Comments on: EENY MEENY MINY MOE, TO WHICH CRITICS DOES MY WINE GO? http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2009/05/07/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-to-which-critics-does-my-wine-go/ A blog about the world of wine Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:13:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Larry Stanton http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2009/05/07/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-to-which-critics-does-my-wine-go/comment-page-1/#comment-6187 Larry Stanton Sat, 09 May 2009 03:39:16 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=2695#comment-6187 Okay, for thee who do not liketh small productions, we are a not uncommon vineyard/ cellars, with a tiny 225 total case production this yr. Rest of the grapes were under contract. We took bits and pieces of blocs heretofore allowed to crisp up while the wineries waited for the "bloc" to ripen. In truth, they couldn't be bothered with a ton of grapes, let alone 1500 lb lots. Well, that's what we make wine from, in part, it is all severely stressed, and makes fine wine. Our goal by design is to remain small, we have no desire to make 1000 cases, maybe 500 someday. We are only interested in extremely well cared for grapes to make wine of similar quality. Grapes of questionable quality were dropped long before, and yield is mostly in the 1T/ac range, up to 2.5 T/ac. Rhone/ Bordeaux Vineyard has steeply sloped limestone hills, temp splits of 55 degrees day/nite during growing season, S -SW face. Charlie, you wouldn't be interested in tasting a wine from that persuasion? I bet JD would. The idea isn't to make a bazillion dollars...we are only interested in quality...nothing more, nothing less. As for deciding whom to send our wines to, it couldn't be simpler. Read WS and WE reviews for a couple yrs, try some of wines, see who reviews what you personally taste, find a reviewer who is understandable and whose tastes are somewhat similar to yours(okay, at least in the same ballpark), and the choice is rather straight forward. Okay, for thee who do not liketh small productions, we are a not uncommon vineyard/ cellars, with a tiny 225 total case production this yr. Rest of the grapes were under contract. We took bits and pieces of blocs heretofore allowed to crisp up while the wineries waited for the “bloc” to ripen. In truth, they couldn’t be bothered with a ton of grapes, let alone 1500 lb lots. Well, that’s what we make wine from, in part, it is all severely stressed, and makes fine wine. Our goal by design is to remain small, we have no desire to make 1000 cases, maybe 500 someday. We are only interested in extremely well cared for grapes to make wine of similar quality. Grapes of questionable quality were dropped long before, and yield is mostly in the 1T/ac range, up to 2.5 T/ac. Rhone/ Bordeaux Vineyard has steeply sloped limestone hills, temp splits of 55 degrees day/nite during growing season, S -SW face. Charlie, you wouldn’t be interested in tasting a wine from that persuasion? I bet JD would. The idea isn’t to make a bazillion dollars…we are only interested in quality…nothing more, nothing less.

As for deciding whom to send our wines to, it couldn’t be simpler. Read WS and WE reviews for a couple yrs, try some of wines, see who reviews what you personally taste, find a reviewer who is understandable and whose tastes are somewhat similar to yours(okay, at least in the same ballpark), and the choice is rather straight forward.

]]> By: Charlie Olken http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2009/05/07/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-to-which-critics-does-my-wine-go/comment-page-1/#comment-6181 Charlie Olken Fri, 08 May 2009 22:33:00 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=2695#comment-6181 It is obviously a tricky challenge for folks who review wine for a living. On the one hand, you want to be able to recommend wines that people can actually buy. Some folks, like JD, will search wines out, and while a few of people at the paid-for-wine-mag end buy their fancy wine at Safeway, most do not. Still, the small lots are often instructive. One hundred cases of Syrah from Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa or White Hawk in Santa Barbara could grow into 500 or more over time. If we stuck only to big winery wines, we would have missed the emergence of many important wineries. My rule for years was 300 cases and no wines sold only at wineries. The world has changed and while I still try to avoid puny productions (in case count as well as quality), how does one review the wines of Testarossa or Kosta Browne and leave half of the out? Answer is that we can't because folks who read us want to know about them. But, neither Steve nor I nor most reviewers get the cult Cabs anyway. For that, you have to pay and pay or read the big two--because folks like that will not even taste you at the winery let alone send samples. It is obviously a tricky challenge for folks who review wine for a living. On the one hand, you want to be able to recommend wines that people can actually buy. Some folks, like JD, will search wines out, and while a few of people at the paid-for-wine-mag end buy their fancy wine at Safeway, most do not. Still, the small lots are often instructive. One hundred cases of Syrah from Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa or White Hawk in Santa Barbara could grow into 500 or more over time. If we stuck only to big winery wines, we would have missed the emergence of many important wineries.

