Pulling The Cork

Pulling The Cork on Winerazzo - Tasting Room Mystery Shoppers

Ever been to a wine tasting room and had an amazing experience?  Ever had an awful experience in a wine tasting room?  Yeah, we have had both as well.

That is why when I stumbled upon Winerazzo.com not too long ago I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. 

I reached out to "The Founder", he has to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, to learn more and after chatting for a few minutes I invited him to participate in an interview with Pulling The Cork. 

Winerazzo is an online information site built to share information about the good, the bad and the indifferent of wine tasting room experiences.  They are mystery shoppers for wine tasting rooms.  They publish and maintain the information on their experiences online at their website and they invite anyone who visits a wine tasting room to log on (it's free), create an account(it's anonymous if you want it to be) and tell Winerazzo and others about their experiences in wine tasting rooms.  Or you can just reach out and contact Winerazzo to ask questions and learn more about how to get involved. 

So pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine, sit back and listen to "The Founder" of Winerazzo.com tell us a little about who they are and what they do.

Wine Label Controversies - The More Things Change

...The More They Stay The Same

As I am sure you are aware there has been a wine label controversy in Alabama that has burned acrossTwitter and the wine blogopshere like an uncontrollable wildfire.  Our good friends over at Wineopreneurs had a post about it this week.  The quick low down is Cycle's Gladiator wine, produced by Hahn Family Wines in California, uses a vintage 1895 advertising poster for bicycles which features a nude nymph flying beside a winged bike.  The liquor control agency in Alabama freaked out and has has told restaurants and stores not to sell the wine.  Seems they have too much time on their hands in Alabama.

It really reminds me of the old adage "the more things change the more they stay the same" because this is isn't the first time a wine label has generated so much controversy.  Heck, it hasn't even been 20 years since the last time there was a hullabaloo over a wine label.  In fact, the last time people got so uptight over a wine label involved an even better known wine from a famous French Bordeaux producer.

Some History

In the grand scheme of things the idea of wineries, in this case French wine Château, barrel ageing, bottlling, labeling and marketing their wine is pretty new - less than 100 years old.  Until 1924, as in every vineyard in the Médoc, Château Mouton Rothschild wine was sold in casks to a merchant in Bordeaux who had the responsibility of doing all of the above.  The owners of the Château took no interest in what the bottle looked like since they didn't have an interest in the finished product.  Seems crazy by today's standards doesn't it?  In 1924 that all changed. 

That Crazy Baron!

The owner of Château Mouton Rothschild, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, decided to take matters into his own hands and bottle the entire harvest before it left the property.  Little did he know, or maybe he did, that going forward the label would take on a significant role in marketing the wine and have huge importance from a functional perspective.  The label would not only become the trademark of the wine but it would also serve as proof of where it was from. 

In France the idea of terroir (micro-climate) has always been important and the label would now gaurantee precise information of origin, quality and uniqueness of the vineyard.  The famous cubist artist (we know our art here at PTC) and graphic designer Jean Carlu was commisioned to design the label for the 1924 vintage. 

When France was liberated during World War II, thanks to US and Allied forces, the Baron wanted to commemorate the new era of freedom and peace in France with a label on the 1945 vintage (an amazing vintage from what I hear) that signified the historic occassion. It was dedicated to 'Année de la Victoire, the year of the Victory, and a young painter named Philippe Jullian was commissioned to produce a label based on the "V" sign made famous by Winston Churchill during the war.

From that point forward a contemporary artist was commissioned every year to create an original work for each vintage of Château Mouton Rothschild.  Here is a link to a pretty cool site where you can view every artist and label from every vintage since 1945.  Every artist is free to follow their whim and  design a label of their choosing.  Here is the best part about getting this gig.  The artists are paid no money but get to choose a certain number of cases of wine from two vintages to include the vintage for which they mastered the label. And you think Hardy Wallace has a good job?  I wonder if my stick figure drawings will ever qualify for consideration?

Enough Of The History Lesson - What About The Controversy?

It was the 1993 vintage of Château Mouton Rothschild that sparked the controversy.  The artist chosen by the Château was Balthasar Klossowski, more commonly known as Balthus.  Good move on the name branding change Balthasar - it seems to work for Madonna, TI and Beyonce etc. - you were ahead of your time!  Klassowski, errr Balthus, was a highly regarded but controversial Polish-French modern artist.  Many of his paintings showed young women in an erotic context.  Such was true of the 1993 Mouton Rothschild label. 

