Local Wino's Value Proposition

It seems as though everywhere you look these days businesses are making great 'deals' on their goods and services to be "recession friendly" or resigning to the state of the economy. Even in my discussions with colleagues, friends and family, we often seem to end up talking about this subject. And, I'll be the first one to enjoy discovering a great value for a product or service at a better price. I regularly look at Restaurant.com to find discount certificates at local establishments and appreciate the value it presents. It's easy, quantifiable and makes an immediate impact on my pocketbook. You buy $25 certificates for $10 and $50 certificates for $20. No problem, I'll take two, three...!

However, when it comes to wine, it becomes an entirely subjective venture with everyone weighing in on the discussion from very wide angles. The challenge is that each person has their own deep rooted opinion about what a great value is and it is SO dependent on what you are comparing. Us groupies here in Napa/Sonoma wine industry are very skewed because we know more of the inside nuances of the business, have access to incredible local wines/winemakers events, and our palates are admittedly very spoiled. But, I still know where the good values are and understand EXACTLY what value means to me...and not opposed to the odd < $10 wine now and again. Many of my close family do not understand much of this unless they have been able to visit me in Napa to know the difference. So, is this lack of experience bliss? Are you better off not knowing the difference? I offer not. Let's explore...

1) What's the actual purpose? I'd much rather fully enjoy drinking an entire $25 bottle of wine than drink half of the $12 "special" deal that left my palate completely flat and/or the other half ended up down the sink (or left to vinegar several days later). Or, on that special occasion of having guests over, popping the $40-$45 bottle and sharing/savoring the experience completely with those that can appreciate the effort. I enjoy selective purposeful drinking these days.

2) Comparable varietals. It is completely unfair to say your $10 Malbec screaming deal from Argentina compares to the $30-$40 Cab from Napa or the delicate $12 Spanish Garnacha (Grenache) should be compared to a nice $35 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Not only the varietals worlds apart (literally), but the experience is not meant to be compared. It would be like saying your all-beef hot dog was so much better priced that the Angus Rib-eye steak...they're both beef and can taste OK, just made differently. At least keep it on the same playing ground when comparing varietals.

3) Wine scores...Ugh! Please see our view on Wine Scores online first. I hate this benchmark and I will give one example as to why. Let's take Chardonnay. If I see a 92 pt. rating on a random brand/label, what does that rating do to take in to account the style of Chardonnay I like? I do not care if it is rated 100 pts. if it is stylistically not what I prefer or does not consider what I may drink it with. For instance, I don't like any oak on my Chardonnay and a pure point scale does not take that in to account. Wine scores are a mediocre starting point at best.

4) Consider the occasion. If you're showing up to a large party where no one is going to notice the bottle you bring and/or it's more of a 'gulp-fest', no need to bring complex wines. Bring one of the 'quaffing' varietals like Grenache, Malbec, Rhone (GSM), or Zin/Primativo or inexpensive blends where you can easily keep the price under $15. However, in one-on-one or more intimate settings where everyone may be sitting around asking, "who brought what?" do your homework not to possibly embarrass yourself (too much). And, find out ahead of time what food if any is being served. Segue...

5) Will the wine be served/paired with food or a main course? This is more of personal item, but it is being paid more attention to of late. Especially if you do some reconnaissance and show up with a "prefect pairing" for the food you'll be the hero. The last thing you want to do is show up with a big complex Cab and find out that it is a lobster/seafood fest where you could have showed up with a nice Riesling or Chard for half the price. See our page on F&W pairings.

6) Do side-by-side or 'blind' tastings. Let your own palate be the judge. Nothing finally hits the message home (i.e. humbling) more than a blind tasting. And, I'm completely OK when the less expensive wines outperform the bigger labels. As long as it is compared as stated in #2 above. Also, keep the vintages within a year of each other as this can make a huge difference unless considering foreign wines. Again, it is not fair to throw a big juicy Zinfandel against a tannic 100% Cab...they serve two completely different purposes.

