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| This is how I look with a haircut |
We talked about a lot of issues. My recent Wine-Searcher column that the wine intelligentsia are almost always wrong was the starting point.
But we went deeper than that. We talked about what the wine media should do, regarding the balance between writing about wines we love versus wines the readers love (i.e., buttery Chardonnay.) And about whether the goodies wine writers get influence what we write.
Sonoma State wine business professor Damien Wilson called in to discuss how his students don't come to school prepared for the business realities of wine.
How big is the market for lower-alcohol wines? And how profitable is it? We talked about it.
I'm always the interviewer, rarely the interviewee, so this was an interesting change of pace for me. I hope you'll excuse the fact that I haven't had a haircut since early December. I also discovered I must have a little Italian in me because I like speaking with my hands.
I've had some nice emails from people since this ran, with one person telling me it was his favorite episode of the show so far. I don't know; when I watched it I saw a guy with an awful lot of hair gesturing a lot. But Robert and Polly brought some interesting questions, and it seems like a worthy conversation. You be the judge.
This video is not on my Youtube channel, but subscribe to my channel anyway, it's free! You can also follow me on Twitter @wblakegray and like The Gray Report on Facebook.
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2 comments:
WOW you just discovered this.
"I also discovered I must have a little Italian in me because I like speaking with my hands."
Watching your show on utube you always seem to talking with waving hands. Fun
I'll have to watch this later.
Blake
Just watched your interview with Robert while trying to work (write, do orders, !!) in my home office here in Seattle. Really enjoyed your comments and repartee with robert, who is an old friend, as well. having read your piece about 100 pt scale (We slightly disagree about its worth), I agree with Robert it was good jumping off point.
Buttery chardonnay still sells up here to a 'select' clientele, for sure! Indeed I would say that richer chardonnay sells better than non-oaked, as it has for years.
Your comments about 'Somm' wine-- couldn't agree more-- all you have to do is read the Somm Journal to see what a lot of horseshit is out there, with PR and puff pieces being clearly what drives that part of the market! Those in the silo really have little sense of what most people want in wine. I am in that silo to be sure, with strong ideas about what constitutes 'good wine' (after 50 years in this biz!). But being in the business of selling, I also think I am more open to and willing to get behind the wines the majority outside the silo want to drink. I just try to find and sell the ones I think represent better value/quality for that style; e.g. Mer Soleil Reserve Chard vs Rombauer.
Anyway- always good hearing your thinking as well as writing. Joel
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