Barry Shuler, one of the founders of AOL, gave an entertaining talk about our being on the cusp of a new paradigm, with the big shots of Old Media falling by the wayside. He spoke of our needing to pass through the Valley of Death to find out what awaits us on the other side. (Well, okay... he said "Death Valley", but I think "the Valley of Death" has a better ring to it. More Biblical, Less 20-Mule Team.) The second speaker, whose name escapes me as I type, spoke of some of the emerging technologies and strategies for making it through said Valley.
After all was said, we emerged from the CIA to explore the Valley of Napa, each bus departing to a different location. My bus went first to Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, where we were treated to a delicious lunch of Lemon Chicken, Roast Beef, Roasted Vegetables and a Walnut & Goat Cheese-laden Salad. Accompanying the meal were ever-full glasses of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. ("Wait, I thought I finished that... Oh well..."). On to the next stop!
At our second stop we heard 3 young "lucky spermers" go on about "family-owned wineries", where it's all about the passion for making wine and not about making money. (That's why the wines were all priced somewhat below $100, unlike those other greedy folks who priced their wine higher.) All of this folksy talk rang a bit hollow, especially in an echo-y, 5-story underground fermentation room that looked like the set of a James Bond movie, sans sinister Rocket Ship of Doom. The small bites and cheeses that went with their wines WERE very good, but my appetite was tempered by the juxtaposition of "aw-shucks" and over-the-top opulence.
Onward!
Next stop was another winery at mid-valley, where some 50 (!) Napa vintners were pouring their wines. All of the diverging buses reconverged there. With about a half-hour at that location, I was mostly still recovering from lunch. I think I tasted 3 wines... a half-hour wasn't nearly enough time to even read all of the table signage. Back on the Bus! We split up again...
Our bus went to Domaine Chandon for a splendid dinner of Dungeness Crab in a Chicken Broth, followed by perfectly-roasted Beef Tenderloin, and a Raspberry-Chocolate dessert concoction, all accompanied by a flight of eight different wines! It was a great day of wine and food - not much that had to do with blogging other than the fact that we were "wine bloggers".
The buses finally returned to the Flaming-O, where there was an after-party awaiting us: More Wine! This time it was wines from Portugal. I wandered briefly through the room before deciding that I needed sleep more than I needed more wine.
Stuffed over-full of fine food and wine, tempered by the hour-long bus ride back, I headed home to my own bed.
We gathered at 9am and boarded a series of buses. Driving north on 101, the buses headed east on River Road over to Calistoga and on to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. We were treated to a fantastic continental breakfast as we sat down for the keynote addresses.
Introducing the speakers was the head of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, a woman whose face was familiar to me. She was one of my potential "matches" on match.com! I wondered if she recognized my face in the crowd. Small world!
Barry Shuler, one of the founders of AOL, gave an entertaining talk about our being on the cusp of a new paradigm, with the big shots of Old Media falling by the wayside. He spoke of our needing to pass through the Valley of Death to find out what awaits us on the other side. (Well, okay... he said "Death Valley", but I think "the Valley of Death" has a better ring to it. More Biblical, Less 20-Mule Team.) The second speaker, whose name escapes me as I type, spoke of some of the emerging technologies and strategies for making it through said Valley.
After all was said, we emerged from the CIA to explore the Valley of Napa, each bus departing to a different location. My bus went first to Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, where we were treated to a delicious lunch of Lemon Chicken, Roast Beef, Roasted Vegetables and a Walnut & Goat Cheese-laden Salad. Accompanying the meal were ever-full glasses of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. ("Wait, I thought I finished that... Oh well..."). On to the next stop!
At our second stop we heard 3 young "lucky spermers" go on about "family-owned wineries", where it's all about the passion for making wine and not about making money. (That's why the wines were all priced somewhat below $100, unlike those other greedy folks who priced their wine higher.) All of this folksy talk rang a bit hollow, especially in an echo-y, 5-story underground fermentation room that looked like the set of a James Bond movie, sans sinister Rocket Ship of Doom. The small bites and cheeses that went with their wines WERE very good, but my appetite was tempered by the juxtaposition of "aw-shucks" and over-the-top opulence.
Onward!
Next stop was another winery at mid-valley, where some 50 (!) Napa vintners were pouring their wines. All of the diverging buses reconverged there. With about a half-hour at that location, I was mostly still recovering from lunch. I think I tasted 3 wines... a half-hour wasn't nearly enough time to even read all of the table signage. Back on the Bus! We split up again...
Our bus went to Domaine Chandon for a splendid dinner of Dungeness Crab in a Chicken Broth, followed by perfectly-roasted Beef Tenderloin, and a Raspberry-Chocolate dessert concoction, all accompanied by a flight of eight different wines! It was a great day of wine and food - not much that had to do with blogging other than the fact that we were "wine bloggers".