The label was a sketch type painting of a young woman reclining with her arms stretched above her nude form.  While body parts are not in focus or detailed the label sparked enough controversy that Mouton Rothschild was fearful of it being deemed "pornographic" and voluntarily pulled the label from distribution in the United States.  It wasn't changed anywhere else.  Apparently Mouton Rothschild knew quite well how uptight and puritanical American's could be about anything "naked" and decided to avoid the mess that might ensue.  It was a business decision no doubt but one that reverberated through the wine world. 

Here are the two labels side by side - pretty sure you can figure out which is which:

 

 

 

 

 

So what do you think?  Is this simple artisitc rendering of a nude form by a pretty famous artist "pornographic"?

Did the Château over react when deciding to pull the original label, replacing it with a blank label, for US distribution?

What do you think the reaction would be today?  What would the tone and intensity of the conversation be like in the current social media environment?

Say Anything But Be Authentic Like Lloyd Dobler

Originally posted at www.bearingfruitconsulting.com.  It seemed to have some relevance to the wine blog community in terms of a discussion on authenticity in your blogs and writing.  Here it is. 

Maybe I didn't really know you. Maybe you were just a mirage. Maybe the world is full of food and sex and spectacle and we're all just hurling towards an apocalypse, in which case it's not your fault... ~ Lloyd Dobler

One of my favorite movies of all time is Say Anything and Lloyd Dobler, played by my favorite actor John Cusack, is my movie character hero.  Why?  Well there are many reasons but I love Lloyd because he is so transparent, honest and authentic.  He didn't hold back and he said what he meant.  That is just Lloyd.  Very few films have ever tried to be as smart, genuine, funny and authentic as Say Anything.  If you haven't seen it you really need to check it out.  It is genius!

There has been a lot of chatter in the blogosphere, social media world and the wine community on what it means to be authentic and have authenticity which got me thinking about Lloyd Dobler again.  With the explosion of social media it can often be a difficult chore to decide who you follow, put your trust into and whether or not those people behind the social media curtain really are who they appear to be.  If they aren't who they appear to be does that impact or change how valuable or important what they say and do is to you? 

This is especially true when it comes to wine reviews, wine information and general talk about wine.  It becomes a more relevent topic in light of the recent smack talk from wine critics against wine bloggers and some non-conference agenda chats about authenticity I heard about from people I know who attended the The Winebloggers Conference. 

The other day on recruitingblogs.com Maren Hogan organized a free for all discussion on authenticity and whether or not authenticity is even important.  In case you missed it, when I am not Pulling The Cork my daytime gig is as a recruiting strategy consultant.  It was lively and entertaining but I am not sure there was much consensus at the end of the day.  That is perfectly fine by the way as the mere "beating up" of ideas on this topic was well worth the investment of my time and I am sure the others who participated would agree. 

I don't claim to have this nailed down and I certainly don't believe I am completely firm yet on what it is to be authentic or demonstrate authenticity.  That doesn't even take into account the issue of whether or not authenticity is important.  That disclaimer aside I decided to offer some of my thoughts, which are still congealing, on this topic.

Sour Grapes? Wine Critics Smack Talking Wine Bloggers

I was a football player in high school and college and I always loved a little smack talk.  There is nothing like a little smack back and forth with opponents to ignite the competitive fire and mentally prepare for a Saturday afternoon battle.   

There has been some smack talk going on between wine critics and wine bloggers lately.  As a newbie wine blogger (but not new to blogging - I have a rather successful blog in the recruiting space) I wanted to offer a few thoughts and observations on the brou-ha-ha.  As a newbie my perspective is either unique or I haven't been around long enough to know what I am talking about.  You decide.   

First, some background for context.  Recent "smack" from wine critics Anthony Dias Blue and Robert Parker railing against wine bloggers has gotten plenty of attention and, to be honest, their "smack" has me a bit puzzled.  It's all well documented by Joe Roberts of 1WineDude here and here.  Joe provides meaningful, insightful and intelligent "smack" on the wine critics tantrums so do read it if you haven't already.  I am not going to regurgitate all the information here because you can read it but two quotes from Blue and Parker need to be placed here for a little context (bold added to highlight the smack). 

