Wine Blog
"Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz"

When I wrote Finding Myself in The Right Lane, About Two Years Later As I Look Back ~ Not Much Has Changed, I wrote it just before leaving for Puerto Rico for nine days. In Puerto Rico, I’m definitely on island time – my favorite time of all. While I was checking my Emails each day, I wasn’t checking my blog spam filter, so I missed approving an important comment from Paul Mabray. There was a site for gathering winery data that was proposed two years ago in this story, and it was completely gone when I checked in to see how it was doing. That became part of my story.

I had written:

OwnIT (yourwineyourway.com) is a site that allows wineries to take all of their sales material content and put it into one place. The benefit of that is that if I am a wholesaler, a wine shop owner, a restaurateur, or an online wine sales company, I now have one place to go to grab sales information about any wine that’s listed there. This means consolidation of a lot of material to benefit sales. It eliminates having to search for winery Web sites. Considering that there are about 10,000 sites to bookmark for wine info, someone came up with a good idea.

The link for OwnIT (yourwineyourway.com) now goes to another site today, because Own IT has been wrapped into another company.  Yourwineryyourway.com is being directed toward Wineportfolio.org. This is very confusing for anyone, I know, and so Paul Mabray of VinTank.com wrote extensively to clear it up. His rebuttal is quite good, and now that I’ve given you the history lead-ins, here are Paul’s thoughts.

Jo,

Thank you for writing this blog and thanks to Mike [Duffy of the Winery Web Site Report] for all the good comments.

Here is the history of Ownit –

Cruvee (now VinTank) was matching conversations to wines and we were working hard to get all the wines in the database to make our Social Listening software better. In working with many of the wine tech companies we noticed all of them were struggling with the same problem: collecting data from wineries to fill their apps, sites, etc. In fact they were spending 30%-50% of their time “harvesting data.” Where there were solutions they were either filled with dirty data, they charged obscene fees or forced the partner to link back to the company sharing the data (essentially hijacking the tech company’s user base). Being software guys and open source guys we took on the challenge and launched the OwnIt campaign.

Essentially OwnIt was a service, for free, that allowed wineries to input their data and then syndicate it to wine tech companies for free and efficiently (through API’s). Own it was powered by Cruvee’s software. It was one engine doing both things.

With the launch of OwnIt we got great press and at the same time a lot of fiefdoms that had data sources trying to discredit the campaign. Our two biggest problems were that we ran OwnIt separately as its own marketing program and that we used a tag line that was similar (Your Wine Your Way) but unregistered to a make your own wine retail establishment in Florida which is out of business but was incredibly litigious.

In going to the market we made over 50 biz dev relationships to provide them the data. Everyone loved the service and data but suffered from two problems:

1. They didn’t have the resources to integrate.
2. They felt that we didn’t have enough data.
3. They took but would not share back data they were collecting (we called it data silos).

On the winery side we had equal problems. We spent hours upon hours convincing the enterprise wineries the value of data. Many didn’t even have their own data collected and organized and felt that PDF sell sheets were data enough for the market to consume. Smaller wineries didn’t understand at all and the effort to put the data in the engine was too onerous. Mike’s concept about charging wineries to input the data did not elude us and we made this pitch countless times but even at paying someone minimum wage that we’d outsource, they were not willing to pay. We hand entered many wineries data to demonstrate the power and show value and even created a free directory that wineries could even use as a trade section: http://directory.cruvee.com/ (which still exists today and here is a great example of winery leveraging the system – http://directory.cruvee.com/wineries/Jordan-Vineyard–Winery/00331701). Before the social listening software was free we even offered a year’s worth of the software for free if they entered the data. To further demonstrate the power of the data we built a Facebook app that helped wineries put their wines on their fan page to help educate their fans and convert some to customers. We also gave this away for free. This was our most successful initiative and over 800 wineries entered their data into the system.

We also added a way for wineries to use that same data to fill out applications for over 6 wine competitions.

At that point we tired of negotiating with the litigious retailer and integrated the wine data as a key feature in our software (where it still lives today). We shut down the site and let the URL go away and Yourwineyourway.com (which now seems to be occupied by a wine blog wineportfolio.org). We also bought Cruvee and we committed that the listening service will always be free and rebranded the software to VinTank Social Connect. We are finalizing a major release in less than seven days that will really up the ante for the power of the software and make social more relevant to the wine industry.

The OwnIt part of the data is still alive and well and we have continued to expand the business development relations. In fact we now syndicate to over 300 partners and recently made a key data relationship with BevMedia (http://www.pitchengine.com/pitch/168254/) who power etailers (another key need for clean wine data in the industry). We also wanted to improve the Facebook app and made a key partnership with a company that specializes in Facebook Fan Pages, are great guys, and love the wine industry: http://www.vintank.com/2011/11/we%E2%80%99ve-got-a-new-bff-and-they-love-the-wine-industry/. They also continued the service for free to the wine industry if you put the data into VinTank Social Connect.

So what has happened over the last three years regarding wine data?

