Category: Behind the Counter

Lopez de Heredia Rosado….Again?

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: 6 cases!!! 6 cases!!! These days, ten years later, we get 6 bottles. And that’s only because I whine and cry and tell sad stories about the days when I used to be able to buy 6 cases at a time. 6 CASES!!!

Originally published on September 12, 2009.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve written about Lopez de Heredia before. Their whites, their reds, their aged wines, their younger wines, their roses. In terms of wines and wineries most mentioned on my site, it’s probably a toss up between Lopez and Chateau Musar. If I could stock the store solely with these wines…and make any sort of a profit….I would do it. If anyone has any thoughts as to how this might be possible, please do let me know.

Anyhow…back to my broken record Lopez tendencies. Today, I’m revisiting the Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rosado…for the 3rd time on the Frankly My Dear blog. I’m excited about this wine (again) because we just brought in 6 cases of the 1998, which is the newest vintages. It’s a little bit more fruit forward than the 1997. But this doesn’t mean it’s fruity. It’s definitely not fruity – and still requires a warning label because of its distinct non-fruitiness. But compared to last year’s version, it’s a bit more tropical. It’s still a holy trinity of funkiness: Fino Sherry tang, exotic spices, and those subtle, almost ghost-like tropical fruits.

Now 6 cases may seem like a lot for a $25 bottle of non-fruity rose. But the most recent shipment from Spain was only 50 cases. Which isn’t a lot. If 20 accounts take 2 cases each (because there’s a 2 case purchases deal, which most stores will by on) than that only leaves 10 remaining cases for a second round of purchases. And without a good sense of when the next shipment will be arriving (October? November) if I took just 2 little cases, there would be a good chance I would be out of stock And this is one of those wines I HATE being out of stock on.

So I sucked up 6 cases. This decision was based on neither cash flow nor margin considerations (the two main factors driving most of my size-of-buy decisions.) It was simply based on wanting to keep this wine in stock. It’s a decision even my accountant would understand.

That Customer #2: Some Refinements

Originally published on September 10, 2009.

A lot of retailers seemed to really enjoy the last installment of That Customer that featured the (perhaps willfully) clueless customer who walks into a dark store without noticing that it’s, well, dark. And possibly closed. Or just about to be.

I thought it would be a good idea, or at least some fun, to set out the etiquette in such a situation. Emily Post doesn’t cover this stuff, so I might as well.

Retailer After-Hours Etiquette:
If you’re going to let someone in during closing, you have to give them the same attention and consideration you give any other customer. You can’t give them the evil eye while drumming your fingers on the counter. If you don’t want to help them, don’t let them in.

Yes, it is true that if they can see you from the street, they’ll be pissed if you don’t let them in. I recommend hiding as the most effective strategy against this form of perceived rudeness. Most cash registers are on top of a counter. Most counters can be hidden behind. I suggest you do this if you really want to get out of the store quickly.

Customer After-Hours Etiquette:
If you walk into a store and it looks like they’re in the middle of closing (dark lights, pulled blinds, frantic shelf stocking, cash counting) then they probably are indeed in the middle of closing.

Ask if this is the case. If the answer is yes, then this is not the time to leisurely peruse every single bottle on the shelf. This is not the time to have a 15 minutes phone conversation with your roommate about what she’s thinking of making for dinner. This is the time to tell the staff what you’re looking for so they can quickly point out some good choices and go about their closing chores while you make your decision. You shouldn’t feel pressured, but you shouldn’t feel entitled to lollygag.

And there you have it. My view of after-hours (or nearly after-hours) etiquette. It’s all about mutual respect and understanding.

And being more aware of your surroundings than your mobile phone conversation….but that’s probably the subject of anther post.

Shine a Light on Frankly Wines

Originally published on September 10, 2009.