Lastly, just know that there are few absolutes with wine. One of my favorite winemaker's quotes when asked what kind of "good" wine do they recommend, he said, "A good wine is a wine that you enjoy regardless of price." My former wine teacher's philosophy was that EVERY wine has its occasion and you should not discount the vast selection of varietals/choices to go with each.

All of the wines at Local Wino combine the best overall quality-to-value ratio as we discover wines that normally compare to wines at sometimes twice the price. We specialize in the $20 - $50 category and offer specialty wines rarely found outside Napa. Give us a try...

So, until the next sip, swirl ya' later!

Cheers,
James

New Features Introduced

Along with the new phenomenal 'value' lineup of wines, Local Wino has introduced a couple new features to enhance the full experience with our local expertise.

Wino IQ Question of the Day
In an effort to keep our customers both engaged and educated about wines of the world, you can now test your "Wino IQ" daily with our worldly wine questions. The question & answer email comes to you automatically ever day and features a new interesting 'tid-bit' about wine each time. Additionally, it will occasionally highlight certain special wine offers from the Local Wino partners. It's easy, fun, educational and there is no cost to register for this service and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Sign up here.

Wino Wednesday W.O.W.
Every Wednesday, we'll be featuring a new Wine of the Week (W.O.W.) with a special offering for one week only or until the small allocation sells out. These special offers are not only at a special price, but will offer wines that are unique, small production and limited allocation. Shipping is included withe the 3-bottle minimum purchase of these specialty wines.
See the current W.O.W.

Ultimate Wino Red Case
We did it again, only this time we've put together one the best overall value red cases of wine you could ever assemble in one place. Encompassing variety, specialty, exclusivity, and incredible quality to value, this 'Ultimate 12' red wine case will keep you well-stocked for any occasion. This is a "must have" to try a great diversity of specialty wines from the best wine country has to offer.
See the details here.

Wino REWARDS
Still in beta development, Wino REWARDS is presenting a platform where persons within the social media circles of wine can get rewarded for their efforts within this channel. By posting information about our wines, sending in reviews or videos, joining our forum, posting on your own forums or just talking about the "world of wine", you can accumulate 'Wino Points' to redeem for free Wino Merchandise or discount on wines directly from Local Wino.
Register here.

We hope to continue to bring you the best of wine country and there's much more to come.

Until the next sip, swirl ya' later!

Cheers,
Chief Wino

Local Wino Announces New Premium Wines

'Best Of' Finalists Set

I guess diligence and determination DOES pay off...at least when it comes to selecting your 'Best Of' wines to debut online. This was no small task as we sifted through hundreds of wines in various categories to come about our final lineup. We also listened to several consumers as they tasted the wines in various environments and got some great feedback on all categories.

We chose these premium wines as the best representation within the following categories:

Sauvignon Blanc
- Astrale e Terra '08 (Napa - $22)
- Salvestrin '08 (St. Helena - $22)

Chardonnay
- Hill Family Estate 'Carly's Cuvee' '08 (Napa - $27)
- The Terraces '08 (Napa - $28)
- Sand Hill 'Durell' '07 - (Sonoma - $40)

Pinot Noir
- Bouchaine 'Gee' Vineyard '07 (Carneros/Napa - $45)
- Kindred Wines 'Amber Ridge' '07 (Russian River - $35)
- Sand Hill 'Durell' Vineyard '05 (Carneros/Sonoma - $50)

Zinfandel
- Titus '07 (Napa - $25)
- Fontanella '08 (Napa - $36)
- Teresina '07/'08 (Sonoma - $24)
- Hunnicutt '07 (Napa - $34)

Premium Red Blends
- Hill Family Estate 'Barrel Blend' '07 (Napa - $25)
- Falcor Wines 'Le Bijou' '05 (Napa - $45)
- Monticelli Bros. 'Rolando Rosso' NV (Napa - $39)
- Salvestrin Estate 'Retaggio' '07 (St. Helena - $34)
- Monticello 'Jefferson Cuvee' '07 (Napa - $38)

Premium Cabernet Sauvignon Under $50

- Watermark '06 (Napa - $45)
- Fontanella '06 (Napa - $49)
- Hunnicutt '06 (Napa - $48)
- Kindred Wines 'Ascendant' '06 (Napa - $49)
- Kristian Story Wines 'Rhapsodie' '06 (Napa - $49)

Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
- Yates Family 'Mountain' '06 (Napa/Mt. Veeder - $60)
- Titus Reserve '06 (Napa - $63)
- Corley Family Reserve '06 (Napa - $72)
- MadoraM '05 (Napa - $80)


To shop the new lineup of wines go HERE.