• It is still a mess and a struggle for all wine tech companies. In fact it is one of the top reasons wine tech companies fail.
• The wine industry considers digital a tertiary priority despite the fact that we live in a digital world.
• The major enterprise wineries have started to start data initiatives to get their data out to wine tech companies (mobile apps, social networks, etailers). We have partnered with three of the largest wine companies to syndicate their wine data exclusively. We hope that our soapbox has helped them better understand the meaning of data.
• Most wineries still don’t understand the value of data and how it helps them sell better. A few examples:
• Clean wine data and images sell better on etailer sites than wines with limited content and poor imagery.
• A trade site is still inadequate to solve this problem.
• This data problem is stifling digital innovation in the wine industry.
• Have you tried to use any of the apps and search for your wine and not find it there? Imagine a customer having that same experience.
• Data management helps sell better for all industries: http://blog.caspio.com/web-database/is-database-publishing-in-your-content-marketing-strategy/

And what has happened to the OwnIt movement?

It is still alive and kicking today as a key feature in VinTank Social Connect: http://www.vintank.com/our-sandbox/data-syndication/

It is still free to wineries.

It is still free to wine tech companies who can find the tech specs here: http://developer.cruvee.com/.

The directory still works and is free for wineries to leverage after putting in their data: http://directory.cruvee.com/.

Wineries can still get a free app to put wines on their Facebook Fan Page (like this one www.facebook.com/ModusWines?sk=app_135009399849762) from our partner http://www.social-candy.com/pages/ and can upgrade with tons of their awesome features.

But we are far from solving the problem. This one is going to take a village and needs wineries to own their data.

We shall see, because Paul and I are in firm agreement on something that he also wrote to me: We still believe and work tirelessly towards the goal to help solve the problem that we think is the greatest inhibitor of success for wine online.

Tags: Diaz Communications, Facebook, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz, Mike Duffy, Paul Mabray, Puerto Rico, VinTank, Website, Wine, Winery, yourwineyourway.com

Although my job with Enoforum Wines ended over a year ago, my relationship to them has remained. Once Enoforum found an importer, the next steps involved getting placements with wholesalers within each state. PR – sensibly – had to be put on a back burner. Without unlimited resources, which very few companies have these days, priorities had to be set. And, we parted as friends, with my gains through this relationship being very substantive. I had traveled to Portugal, seen the sights, tasted the fruits of their labors, experienced their culture and warmth. And for that I’ll always be grateful.

And so, my friend Delfim Costa and I have shared occasional emails. When I got his most recent email, I was so delighted. Amidst the economic turmoil of the world, Enoforum continues to grow, and we can expect to see even more Portuguese presence in the US as a result of their newest developments.

It’s my great pleasure to write that at the end of December 2011, CARMIM, CRL (www.carmim.eu) purchased Enoforum Wines, and has been in charge of its leadership and strategy since then. I had a fabulous visit to Carmim while in Portugal, meeting with winemaker Rui Veladas (Winemaker). We shared a lunch in Reguengos de Monsaraz (Alentejo, Portugal) that I’ll never forget, and Rui’s hospitality at Carmim was impeccable.

CARMIM was one of Enoforum’s founders in 2004 and it has been one of their main shareholders and their main wine and enology service providers. Today Carmim is the main Portuguese bottled winery (Adega), with over 40 years spent in producing quality wine and olive oil. After leading the Portuguese domestic market, Carmim is now striving to become a major player in the worldwide wine trade and Enoforum will have a central role in this strategy.

Enoforum is thus going to substantially expand its portfolio and its presence in international markets, with the possibility of aiming higher in the future. They now have more powerful resources that will enable them to offer a better quality service to all their clients.

Enoforum’s team:

• Delfim Costa (General Manager)
• Rui Veladas (Winemaker)
• Isabel Ramos (Financial Management, Logistics)
• Elsa Lourinho (Customer Services and Logistics)
• Luís Ribeiro (Area Sales Manager)
• Daniel Lopes (Shanghai Office)

They will be making all their changes gradually and in a flexible way, always keeping in touch with their clients so that they can achieve positive results for everyone concerned.

Their new logo took its inspiration from a choral group from the Alentejo, a strong symbol of that region’s folklore. It aims at being a geographical anchor and aims at spreading the word that “behind every great wine there are great people who produce it.” (Well said, guys!)

It’s also important to note that Enoforum is now exporting to 32 countries, and they expect to export in 2012 over 400,000 cases of wine worldwide. I just love watching this growth from afar.

Regarding the choral group from the Alentejo, I once wrote the following entitled: Instead of Wine, Women, and Song; How about Wine, Men and Song? You’ll quickly realize, from what I’ve written, that having a wine client in Portugal had a profound impact on my life. This isn’t just a wine brand or wine company… This is culture at its finest, with – I kid you not – the most wonderful people behind the effort. So, I can only wish them the ultimate for success.

My story, revisited…

…All of this said, this is why I’d return to Europe in a heartbeat, where chivalry still lives, regardless of the sociocultural changes. Men still think kindly of women, are willing to open and close doors, make sure that we’re seated correctly, and attended to in some very special ways. I don’t take offense to any of it… Never did.

[Image borrowed from What a Wonderful New World.com.xanga.com]

For Wine, Men, and Song, there’s even a group in the Alentejo region of Portugal called Baldão (pronounced similar to Bal-down, like you “own” something, with a “d” in front of it… and a sharp mouth closing at the end of the word).