The buses finally returned to the Flaming-O, where there was an after-party awaiting us: More Wine! This time it was wines from Portugal. I wandered briefly through the room before deciding that I needed sleep more than I needed more wine.
Stuffed over-full of fine food and wine, tempered by the hour-long bus ride back, I headed home to my own bed.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wine Blogger Conference 1
Just got home from day one at the Wine Blogger Conference in Santa Rosa.
I was one of the only winemakers blogging at the winefest. There were 250 bloggers trying to get online at the Flamingo Resort, and there were technical difficulties in accommodating so many with their laptops. I had taken mine in to be repaired just before the conference, so I had no way of doing the live blogging that was scheduled. I realized that it was a great opportunity for showing my wines, so I left the hall and drove home to pick up some of my 2006 Pinot and Syrah and to print up some more business cards with my blog address printed on the back.
I returned with wine in hand, and shared it with the other folks at my table at dinnertime. It was a fine dinner, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I asked the people from the other wineries how much they had paid for the privilege of pouring at the event. ...Being a blogger, I paid less than half of the fee that they had paid, and I still have two days to network and share! There are some advantages to being ahead of the curve. I've even got some other bloggers who are interested in doing video interviews with me during the time remaining. We'll see how things go.
Tomorrow (Today! - It's late), I've got to be at the resort by 9AM to catch the bus to Napa for day two. I'll fill in more details tomorrow (today!?), but I'm sure I'll get home late again...
To bed, to bed, sleepyhead!
I was one of the only winemakers blogging at the winefest. There were 250 bloggers trying to get online at the Flamingo Resort, and there were technical difficulties in accommodating so many with their laptops. I had taken mine in to be repaired just before the conference, so I had no way of doing the live blogging that was scheduled. I realized that it was a great opportunity for showing my wines, so I left the hall and drove home to pick up some of my 2006 Pinot and Syrah and to print up some more business cards with my blog address printed on the back.
I returned with wine in hand, and shared it with the other folks at my table at dinnertime. It was a fine dinner, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I asked the people from the other wineries how much they had paid for the privilege of pouring at the event. ...Being a blogger, I paid less than half of the fee that they had paid, and I still have two days to network and share! There are some advantages to being ahead of the curve. I've even got some other bloggers who are interested in doing video interviews with me during the time remaining. We'll see how things go.
Tomorrow (Today! - It's late), I've got to be at the resort by 9AM to catch the bus to Napa for day two. I'll fill in more details tomorrow (today!?), but I'm sure I'll get home late again...
To bed, to bed, sleepyhead!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summertime
I just got back from a week at Scout camp with my boys. We were staying at Camp Hi-Sierra up off of Highway 108, 25 miles up from Sonora. No cell service. No computers. No wine. Lots of mosquitos. Actually, the mosquitos weren't such a great issue for me, but there were others at our campsite who were evidently tastier than I.
Friday was my 50th birthday. The other adult troop leaders asked the Camp Cook if he knew a recipe for Cherries Jubilee, since I love cherries and this being my "jubilee" birthday. Well, there are just a few ingredients, and two of them aren't permitted at Scout camp: alcohol and fire. So we settled on a Dutch Oven cherry-chocolate concoction, cooked with coals from our campfire. Delicious! Along with our dessert, we DID NOT enjoy a bit of cognac from a flask that one of the other leaders DID NOT bring to camp. We also DID NOT settle down with a bit of 7 and 7. We DID sleep well that night, mosquitos and all.
While I was away, Kristin was working on PR, and my new intern, Adrian, was hitting the pavement, bottles in hand, seeking out new trade accounts. I haven't caught up with them as of this writing. Yesterday, Drew sent me a draft grape contract for the upcoming harvest. I'll need to go over it with him ASAP.
Friday was my 50th birthday. The other adult troop leaders asked the Camp Cook if he knew a recipe for Cherries Jubilee, since I love cherries and this being my "jubilee" birthday. Well, there are just a few ingredients, and two of them aren't permitted at Scout camp: alcohol and fire. So we settled on a Dutch Oven cherry-chocolate concoction, cooked with coals from our campfire. Delicious! Along with our dessert, we DID NOT enjoy a bit of cognac from a flask that one of the other leaders DID NOT bring to camp. We also DID NOT settle down with a bit of 7 and 7. We DID sleep well that night, mosquitos and all.
While I was away, Kristin was working on PR, and my new intern, Adrian, was hitting the pavement, bottles in hand, seeking out new trade accounts. I haven't caught up with them as of this writing. Yesterday, Drew sent me a draft grape contract for the upcoming harvest. I'll need to go over it with him ASAP.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
PinotDays
My, oh my, don't the days fly by when you're havin' fun.
Pinot Days, Sunday June 28
Sunday morning there's no water at the house. So I get up, go to my friends' house about two miles away, and take a shower in their sauna room. Back at home, Kristin meets me there, and we load up for the trip into San Francisco. We're running a bit late when we pick up Cassandra in Petaluma. Off we go to "don't call it Frisco".