Chief Wino,
James

What I've Learned...and Still Learning

It has been an interesting process to say the least in evaluating the final choices of wines that Local Wino will be carrying in to the middle of the year. Now that we are just about to announce the full categorical lineup, I thought I'd share a few brief points of what I've learned in both listening to consumers and wine professionals in making some key changes to how we are presenting the wines.

Some recent observations as follows:

1) Consumers love to have a trusted resource and crave good guidance. I know this seems obvious, but I have had numerous encounters lately that continue to point to the fact that once we earn that respect with helping make smart choices, we have customers for life. Whether at a restaurant, out wine tasting, the wine shop, shopping online, or just for everyday wine reference, everyone appreciates a good referral. We are that 'local source' with our ear to ground to the best that wine country has to offer. Everyone loves the "inside scoop" and relishes having access to a trusted referral source.

2) People need a pretty good reason to purchase new or unknown wines. Again, a bit obvious, but the key here is presenting the wines in a manner that is more logical (categorical) that better fits either an occasion, a favorite varietal/type, or palate profile that resonates with the consumer. We've taken the course of organizing our wines in what we consider "Best Of" categories (with the consumer in mind) from all of our diligent tasting processes throughout the year across mainstream varietals and blends. We like to think the best reason to try new wines is that we've become that trusted source for any palate or occasion.

3) People want value. Let me clarify though. Value to us does not mean price or discount. And, value means varying levels of things to different people respectively. The wines we offer present the best overall values above $25 for premium representation within their varietal category. We're in the business of specialty wines that do not reach mass distribution and therefore are in their own category. For everyday value wines below $25, there are numerous outlets to consider and there's nothing wrong with a great perceived find under $20. However, the specialty wine market is its own niche and the overall value point is between $25 - $50 and the higher-end good value point remaining under $100.

4) Working beyond judging wines on ratings. We do not publish wine scores and I am not a wine score buyer, but there are many. Personally, I believe the system is somewhat broken and does not serve the general consumer properly or fairly. Wine scores do nothing to take in to account a person's individual palate, preference profile or several other factors that go in to account properly matching the right wine to the preferred palate. This is much bigger discussion we'll tackle later. Local Wino is going to be extra diligent to do our very best to ask, listen, probe, explore and learn about preferences in matching wines to individual "Personal Palate Profiles" (more on this coming soon...). Persons can then use this discovery with all their wine purchases with us or anywhere.

5) Staying relevant. I believe one of the most valuable benefits (resources) we offer is being in the heart of U.S. wine country and keeping up with the nuances of an ever-changing industry. Winemakers change, vintages (growing seasons) are different, processes and laws vary, new techniques are introduced, new trends with varietals being developed and the wine making art is very dynamic. Being here in Napa, we are dedicated to being everywhere we can to absorb all that the industry has to offer. From one-on-one meetings with some of the most influential people in the business to sitting next to a visitor at the local hangout. This is the core of our business that we bring direct to the consumer through these experiences.

We are very excited about the next phase and lineup of wines. It is the best presentation of value, access, and categorical varietal specialty that wine country has to offer. All you have to do is become a customer once and you'll marvel at the discoveries we consistently offer.

There's nothing like local knowledge...because locals know best.

Cheers,
James

A Successful Tasting Evening Indeed

What do you do when you have 52 wines to taste and 10 great palates in the same room? You take your time (6 hours total), savor the moment (literally) and just hang on to enjoy the ride!

(Thanks to Page Wine Cellars for hosting)

That's exactly what we did on the evening of April 2 for the second Local Wino tasting panel where wine experts came together to help us evaluate wines for the next catalog and web phase launch. It was actually hard work and kudos goes out to everyone who participated along with all the wineries that contributed their wines for the event. (See the panel video intros here).

