This Week In Wine – P.Diddy Teaches Wine Etiquette, $73k Champagne, VinPass and More!
June 5, 2011
VinPass: Wine Lovers Can Now Check In
A new social game called VinPass has just recently launched. It’s an application for wine lovers to "share wine reviews, win badges and earn real rewards. VinPass uses the ‘check-in’ paradigm popularized by location-based social network Foursquare and extended into other areas by the likes of GetGlue (entertainment) and Foodspotting (food). In a nutshell, you check-in to tasting a certain type of wine. If you write a review, you earn points and eventually unlock badges. VinPass promises that these badges have "tangible value" – including coupons on e-commerce stores, MP3s, ringtones, event tickets and more.
Click here to read the rest of this story.
My Thoughts
Now THIS an app I can relate to!
Vinpass is brand new, so it obviously has a lot to prove as far as matching up to other check-in apps already on the market, but I have no doubt that it will take off! I’m already an active user of FourSquare, so that may actually take a back seat to Vinpass. The one thing that’s letting FourSquare down is there’s really no benefits to participating, apart from the occasional free chips and salsa at Chili’s.
I of course cannot WAIT for my first “check-in” at Boones Farm using Vinpass!
Diddy Hires Etiquette Coach To Teach His Staff How to Hold a Wine Glass
Media mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has revealed that he requires all new hires take a crash course in how to properly eat caviar and hold a wine glass.
“iddy has hired an etiquette coach to school his Bad Boy employees on how to properly act in formal settings. A teacher named Dawn Bryan provided the staff with lessons on proper dining etiquette, business protocol in international terrain and other niceties.
Bryan, who calls herself an “international protocol expert,” also taught employees “how to hold chopsticks, how to present a business card in Japan, guidance on giving business gifts and how to choose wine, hold a wine glass and eat caviar.” The lessons, which took place at Bad Boy’s Midtown offices in New York City, New York, are required for any new hires to the company.
Click here to read the rest of this story.
My Thoughts
I don’t know how much you’re paying, but Diddy, if you’re listening, I’ll show your peeps how to hold a wine glass for half of what you are right now! Holla atcha boy.
Posted in News | Tagged Auctions, Champagne, P.Diddy, Restaurants, Social for Wineries, Social Media, VinPass, Wine Etiquette | Leave a comment //
Thinking of Opening a Winery in Napa? You Should Probably Read this First…Part 3 of 4
June 5, 2011
Following on from yesterdays post, the following is part 3 of 4 of a post made by a friend of mine, Lucas Meeker – Assistant Winemaker at Meeker Vineyards in Sonoma. The post originally appeared on professional Q&A website Quora.com.
The question Lucas answered was: What are some Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of Owning a Napa Winery?
My annotations throughout the article appear in the form of: [Notes like this], and as always I’ve highlighted what I consider to be the key points.
Posted in News | Tagged AVA, Dry Creek, How to Open a Winery, Napa, Social Media, Sonoma, Zinfandel | Leave a comment //Layer Cake Shiraz, South Australia 2009
June 5, 2011
Grapes
100% Shiraz
Facts
The popularity of Layer Cake really seems to have exploded over the last couple of years, and why wouldn’t it!?!? There’s picture of a delicious looking cake on the front label! People are suckers for good-looking wine labels (myself included).
Layer Cake is a winemaking venture from Jayson Woodbridge (no connection to Woodbridge wine), who first first came onto the radar in 1998, with a little-known wine called Hundred Acre. He shot to stardom in his 3rd vintage, when he received a score of 98 points (out of 100) from Robert Parker (wine god).
Hundred Acre now normally sells for $250+ retail, so not your everyday glugging wine!
Thinking of Opening a Winery in Napa? You Should Probably Read this First…Part 2 of 4
June 4, 2011
Following on from yesterdays post, the following is part 2 of 4 of a post made by a friend of mine, Lucas Meeker – Assistant Winemaker at Meeker Vineyards in Sonoma. The post originally appeared on professional Q&A website Quora.com.
The question Lucas answered was: What are some Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of Owning a Napa Winery?
My annotations throughout the article appear in the form of: [Notes like this], and as always I’ve highlighted what I consider to be the key points.
Posted in News | Tagged AVA, How to Open a Winery, Napa, Social Media, Sonoma | Leave a comment //Thinking of Opening a Winery in Napa? You Should Probably Read this First…
June 3, 2011
This is a slightly unusual post for me, but I should at least give you a short background on the following posts.
This original article appeared on the Quora.com, an extremely useful and fairly new website devoted to questions and answers from people of all backgrounds on a vast array of topics. It’s kind of like Yahoo Answers, except the people answering the questions tend to be much more credible in their knowledge. Make sure you check it out.
So, I stumbled across one answer recently posted by a guy I know named Lucas Meeker, Assistant Winemaker at Meeker Vineyards in Sonoma. Lucas is a very cool kid that I had met once at a tasting after sampling a few of his wines, and I was sizably blown away by the quality of the juice that he’s bottling.
The question Lucas answered was: What are some Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of Owning a Napa Winery?
Lucas’s level of insight is INSANE and thought his answer was so impressive that I asked him personally if I had his permission to repost on this website. The original post was almost 3,000 words, and so I have broken it down into 4 “bite-size” chunks. I recognize that most people simply just don’t have the time to be reading an article of that length at one sitting. Even as they stand right now, the posts are still going to be longer than average for this website, so get comfortable!
What follows is therefore a edited-down version of the original Quora post. I haven’t removed any text from the SWOT itself, just a small amount from the preamble. As a running dialogue, I’m going to add some of my own comments throughout the article, in the form of: [Notes like this], and as always I’ve highlighted what I consider to be the key points.
This is part one, the other three parts will appear at the same time over the next few days. Do yourself a favor, make sure you read the whole thing. It’s a very cool little insight into the wine industry, whether you’re already a part of it or not.
Posted in News | Tagged AVA, How to Open a Winery, Napa, Social Media, Sonoma | Leave a comment //Gary Vaynerchuk’s Daily Grape Feature – Azur, Rose Syrah, California 2009
June 2, 2011
This post is another feature from Gary Vaynerchuk’s Daily Grape wine newsletter.
2009 Azur Rose Syrah, California
Varietal: 90% Syrah, 10% Semillon
Gary’s explanation of the wine: With spring in full-effect, it’s getting to be rosé season. Ladies, this will go great with all those outfits. And guys, don’t be afraid of the pink stuff! On a more serious note, there’s so much more out there than just that sweet, White Zin your Grandma used to drink. This 2009 Azur Rosé from Napa Valley is inspired by the great rose wines from the south of France. Bone-dry with great strawberry and rose petal characteristics, it’s making a push to become one of the best domestic rosé wines I’ve ever had.
Tasting Notes: "An almost coppery kind of rose shade, with a little hint of strawberry and rose petal on the nose. Wonderful acidity… this is yum-yum city. Kudos to Azur for allowing me to believe that there’s real potential for rose in California. At the time of tasting, I don’t know this wine’s price point but if it’s under $25, it’s making a push for one of the best domestic premium roses I’ve ever had."
Score: 89+ pts.
Price: $26.00 MSRP
Posted in News | Tagged California, Napa, Rose, syrah, White Zinfandel | Leave a comment //← Older posts Newer posts →