The ethnomusicological study of cante ao baldão (singing of the baldão) can be read at Cante ao Baldao: A Song Dueling Practice in Alentejo, by Maria Jose Barriga

1. Fado (sung by women with acoustic back up)
2. Baldão ~ image of Alente’s label above.

If you travel to the Alentejo region of Portugal, you might be serenaded by one of the town’s traditional singers. These men are genuine descendants of medieval troubadours… Their ancestors date back to the days of chivalry.

And so to the birth of a label coming from the Alentejo region of Portugal, inspired by Baldão, and encompassing the culture… Alente’s image of these three men: The cape, scarf worn at the neck, and the large fedora-style hat are all part of the garb. The singing is all part of their modern celebrations.

In all of this process in Portugal, wine is never the center of the activity, even in the Wine, Men, and Song part of it. It’s like having a glass of water… It just is, and it is what it is… magical.

Traditional culture gives birth to a wine brand where the tapestry of how Portugal has become what it is honored with each and every thread along the way… Including the cloth of the Baldão singers.

Wine, Men, and Song…

Tags: Alentejo, Carmim, Daniel Lopes, Delfim Costa, Diaz Communications, Enoforum Wines, Isabel Ramos, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz, Luís Ribeiro, Portugal, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Rui Veladas, Wine, Winemaker

From yesterday’s story, here are the Petite Sirah vintner/winemaker answers, in the order of when they got back to me, regarding, “Why do you make Petite Sirah?”

Larry Schaffer, tercero wines

I love Petite Sirah for a number of reasons. It’s an ‘underdog’ variety, one that doesn’t get the notice nor the ‘publicity’ I believe it deserves . . . especially as a variety that’s almost entirely exclusive domestically now. I also love that it can be produced in a fruit forward style that’s approachable young – something that’s not historically been the case. And I love the unique blueberry fruit quality that it attains in Santa Barbara County, where the grapes for my Petite Sirah are produced.

Collin Cranor, Nottingham Cellars

Petite Sirah is a winemaker’s best friend. Its distinctly layered berry, dark fruit, cocoa profile, and gripping tannins fit the profile of what wine drinkers and winemakers love. The difference between the maker and the drinker is the maker knows this, and the drinker just orders a Cab or a Zin when he is at the store or out to eat. But, once you get a drinker in the tasting room, PS flies.

Aside from its obvious value as a varietal in the tasting room, PS goes a long way in the cellar. Put it this way, almost every red I produce gets a little Petite; be it in the final blend or topping it throughout its life in the barrel.”

Dan Gustafson, Gustafson Family Winery

In 2002 I planted my vineyard at 1,800 feet above Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County. Petite Sirah was my first choice as I thought it was under-rated as a standalone wine having been a workhorse blending grape for decades. Always a Bridesmaid and seldom a Bride… Today, our Petite Sirah is our flagship wine of the eleven we produce. It’s a key part of our identity and our success.

George Guglielmo, Guglielmo Winery

When I graduated from Fresno State in 1967, I convinced my father that it was time to start a varietal program. Our heritage was blended red and white wines. Of our 70 planted acres that we grew then, and still today, it was/is mostly Petite Sirah. Our first single variety was our 1969 Estate Petite Sirah, and it’s been our signature wine ever since. Obviously we were quite pleased when, recently, Wine Enthusiast awarded us 90 points for our 2007 vintage! This was a very proud moment for our winery and our heritage.

Clark Smith, GrapeCrafter and Diamond Ridge Vineyards

Petite Sirah, not Zinfandel, is the uniquely Californian grape. Because of its thin skin and tight cluster, it cannot be grown in most of America, nor does it do well in its native Rhône Valley. Unlike Syrah, PS’s other parent Peloursin imparts a generous central core of fruit. More than any other grape, PS changes with climate, elevation, and soil from the soft, feminine cherry-aroma’d Russian River to the hard, aggressive sage-and-tar Howell Mountain offerings. We think our minerally, fog-free, deeply purple, lake-cooled blueberry/lavender Petites show off the natural advantages of our Lake County terroir as well as any cultivar. Sometimes we just want to bud the whole place over to Petite.

Eric Cohen, Shoe Shine Wine, the poet of our group

PET reminds me of Venice Beach– seen by many as unlike any other in the world…

Venice Beach, like PET, has

Plenty of brawn from the weightlifters
In-your-face attitude from the hustlers
Sex appeal from the bikini-clad
A little heirloom wow from the roller-bladers
Showmanship and flash from the hoopsters
All the color in the world from the beautiful freaks
Nuance, tension, and contemplation from the bohemians
Youthful nonchalance from the members of southern CA’s post high-school exploratory committee
A dynamic range of flavor contributed from the international passers-by
And some graceful wisdom from the wrinkled elders

All gloriously basking, so happily together, in the one and only California sun.

Natalie West, Foppiano Vineyards

Petite Sirah is the perfect all around “Big Red”. It has wonderful tannin structure that is silky and strong while also offering wonderful fruit on the nose and pallet. If grown and made correctly it is never herbaceous, ages wonderfully, and is also drinkable now!