Cutting to the chase, the main purpose of holding a blind tasting like this is to create discussion as we taste through all the wines as to the consumer appeal of each of the wines within their respective categories. We tasted in six distinct categories - 1) Sauvignon Blanc, 2) Chardonnay, 3) Pinot Noir, 4) Red blends, 5) Cabernet Sauvignon < $50, and 6) Cabernet Sauvignon > $50 (under $100). No points ratings per-se, rather open forum discussion about the purpose of each wine.

When you have so many differing palates in the room, it is hard to get too many clear consensus winners, and there were many factors considered in tasting through each category. However, the one primary goal was to make sure we were thinking of things from the consumer point of view of how approachable (i.e. palate friendly) the wines were related to the varietal or category. Additionally, the wines had to be great overall values for the varietal represented. That being said, there we several good discoveries and at least (2) wines in each category that were clear favorites of the group and many others that had above average marks or comments.

We will be zeroing in on the final (24) wines we are going to choose for the next phase in the coming weeks. These wines will be announced here once all the notes are gathered, the wines revisited in some cases (i.e. singly tasted again) and details of each wine discussed directly with the producers to insure proper availability to the consumer.

Make no mistake, all of these are special wines that combine outstanding quality, great values and ideal varietals (or blends) organized categorically for the consumer to enjoy. Now the real work begins in pairing down to the wines best suited for the Local Wino offer wine enthusiasts everywhere.

Stay tuned...

Cheers,
Local Wino Team

LW Panel Tasting Stage Set

It's that time...actually, it's later than 'that time'...for the bi-annual Local Wino Panel blind tasting this coming Friday night, April 2 at Page Wine Cellars in Yountville. It is the culmination of many months searching, tasting, discovering and traveling around wine country finding the next great lineup of wines.

This is when I organize local winemakers, Sommeliers, and wine proprietors (mostly much better palates than me) to assist in tasting all of the wines I've gathered to evaluate for the next round of catalogs and website updates. New labels, new discoveries, new vintages, and altogether new wines or categories to present to consumers direct. Make no mistake, it is a lot of work getting through 50 wines in one night...but I've assembled the right group to do it.

What is important here is the actual process that we've come about to narrow the field to these 50 or so from hundreds of wineries and well over a thousand wines tasted to then arrive at the final 24 or so for the catalog.

I first notify about 150 wineries that I have already visited and/or tasted regarding submissions of the wine(s) I feel are a good fit for our consumer offering. Of these, I narrow down to the top 50 overall wines that are represented by around 30 total brands organized by either varietal or wine category such as whites, reds, pinots, zins, blends, cabs, etc. The panelists and my job from here is to pick the top 24 wines that categorically are the best offering to consumers. We do not use a formal "point" scale (nor do we publish any wine scores), rather taste from the consumer point of view of what is approachable now along with its overall quality to value.

The criteria that we taste on involves (5) key consumer metrics:

1) Presentation & Appearance - the presentation of the label, bottle and brand all play an important part of the initial impression to the consumer.

2) Varietal category or group - how the wine fits within either their direct varietal (grape) group or a category (theme) that we've created specifically for certain groupings of wines.

3) Retail price point/value - based on the type of wine we're tasting, we review how that wine fares in direct relation to its consumer price point and the value it presents.

4) Exclusivity and/or availability - we primarily work with very limited production or non-distributed wines that rarely reach outside California and take in to account its specialty.

5) Overall taste quality-to-value and drinkability - in 'winespeak', how approachable is the wine early in its development in relation to the overall value and quality of the wine.


Value, it should be noted, in our case more refers more to how the wine compares to the quality of the wine you are getting in relation (proportion) to the price offered by category rather than just overall price. There are great value wines on the market for $10 and some for $100 and it is very subjective depending on numerous factors or your perception of value.

ALL of the wines we offer are not only good values, they are all great quality wines. We do our diligence to find all levels for people to enjoy from everyday wines to special occasion ones.

Stay tuned as we'll unveil the final choices soon along with video clips and pictures of the whole process for your enjoyment.

Cheers,
Chief Wino