Niche Wine Blog

Bulgarian Wine

A short video about Bulgarian wine - the next big thing.

What's in a Brand?

                           

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As the famous Shakespearean line goes: What's in a name? that which we call a  rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  Unfortunately, that isn't the case when it comes to choosing among the endless array of computers, cell phones, televisions, clothing, or automobiles.  And it certainly doesn't hold true when selecting wine, be it white, rose or red. 

Branding of products has become the way in which a company distinguishes its products from competitors.  In fact, brand marketing tends to be a deciding factor for a purchase even more so than the source of the product.  This is surely the case in today's global wine market.  Robert Nicholson of International Wine Associates stated, "distribution, branding and marketing have become more important than the vineyard and winery assets in determining the value of a brand.  Evidence of this can be seen in the recent sales transactions of luxury estates such as Duckhorn and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, as wineries would rather buy an existing brand than create a new one for reasons of simplicity.  While this tactic may work very well, wouldn't it be more gratifying to know that the new brand you created became successful because of your hard work and determination?  Apparently the easy way out is more satisfying. 

Nevertheless, what goes into a brand to make it valuable?  The keys to a successful brand include, but are not limited to, packaging, wine style, a simple, yet distinguishing brand message and the ability to be unassuming.  In determining brand value of a wine, Nicholson considers "its suppliers, distributors, inventory levels, profit margins and overhead.  Other important considerations include employment and consulting contracts, third party grape contracts, the retention of library wines, and trademarks/intellectual properties." While this may be true, I think Nicholson is viewing this from the producer's or marketers standpoint, rather than the consumer standpoint, which is what I think matters most in the end. 

Where the customer is concerned, I think a wine's brand value is determined on an experiential level, hence making it more than just a commodity.  Nicholas Quille defines brand value best as " an emotional relationship between a consumer and a product."  If there is a unique, emotional relationship between a consumer and his/her wine, then the tangible assets of the brand become a reinforcement.  As such, if the consumer has a negative experience, as in the wine is not of good quality, the brand will quickly lose its value.  If the brand emulates a famous figurehead, has strong connections and financial assets, and receives an abundance of press, it may survive.  However, lack thereof will surely cause degradation. 

For those who are considering the formulation of a new brand may want to consider this: according to Pat DeLong of Leucadia Cellars, a perfect target features a unique marketing position, top-line growth, profitability, high cash flow and efficient asset base and strategic benefits.  Winery owners shouldn't think that there are dozens of potential buyers for their brands."  As such, it's necessary to stress the importance of a niche target market, not just "people who buy wine."

Another concept with which I agree wholeheartedly is "organic marketing," which Michael Havens focused on when developing his brand.  Organic branding targets the human element of a purchase.  " It creates an emotional connection to consumers by telling them the 'human story of the producer" says Havens.  It may not be easy to develop a successful brand, but those who do reap the rewards. 

If you'd like to read more on this subject, check out the Wines & Vines article by Tina Caputo How to Determine a Wine Brand's Value.

Chateau Marmont

Chateau Marmont (sha-'tO mär-'mOⁿ) adj. 1: discreet 2: discernable 3: modest 4: prudent 5: unobtrusive 6: unpretentious. Rather tame descriptors for a hotel with an iniquitous reputation as a place to misbehave. Marmont, or Chateau M, is known by many as “the castle on the hill,” the Hollywood glamour hotspot that rests in the hills above Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Inspired by the royal Chateau d’Amboise, a medieval castle with a history all its own residing in the Loire Valley, France, Marmont was built in 1929 originally as apartments, two years later it became a hotel and the rest is history, or is it?