Zane Dobson, PaZa Vineyard & Winery

Petite Sirah is important to us for more than just a few reasons. Initially we planted our PS block, along with Barbera and Primitivo blocks, simply because we enjoyed these wines, and everyone always told us to grow what you like, and you’ll like what you grow. Also, based-on other growers’ success here in Placer County, we were confident of their potential to produce really great wines.

More than any of these original reasons for loving our Petite Sirah are the results. 2010′s vintage will be PaZa’s first estate grown releases, and while we’d thought Barbera might steal the spotlight, Petite Sirah is destined to be the star.

As a “winemakers wine”, in my limited experience, I find that it’s not fussy, and without fiddling around with it – it reveals great character and complexity.

In the tasting room – Petite Sirah is a blast, and for the folks who don’t yet know about PS, we love to turn them on to its Cab-like personality.

Pat Spangler, Spangler Vineyards

Why do I make Petite Sirah? As though I have a choice? I absolutely love, love, love petite sirah. I must have at least 20 different petites in my personal cellar. This is not a wine I make for the winery; I make it for me. Yes, even up here in Oregon. Found the right area, convinced the grower to graft it over for me, and now we are the only Oregon member of PS I love You – Not just an organization, a true belief…

John Rudolph Winemaker, Milagro Vineyard

For me the choice to grow Petite Sirah and make wine with this varietal had a lot to do with the place where we found ourselves when we decided to start our vineyard. We grow our grapes on two acres in the southern-most portion of Santa Clara Valley on a southeast facing slope of alluvial soil deposits at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Petite Sirah grows well here in our warm coastal valley about 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Having a connection to historical winemaking traditions in Santa Clara Valley was important to us. Petite Sirah has been grown in Santa Clara Valley since first generation immigrant farmers planted it here in the early part of the twentieth century. Petite Sirah was originally cultivated as part of field blends that benefitted from the richness and color that this black grape added to the wines of that era. Petite Sirah has a depth of color that never ceases to amaze me. The inky violet color deepens unbelievably as the maceration process progresses. Petite Sirah is a very rewarding grape to work with as it has the capacity, when the vineyard is well managed for yield and ripeness, to express multiple layers of flavor which carry over into a remarkably long finish. For me the luscious aroma in our small winery when Petite Sirah is in the fermenters is almost reason enough to work with this grape.

Charlie Barra, Barra of Mendocino

Well, I’ve just finished my 66th harvest, and I’ve been growing Petite Sirah for 50 of those 66 years. Petite Sirah was the grape we chose to launch our brand, BARRA of Mendocino, in 1997. It is a stellar wine that, if made and aged properly, consumers fall in love with. And, more astute wine aficionados know that there’s no finer combination to please the palate than a filet mignon and a glass of Petite Sirah. It’s becoming known as the cult varietal.

Allen Price/Stephanie Trotter Zacharia, David Fulton Winery

We have a Petite Sirah vineyard that was planted 150 years ago. Making Petite Sirah from this dry-farmed vineyard is like history in a glass. The roots go down 25 – 30 feet pulling nutrients from all those different layers of soil. The resulting character is incomparable. Deep, dark and delicious.

Lastly (the second response to come in; but this one’s a video, and makes for a perfect ending), Marco DiGiulio gives it a great finish (there’s a winemaker pun in there)…

Girard Winery offered this video with their winemaker Marco DiGiulio, who talks about bringing the Girard Petite Sirah to a winemaker tasting as not being “fair,” because everyone loves Petite Sirah.

Tags: California, Diaz Communications, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz, Natalie West, Peloursin, Petite Sirah, PS I Love You, Ridge Vineyard, Wine tasting descriptors

Image of Tres Sabores via Snooth

Through my 10 year relationship with this heritage variety and PS I Love You, I’ve come to believe that Petite Sirah is a winemaker’s wine; otherwise, why would the 8o0+ winemakers who craft it even bother with it? Why wouldn’t they just be using it as a blending ingredient, as they did from the 1970s on, when the Napa boys (with Robert Mondavi and BV leading the pack) just started pulling it all out to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot?

So, along comes my friend Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores, who Cced: me in a communication to a wine writer. Here’s what she wrote to validate how amazing Petite Sirah is for winemakers and the owners of wineries:

I only make 160 some cases so that may be the case with many wineries. Jo’s right about many of us keeping ps as that special black opal offered to winery guests and via wine clubs…..

The Black Opal… what a great analogy. Thanks, Julie!

My friend Steve Heimoff, in his annual State of the Grapes 2012 article in Wine Enthusiast wrote about Petite Sirah:

Petite Sirah. “Pettasera” (as the old-timers called it) had a pretty good run from 2005–2010, coming out of nowhere to gain traction. That’s slowed down a bit, as consumers have wondered just why they should buy it. It’s a good wine and, when well-made, distinctive and ageworthy. But Petite Sirah lacks a compelling rationale, a narrative. Stock up 4%.

I truly do believe that the compelling rationale and narrative is what I’ve been banging the drum about… It’s a winemaker’s wine. If a winemaker thinks that this wine is “the absolute bomb,” why isn’t that translating down yet?

