Author: Christy

The Most Quoted Man in the Wine Business?

Originally published on December 30, 2008.

Paul Grieco is a co-owner/wine director at Hearth, Insieme, and his very cool wine bar Terrior. Terrior has one of those wine lists that wine people can spend hours reading. This “reading of the wine list” activity can often be extremely annoying to the dining companions (a.k.a the husband) of certain wine people. This is because most wine lists are exactly that – just big lists of wines. Not so at Terrior – Mr. Grieco’s list is fun, or at least not completely boring, for non-wine people to read. There are pictures and stories and cool fonts, and it’s all bound up in a three-hole punch binder with graffiti scribbles on the front. And the last time I was there, it included an entire page on Chateau Musar, which is the way straight to my heart. So wine people can pour over the actual list, while the non-wine-people-husbands are reading the other stuff.

But I digress.

  • Mr. Grieco may be the most quoted person in the wine business today. At least the New York wine business. He was quoted by Eric Asimov in last week’s The New York Times “Dining” section. This is when it occurred to me I had seen his name a lot over the past year. And then there he was again, in this week’s “Dining” section, quoted in an article on Sherry by Florence Fabricant. That sealed the deal. Twice in the same publication in one week and a day. If this rate maintains, we’ll see Paul Grieco quotes 52 times in 2009. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing – his quotes are pretty good…quite “quotable”.

New Year’s Resolution #1? To be quoted just once in the New York Times. Or even mentioned…quotes are not even required. Eric Asimov, Florence Fabricant…can you hear me?

Maybe it would help if I actually sent out a press release.

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: It took a while, but it happened. I’ve been mentioned and quoted in The New York Times more than I can count. OK, that’s a lie. I know exactly how many times I’ve been in the NYT:

  • The 2010 article about new, cool wine shops
  • Two different pieces about Serge Hochar and Chateau Musar during his 2012 tour
  • And finally, starting in 2014, six different Wines of the Times Tasting Panels

And you know what. It never gets old. It. Never. Gets. Old.

Database Madness at Frankly Wines

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: As Rich, a.k.a. Happy Robot, mentioned in the comments on the original post, maybe I should just use tags. He was ahead of his time – these days, tagging is the standard. I still wrestle with how to manage a system where you can add as many pieces of info as you like for a given field (the “tag” field) but I also held on to my iPhone 6 for, oh, six years because I didn’t want to give up my headphone jack. So I may not be the best judge of tech advancements.

Originally published on December 28, 2008.

We’re less than 2 weeks away from getting the Frankly Wines web site up and running. Or rather, the e-commerce version of the web site. The current site exists as 1 snappy page of html code I taught myself while waiting for my license to come through. Not a bad place holder for a girl who hasn’t done computer coding since BASIC was the language of choice.

The new site is being done by Jeff at Pixalt and it’s going to be very cool. Simple, easy to navigate, lots of room for content which I can easily update myself, synchs with my in-store POS system….it’s a fully functioning e-commerce site!

And it’s almost ready…the only real thing holding it up is the database coding…and the person responsible for that is…me!

You would think this would be easy. Just type the info into the fields for producer, vintage, region, size, etc. Except my POS system doesn’t have fields for all of those items, so there’s a bit of jury-rigging required. But that’s not the problem – there’s not a small business owner around that’s not well-versed in the fine art of jury-rigging.

The real problem is the database architecture for the grapes. (I did database work in a past life, so I’m entitled to throw around the phase “database architecture”.) Here are some of the problems that are irking me:
What do you do when you have 1 grape that goes by multiple names (syrah/shiraz, tempranillo + about 5 different aliases, grenache/grenacha)?

What do you do about the vast number of wines that are traditionally blends? For example, I what’s in a Bordeaux Blend, so I could just set up a category “Bordeaux Blend”. But will someone looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon know that grape is one of the main grapes in a Bordeaux Blend? Similar issue with Rhone Blends and those looking for Syrah/Shiraz. Will they know that a “Rhone Blend” will probably make them happy? Wine geeks will say “duh,” but most wine drinkers are not wine geeks.

What do you do with the really non-traditional blends, the kitchen sink blends that give such joy to many winemakers. A category of “Gewurztraminer/Riesling/Pinot Grios/Pinot Blanc” might be the most accurate, but I don’t have room for such a long descriptor. And the generic “White Blend” is just too, well, generic. I can’t remember someone ever coming into the shop and saying “I’m looking for a nice white blend”…I doubt on-line shoppers would either.

So these are the things that keep me up at night. Check out the new site when it’s up to see how I decided to solve these pressing conundrums….and speaking of Conundrum, how on earth would I code that one!!!

The Trouble with Touch Screens

Originally published on December 26, 2008.