From Anthony Dias Blue

“And who are these bloggers anyway and, more important, what is their motivation? It would be comforting to find that they are altruistic wine lovers who see their purpose as bringing insight and valuable information to like-minded consumers. But the image that presents itself is of bitter, carping gadflies who, as they stare into their computer screens and contemplate their dreary day jobs, let their resentment and sense of personal failure take shape as vicious attacks on the established critical media.”

From Robert Parker

"When I was in the Rhône Valley in early September, several French newspapers came out with stories about the deplorable quality of the 2008 Bordeaux vintage. These pre-harvest reports resonated in other areas of the world press, as well as on those notorious blogs that can be authored by anybody who can string a noun and verb together, and by many who can’t.

“It did not take me long to realize that the 2008 vintage was dramatically better than I had expected… When you look at all the facts (not the rumor-mongering from irresponsible bloggers)

Here are my thoughts, the thoughts of a newbie wine blogger, if you care to know:

State Of The Wine Industry 2009-2010 From Silicon Valley Bank

When I first became passionate about wine a little over 15 years ago it was pretty much all about just tasting, drinking and enjoying wine.  It was awesome to learn from others, improve my palate, try unique wines from all over the world and generally just absorb all I could about wine. 

While my nose, palate and appreciation for wine improved I knew very little about the business behind the amazing wine I was experiencing.  To be honest, I probably still don't know very much about the business but In recent years I have begun to really try and invest more time in the business side of the wine industry and I have even had the opportunity to consult with a few wine producers as it relates to acquiring and retaining talent (I am a recruiting strategy consultant by profession). 

It is so awesome to combine your profession with your passions!

Silicon Valley Bank annually issues a State of the Wine Industry report and the 2009-2010 report was issued on May 1, 2009.  Yeah I know your thinking old news, surely most everyone who likely reads this has seen or heard about this report.  It took me until now to finally read it cover to cover and I wanted to share it.  It is an absolute must read for those in the wine business and anyone who has a passion for wine. 

The author is Rob McMillan, EVP and founder of SVB's wine division, and it is incredibly insightful, well written and shows an enormous amount of foresight as it relates to the American wine industry.  There is a cacophony of noise around the poor economies impact on the wine industry and most of it is just speculation and outright guess work from people who are not in the know.  Rob is in the know. 

SVB is one of the largest lenders to the U.S. wine industry (their winery and vineyard clients in the major wine making regions of the U.S.A number into the 300's) and therefore has access to information, data, business plans and strategies of those who actually have to execute and deliver results.  Bottom line is, if you care about wine, the U.S. wine industry and business in general you need to listen what Rob is saying. 

I am not going to insult your intelligence or pretend to know more than I do - you can read the report through the link above to really imbibe on all it has to offer.  But, if you just want a quick overview of the Good News / Bad News - taken directly from the Executive Summary of the report, it is after the jump. 

Is A Really Goode Job All That Goode?

Not too long ago PTC talked about the A Really Goode Job recruiting strategy from Murphy-Goode Winery.  By profession I am the Chief Recruiting Strategist and Executive Recruiter for Bearing Fruit Consulting. I liked the idea so much I commented on A Really Goode Job at my recruiting blog; raving about what a strong recruiting strategy it is. 

Well, it turns out some people think there is phylloxera all over A Really Goode Job.  A recent San Francisco Chronicle article calls the strategy and integrity of A Really Good Job into question and infers that the folks at Murphy-Goode mispresented how the hiring process was going to work.  

I am not going to re-hash it all here because you are all smart enough to read it and decide for yourselves.  However, one aspect of this controversy does need a little Pulling The Cork. 

When the recruiting strategy was announced I read through all the details and no where - I MEAN NO WHERE - did it say the top 50 or the winner would be selected by popular vote.  This isn't American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance.  The leadership at Murphy-Goode are not stupid enough to leave the recruiting and selection of talent up to the masses.  

I received at least 50 requests via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook from people asking me to vote for their video.  The voting essentially boiled down to a popularity contest among people who have nothing better to do all day than bombard me with a PR and media campaign to get votes.  Having the most votes doesn't mean squat when it comes to using social media to drive brand awareness and business.