To that end, I decided to E-Mail my Petite Sirah buddies, asking for their opinions. Here’s what I asked of them:

• A statement about Petite Sirah: Why is this wine important to you personally; in other words, why bother to make Petite Sirah?

Two brand new members joined PS I Love You last week, Barra of Mendocino and Milagro Vineyard. To their credit, both jumped at the chance when I gave them the opportunity to weigh in last Friday. When John Rudolph (Milagro Vineyard) responded, he wrote, “I don’t know if this is what you are looking for but I gave it a shot. Thanks for the opportunity.”

My response to him is worth noting, because as I wrote this story, I became aware of something critical about Petite Sirah:

This is perfect! Each vintner has given me great and unique talking points. This is going to make going from one winemaker to the next a great reading experience, because – believe it or not – not one of you had repeated a passion, except that you all “get” Petite Sirah. There’s an overriding love for Petite, but not redundantly so.

I’ve found it very curious that there’s still no real benchmark for Petite Sirah; and then, along come varied answers, but no really benchmark responses.

Petite Sirah is so unique in so many ways.

Tomorrow, I’ll give you their answers; otherwise, this blog posting was headed toward 2,000 words, and that’s 1,000 more than anyone cares to read first thing in the morning. I will say this, Julie Johnson’s not alone in her thinking…

Wine writers, I don’t mind if you copy and paste any of their answers, if it helps with a story you’re writing. I know that I write about copyright laws on my blog, having seen entire stories and images of mine lifted in entirety, and put onto other sites. (It smarts, when I write, “My grandfather gave me my first camera,” have a picture of it, only to have some guy in Timbuktu place that on his blog as his history, not mine.)

This is a time when I don’t care if you use their quotes. It’s that important that the word gets out on Petite Sirah’s unique qualities. Quoting winemakers is a powerful tool for enriching your story, and sharing their thoughts is fine by me and them.

Tags: Barra of Mendocino, Black Opal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Clark Smith, Eric Cohen, Foppiano Vineyards, George Guglielmo, Girard Winery, GrapeCrafter and Diamond Ridge Vineyards, Guglielmo Winery, Gustafson Family Winery, Julie Johnson, Marco Digiulio, Natalie West, Nottingham Cellars, PaZa Vineyard & Winery, Petite Sirah, Shoe Shine Wine, Spangler Vineyards, Steve Heimoff, Tercero Wines, Tres Sabores, Wine, Winemaker, Zane Dobson

[Image borrowed from The Press Democrat's site: KENT PORTER/The Press Democrat]

FROM THE PD:

In an upcoming episode of CBS’s hit series, Undercover Boss, Rick Tigner, president of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, gets choked up during the hour-long reality show.

Production of the show started last spring, around the time that Tigner’s boss and mentor, wine industry icon Jess Jackson, died. Jackson himself gave the go-ahead for the show early last year.

When I got a call from a production company last spring, I was asked to participate in the taping of a program. I said, “Yes,” without even realizing why, except that it sounded interesting. I asked myself more than once at the time, “Why me? How did they even get my name?”

After the taping, I was still pretty stymied, although a plausible reason was given by the crew; but still, why me?

I still don’t know why; most especially since the reason for the taping has now been revealed in a story run by the Press Democrat: K-J chief previews his role in ‘Undercover Boss,’ and I’m not an employee.

I did work for K-J for a while, but I’m no longer connected to the winery. I worked weekends in the tasting room, when I had first started Diaz Communications and my phone hadn’t yet begun to ring. Those nine months were critical for my survival; and the people that I worked with were some of the dearest people I had yet encountered. They were right up there with my former Mondavi Winery crew for being kind, sincere, and eager to share their knowledge.

Still, I can’t help but wonder why I was asked to go there to be part of their taping. How was I chosen from all the people that could have played the role I played? I’m not going to reveal what I did, because I honestly think that I must have been a dummy plant; I signed a contract for confidentiality, so I’m not going there.

I’ve watched some of the programs and have found them to be very revealing about how out-of-touch some executives become when they forget their past. And, it always reminds me of a quote by Sandra Day O’Connor, that I held to my heart when I entered the wine business: Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom.

Not being an employee at K-J anymore, I know that I’m not relevant to what the program was trying to achieve, but the production team still did put on a great show like I had some relevance… in all that they did.

During the taping, Tigner posed as a former grocery store worker from Plano, Texas, named Jake Williams. He wore a cowboy hat and boots, a horseshoe mustache, and braces. He was gangly and looked like he had just gotten off a Clydesdale… He was that believable. If running a wine company doesn’t work out, I think he should head straight to Hollywood.

At the time, I walked away clueless. Now that I’ve got a clue, I’m still clueless until this program airs on CBS at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, January 29.

You know I’ll be watching.

What a great “undercover” experience, and I’m delighted that I got to watch it from the inside, even though I was totally (and still am) in the dark.

Tags: CBS, Diaz Communications, Hollywood, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Rick Tigner, Robert Mondavi Winery, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Stephen Lambert, Undercover Boss, United States

Nothing’s more exciting than when a new kid ends up on the block; most especially when that kid’s brought in all kinds of new, fascinating toys…

Enter Chinois Asian Bistro in Windsor, California, offering Pan-Asian cuisine… Right in the heart of Sonoma County’s wine country, just minutes from downtown Healdsburg.