When it comes to Chateau Marmont, it’s hard to know where to begin. Perhaps the right place would be: Led Zeppelin riding motorcycles through the lobby, or Jim Morrison jumping/falling off a 5^th floor balcony, or John Belushi overdosing on cocaine and heroin, or Jean Harlow sleeping with Clark Gable while on honeymoon with her husband. In essence, Chateau Marmont was, and still is a place for people, most notably famous individuals whose careers put them in the limelight, to escape from real life, relax, and even express their rebellious side, in privacy. In 1939, I believe Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, said it best when he told two of his stars, “If you must get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont.” To this day, it remains a home away from home for many. This rather low-profile bohemian hideout, with its laid-back staff and superb amenities and service, has compelled certain personalities to reside, and sometimes disappear, here for months at a time. Specifically, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Keanu Reeves. Even still, the Chateau mysteriously remains inconspicuous to many. However, those that know about it do what they can to be a part of it. Just recently, I was one of those individuals fortunate enough to spend a lovely Saturday afternoon relishing in the discreet lap of luxury that is Chateau M. 

When my parents and I were invited a few weeks ago, by Chateau Marmont’s sommelier, Nat Gunter, to have lunch and taste some of his wines, I may not have seen any stars or witnessed any incriminating activity (it’s a little different these days), but I definitely experienced the sense of timeless history that lingers in the atmosphere. The service was superb and the staff, especially Nat, was as courteous, attentive and laid back as one reads about. After a lunch of delectable food and wine, which I’ll recap later on, I received a tour of the grounds. The cottages are tucked away privately and seem modest, yet elegant. The private garden and pool is unassumingly beautiful. From the lobby to the garden, one gets a glimpse of the walk way leading to the main entrance, which has vaulted gothic ceilings painted with beautiful murals. The sitting room off from the lobby is warm, homey and inviting. All in all, a very charming place and I can understand why those who stay don’t want to leave.

Now for the main event: food and wine. Upon arrival, there were four bottles of wine, opened, sitting in an ice bucket (to survive the famed L.A. heat), ready to go. Nat was extremely knowledgeable and explained interesting facts about the wines as we went along. We started off with:

2005 Pierre Gaillard Le Secret Ivre (the drunken secret), VdP, St. Joseph, Rhone France

- Blended by Kimberly Jones

- Viognier and Roussanne

- Very floral and aromatic honey, apricot, nice minerality, full/silky mouthfeel; yum!

2006 Red Car wines “Boxcar Rose”, Santa Maria CA

- Syrah and Pinot Noir

- Nice full body from the Syrah, but delicate due to Pinot Noir; strawberries, raspberries, white flower and lemon

- aromas; yum!

2005 Betts & Scholl “The O.G.” Grenache, Barossa Valley

- Joint venture between Richard Betts (MS), sommelier at Little Nell in Aspen and Dennis Scholl, art collector from Miami. They buy grapes from families in Barossa Valley and make the wine.

- Very nice wine; ripe, sweet strawberry and raspberry, low tannins, drink now; Another yum!

2003 Petit Batard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA

- Declassified Xtant from 03 vintage

- Tasted like $50, goes for roughly $15-20; very good!

These wines were enjoyed with the following appetizers:

- Seared ahi

- Oxtail ravioli - delicious

- Cheese plate

- Breaded, fried risotto and cheese – delicious

And last, but certainly not least, with dinner we enjoyed:

2001 Domaine de la Vougeraie Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

- Very delicate, silky, red fruits, nice structure and complexity

- Extreme yum factor!!

As most of you know, Red Burgundy is a pretty versatile wine so as you can imagine it went well with:

- Rosemary chicken sandwich

- Duck crepes

-     A steak dish (forgive me, I am blanking on the name)

As you can imagine, this place is rather close knit so I wouldn't rush out and try to book a room or restaurant reservation - it's probably not likely to happen very easily. 

 

Certified Sommelier Program

Hello All --

Well, after two months of studying wine and three 10-hr days of seminars and testing, I am happy to say it paid off as I received my sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers this past Friday!  Without hesitation, I can't think of a better way to get back into the swing of things here than to first give credit where credit is due. 

