Wine appreciation in the Web 2.0 era

Just how plugged into the internet is the wine industry? I'm actually seeking to answer that question for a group project in my IT Management class this semester. I don't have a lot to say on the subject of IT use in the wine industry just yet, but I have a story to share along these lines.

I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that I tracked down a bottle of 2004 La Crema 9 Barrel Chardonnay, which I'm saving for Christmas dinner with my family. What I couldn't find is any reviews or tasting notes. I mentioned this to Dave, which launched the following series of events.

1. Dave calls his contact at La Crema.
2. La Crema emails him a PDF of the 2004 tasting notes within minutes.
3. Dave forwards it to me; I get the email on my Blackberry.
4. Dave mentions the excellent customer service to a Twitter friend who works a couple doors down from La Crema's tasting room.
5. Said friend then walks over, introduces himself, takes a picture of Dave's contact with his camera phone, and posts it on Twitter.

Email, PDF, a Blackberry, a camera phone, Twitter, plus whatever hardware Dave and his friend used on their respective ends... never mind that I bought the bottle online from a vendor in New York City through Snooth, or that the first thing I did when it arrived was to post a phone pic of it to Twitter:


Wanna see the original Twitpic post?

None of that could have happened ten years ago. It's pretty obvious, even to this relative outsider, that the internet - and social media in particular - is revolutionizing wine marketing. I'm looking forward to exploring the subject more in depth for our IT Management project.

Isn't technology grand?

Treasure Hunting at the Farmer's Market

I don't think of a farmer's market as a place to find wine. I was there for the produce and a loaf of fresh bread, after all. But it does make sense when you stop to think about it. Wine is an agricultural product, after all.

At the Highlands Ranch Farmers Market, tucked away between tables of organic produce and fresh-baked breads was a plain table that didn't feature overflowing baskets of brightly colored Fall harvest vegetables. Bijou Creek Vineyards had only a white plastic table cloth and a couple bottles of wine on display. While all the other booths had swarms of people - the line for sandwich bags full of roasted chilies was five deep - this little table was neglected.

Of course, a free wine tasting for me is irresistible.

A friendly older gentleman gave me a sample of the 2006 Bijou Creek Cabernet Franc in a tiny plastic cup. He referred to it as "off-dry", and it definitely has a lot red fruit. Smooth and sweetly fruity with a hint of vanilla, it's very easy to drink.

While I probably wouldn't buy this when pitted against other more sophisticated reds, for $10 at a farmer's market, it was a good lazy Sunday sort of buy. This would be great with a plate of cheese and fresh fruit.

Wine, Wine and More Wine in Springfield

On Saturday, Dave was running a wine party in Springfield, where most of our haul from the Peoria run would be going. I took a walk around downtown Lincoln before we left, taking pictures of landmarks and interesting things I would have overlooked as a child growing up here.





Various vendors were setting up around the square for the annual balloon and arts festival. I remember the balloons drifting past my house in the country, the sound of the fire waking us up in the morning, my sister and I waving at balloonists from the driveway. I didn't see any balloons today.

Fast forward to the wine party. A gorgeous house in an upper class neighborhood. A younger, hip couple. It was her 40th birthday. We shared a bottle of Guenoc Victorian Claret before the guests arrived. This wasn't an expensive bottle by any stretch, but it was a nice icebreaker.

Once the party was rolling, Dave served up four excellent wines:

• King Estate 2007 Signature Pinot Noir
• 2006 Stags' Leap Napa Valley Petite Syrah
• La Crema Nine Barrel 2006 Chardonnay Russian River Valley
• Trimbach Pinot Gris 2005 Reserve

It's now been a week and a day since I tasted them, so my impressions are not very specific, but honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them.

I tried the King Estate Pinot Noir first. It was excellent. Dave was kind enough to send me back to Denver with the wineries' tasting notes, and honestly, I don't remember the flavor and aroma very much. I remember that it was lovely, and compared to the others it was lighter-bodied.

Next was the Trimbach Pinot Gris. Of the four, this one is the least up my alley. I'm only really just starting to get into white wines of any kind, and this was sweeter and fruitier than the other three. I remember it was very citrusy. Looking at the tasting notes on this one, I see it isn't aged in oak, which is probably why I liked the others better. When Dave was trying to find a white I would like, I happened to try a chardonnay and didn't hate it. The common factor between chardonnay and red wines is that they're aged in oak, and that was probably what I was liking so much. This pinot gris? No oak. That's not to say it isn't excellent wine, however, not by a long shot. Any pinot gris fan should adore it.

The third wine I sampled was the La Crema Nine Barrel Chardonnay. It blew me away. I don't remember the fruit, really, though the tasting notes tout Meyer lemon, citrus and pear. Mine run more along the lines of "silky, creamy, buttery, vanilla, creme brulee, first kisses and pixie dust". The notes also mention baked apples and butter cookies, and I'll consider that our common ground since I can totally see it. This is the one Dave was raving about for days afterwards. He told me I wouldn't be able to find it since it was rare. He'd tracked down what was supposedly the last three bottles in the state of Illinois for this party. And believe me, in the last week I have looked. Search is my job, after all, so if it's online anywhere then I should be able to find it. And well, he's right. It's exceptionally hard to find (online, anyway), though I did find a bottle of the 2004 vintage somewhere in New York. They're loading it onto a UPS truck headed to Colorado right about now. I'm taking it home with me for Christmas dinner with my family.

Finally, I tried the Stags' Leap Petite Syrah. Stags' Leap is legendary, of course, for beating the pants off the French reds in a blind tasting in France back in 1976, and along with Chateau Montelena put California on the wine map, in a victory so stunning that they made a movie about it. Judging by the taste, that storied reputation is well-earned because DAMN... it's a thick, inky, stain-your-teeth purple. The taste is velvety and rich. The tasting notes mention cocoa powder, raspberry and other dark fruits. Sure. They can describe it however they like, and while they're thinking up some marvelous adjectives I'll just enjoy it and drink their share, too. I wasn't kidding about the staining though... when I brushed my teeth, they had a distinctly purple cast to them, as did my lips.

For me, there were two distinct winners in this bunch: The La Crema Nine Barrel Chardonnay and the Stags' Leap Petite Syrah.

We stopped at a wine bar on the way home to meet up with Kelly, a friend from Twitter, but other than the loveliness of finally meeting her in person there isn't much to say about it. The cabernet there was just okay compared to the wines served at the party, and we were all pretty tired. We both crashed pretty hard back at home in Lincoln.

So what did we learn today, kids? Dave McEvers, the wine guy of Lincoln, IL, knows his shit. He picked some curse-worthy fine wines for his gig and that's why he gets paid. And beyond the party, I didn't taste a single bad wine the entire weekend. Kudos, friend.