Their menu is so delectable that I always feel like the culinary gods have blessed my life, with the gift I’ve always waited for. (Why couldn’t my mother have cooked like this when I was growing up?) Their food menu steps right out of what I used to prepare for my kids when I was a stay-at-home mom. I did all things from scratch, including breads, jams, canning tomatoes, baking beans on my Jotel wood stove while the kids shot down the hill on sleds to the ice covered pond… I made sure my girls never had “fast food” slow their fast tracks to healthy happiness.

Pictured to the right is one of my favorite dishes: Mandarin Orange Glazed Chicken Drumsticks ~ Crunchy chicken drumsticks tossed in sweet honey, chili, and tangy orange sauce.

Quoting from Jeff Cox’s entry on the Santa Rosa Press Democrat blog regarding Chinois: “On the opening menu are several types of dim sum (finally come to SoCo), small plates of everything from panko prawns with wasabi-honey, chicken satay and Singaporean Roti Prata (a sort of flat bread with curry dip) to sautéed mung beans, garlic egg noodles and what you’ve come here for–seafood Nonya Laksa.”

There’s a person inside of me that wants to keep this a best kept secret. This way I can continue to enjoy not having an overcrowded restaurant, and we can go on having such a personal one-on-one dining experience with the new owners.

The other person inside of me, however, wants to give them all kinds of free marketing advice, so they do succeed. This way they easily make ends meet, and they don’t simply go off into the sunset.

Last night at dinner, I asked proprietor Debbie Shu if I could have a paper copy of her wine list. It’s such an amazing international list that I wanted to share a sampling of its contents with you. Why? Because they’ve dared to do in this area what no other restaurant has done… Step outside of the nativism trap that all other restaurants around here have fallen into. [The image of Debbie is one that's on the Santa Rosa Press Democrat food blog site.]

While, on one hand, it’s good business to feature all of your neighbors’ wines, it’s still good business to offer those neighbors who are more adventurous new international flavors. It allows me to explore new flavors that I might otherwise have missed in life… It simply broadens my perspective.

So, last night, when I asked for their wine list so I could share with you, I was told that their lists have been stolen almost down to not having any. Can you imagine? Their list is so great that people have been stealing them in order to study it further. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I guess not being in the restaurant business these sorts of things escape me.

What I can share with you is this… If you’re headed to Sonoma County and you’re looking for exotic Asian cuisine, Chinois Asian Bistro is absolutely delicious, with a wine list that has no parallel in close proximity, and is certain to totally delight your palate.

I’m the world’s most Finickie Foodie. I make Sally, in “When Harry Met Sally,” look like she’s easy to please. I have food allergies, food aversions, and a hard time finding just one favorite item on any restaurant’s menu. Chinois offers so many foods that I find absolutely delightful that I now have choices (a first time for me).

My daughter Melanie is wheat intolerant… There are so many items that it’s not an issue for her, either.

When my daughter Lyla was a vegetarian… There were, and still are, so many items that she was never at a loss for what to have.

My husband Jose is quick to add that he eats anything… His body and palate are so tolerant that he enjoys everything – I mean everything – on Chinois’ menu.

So, I’m taking the high road on this one, and sharing this Sonoma County culinary delight with you, because even though we now (five years later) have to occasionally wait to be seated, at least I’m still able to continue to enjoy this fabulous food and wine experience.

A quick view of their list. Click here for their full list.

FEATURED NEIGHBORHOOD WINES

MacMurray Ranch, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2007
$31/bottle ~ $10/glass

SPARKLING

“J” Cuvee Brut NV, Russian River
$46/bottle ~ $12/glass

Iron Horse, Russian Cuvee, 2003
$38/bottle

Deutz Brut Classic NV, AY, France
$70/bottle

HERBAL WHITES

Fritz Haag, Riesling Qba, Germany 2007 (Dry)
$39/bottle ~ $11/glass

Marc Bredif, Vouvray, France 2007
$35/bottle ~ $10/glass

Marc Bredif, Vouvray, France 2007
$31/bottle ~ $9/glass

Angove’s Nine Vines, Viognier, South Aust, 2006
$30/bottle ~ $8/glass

Leth, Gruner Veltliner, Austria 2008
$30/bottle ~ $8/glass

Hawley Winery, Viognier, Sonoma County, 2007
$36/bottle ~ $9/glass

SLIGHTLY BIGGER REDS

Edmeades Vineyards, Zinfandel, Medoncino, 2007
$43/bottle ~ $12/glass

Justin Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2005
$43/bottle ~ $12/glass

Ehret Family, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley 2005
$43/bottle ~ $12/glass

Maier Family, “Cenote” Cabernet Blend, Sonoma 07
$40/bottle ~ $11/glass

Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Italy 2004
$260/bottle

Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Italy 2002
$364/bottle

Chinois Asian Bistro, 186 Windsor River Road, Windsor, 707.838.4667

Related articles

• Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2012 ~ A vast world of wines exist beyond Nouveau ~ Here are a few (wine-blog.org)

FEATURED NEIGHBORHOOD WINES

MacMurray Ranch, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2007
$31/bottle ~ $10/glass

SPARKLING

“J” Cuvee Brut NV, Russian River
$46/bottle ~ $12/glass

Iron Horse, Russian Cuvee, 2003
$38/bottle

Deutz Brut Classic NV, AY, France
$70/bottle

HERBAL WHITES

Fritz Haag, Riesling Qba, Germany 2007 (Dry)
$39/bottle ~ $11/glass

Marc Bredif, Vouvray, France 2007
$35/bottle ~ $10/glass

Marc Bredif, Vouvray, France 2007
$31/bottle ~ $9/glass

Angove’s Nine Vines, Viognier, South Aust, 2006
$30/bottle ~ $8/glass

Leth, Gruner Veltliner, Austria 2008
$30/bottle ~ $8/glass

Hawley Winery, Viognier, Sonoma County, 2007
$36/bottle ~ $9/glass

Tags: California, Chinois Asian Bistro, d, Diaz Communications, Healdsburg California, Jeff Cox, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz, Restaurant, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Sonoma County California

This is a lead-in from two earlier posts, because it sets the stage, if you didn’t read either blog:

1. Wine and Lunch With the Somms and Sellers ~ Young’s Market Style
2. Looking to Quickly Educate Your Palate? Try Tasting Old World Versus New World Wines ~ The White Version

My friend Chang Liow of Chinois Asian Bistro had me stand in for him at a recent wine tasting and luncheon. His restaurant Chinois is located in Windsor, and the food is wonderfully delicious. If you’re a wine person, along with being a foodie, you’ll marvel at his wine list. It’s one that gets stolen on occasion; because like a great wine, it’s the most perfectly balanced one I’ve ever seen. On the list (and in his wine cellar) his wine menu contains wines from all over the world. Chang is brilliant, I mean r-e-a-l-l-y brilliant. He’s a Master Sommelier, does some exporting to Shanghai, and yet doesn’t make anything special of it. But you’ll see this in his wine choices on that wine list. You’ll also hear it when he’s talking about wine. He knows his stuff… period.

For him to send me to sit in for him at a focused wine tasting (and get back to him) was a great honor. The tasting/luncheon was being held by Young’s Market at Mateo’s Cocina Latina in Healdsburg, and was very focused: Old World and/versus New World Wines. Each wine presented had an example from both European and New World producer, in order for each of us to be able to have aha moments (as Chang likes to call them), and I had plenty of them.

The team that set up this tasting was the following: Geoff Labitzke, MW and Certified Wine Educator with Young’s; Greg Schuessler, CSW, Young’s Market’s import specialist for The Estates Group; and Lee Quick, account manager for The Estates Group, as well.

The tasting and what I learned with each new wine introduced, comparing Old World with New World.

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This I overheard Geoff say, and it really struck a chord (because it’s very much like the differences between Old and New World Wines… Things all seem to be in Yin and Yang pairs in life):

Winemakers have a sense of their wines.
Sommeliers have a sense of place.

Old World ~ Primitivo

2008 Primitivo Rosso IGT Puglia ~ With the high altitude of the Apulia, Italy vineyard for this wine, the Primitivo produces a low harvest yield. As a result, the owner/winemaker Alberto Antonini pays very close attention and gives special care to the Botromagno vineyard’s fruit. The alcohol level on this one was 14.1 percent. Not over the top with alcohol, this classic Italian red had gorgeous – even elegant – flavors of black cherries, spice and herbs, and a hint of tobacco. A great food-friendly wine for not only pasta and antipasti dishes, but it will also do well with a grilled sirloin steak, and it’s very affordable.

New World ~ Zinfandel

2009 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel ~ Don’t let the simple appellation listing of “Sonoma” fool you, versus stating a Dry Creek or Alexander Valley Zin, for instance. This fruit is coming from both appellations, but they can’t label it that way. It must – because of the two AVAs – be labeled Sonoma County. So… get ready for a 15 percent alcohol blockbuster, and fire up the grill for tri-tips. Zin as I know it… this one is rich and jammy with blackberry fruit. I associate Zins with a briar patch, having first been introduced to Dry Creek zins, while working at Belvedere. I almost expect them to be big and bold, and this is the one red wine that, as it’s gotten even bigger over the years, I’ve not minded. (Maybe it’s because I’ve also developed a Petite Sirah palate along the way, too. So many zins get a dollop of Petite to given them more textures, flavors, and tannins.) Whatever the reason, this Zinfandel is a classic example of what it should be.

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New World ~ Merlot in French oak

2008 Clos du Val, Napa Valley ~ The owner of this winery is larger than life in personality, and perhaps that’s why the flavors in the bottle probably are, too. Seriously, we are what we drink, just as we are what we eat… It’s all the same, with the difference of wine being liquid, while the other is solid. It’s all fuel for our senses, bodies, and souls. This wine is 88 percent Merlot and 12 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. It spent 17 months in French oak barrels (so, more old world charm than new world flavors). A full bodied wine with black fruit character, I really enjoyed the lingering finish of dark chocolate.

