Tag: Aussie Wine

Inter-Continental Wine Buying

Originally published on June 12, 2011.

Twitter is a wonderful thing. Not only does it allow you to waste hours sending 140 character messages to people you should really just meet for lunch, it occasionally can set you on the wine buying trail. Like when I caught @winewomansong, a London-based wine writer tweeting about the Mac Forbes Rieslings and Pinot Noirs from Victoria, Australia.

I’m always looking for wines from Australia that 1) aren’t made from Shiraz, 2) are from regions beyond South Australia and 3) don’t have cheeky, hopping Aussie animals on the label. So I asked @winewomansong (a.k.a. Jules) about the wines and she said they were fantastic. I tracked them down with Vision Wines, my rep brought a sample of the Riesling by and I scooped it up.

So here it is…the wine from Australia recommended on Twitter by way of London:

Mac Forbes Riesling RS37 2008
(Strathbogie Ranges, Australia)

Yes, that’s an animal on the label. But butterflies aren’t cheeky and they don’t hop. And yes, I did in fact amend item 3) above to include “cheeky, hopping” when I posted this picture and realized there was an animal on the bottle.

Price: $24.99

Going Going Gone…Wine Auction Fun: Part 2

Originally published on January 14, 2009.

During the fall, Frankly Wines started to dabble in the wine auction world. I figured the auction market would be slow and prices low due to the stock market implosion: And since we were heading into the holidays, any goodies I managed to pick up would have their best chance of selling in the coming weeks.

I learned quickly that wine auctions can be a dangerous pastime. You walk into the room with your target lots selected, your upper limits firmly in place, and your total budget for the day well understood. Then as soon as that little numbered paddle hits your hand, you can barely restrain yourself from waving it in the air. But if you can control yourself, you can walk away with some really great stuff.

I snagged several cases 10 – 25 year old Bordeaux and 1 case of Eileen Hardy Shiraz 1993, one of the old-school stars of Australia. As planned (and hoped), everything was going, going, gone less than a month after hitting the shelves. The last auction bottle sold just yesterday…not bad given shelf prices were around $50 – $70.

Well that sounds easy…buy it, price it, sell it! Not quite.

There’s a huge amount of research involved. Like what was the quality of the vintage? (Great vintages tend to age longer, while less great vintages have the advantage of drinking well at an earlier age. There’s research on the producer …they may have a great reputation today, but that doesn’t mean it was so great 25 years ago. There’s pricing…is anyone else selling the same vintage? If not, a similar producer from that vintage? Or a similar vintage by the same producer? And on it goes.

You do all that, pick a shelf price, figure out the maximum you want to bid (including the typically hefty buyers premium), load it all into a fancy spreadsheet (maybe that’s just me) , snag a seat next to a power outlet so your computer doesn’t die and then wait for the lot to come up for bidding….while trying NOT to randomly bid on anything else.

It’s a lot of work for a little dabbling. But for a small retailer like Frankly Wines, I think it’s absolutely worth it. Drinking an aged wine can be a wonderful, mysterious experience, but unless you have the money, space, and patience to buy and store the stuff, it’s a relatively rare one. So I like to always keep the store stocked with a small selection of older vintages from good producers with a reasonable chance of already being in that good-drinking window. And the auction market is the best place to get these bottles….as long as you can keep your paddle well under control.

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.

Frankly Wines is Zagat Rated!

Originally published on July 27, 2008.

So the 2009 New York City Gourmet Shopping & Entertainment Guide has hit the shelves. And my store is in it with a big ‘NEW’ next to it. Even better, I neither paid anyone nor asked anyone to write the review – it just happened. So in the name of shameless self-promotion, here’s the the review:

A “frakly fabulous addition to the neighborhood” according to locals, this new TriBeCa wine boutique uncorks a “small but thoughtfully selected” range of labels highlighting small producers and wines from the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand, Argentina and Chile, etc.); those who’ve discovered it give a thumbs-up to the fair prices and “perfect recommendations” from its able staff.

2009 New York City Gourmet Shopping & Entertainment Guide

I couldn’t be more pleased with the review even if I had paid someone!

This Week’s 3-Pack: Que Syrah Shiraz

Originally published on March 21, 2018.

Another week, another 3-Pack. Actually, I’m featuring two 3-Packs this week – one white, one red. Below is the red version. The white one will follow tomorrow because I’m tired and need to unwind with some crappy TV. Ah, the glamorous life of a wine store owner…

Que Syrah Shiraz
OK, the name is more than a little cheesy, but it was tough to resist because this pack features three very different examples of the Syrah grape (aka the Shiraz grape.) Two names = twice the fun, or in this pack, three times the fun.

Green Point Shiraz 2005 (Victoria, Australia): From one of the coolest regions in Australia, this wine is worlds away from typical Aussie fruit bombs. A good example of “cool climate” Shiraz, it offers bright, fresh, vibrant red fruits with a touch of sweet spice and crisp acidity.

Burch Hall Syrah 2004 (Sierra Foothills, California): A little less fruit-forward than the Green Point, this Cali syrah is clean and elegant with notes of red cherries and a bit of peppery spice.

Charles Cimicky Trumps Shiraz 2006 (Barossa Valley, Australia): Classic Barossa Shiraz – big, brooding, loads of spice, some toasty oak, a rich earthiness and a smooth, velvety finish. The world “elegant” may not leap to mind, but this is yummy stuff.

mmmmmmm – Port/Fig Sauce & Punt Road Pinot Noir

Originally published on February 23, 2008.

Someone in the store today mentioned off-hand they were making a port / fig sauce for an upcoming dinner. The sauce sounded amazing, so I couldn’t help but throw out a recommendation for a wine I had only just priced earlier today – Punt Road Pinot Noir.