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: A remember this program very clearly. I spent more time than I should have filling out the application, writing a newsletter, posting about it on Facebook. But as I was doing it, I had this nagging feeling that it was a waste of time. A brilliant program that gave AMEX access to all sorts of small business data, sure, but from the perspective of the small business, generally a waste of time. I can’t prove it, and I haven’t done the research to prove it, but my sense at the time was that the winner had already been selected, or at least a decent pool of potential winners had already been identified before the program already kicked off. And that there was b-roll already in developemnt, photos and headshots and videos and all sorts of marketing materials in the can for these potential winners. I couldn’t shake the sense that my time would have been better spent pitching myself and by business directly to the marketing teams in the AMEX building that was only a few blocks away.

I love a good integrated program. Reminds me of my corporate days when we would develop national event programs that tied into a national print advertising campaign with local radio and out-of-home executions. There would be in-store thematic displays and contests, smaller on-premise events, charity tie-ins. These days, there would also be a social media component with a blog, Facebook pages and frequent tweets on twitter.

American Express is in the midst of a major integrated program aimed at small businesses and I am eating it right up. First, there’s the TV commercial that sings the praises of small businesses and their ability to pull the economy forward. The music swells and the pacing of the images increases as the voiceover goes on about “a light beginning to shine again” and the ‘beginning of the reinvention of business.” It’s quite dramatic and ends with Mr. Amex Voiceover Man stating “we want to help.”

And help is on offer, especially in the form of the “Shine A Light” portion of the program which promises $100K in grant money and marketing support to a small business owner. There’s a nomination and endorsement process, celebrity judges selecting finalists, a voting period, more TV commercials with celebrities shining their own lights on their favorites business….and of course tweets…must have tweets.

As I mentioned above, I am eating the program right up. I managed to get nominated (without writing the nomination myself!) Of course I did this with just under 5 days left to generate nominations, so now I’m a mad rush to get as many endorsements as possible. It’s sort of like the high school election process but with Facebook pages and email blasts instead of paper signs and pep rallies.

50 endorsements are required to get to the judging phase. I managed that the same day the nomination was posted and then nearly 50 more yesterday. Finalists aren’t selected based on who has the most votes, but more is always better than less.

So feel free to give Frankly Wines yet another endorsement. The more the merrier – and if I do win $100K, I will be able to afford some sort of festive thank you!

How to endorse Frankly Wines:

  1. Click on any of the banners above to go to my profile.
  2. Register. (Yes, you have to register. They say they won’t try to sell you anything.) Click here to go directly to the registration page.
  3. Search the nominees for “Frankly Wines”
  4. Click on the “Shine a Light” icon to register your endorsement. It’s the small rectangular icon at the upper left – not the big, fancy one further down.
  5. Cross your fingers and hope I make the finals.

I Love a Good Fiscal Year End

Originally published on September 5,2009.

There’s a video making the rounds among wine folk on Facebook called Wine Sales 101. It features little animated wine salespeople talking in freaky robotic voices about shoving overpriced, not-so-fabulous wines into the retail accounts on which they call. Sadly, it’s not a work of fiction. This conversation takes place frequently among real life salespeople in real life voices….generally at the end of every month. And certainly at their suppliers’ fiscal year ends.

As a tiny store, I don’t get a lot of these requests to bring in crap wine at inflated prices. I’d like to think it’s because my suppliers know I won’t do it, so they don’t even ask. But the real reason is I’m just not big enough to move the needle on their year end numbers.

So rather then dread the requests to “stock this schlock” that the big retailers get to contend with, I can look forward to the good things that come with fiscal year ends….like the urge to do a little spring cleaning (or winter, summer, or fall cleaning, depending on when the accounting year ends.)

This is when many importers and distributors take the opportunity to get rid of their bin ends – the random 2 cases of this, 5 cases of that taking up space in their warehouses. Sure, many of these random cases may be over-aged whites that should just be sold as fancy vinegar. But just as often, they could be very good wines in such small quantities that they fly under everyone’s radar. At least until the end of the fiscal year when most operations managers just want them to go away. Close out lists appear and eagle-eyed store owners (I prefer “eagle-eyed” to “cheap”) can pour over them, pick out the goodies, and offer the gems to their customers at great prices for as long as they last.

This is where the ever repeated adage to find a retailer you trust comes in.

Because sometimes these “get them while they last” deals are truly great deals (toot-my-own-horn-alert) – such as at Frankly Wines.

And sometimes they’re the sort of deals you can only get from freaky robotic-voiced sales people practicing Wine Sales 101. And while they may be funny to watch, you really don’t want to be drinking their wine!

Another 3-Pack: Jura Obscura

A NOTE FROM TEH FUTURE: Ok, ok, ok. The Jura isn’t actually an Alpine region. It’s pre-Alpine. Back in the day I was a little over-eager with my yodel references. The dear and brilliant Wink Lorch set me straight!

Originally published on September 1, 2009.

OK, full disclosure…this 3-Pack is really a 2-Pack. But we like consistency in titles, so live with it.

Onto the wine…continuing with the theme of Weird but Good, we’re heading to a obscure region where obscure grapes are used to make wines in obscure styles.

The Jura is a region in the far east of France – so far east that it’s practically Switzerland. We’re heading into Alpine territory here, and these are wines that make us want to yodel!

You’ve probably never heard of the Jura’s most famous wine, vin jaune, which lasts forever and has some of the same funky, tangy nutty notes as a good sherry. You’ve probably never heard of some of its most important grapes (Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau.) And you’ve probably never had wines that taste quite like the wines in this 2-Pack. But there’s a good chance you’ll like them.

We’re featuring a red and a white from Domaine Andre et Mireille Tissot, both made from grapes grown in the Arbois region of the Jura. Many producers in this region farm biodynamically and produce wines as naturally as possible, adding nothing except possibly a very small amount of sulfur. The Tissot husband and wife team is no exception. If you’re curious about natural wines this is a great region – and producer – to check out.

Tissot Arbois Selection 2004 (Chardonnay/Savagnin): Yes, that’s Savagnin, not Sauvignon. And you may think you know Chardonnay, but we can practically guarantee you don’t know this Chardonnay. Made in the traditional Jura style, the wine is slightly oxidized, but in a good way. You’ll get bruised apples, nutty notes, a slight sherry tang and a spine of racy acidity that keeps the wine going for days. It actually improves if you leave it open for a couple days. Yes, days. It’s a great match with stinky cheeses, chicken dishes, and pork chops.

Tissot Arbois Vielles Vignes 2006 (Poulsard): There’s some Pinot Noir grown in the Jura, but the wine geek favorite would be the rarely-seen-elsewhere Poulsard. This grape makes for a wine that’s light in color, medium in body, but big in flavor: bright, fresh, slightly tart cherries, exotic spice, a hint of autumn underbrush, and a fresh minerality, like fresh chalky soil. Bright acidity and surprisingly sneaky tannins give the wine some structure. Best with a very slight chill, it’s a wine that can pair with a surprising variety of foods, but duck with cherry glaze or lamb rubbed in fresh herbs might be just about perfect.

PRICING: $35.99 (regular price $39.98). Click to buy your little piece of obscurity.

One Classic White Bordeaux, Found: R de Rieussec

Originally published on August 29, 2009.

I found it!

Several months ago, I was bemoaning my store’s lack of a classic white Bordeaux. But a couple months ago, one walked into my shop that met all my criteria: a higher percentage of Semillon, some barrel ageing to add a bit of spice and creaminess, and little bit of bottle ageing. And it sits on the shelf at $29.99, the high end of my range, but well worth it.

The new addition? R de Rieussec Bordeaux Blanc 2004.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Chateau Rieussec is one of the top Sauternes, arguably second only to Chateau d’Yquem in sweet botrysized fabulousness. But this version, the “R” is not a Sauternes. Yes, the grapes come from the same plots of land as those that go into bottles labeled Sauternes. They may even come from the same vine – or even the same bunch. But the grapes that go into the “R” bottles haven’t been affected by botrytis, so the final result is dry rather than sweet. And Sauternes, according to French appellation laws, must be sweet. So “R de Rieussec” is labeled under the more generic Bordeaux Blanc appellation.

The only problem – the distributor will be moving into the next vintage in the near future. So unless the next vintage comes with bottle ageing already intact, I’ll be searching again.

What Wine Store Owners Do When They’re Not Selling Wine

Originally published on August 28, 2009.

When wine store owners are not selling wine (or buying wine, or talking about wine) they, or maybe just I, come up with clever ideas to put on the chalkboard signs in front of their stores.

I was feeling particularly clever today. It’s the first dreary, rainy day we’ve had in, oh, a week and this just jumped into my mind.

I fully expect to see the tourists taking pictures.

That Customer #2

Originally published on August 22, 2009.

This is the second installment in our recurring That Customer feature. Now just to reiterate (in case you don’t feel like clicking through to the original post) – “these” customers are annoying not because of anything that has to do with wine. They would probably be annoying to anyone who works behind a counter for a living. They quite possibly could just be annoying, period.

So…onto the complaining part

That Customer #2:

When we close for the night we follow this basic protocol before starting to count out for the night:

  1. Bring in the chalkboard sign
  2. Roll down the light/heat blocking curtains
  3. Dim the lights to just-barely-glowing level
  4. Lock the door
  5. Perform final closing chores

As you might guess, numbers 2 and 3 make the store a little dark. More than a little dark. More like nightclub- or trendy-bar dark. Can’t-see-the-labels dark

Now, imagine you walk into a wine store that’s this dark.

Would you think, “Gosh, this must be some new trend in wine retailing. Makes it a little touch difficult to see the prices, but hey, it’s kind of cool.”

No, you would probably think, “Oops, they’re about to close! Better hurry up.” You might even ask if we’re about to close. And we would say, “Yes, but come on in and pick something out.” We wouldn’t say “quickly” but it would sort of be implied. And you would come on in and pick something out…quickly. Because you would have noticed that we’re about to close.

Unless you’re That Customer.

In which case, you would walk into a near-dark store and just wander around slowly picking up bottles (in the dark), trying to read the labels (in the dark), ignoring our request to let us know if you need help (as we stand in the dark.)

That Customer somehow doesn’t notice that the shades are pulled, the lights are off and we’re counting the cash register out by the light of the bathroom because….we’re about to close! That Customer probably wouldn’t notice if we snuck up behind them, put a kraft paper wine bag over his head, and whisked them down the cellar stairs. Well, they would probably notice the whisking part, but nothing before that.

OK, ok…maybe we should lock the door and just not let anyone in. But sometimes a customer sneaks by just as we’re about to put our key in the lock – or appears outside just after. And it would be cruel and unusual punishment to deny someone wine when they’re so close they can practically touch it. So since most people can pick out a bottle 10 minutes it takes us to finish the other closing-up chores, we let them in. But too many times waiting for that customer to wander around in the dark….we might have to change our policy.

So please, don’t be That Customer – you could ruin it for everyone.

A Soave and a Valpolicella Walk into a Bar…

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Sadly, there is no more Dominico Selections. I miss those wines. And I miss placing orders with Terry.

Originally published on August 20, 2009.

It’s supposed to be Weird but Good Month at Frankly Wines, but I’ve been so obsessed with getting my tasting notes catalogued that I haven’t had a chance to set up a formal tasting schedule. So every Wednesday evening, we come up with something at the last minute that fits that theme. Over the last several weeks, we’ve opened wines made from obscure grapes such as Frappato, Monduese, Gelber Muskateller and Pineau d’Aunis. They taste nothing like the usual suspects (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir) which are the reference point for the vast majority of wine drinkers. On shelf talkers, I call them “Wines You Never Knew You Needed,” (which probably leads to more sales than “Weird but Good” but it’s not quite as catchy.