My rule for years was 300 cases and no wines sold only at wineries. The world has changed and while I still try to avoid puny productions (in case count as well as quality), how does one review the wines of Testarossa or Kosta Browne and leave half of the out? Answer is that we can’t because folks who read us want to know about them.

But, neither Steve nor I nor most reviewers get the cult Cabs anyway. For that, you have to pay and pay or read the big two–because folks like that will not even taste you at the winery let alone send samples.

]]> By: steve http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2009/05/07/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-to-which-critics-does-my-wine-go/comment-page-1/#comment-6178 steve Fri, 08 May 2009 17:55:19 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=2695#comment-6178 Bruce, good point. I think the reason wine magazines review these little 10-case productions (I do sometimes) is because we believe that readers like reading about them. Kind of like reading People magazine. Few of us will ever own a mansion or be inside Oprah's place, but it's kind of cool reading about them and seeing the pictures. Bruce, good point. I think the reason wine magazines review these little 10-case productions (I do sometimes) is because we believe that readers like reading about them. Kind of like reading People magazine. Few of us will ever own a mansion or be inside Oprah’s place, but it’s kind of cool reading about them and seeing the pictures.

]]> By: Christopher O'Gorman http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2009/05/07/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-to-which-critics-does-my-wine-go/comment-page-1/#comment-6177 Christopher O'Gorman Fri, 08 May 2009 16:38:17 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=2695#comment-6177 I do the communications for a medium sized winery in Napa, and I'll echo what Rusty said regarding the need for constant updating of the media list. Additionally, with the explosion of wine blogs, we now have to look at casting a wider net to capture the more active and influencial of these bloggers. And, that universe is expanding weekly. These are dynamic times for wine marketing and pr. I do the communications for a medium sized winery in Napa, and I’ll echo what Rusty said regarding the need for constant updating of the media list.

Additionally, with the explosion of wine blogs, we now have to look at casting a wider net to capture the more active and influencial of these bloggers. And, that universe is expanding weekly.

These are dynamic times for wine marketing and pr.

]]> By: JD in Napa http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2009/05/07/eeny-meeny-miny-moe-to-which-critics-does-my-wine-go/comment-page-1/#comment-6172 JD in Napa Fri, 08 May 2009 14:56:06 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=2695#comment-6172 At the top of the response string, there were grumblings about "if the wine isn't available in the [area]". This is a non-issue, in this consumer's view. I'm willing to bet that the people who read wine publications, and particularly those who read blogs, do not run to Safeway or the local wine shop to look for a wine about which they've read. They go online. Those of us who actively read about wine know that (oh, let's say) 80% of the wines reviewed will NOT be available at the local shop or super; there are just too many wines out there. When a review or story gets my attention, I'm on wine-searcher.com ("pro version", of course) before I know it. Gotta be a savvy shopper, kids. At the top of the response string, there were grumblings about “if the wine isn’t available in the [area]“. This is a non-issue, in this consumer’s view. I’m willing to bet that the people who read wine publications, and particularly those who read blogs, do not run to Safeway or the local wine shop to look for a wine about which they’ve read. They go online. Those of us who actively read about wine know that (oh, let’s say) 80% of the wines reviewed will NOT be available at the local shop or super; there are just too many wines out there. When a review or story gets my attention, I’m on wine-searcher.com (“pro version”, of course) before I know it. Gotta be a savvy shopper, kids.

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