Getting a bit sentimental/ philosophical about our love for wine

He Said: I've been thinking a lot lately about how very funny it is that I work in the wine industry.... She Said: This post, in all of it's poetic excess, has sat unanswered on my desktop for months. I don't often extoll the virtues of wine to such degree (at least not until I've consumed at least a bottle of the stuff in question, and by that time my writing skills are subpar - I could never have lasted as a beat poet).  Continue »

Movies are important! What happens when you add wine.

He Said: Most wine enthusiasts read or saw the tale of soggy and fragile Miles as he wended his way through California wine country with his philandering friend Jack in "Sideways."... She Said: While I'm all for drawing comparisons between wine and one's other interests, the movie/wine metaphor falls short for me.  Continue »

The Most Excellent Wines of the Year (In our little universe)

We thought we'd take a slightly different tact with our "Best of..." list for 2011 by looking at three totally subjective, categorical winners from the past year.... She Said: Sorry, Italy. You know I love you. But this year belonged to the good 'ole U.S.A.  Continue »

Our Top Ten Wish Lists for the Wine Industry in 2012

Another in a long line of Top 10′s. More like wishful thinking, we have compiled a list of the things we’d love to see for the next year. Maybe at the end of 2012, we will check back to see who has the prognosticator’s great gift. Onward…  Continue »

The Evolution of Industries

Industries tend to develop in four stages. While the particulars vary from industry to industry, there is nevertheless a common warp and weft on which the designs are woven.  Continue »

Big fish, small pool: why being the best wine isn’t always so hot.

He Said: I very recently came across a bottle of wine that bore so many little gold medal icons on its label that it looked like that iconic photo of Mark Spitz after the 1972 Olympics without the moustache and spectacular bathing costume.... She Said: I'm not in love with the idea of anything used solely for marketing purposes.  Continue »

What Business Are You In: Part II

With respect to the wine industry, the answers are widely divergent. As recently as thirty years ago, such was not the case. As late as 1980, winemaking knowledge was a competitive entry barrier in itself. In Europe, that knowledge was largely passed down through generations. In the 50’s and 60’s, Emile Peynaud, at the University of Bordeaux, pioneered the science of winemaking but traditionalists eschewed his methods.  Continue »

Why you may not be very interesting: The current culture of wine

He Said: The wine industry has long suffered the slings and arrows of people both inside and outside that have cried a derisive, "foul!" at the sometimes prolix, garrulous and elaborate vocabulary that is associated with assessing wine.... She Said: From a wine-geek perspective, I agree with you. I've chosen to make this not just my passion, but my career. I can, and do, write long, flowery tasting notes. But standing on the frontlines actively witnessing people read the tasting notes has put much of their bellyaching into perspective.  Continue »

Great Bottles of Wine: The modern Dodo-bird, or the common Grackle?

He Said: I have had a few great bottles of wine in my day. A paltry few.... She Said: Essentially, what you are saying here is that if one gets drunk enough, the "plonk" doesn't really matter. I've got to disagree.  Continue »

What Business Are You In: Part I

In the Spring of 2008, David Collis, then of Harvard, and the late Michael Rukstad, coauthored an article in the Harvard Business Review titled Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? Professors Collis and Rukstad challenged executives to distill the objective, scope and advantage of their business to 35 words or less. In the research leading up to the article, they found that few people could and offered the obvious conclusion that if they couldn’t, neither could anyone else.  Continue »