I’d never heard of the producer until Romain, one of my sales guys, brought it in for me to try, but it had a high yumminess factor and was different from the other Pinot Noirs I have in the shop. It’s from Yarra Valley, a region in the Australian’s state of Victoria. The Yarra Valley is about an hour or so from Melbourne and is one of the cooler regions in Australia – so not surprisingly, it’s one of the few regions that does well with Pinot Noir. I’ve had a number of Pinots from there and frankly, haven’t been terribly impressed with the mid-priced stuff. A lot of them tend to be just too similar to the California candied red-fruit style, and if that’s what you want, no reason to pay the additional shipping, handling and taxes for the Aussie version.

But the Punt Road was something different – nice red berry fruits, a bit of sweet spice, like Christmas cookie spices, and a touch of this figgy richness that I found really appealing. The wine no doubt spent some time in oak, but it didn’t come off as this big oaky monster – it was still definitely Pinot, but with this little extra kick. Not California, not Burgundy, definitely it’s own personality. And it will go wonderfully with that port / fig sauce. I’ll have to get the recipe for that one (so I can have my husband make it for me.)

Frankly Wines Gets Some…..Press!

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I really wish more women in this industry (or any industry, really) would talk about their child care situations whether it simply involves juggling duties with your partner (or not), a nanny situation, blessedly nearby family, a great day care center, a network of friends or whatever. Many of us are lucky enough not to have to “do it all” by ourselves – and it’s not fair to let people think we do.

Originally published on March 5, 2008.

Check out the first press piece featuring the the shop – and me – in the NY Sun. It’s an abridged version of my life history in print – even makes mention of corn fields and wine coolers. Can’t beat that!

When I last stopped in, Ms. Frank had just delivered a case of wine to a Murray Street condo, even though she’s due to give birth to her third child in June. “I’ve still got a good month before I give up the hand truck,” she said. Blessed with a great nanny, she plans to be back at work within weeks. “Maternity leave has a whole different meaning when it’s your own business,” she says.

Peter Hellman, The New York Sun

Too Busy To Blog

Originally published on February 13, 2008.

Long time, no blog. It’s been busy, which is goods. Lots of orders to place, lots of wine to get on the shelves. This is all good, but doesn’t make for a very exciting blog. But it does mean business is good!

My sister-in-law decorated the windows for Valentine’s Day, and it looks great. At least all the women that walk into the shop think it looks great. Don’t know if it even registers with the men – hopefully it at least serves as a subliminal reminder that tomorrow they should be doing something nice for their sweeties – even if it doesn’t involve wine.

So what was accomplished this week aside from the lovely pink and red window decorations?

The second newsletter went out, featuring the latest 3-pack, snappily called “Hello Merlot”. Since poor Merlot hasn’t gotten much love since Sideways blew it to bits, I decided to give it a little bit of attention. The pack features Bedell Cellars (Long Island), Domaine la Soumade (VdP classication, but fruit is actually from the Rhone Valley), and Casa Lapostalle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot (Chile). All quite different from each other, which is the main point of featuring them side by side by side – to show that Merlot can do more than make whimpy, fruity red juice.

And I finally got around to pricing and displaying some of my higher end Southern Hemispere goodies – things like the Grosset Rieslings from Clare Valley, Vina Alicia Malbecs and Petit Verdot from Argentina, Purple Angel from Chile, Sadie Family wines from South Africa, and on and on. But details on those wines will warrent several other posts. For now, I’m just happy they have price tags and are out of their boxes.

Back to work.

Frankly Wines – The History

Originally published on January 26, 2008.

Well, more like my history, since the store opened just over a month ago and doesn’t have much of a history beyond my own….

Prior to opening this little shop (and it is tiny), I spent about 7 years working for a wine and spirits company which at various points during that time was known as Schieffelin & Somerset (a joint venture between Diageo and Moet Hennessy), then Schiefflin (just the MH part of the joint venture), then finally, Moet Hennessy USA (the grand union of the Schieffelin, Veuve Clicquot, and Millenium — all owned by LVMH.) Sometimes you needed a score card just to keep track of the brands the company sold. At certain points, business cards changed on almost a monthly basis. Brands included Moet, Hennessy, Clicquot, Belvedere, Chopin, Dom Perignon, Ruinart, Krug, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, 10 Cane Rum and a small portfoio of wines. Tres impressive, non?

During my time there, I worked on a major distributor realignment project, ran the US business for some small single malt Scotch brands, ran part of the massive Hennessy Cognac business, led development of the US launch plan for 10 Cane Rum, and then managed the business for the company’s Down Under wine portfolio (Cloudy Bay, Green Point, Cape Mentelle). Lots of fabulous meals, big nights out, great wines on the table all time time – very glamorous. Traveled to Scotland, France, Australia, New Zealand, and across the United States and into more wine retail accounts and restaurants than I care to count. And somewhere in there, I had 2 babies. Got to the point where I couldn’t stand the thought of doing another 5-year forecast, developing an annual brand plan, or boarding another airplane (even if I did get to sit in business class most of the time – go frequent flier miles!!)

So I decided to do what any reasonably insane person would do – escape the glories of corporate life by opening a wine store. Took a lease on a tiny little space around the corner from home, started the licencing process, worked at a similarly-sized shop in Brooklyn over the summer to 1) fine tune my retail skills and 2) make sure I really wanted to do this and wouldn’t be better off begging for my old job back, and less than 6 months later, I’m now the owner of an actual store with actual wine on the shelves (and an actual credit card machine, cash registers, garbage removal service, security gate, and alarm system.)

And that’s it for today’s history lesson.