New World ~ Cabernet

2007 Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ~ This wine has had lots of critical acclaim, doing very well, because it’s got that New World jam going on. Great nose, rich palate with black fruit, including cassis, and I loved the cigar and tobacco finish. The 2007 vintage was a classic one for California, and it was really fun to revisit a wine from this vintage. If you’re looking for a wine that’s been aging well to share with your friends, or for a meal with your best friend, find this wine.

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Old World ~ Malbec

1999 Chateau Simard Saint-Émilion ~ This wine exhibited for me what I was now coming to recognize as Old World, between New and Old World styles; namely, the rich, rounded edges to the wines. I especially loved the earth note aromatics, due to climatic and/or terroir conditions. A beautiful wine, don’t even think that its age ~ a 1999 ~ has diminished it in any way… If you can find this wine, and you can as it’s now on the market, this affordable Bordeaux needs to be purchased ASAP. Have this one next to another of its New World type, and you’ll quickly get the differences between Old and New.

New World ~ Malbec

2010 Amalaya Malbec from Argentina ~ What a delight to know that my friend and winemaker Randle Johnson (The Hess Collection) is the director of winemaking for this wine. Randle is in charge of Hess’s Artezin Wine series (Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignan). It makes sense to me that he’d be the one to head up this Argentine project and direct its winemaking. Spicy and bright tannins, this wine represents the unique soil, weather, and soul in Argentina’s Northern Calchaqui Valley. The grapes for the Malbec were harvested in small 30 pound boxes. This is hand crafting at its best; from the very beginning, once the growing season and viticulturists have done all that they can, winemaking continues the seamless, caring process. A very deeply colored wine, I loved the dark cherries and spicy pepper of this wine, especially on the finish. Enjoy this wine with a last cheese course (mild to medium cheeses), or fire up the grill. You won’t be disappointed with this flavorful interpretation of Malbec. (75% Malbec, 10% Cab, 10% Syrah, 5% Tannat)

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CONCLUSIONS:

For me, and this is just a personal observation,

• Old World wines have a classic, more subtle style. They’re reserved and more conservative, pairing well with more traditional comfort foods.
• New World wines, most especially the reds, are bright, happy expressions of their fruit. They remind me of how elated I was once I hit Portuguese soil… Loving the old, but being the new kid on the block. They seem to pair better with more daring dishes; just my humble opinion, because of their higher alcohols.

In my moods, I swing both ways, so now I know better which wine to pull from the shelves and buy from wine lists.

It was a great tasting and lesson, for which I was included.

Big thanks to Chang Liow and the Young’s Market team.

Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chinois Asian Bistro, Diaz Communications, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz, Napa Valley, New World wine, Old World Wine, Sommelier, Wine, Wine tasting, Youngs Market, Zinfandel

In February, Wine Colleagues will be running “omnibus” surveys of their wine trade panel and our consumer panel. These surveys will allow several wineries or wine marketers to ask from one to four questions on a key issue or issues of interest. The cost will be significantly less than running a full trade or consumer survey.

From John Gillespie, the director of both consumer research and marketing practice and the strategic operations of Wine Opinions:

“We can include graphic images for label or package testing, and the questions can cover a whole range of marketing issues and challenges, including brand positioning, standing among competitors, concept and message testing, and more.”

Wine Opinions, a wine industry leading provider of quantitative and qualitative consumer and trade research in the US wine market,  is now offering omnibus surveys of its wine trade and consumer panels. This survey will allow wineries, wine marketers, and wine trade associations to have greater access to the market data they seek. Clients can insert one or more inquiries into either trade or consumer surveys to gain quick and efficient feedback on their marketing issues.

“Most of our research to date has been comprehensive surveys of multiple issues for a region or winery, or controlled tests of multiple variables such as label options,” noted Christian Miller, the Director of Research for Wine Opinions. “But we also get a lot of requests from companies seeking answers or tracking data on just one or two key questions, and the omnibus survey approach will allow them to do that.”

Clients will be able to insert their own questions into the omnibus surveys. The questions can be simple yes/no, multiple choice or matrix, attribute lists, rankings, or open-ended comment. Graphic elements (such as wine labels) can also be included. The consumer surveys will include segmentation by age, gender, state, wine consumption frequency, and frequency of wine purchase by price point. Trade survey segmentation includes trade tier (producer, importer, distributors, on-premise, off-premise) and state. Clients can also insert their own segmentation questions. Pricing for participation depends on the kind and number of questions inserted in the omnibus survey.

John Gillespie, the Founder and CEO of Wine Opinions, sees the new service as a natural extension of the capabilities of Wine Opinions. “Last year, we developed a unique qualitative research service called Vintrospectives that our clients are finding to be superior to live or online focus groups,” Gillespie said. “Now, with the omnibus surveys, we are offering wine marketers a very efficient way to gain highly targeted consumer and trade insights.” The omnibus surveys will be offered as the Wine Opinions client schedule permits. The first trade and consumer omnibus surveys are planned for February, 2012.

If you’re interested in more information, please contact: Sherri Fidel ~ sfidel@wineopinions.com.

Tags: Business, Market research, Marketing and Advertising, Online Surveys, Survey, Volunteer Focus Groups