The POS (Point of Sale) system at Frankly Wines is basically a fancy Windows-powered computer with a touch screen. The touch screen is great once you get used to it, but it has it’s downside…I find myself tapping on my laptop screen, the screen of my desktop at home, sometimes even the TV. Tapping those devises does nothing…except make me look like an idiot when I get all huffy because “they’re not working.”

Could be worse. I could have a store full of tribbles…now that would be trouble!

Gift Idea #3: Dessert Wines (yes, I know Christmas is over)

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I still think we don’t drink enough dessert wine.

Originally published on December 26, 2008.

So my concept of posting daily gift ideas didn’t actually happen. I got hung up on the dessert wine post and couldn’t move on. Every time I would start to write I would get hung up on details like how the wines are made. I’d start to drop terms like “botrytis”, “noble rot”, “fortified”, “late harvest” and found myself getting far too technical. And then I would fall asleep. (Because I would usually start writing around 11pm, after the shop closed, the kids were asleep, and I’d sorted out orders for the next day.)

So I’m determined to finish this post before the 12 days of Christmas come to a close. And in the interest of doing just that, I’m going to just do a list. And if I drop a fancy wine term, I’m going to resist the urge to explain it, or even just mention that it’s a subject for another post. If you don’t know what I’m on about, don’t worry, just trust me – these wines are all yummy. Maybe just the thing to cap off a New Year’s dinner (before you break out the bubbles.)

Now, onto the actual post…

Dessert wines get a bum rap, which is a sad thing because they can be extraordinarily good. And in this glum economic environment, they can offer a bit of decadence without forcing you to join the ranks of the foreclosed. Because they’re generally quite rich, a little goes a long way – and you can serve a small room full of people from one bottle.

Here’s my list:

  1. Chateau d’Yquem the grandaddy of all sweet wines. It’s the tippy-top wine Sauternes, the sweet-wine-only sub-region of Bordeaux. In my former life at Moet Hennessy USA, I was able to enjoy more than my fair share of bottles – and it is fabulous! Lusciously sweet but balanced by serious acidity and an extra zip of minerality that makes it uniquely d’Yquem. In my opinion (and let’s be honest, this blog is all about my opinion) this is one of those wines that lives up to the hype.
  2. Other Sauternes (or Barsac, which is just a sub-region of Sauterns) – I’m especially fond of Doisy-Daene which has a certain lightness and elegance to it that can be rare in wines from this region. There are other chateaux that carry the name Doisy (Doisy-This, Doisy-That) and they’re all nice enough that if you pick up the wrong one, you’re still in for a treat.
  3. German Rieslings – these remain one of the best bargains of the wine world. They can be confusing, so if you’re confronted with a shelf full of them, ask for help. You’re probably in a shop where the staff will be more than happy to talk to you about them, so don’t be scared to ask.
  4. Tokaji – A region in Hungary with possibly the oldest history of sweet-wine production. The lushest, most expensive sweet wines from the region will be classified by puttonyos (6 is the sweetest.) Lately, the US market has started to see “Late Harvest” Tokaji hit the market. While these wines may get the sniff from purists, they’re good value and more versatile than the major sweeties from the region.
  5. Wacky Stuff – sweet wines tend to bring out the craziness in winemakers. So if you’re feeling experimental, consider a fortified wine from Uruguay, made from the tannat grape (Vinedo de los Vientos’ Alcyone – like adult-only liquid chocolate). Or Malamado, a port wine from Argentina, made from the Malbec grape (the perfect match to anything with chocolate and raspberries). Or the Piandibugnano Nanerone, from somewhere in Italy (intensely aromatic, almost floral, yet rich, with cherry notes.)
  6. Napoleon’s Choice – unique, but not wacky, Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance is what Napoleon drank on his death bed, or so the story goes. It lively, yet lush, elegant, with a this almost crystalline purity of fruit at the core. I like it very much.

So there – hopefully some of these dessert wines (a.k.a. sweet wines) have your mouth watering. If not…too bad…more for me!

Gift Idea #2: Old World/New World Combo Packs

Originally published on December 17, 2008.

Yes I wrote about this idea in my newsletter, but I really love the idea. It’s educational, without being pretentious or too cutesy. It illustrates a point that wine geeks (like me) often go on about.

Old World wines (ie. Europe, more specifically France and Italy) are elegant, earthy, less-fruit driven than New World wines. Old World wines evolve in a positive way over time. They’re more complex. Wine neophytes and unsophisticated palates probably won’t appreciate them. New World wines are more approachable when young. They tend to be softer, richer, “lush”, loaded with big fruit and velvety vanilla tannins.

Or so say the stereotypes.