In the end I hope the people at Murphy-Goode get the right person for this role.  It is a cool job with a ton of perks for someone who loves wine and social media.  I also hope they have some very strong tracking, data capture, metrics and meaningful ways to determine the ROI.  I mean, if they are investing so much time and money in one position when their parent company is laying people off they are going to have to defend it.    

Erica Green over on Bottle Of Wine has some very strong and interesting thoughts on this mess.  Check her out! 

Pain In The Bottle - Luxury Wine & A New Generation of Wine Consumer

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise or stretch of the imagination to realize that sales of luxury, cult  and high end wines have suffered as a result of the economic mess we are in.  Even the most wealthy of Americans seem to be buying less high end wines and instead seeking out value for their money. 

Underlying this news is the fact that American wine consumption continues to rise on the back of wines priced under $25 a bottle and growing interest in wine amongst the Gen X, Gen Y and Millenial crowd.  Though I am not sure I would call all wines priced above $25 "luxury" wines I certainly understand why that seems to be a reasonable place to set the bar.  Afterall it has to be set somewhere right?

A recent Wall Street Journal piece titled Luxury Wine Market Reels From Downturn does a nice job of summarizing the challenges, the shifting tide in wine sales and consumption among American wine consumers.  You can read the article yourself but here are a few major points along with my thoughts on this important discussion.

The change in consumers' buying habits, which became pronounced last fall as the recession deepened, has prompted many retailers and distributors to cut orders of luxury wines. And when they do order the higher-end wines, they are often asking for steep discounts, which are being passed to consumers.

I have seen pretty significant discounts of luxury and cult wines at online wine retailers and local retailers alike.  These cuts are great if you have some discretionary income and wish to invest and gain access to wines that maybe were once priced out of your spending range.  Private cellar thinning sales are everywhere on many wine forums such as those at Wine Spectator and Cellartracker.  For example, I recently saw someone trying to unload the 1998 Penfolds Grange, widely considered one of the finest vintages for the iconic Shiraz maker (and it is amazing, I have tasted it), at 45-50% below current auction prices. 

Read more after the jump.

A Really Goode Job - Great Recruiting In Wine Country

I love it when you can combine several of your passions simultaneously.  This is one of those times when I get to combine my love of recruiting and my passion for wine. 

On several occasions in my recruiting life as a recruiter, recruiting leader and now consultant I have recommended the contest or competition recruiting strategy.  Essentially the idea is to have a wide open contest or competition to determine the best candidate for a particular job.  Sort of an Apprentice (though I can't stand Donald Trump) meets Survivor meets Amazing Race.  This works really well when trying to hire sales professionals or sales leaders but really it can work for ANY job.  There is no substitute for real world measurable results when evaluating talent for a position.  

The folks over at Murphy Goode Winery in Sonoma County clearly get it and are doing  just that.  Honestly this is recruiting brilliance! 

They are having a contest where they are offering "A Really Goode Job" to the winner.  They are looking for a social media whiz to tell the story of Murphy-Goode, their winesand the lifestyle of Sonoma County Wine Country. 

I have never tasted any Murphy-Goode wines so I can't speak to the quality of the product but I am thinking I need to give them a go soon.  Heck, maybe the "Goode" people at Murphy-Goode will send me some bottles to try out and review - are you listening Murphy-Goode?  Shameless I know, but wine is involved so it can't hurt to ask. 

Sorry to have gone off on that tangent.  So Murphy-Goode is asking interested prospects to submit a video that is a maximum 60 seconds in length.  You are limited only by your creativity and normal boundaries of decency so it really is a competition to find the person who can get it done for the winery.  They will then narrow down the competitive field of candidates to 50.  It seems they will be making that announcement 4 days from this writing. After that they will have an interview and selection process.

The official corporate type title is "Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent" but after looking at what the role entails and the culture of Murphy-Goode the title is far too stuffy to be reflective of the role and the winery.  This is a really awesome gig for anyone who knows how to use web 2.0, social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc.) and loves wine.  You can read the overview and more information here (including the FAQ'S) but here are some of the "Goodes" (get it, Goodes? - Ha!) taken directly from the website: