Notes from the Future – Page 4

The Mom Test

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: This was when the Tissot wines were at Frederick Wildman and they just… sort of… sat there. Somehow I realized they were there, or Rachel, my first Wildman sales rep knew I would dig them and brought me a sample. However it happened, once I was on to them we bought as much as we could. And they were so, so, so much fun to sell. Around this time, over about six months, Wildman wound up going through three, maybe even four vintages of the Poulsard as it started to catch on and buyers started to realize it was there, buried in the Wildman book. The Tissot whites were also starting to move as well, but the Poulsard was definitely the easier sell, so it FLEW!!!!

Originally published on November 12, 2009.

Within two years, Camillie Riviere, who had been a major force in getting the Tissot wines out of the warehouse and onto shelves and menus, would start her own importing company with the Tissot wines as a key part of the founding portfolio. Those were crazy days – she would come into town with a magic bag literally stuffed with more bottles than a human should be able to carry. An appointment with her was always as close to a party as you could get, without actually being a party. The idea was work like hell to sell the wines as soon as they came in, and then get back to France to find more wines.

What does any of this have to do with the Mom Test? Nothing really. I just like to take an occasional walk down memory lane and recall the days when I really did spend most of my time behind the counter, when regions like the Jura were still new and mind-blowing and not just another notch on the coolness belt. It reminds me that for most wine drinkers, the Jura is still as obscure as it was when I was writing these posts over ten years ago, waiting to blow people’s minds. Sure, the wines are more expensive now then they used to be, (a spate of small yield vintages haven’t helped) but there are still ways in. Time to sign myself back up for Jura Duty and go find those ways.

I’m down to my last bottle of Tissot Poulsard 2006, the obscure red wine from the Jura region of France. We’ve sold quite a lot of this obscure little wine over the last couple months, possibly due to the following reasons:

An enthusiastic, well-trained staff that likes the wine nearly as much as I do
A recent article in the New York Times Dining & Wine section.
My fabulous 3-Pack (that’s really a 2-Pack)
A hand-written bottle tag noting that Poulsard is a surprisingly good match with steak (people can’t resist the word ‘steak,’ especially when they see it in print)
Flying colors on the Mom Test

The Mom Test?

Yes, the Mom Test. My mom likes wine, but she doesn’t exactly qualify as a wine geek. So if I sit her down at a meal with one of my more esoteric choices and she enjoys it, than there’s a good chance that most of my customers will enjoy it. It’s a good test because if she likes it, it’s just because she likes it. Not because it’s the newest, coolest thing. Not because it scored big points. And certainly not because she’s SUPPOSED to like it.

So when I tell customers that the Tissot Poulsard is beloved by wine geeks AND my mom….well, it works better than steak.

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P.S. If high scores on the Mom Test have you hankering for a Tissot Poulsard, never fear. My last bottle of 2006 should be joined by some 2004 this week and soon after that, some 2007. Don’t wait too long to get some….my mom may just buy it all.

Wine You Never Knew You Needed: Gemischter Satz

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Ten years later and I’m still in love!

Originally published on November 4, 2009.

What? Never heard of Gemischter Satz wines? Neither had we, until this summer, when Mr. Carlos Huber showed up at our shop. Well, he didn’t just show up, he did have an appointment. And in his wine bag, he had a range of tasty Gemischter Satz wines.

GS for short (at least accordingly to me), these wines come from inside the city limits of Vienna, are made from anywhere from 2 to 20 grape varieties, all growing on the same plot of land, and all harvested and vinified together. I could tell you more about the joys of field blends, or you could just read what Eric Asimov at the New York Times wrote in his Wednesday column.

Tasting through Carlos’s selection of GS wines, I was impressed at how different they all were. Some were light and floral, some a bit more weighty and oily. One had this almost yeasty/bready note going on. But all managed to be wonderfully fresh, aromatic and generally charming. Pardon me while I get all wine-geeky, but they all tasted like slightly different versions of springtime. And as the weather starts to get all chilly and bitter, who couldn’t use a bit of springtime in a glass.

That’s the general scoop on the GS. To get more specific, the one we currently carry is Weinbau Jutta Ambrositsch Wiener Gemischter Satz Sommeregg Reserve 2008. The name is quite a mouthful: Jutta Ambrositsch is the young, female winemaker. Gemischter Satz is the GS classification I mentioned above. Sommeregg is the vineyard site. Weinbau means something like Domaine and Wiener just means wine. At least I think that’s what it all means.

The wine itself manages to combine lightness with complexity – flowers, citrus, earthiness, white spices, berries, fresh herbal notes. Very close to 20 grape varieties are grown on Jutta’s plot of land, which was planted over 50 years ago. It’s a rarity that a wine of this dry wine is so light yet so complex, but that’s old vines, a diverse field blend, and a good vintner can do.

At $45.99, it’s not inexpensive. There are less expensive GS wines available, and we’ll probably bring some in. But we were intrigued by this one and wanted to get our hands on some before someone else got them all. If you’re looking for a unique, wonderfully different white wine that can justify a $50 price tag, this would be your bottle.

Come pick one up before we drink it all ourselves. (Fair warning…we have been known to do this, despite our accountant’s better judgment.)

P.S. (Can I do this on a blog post? Apparently, I can if I say I can.) Mr. Asimov also mentions the fantastic Rainer Christs’s delicious Gelber Muskateller. But every good Gelber Muskateller deserves it’s own post, so we’ll get to that later.

And Now for Something Completely Different: Lopez de Heredia!

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Yeah, that never happened. We never made a window display of LdH bottles filled with tiny foam leaves. I think the prices started to go up and we had to put the breaks on the drinking of it, so not so many empty bottles. But it would have been very, very cool.

Originally published on November 4, 2009.

Alright, alright. I write about LdH all the time.

But this time, it’s not about the wine. It’s about hundreds of tiny plastic leaves shoved into a bottle of Vina Tondonia.

Looks cute, doesn’t it?

Next autumn, I’m envisioning a window filled with bottles of LdH, each filled with hundreds and thousands of these tiny leaves.

Even if it does feel a little sacrilegious.

Why I Love My Architect

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Definitely check out the link way at the bottom. The new owners of the shop gave it a major update – including taking over the space next door, which was always a dream of mine that I could just never make happen. It looks beautiful – and I’m more than a little envious of the proper sink that they have in the proper bathroom. But for a little peek at the original layout, the cork wall, and the plywood boxes I talk about below, then click away.

Originally published on November 1, 2009.

Before I tell you why I love my architect, let me tell you about Halloween in Tribeca. It’s possibly one of the coolest places in NYC for kids to go trick or treating. All the shops and restaurants put out quite a spread for the little ones, who go store to store picking up their goodies. Fancy decorations, fully costumed staff, very tasty, gourmet treats, music and dancing. All that – and the sidewalks are wide enough to accommodate the strollers.

As a wine store, there’s only so much I can do to entertain the kiddos without feeling irresponsible. But I can provide treats for the parents. So it’s a piece of candy or two for the kids and several sips of this and that for the grown-ups.

Now at any given time during the big Halloween rush hours, we can wind up with five or six kids picking out candy. And their five or six adults sipping on liquid treats. And then a regular customer or two picking out wine for the night or a case for the week. Throw in three Frankly Wines employees – and that’s a lot of bodies in 320 square feet of space.

Which is why I love my architect. Because my store can actually accommodate all this without giving the impression of a telephone booth stuffing contest. How is this possible?

The store is built like a ship. Paper goods in the big shelving units above our heads. A very long counter with wine coolers underneath it, hiding in plain site. Sneaky storage built behind the counter, into the 3×3 foot square bathroom, and under the window display units.

And most genius? These white plywood display units that can be pushed around the store to create additional shelving, display units, or table tops for tastings. Thanks to these, I can completely change the store’s functionality (nasty word, but it works) in just a few minutes. So we go from a display featuring box wines and sparkling cider to – presto change-o – a pleasant tasting area where customers can gather around a big ice bucket filled with treats. And then by 8pm, we’re back in display mode.

It’s magic! Or maybe it’s just very good design.

My architect (who has no idea I’m posting this):

Carlos Rodriguez
rodriguez studio
139 Fulton Street PH-3
New York, New York
http://www.rodriguezstudio.net/

That Customer #3: The Clinker

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I still hate clinkers. My blood pressure is starting to rise just thinking about them!!!

Originally published on October 28, 2009.

This person isn’t typically encountered in a store, so technically, they’re not a customer. But what I’m about to describe seems to generate such rage among working wine stiffs that it’s worth a rant.

First, a bit of background. Anyone who’s worked as a wine importer, sales rep, or brand manager has probably spent their fair share of time standing behind a table at some major consumer tasting event, pouring wine for thirsty customers who seem to have no idea that the buckets on the table are there for spitting.

The grand daddy of these events just wrapped up: the Grand Tastings that are part of the Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience. $250 per ticket. 250 wineries spread across two gigantic floors of the Marriott Marquis hotel. Trophy wines everywhere: Bordeaux First Growths, California cult wines, top-of-the-line Champagnes. You’re probably not going to get to taste some funky, cool thing from the Jura or the far northern reaches of Italy, but as much as I hate to admit it, it’s still pretty impressive. At least until the lack of spitting turns everyone all sloppy.

So in the last week, in the lead up to the event, there was a lot of chatter among industry wine folk about their time behind the tables. And what was the most frequently mentioned topic? It wasn’t any particular taste of big name trophy wine. It certainly wasn’t the food. It wasn’t even tales of decanters used as spit buckets (although if people actually spit, this would probably happen more often.)

No, the big topic was the “clinkers.” Alright, no one really calls them clinkers. They’re usually referred to as “those insanely annoying people who raise their glass and clink it against your bottle as you’re trying to pourthe m wine.”

This little raising-of-the-glass motion could be the most universally reviled movement in the wine industry. Just mention it to someone who’s had to work behind a table at a wine tasting…and watch their blood start to boil. Mine boils just thinking about it.

Why do people clink?

Perhaps they don’t realize that the person on the other side of the table is a highly skilled wine pourer.

Perhaps they don’t notice the slow pours on the bottle, which are indeed meant to force the wine to….you know…pour slowly.

Perhaps they don’t realize that the pourer is fully aware that he’s pouring at a wine tasting, not a drinking.

Perhaps they just don’t realize they can spit, and instead, fear the consequences of being required to drain the entire content of every glass they’re poured and therefore, the clinking thing is just a fully understandable attempt at self-preservation.

Or….perhaps they’re just too rude to utter a simple “just a little please.”

Really now, why talk when you can just clink?

Why It’s Good to Be Last

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: This was indeed a good night to be last. That may be one of the last bottles of Ulysse Collin in the wild… the days when this producer could be brought out in a sample bag, when I could buy as much as I wanted. Those days are long, long gone!

Originally published on October 17, 2009.

When it comes to booking appointments with my sales reps, I usually like to be the first appointment of the day. In the Frankly Wines case, this is usually 11am, just as we open our doors. I’ve been told this is the best time of day to taste wine – you’re already awake, your taste buds have recovered from the shock of your morning coffee, and you’re starting to get a little hungry so your senses of taste and smell are at optimal perkiness. But that has nothing to do with it….

The reality is, if I’m the first appointment of my sales rep’s day, there’s a very good chance that she’ll be on time. Well, ok, she’ll still be late, but maybe 15 minutes max. And as the day goes on, those 15 minutes turn into half an hour, then an hour, and finally she’s on the phone asking what time we close.

But there is a drawback to being first. Mainly that my rep will have more appointments after mine. And she’ll have to take the bottles with her. But if I’m last, there’s a very good chance she’ll be sick of dragging around a bunch of bottles. And I’ll get to keep some of them. Or in some cases, like tonight, I get to keep them all.

What Wine Stores Look Like When They’re Closed

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I clearly had a fondness for extreme sepia-tinted filters back in the day!

Originally published on September 19, 2009.

Ever wonder what a wine store looks like before the doors open and the magic happens? Well, here’s an inside peak at Frankly Wines, 11.45am on a summer Sunday, fifteen minutes before showtime.

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.

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.

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.

Category: Notes from the Future