So I like the idea of Old World/New World combo packs because they let the customer see for themselves how these stereotypes play out. They can see which side they fall on. Or maybe they’ll realize they like both, but can understand why one sort of wine might have more appeal in a different setting than the other. And I really think that trying two “themed” wines side by side is the best way to learn.

These combo packs are also great from a retailer perspective because they can be tailored to almost any price point or taste.

  • You like crisp whites? Let’s try NZ Sauv Blanc vs. Bordeaux Blanc.
  • Big spicy reds? Pair a Northern Rhone Syrah with one from the Barossa in Australia.
  • A Bordeaux freak? Right Bank Bordeaux vs. South Africa Stellenbosch (Chateau Beau Vallon vs. De Toren Z is sounding really good right now).
  • Feeling flush? Barolo vs. a California Nebbiolo (perhaps Clendenen Nebbiolo from the Au Bon Climat master). Feeling really flush? Add on Vina Alicia’s Nebbiolo from Argentina.

Oh wait, I already wrote about that one in the newsletter. Well, somethings are worth repeating.

Governor Paterson’s budget proposal could expand New York wine sales

Originally published on December 16, 2008.

So just saw this Newsday article in the daily wine news logs. This is really pretty big news.

For those of you not intimately familiar with the NY beer, wine, and liquor licensing laws, here’s a quick overview: in NY, you can buy beer in a grocery store, but not wine or liquor. You can only buy wine and liquor in a special wine/liquor store. And some of those stores, like mine, are only licensed to sell wine. Oh, and in theory, one corporation/individual can only hold 1 license in the entire state of New York.

But now NY needs to raise a bit of cash to balance the budget, and one of Governor Patterson’s proposals to do so is to allow stores currently licensed to sell beer to also sell wine. For practical purposes, this means grocery stores, and in NY City, the ubiquitous corner bodega.

Now something like this is generally seen as bad for the independent retailers…because if someone can buy their wine at a grocery store, why would they want to buy it from me? This is why retailers generally bitch and moan in any state when a proposal like this surfaces. And even though I know my store benefits from the current laws, it’s hard for me to rally behind what is essentially an anti-competitive system. While I certainly don’t want the big Whole Foods around the block selling wine, I’d like to think that my thoughtful selection and great customer service can hold their own if it comes to that.

What I don’t buy is that the expansion of wine sales will benefit local wineries. I’ve been in too many grocery stores to believe that it will do anything but benefit big, commercial brands. You think a big grocery chain is going to happily take delivery from some Finger Lakes winemaker who drops off you order in a pick-up truck sometime a week or two after you place it? Probably not so much.

So let’s not pretend this will benefit smaller local wineries. That’s probably just wishful thinking.

Yes, this will raise revenues for the state because more stores will be paying an additional wine licensing fee. And yes, it’s a good thing for the consumer because to not be able to buy wine where you buy food is sort of silly. And yes, it will make it more difficult for wine/liquor only retailers to make a buck – we’ll have to up our game, which is also a good thing for wine retailers.

So even though it makes my specific wine store business more challenging, it’s a good thing for the wine industry in general so I’m essentially for it……WITH TWO BIG QUESTIONS!!

  1. As a licensed wine store, will I now be allowed to sell beer? Only fair.
  2. If big grocery corporations can now sell wine in multiple licensed locations, shouldn’t I, or rather my corporation, be allowed to sell wine in multiple locations? Only fair.

This questions may already have been answered in the proposed legislation, which honestly, I haven’t read. But I think I may need to contact my local representative, whoever that is. I’m all for competition…level playing fields and so on…as long as I’m not stuck in the outfield.

Gift Idea #1: Cheap & Cheerful – 12 bottles for $120

Originally published on December 15, 2008.

Can she do it? Can she put a cheap and cheerful case together for $120 that includes a variety of reds, whites, and even a few bubbles? Why yes, she can!

The case consists of 7 different $10 bottles – essentially every $10 bottle I have in the store. I put a lot of thought into my $10 selection, and I’m pretty pleased with it. They’re all different, so if you buy one of each, you get a nice, varied sampler. I’m so proud of them that I refuse to segregate them out onto a $10 table – they can sit proudly next to the more expensive stuff.

So this case, 12 different bottles for $120 (pre-tax…there’s only so much I can do!!) All 12 bottle mixed cases get a 10% discount, which gets this particular sampler down to $123 and change. If you print this out and bring it to the store, we’ll take off the extra dollars so you’ll get your 12 for $120.

So here’s what you get*:

*these are not the “official” names of these wines. They’re my own special stream-of-typing names, but anyone who works at the store will know what they are..

Whites:

  1. Picpoul – minerally, citrusy, zingy, but with a bit of creaminess
  2. Domaine Pellehaut – blend of Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc. Kind of like Pinot Grigio but with a touch more body
  3. Punta Pays Viogner – sexy, silky on the palate. Peaches, orange blossoms and dare I say, just a teeny tiny touch of sweetness
  4. Nell Chardonnay – gotta have a Chardonnay. This one has a hint of toasty/creaminess
  5. Domaine Pichout Vouvray – off-dry, lush, dried apricots

Reds:

  1. Colonia Bonarda – full-bodied, but not oaky or hard edged
  2. Santa Carolina Cab – classic Chilean cab sauv is the definition of value.
  3. Red Dust Shiraz – another classic – big, Aussie, spicy Shiraz. My version of Yellow Tail, but if I do say so, a better version
  4. Arboreto Montepulciano – fresh, fruity, just like a Montepulciano should be
  5. Yellow + Blue Malbec – organic, natural yeasts, enviro-chic tetra pak package. And it’s a full liter! So you’re actually getting an extra 250ml in this case!

Bubbles:

  1. Fagher Le Colture Prosecco – estate-grown fruit, full-bodied with the freshness that you want in a Prosecco
  2. Robert John Cava – cavas are classic value bubbles and this is a nice example.

There you go…a case for $120. Every bottle is different and a classic example of it’s grape and region. Not too shabby for an average bottle cost of $10!!

Gift Ideas….Tomorrow is Another Day

Originally published on December 10, 2008.

Just sent out the Frankly Wines newsletter. And I mentioned that I would be posting daily gift ideas right here on this blog. And I can see that a few people have already clicked through…and what will they find? THANKSGIVING DAY WINE IDEAS!!!

Oh well, tomorrow the fabulous daily ideas will begin. In the meantime, read the newsletter!

Thanksgiving Wines: Options for Those Who Need to Drink A Lot of Wine

Originally published on November 27, 2008.

I enjoy Thanksgiving at my house. My husband cooks, the kids spend about 2 minutes at the table (expected because they’re 4 and 2) before heading off to comandeer the computer (scary because they’re 4 and 2) and the grown-ups eat lots of yummy food. But I imagine some people don’t have it so easy…they have crazy relatives and choose their wine selections based on quantity. Luckily, they can have some quality too.

Here are some options we have at the store:

Roger Perrin Cote du Rhone 3000ml BOX: 4 bottles in 1 box and a handy spout for easy pouring. The wine is good and it comes out to less than $10/bottle. In the case that you wind up not drinking an entire box in one day, the packaging is meant to preserve the wine for weeks. We opened a box here and kept taking sips every several days (this was important research, not simply in-store drinking). 4 weeks in, the wine was still as nice as the day we opened it. It probably would have lasted longer, but oddly, we didn’t have any more to try.

Balthasar Ress Riesling Halbroken 1 Liter Bottle: A big bottle of German happiness! Slightly sweet, totally uncomplicated, it pairs well with most foods and it’s nice on it’s own. So you can drink it before during and after the meal.

Yellow + Blue 1 liter Tetrapacks, Malbec and Torrontes: The malbec is a huge favorite and now there’s a white option with the Torrontes. Good value – and added bonus: tetrapacks won’t break if you need to throw them at your crazy relatives.

If any of these sound good (or necessary) hurry up and get to the store. We close at 2pm on the button!

It’s Finally Thanksgiving

Originally published on November 26, 2008.

Here at the store, wondering if people actually will buy wine on Thanksgiving. It’s a grand experiment for the first Thanksgiving Frankly Wines is open. And since it’s just me here, no reason not to give some limited hours a try. I know I always need to do last minute errands on Turkey Day! And if the day is a bust, at least I’ll have a few hours to work on web site stuff (just as soon as I finish this post.)

I do feel obliged to say what I’m planning to open for dinner later today. Can’t say I’ve come up with a definitive list, but I’ll choose from the following:

  • Scholium Project “The Prince in his Caves”
  • Lopez de Heredia Rosado 1997
  • Klien Constantia “Vin de Constance” – gorgeous dessert wine from South Africa, what Napoleon requested on his death bed
  • Some Bordeaux for my father-in-law. Maybe La Lagune 1998 or one of the bottles we just picked up at auction
  • Terres Dorees Beajolais Nouveau because I have about 6 bottles left in the store and want to drink some more before I run out
  • A Cerdon-Bugey because it’s just so yummy
  • Grosset Polish Hill 2006 because I’m sick of looking at the bottle which I’m supposed to take home…and it would just be a good match for the meal
  • Felton Road Calvert Pinot Nort because Yanai’s making a lamb to go with the turkey

I need to pick 3 – so maybe I’ll just flip a coin. But you can see, not all wine geeks have their Thanksgiving wine planned out to the nth degree.