But this week, we did something a little differently. Rather than going for the obscure grapes, we choose two wines that are weird BECAUSE they’re good. Soave and Valpolicella are two much maligned regions in Italy’s Veneto region. Traditionally considered cheap, but not necessarily cheerful, they could be the butt of many a wine joke. But these days, there are increasingly good wines coming out of this area and we have two of them, both under $20

We’ve tooted the horn of the Vaona Valoplicella Classico before which is a fresh, floral, traditional version from a very traditional family producer.

And we’ve just recently brought back the I Stefanini “Monte de Toni” Soave after a springtime flirtation with its juicy little brother (or sister?) Il Selese. The Monte de Toni is a bit more sophisticated, with hints of the nuttiness you might find in a good Chardonnay, stone fruits and an underlying acidity that keeps it fresh. It received great Wine Spectator ratings (especially given it’s $16 price tag) and was immediately snatched up by a certain big retailer in New Jersey, but our friend Terry at importer Dominico Selections, saved a bit for us. Thanks Terry! And yes, Terry, we know, it’s time to place an order.

How to Tame Your Wine Tasting Notes

Originally published on August 19, 2009.

One of the obvious pleasures of owning a wine shop is that you get to taste a lot of wines. One of the great drawbacks is that you have to find a way to keep track of all the wines you taste.

I would love to be one of those people who can taste a wine once and fix it in their mind forever more. Actually, I do have a good palate memory – I can taste a wine and remember the general sensations. But as a wine buyer, I also need to recall the producer, vintage, distributor, frontline cost, deal structure, order minimum, and split case fees associated with every wine I taste. Or at least every wine I might possibly want to buy for the store. Which given that I have very good sales reps, is a good deal of the wines I taste. So I need a system.

Some people just type their notes directly into an electronic device of choice – an iPhone, a Blackberry, a computer. But this doesn’t work for me. As quickly as I can type (and I can type very quickly) there’s a disconnect between my palate and my keyboard. The tasting notes just don’t flow as well when there’s a power cord involved. (And there’s always the danger of dribbling on the key board.)

Some people may rely on the spec sheets provided by the sales reps. These are useful if I want to check how a producer or region is spelled without squinting at a wine-stained label. But they don’t take the place of my own notes. And most damanging to this potential system, at least in my view: it would require 3-ring binders to keep track of everything. I hate 3-ring binders and 3-ring hole punches and those little sitcky reinforcement circles.

So I’ve turned to taking notes in a series of ruled Cahier Moleskine notebooks. Yes, these little books are now seen in the hands of hipsters everywhere, but hipster coolness factor aside, they work. They’re light, they can be thrown in any size bag or purse, and they have a handy pocket in the back. This pocket is important because occassionally I can’t find my current notebook and have to scribble tasting notes on Post-its or little scraps of paper. These stray notes can then be piled on the counter and later, tucked into that handy back pocket.

The only problem with this system….I’m now on my 12th book. And while flipping through 12 notebooks filled with tasting memories may seem like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon (oh, I remember that lovely Frappato, all roses and violets and fresh spring berries), it’s not terribly productive when you’re desperately trying to find the distributor for a specific wine you had back in May, or was it April? (Actually, it was January.)

So I am now in the process of cataloging my tasting notes on my computer so I can use the brute force of a spreadsheet program to sort through 12 books of tasting notes. It would be mind-numbing, except that it is quite nice to reflect on all the wine I’ve tasted over the last year and a half. Yes, it would be quicker if I could just do this the first time through, but like I said, it just doesn’t work that way for me.

And anyhow, those Moleskine notebooks are really, really cute,