When we arrive at about 12, there's a line of 150 tasters eager to get in and start tasting. The doors don't open 'til 1. We're all looking good in black pants and embroidered shirts. We find our table.
No electricity, and we're on the inner court, with no wall upon which to hang our lovely banner. I take the banner back to the truck. When I return, there are tasters at the table with Kristin and Cassandra. I jump in and do my song and dance, "Root to glass! I grow it, I make it, I sell it and I wash the bottles, too." The trade tasters have nametags. After awhile, I start seeing nametags saying, "Public". I'd like to know some names of the folks who come to taste.
There are sandwiches there for us. The Roast Beef goes great with my Syrah, of course! I opened a couple of bottles of Syrah for those in the know, for those who ask.
We're getting lot of great responses. People are signing up on the email list. A couple of fans buy some wine for immediate delivery (out in the parking lot after the tasting). A number of tasters inform us that all they've been hearing is "Clary Ranch, Clary Ranch!": Music to my ears.
I love these events. To meet and interact with so many wine aficionados (I do find the female sort to be particularly engaging!) is an invigorating experience.
Between Pres A Vi and the Grand Tasting, we've got over 30 adds to the mailing list! I've had events that got less than 10. This is our best response so far in those terms.
Toward the end of the event, Michael arrives. Michael is my son's fencing teacher, the Wine Wize Guy, and Kristin's boyfriend. Michael gets a mini tasting glass, a reflection of the cost-saving times in which we live.
After the tasting is over, we (Michael, Kristin, Cassandra and I, along with Chris Didato, one of my customers, and his girlfriend, whose name escapes me) savor the remains of the open bottle of Syrah at the tailgate of my truck, and then M, K, C & I walk over to Chestnut Street to find dinner. We bring along a bottle of the '06 Pinot. The girls have changed into evening attire and are looking beautiful.
We walk up the street several blocks, looking for the right place to eat. "No, let's look two blocks back." "Okay." Tramp tramp tramp... "No, maybe a block up." Tramp tramp tramp... "No maybe three blocks over." Tramp tramp tramp... "Wait, how about that place there..." Emporio Rulli Gran Caffe. Looks good to me. We're dining alfresco in San Francisco in June. The weather is glorious. It's a wonderful evening.
Pinot Days, Sunday June 28
Sunday morning there's no water at the house. So I get up, go to my friends' house about two miles away, and take a shower in their sauna room. Back at home, Kristin meets me there, and we load up for the trip into San Francisco. We're running a bit late when we pick up Cassandra in Petaluma. Off we go to "don't call it Frisco".
When we arrive at about 12, there's a line of 150 tasters eager to get in and start tasting. The doors don't open 'til 1. We're all looking good in black pants and embroidered shirts. We find our table.
No electricity, and we're on the inner court, with no wall upon which to hang our lovely banner. I take the banner back to the truck. When I return, there are tasters at the table with Kristin and Cassandra. I jump in and do my song and dance, "Root to glass! I grow it, I make it, I sell it and I wash the bottles, too." The trade tasters have nametags. After awhile, I start seeing nametags saying, "Public". I'd like to know some names of the folks who come to taste.
There are sandwiches there for us. The Roast Beef goes great with my Syrah, of course! I opened a couple of bottles of Syrah for those in the know, for those who ask.
We're getting lot of great responses. People are signing up on the email list. A couple of fans buy some wine for immediate delivery (out in the parking lot after the tasting). A number of tasters inform us that all they've been hearing is "Clary Ranch, Clary Ranch!": Music to my ears.
I love these events. To meet and interact with so many wine aficionados (I do find the female sort to be particularly engaging!) is an invigorating experience.
Between Pres A Vi and the Grand Tasting, we've got over 30 adds to the mailing list! I've had events that got less than 10. This is our best response so far in those terms.
Toward the end of the event, Michael arrives. Michael is my son's fencing teacher, the Wine Wize Guy, and Kristin's boyfriend. Michael gets a mini tasting glass, a reflection of the cost-saving times in which we live.
After the tasting is over, we (Michael, Kristin, Cassandra and I, along with Chris Didato, one of my customers, and his girlfriend, whose name escapes me) savor the remains of the open bottle of Syrah at the tailgate of my truck, and then M, K, C & I walk over to Chestnut Street to find dinner. We bring along a bottle of the '06 Pinot. The girls have changed into evening attire and are looking beautiful.
We walk up the street several blocks, looking for the right place to eat. "No, let's look two blocks back." "Okay." Tramp tramp tramp... "No, maybe a block up." Tramp tramp tramp... "No maybe three blocks over." Tramp tramp tramp... "Wait, how about that place there..." Emporio Rulli Gran Caffe. Looks good to me. We're dining alfresco in San Francisco in June. The weather is glorious. It's a wonderful evening.
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