Top Chardonnays for Ultra Special Events from Wilfred Wong
With hundreds of brands in the marketplace and everyone writing about the next great wine, the old guys get passed over like stale white bread on a fishing pier; the only interested folks are birds searching for food. Here are three known entities that are consistent and pretty fine.
Three San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition wine picks from Wilfred Wong
Wilfred Wong is the popular and affable Cellar Master at BevMo! His palate is highly regarded; his opinions matter a great deal. Please enjoy. Winery images have been borrowed from the respective wineries’ Web sites; for emphasis and their promotional use, only. Wilfred’s image comes from his BevMo! wine blog page. If you’d like to […]
Marketing 101 ~ When You Get a Gold Medal, What to Do With It
This question came up at the UC Davis PR Extension class: PR for Small Wineries, where Jose, Steve Heimoff, and Bart Hansen (Dane Cellars) and I were presenters for Rusty Eddy’s annual class on wine PR. This is a constant question that’s asked by winery owners, once the gold medal has been achieved (and I […]
Who are those Top 10 Most Important Wine Bloggers in the US, Paul Mabray Inspired? + Mike Dunne
Well, wasn’t yesterday fun? I saw it coming, but not completely. Here’s my look at the 10 Most Important Wine Bloggers in the US today, by category and not in any specific order: Charming ~ Alana Gentry ~ Girl With a Glass Endearing ~ Megan Kinney ~ Wannabe Wino Studious ~ Gwendolyn Alley ~ Wine […]
31st Annual Riverside International Wine Competition with a Twist
It’s been a while since I’ve touted the virtues of a wine competition; not because it’s not been worth it, but because there’s not been anything new under the sun, in my thinking. I believe in them, regardless of the fact that it involves so many palates and a collective opinion is formed. Having been […]
Holiday Gift Giving Ideas Beginning With Thanksgiving ~ Wine Country Gift Baskets Are Great
For Your Thanksgiving Hosts… I’ve been preparing Thanksgiving, since the day my mom decided she was through cooking the big holiday dinner for what had become 20+ people in our family. Mom and Dad had brought us all together for so long that it was just time for Mom to retire from the kitchen… clear […]
What to do with those gold medals…
This question came up at a UC Davis PR Extension class: PR for Small Wineries, where Jose, Steve Heimoff, and Bart Hansen (Dane Cellars) and I were presenters for Rusty Eddy’s annual class on wine PR. It then came up the following year. I can’t write about this enough. [NOTE TO SELF: If I’m asked […]
Wine Competitions, Are They Still Important?
This is a frequently asked question by wineries just starting out, as their owners are stymied by the fees, the amount of competitions out there, and the ultimate value that competitions play in the wine business. Frankly, name any industry and you’ll find that they, too, are constantly looking for third party endorsements, as that’s […]
Overheard a Conversation About Roy J. Maier Cab, and I Was Intrigued
Sitting in my favorite restaurant ~ Chinois Asian Bistro ~ a young couple sat at a table diagonally in front of me. I was fascinated to see this 20s to 30s something couple with a Bordeaux-style bottle on their table, while they enjoyed the lighter fare at Chinois. Owner Chang Liow has just returned from […]
Robert Whitley ~ Wine Writer #22 ~ The Man Behind Copious Wine Competitions
To simply call Robert Whitely a “wine writer” would be to only slice the rim of the target. Robert is a true renaissance man with all that he’s accomplished within the world of wine. Here’s a snapshot of his wine writing and reviewing: Wine Review Online Whitley On Wine Robert is nationally syndicated on Creators.com […]