For those of you who are interested, I was enrolled in the Certified Sommelier Program, headed by David Glancy (MS, CWE), at the  Professional Culinary Institute.  The program began on June 18th and ran for 10 weeks-three hours a day, five days a week.  After much research in deciding the best wine program under which to study, I must say, deciding on PCI was one of the best decisions I could have made.  Mr. Glancy is not only extremely knowledgeable when it comes to wine, he has passion and dedication to teach like you wouldn't believe.  His energy, coupled with the opportunity to learn A LOT about wine and taste wine every day (averaging 6-8 wines, but usually more) made this experience well worth the money.  On top of that, the program is THE ONLY one co-created and approved by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

In my opinion, this innovative program is like no other program out there today.  It is a hands on program designed to teach you the practical aspects of service, not solely about wine and how to taste.  The class size was small, 17 to be exact, which meant a lot of face time with the instructor and allowed us to get to know each other very well.  Each day began with students buffing the glasses we'd need for tasting and then carrying them around on lined trays and placing them at each seat.  Once Mr. Glancy demonstrated the proper opening of champagne and wine bottles, students were required to do so properly for each wine tasted every day.  We also had to learn how to pour accurately so that one bottle would sufficiently provide for all students.  You may wonder what the point of this is.  Aside from allowing the instructor to be budget conscious, it also prepared us for service in a real restaurant and knowing how much we can pour in each glass depending on how many guests are seated at a table.  Granted it isn't often that there are 17 people at a table, the point is learning accurate pouring is critical.  There's nothing worse than running out of a bottle at a table before reaching all of the guests.

At the beginning of the program, during our "wine foundations" module, we went on two field trips to two wineries/vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  At At Cooper Garrod Vineyards we learned about winemaking, got the opportunity to blend wine ourselves, and then tasted some of their wines.  The following day, we went to Kathryn Kennedy Winery where we learned about how much time and care goes into managing vineyards.  Both of the winemakers strongly believe in sustainability, and to some extent, biodynamics as it relates to viticulture.  Later on in the program, we also received a tour of Gordon Biersch Brewery and learned about beer production from Dan Gordon, part owner.  Don't hold me to this, but it is my understanding that there are usually two winery/vineyard field trips, but they are not always the same.  Also, I believe the GB tour is subject to his availability and doesn't always happen.

Following our wine foundations module, we had individual modules covering France, New World, Italy, Iberia, Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe, and Beer, Spirits and Cigars.  Each module would conclude with a theory and two wine blind tasting exam.  On exam days, we'd have lunch prepared for us by chefs of the school's culinary program.  These lunches were themed based on the region(s) just studied.  This was a great way to get to know each other, but also was crucial in learning food and wine pairing, as wines would be paired with the meal we were served.  All of this was meant to prepare us for the Introductory and Certified Sommelier Exams, which we took back to back, over three days. 

In preparation for the service portion of the certified exam, we thoroughly practiced champagne and wine decanting service.  These practice simulations definitely helped prepare us for the real thing - viewing a demonstration of how it's done is really no substitute.  Even some of my classmates who work as fine dining servers/sommeliers felt this was an invaluable component. 

Our final module, not in any way related to the certified exam, taught us how to manage a wine program - information you cannot find even in conducting advanced research.  Mr. Glancy had other Master Sommeliers come in and teach portions of the modules so we could get a feel for what they were like (in terms of theory, tasting and service) and not get too comfortable with his way of doing things.  This was also very helpful in preparing for the exam since, for ethical reasons, we would be tested by Masters other than Mr. Glancy. 

There are many great wine programs out there, including the International Sommelier Guild, but I don't know of any that is all encompassing as this one at PCI.  Also, there was a bond created between all of my classmates that no explanation could ever really do justice.  The students came from all over the U.S. And while some may return home and others will stay, lifelong friendships will remain.   We definitely grew very close to Mr. Glancy especially, but also getting the opportunity to network with other Master Sommeliers was a great learning curve.  This is definitely one experience I'll never forget. 

If any of you are interested in becoming a certified sommelier, I highly recommend this program!  Also, if you have any other questions, feel free to email me!