Because when the wine merchant weighs 80 pounds less than the wine on the hand truck, the wine wins…

Fortunately, we lost only six of the 84 bottles that fell.  But as I watched the wine trickle down the storm drain, before I had the guts to assess the damage, I thought one of this month’s wine clubs might be postponed until I could get the funds for more wine!

Thank God for narrow escapes.  Club members can now count on successful delivery of their wine next week!

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

His idea is basic – take a group of foodies to a local farm for instructional tours while top chefs get to work in Jim’s mobile “field kitchen” using local, artisanal ingredients.  Apres-tour, the guests enjoy a family-style dinner amidst the host farmer’s field.  Jim was an early evangelist of the Farm to Table movement, and now tours North America (and now Europe) with his concept, working with some of the world’s leading thinkers in alternative and sustainable agriculture.  After twelve years, they’ve gotten pretty good at this – our experience Sunday night was just one of more than 60 dinners planned for their North American tour.

My wife and I had the pleasure of joining Jim and 148 other guests at this weekend’s dinner at Mark Pasternak’s Devil’s Gulch farm and vineyards in Marin.  After parking in “town” next to the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, shuttle vans took the diners across the rickety wooden bridge and a mile or so up to the vineyard.  The mood in the van was quiet and anticipatory, with one woman’s conversation being heard above the occasional quite murmur.  We were to be treated to the culinary stylings of Steffan Terje (Perbacco, Barbacco) and his able-bodied crew, who did the heavy lifting in the field kitchen while Jim’s and his team ran the “front room” duties.

Upon arrival at the vineyard, Jim’s cheerful and competent staff served appetizers of crushed fresh pea with mint (from Mariquita Farm in Watsonville) and Ricotta (from Liam Callahan’s Bellweather Farms) along with two spreadable salumi from Devil’s Gulch, both made from the farm’s hogs.  Appetizers were served with a Pey Marin Riesling, which I found to be well made for a domestic Riesling but too dry to compliment the spice of the salumi.

The evening was cool but sunny, and the views enough to erase a week’s worth of stress.  Though the vineyard’s terraced slopes gave me great sympathy for those who harvest the fruit, and made me glad I’m on the final end of the wine business, where comfy chairs often come into play.

After a walk through the Devil’s Gulch vineyard and down to their hog pen, we returned to the tables set for the 150 guests (their Bay Area stops on their North American Tour sell out so quickly they do one on Saturday and one on Sunday).

The evening sun helped to offset the cold and ceaseless wind, but layers of clothing and blankets emerged from the packs of the experienced customers faster than the dinner courses, which started with an amazing confit of rabbit from Devil’s Gulch (the Pasternak’s travel extensively, lecturing on the use of rabbits as a sustainable protein source for urban farmers)  and grilled asparagus.  This was served with a Chardonnay that didn’t work too well with the asparagus, but neither did the Martinelli pinot our friends Jim and Lisa had brought.  The latter, an opulent pinot in the typical Turley style, was widely shared, and suddenly our neighbors became part of our party as well.  Funny how wine makes that happen.

I almost forgot about this next course!  What a waste that would have been, as it was truly amazing.  I must state that I’m not normally a fan of gnocchi, as it can get too heavy and, at its worst, grey and starchy.  But when you substitute the Bellweather Farms ricotta for potato, and blend it with just enough flour to hold its shape, the pasta is beautifully light and airy.  Now stir in some ramps, wild mushrooms and (mark of the Spring season!) fava beans, and then pair it all with the Pey Marin 2007 Pinot – pure heaven.  We also opened the 2007 Pinot we’d brought from Roederer Estates in Anderson Valley, and found its relative leanness worked beautifully with this dish.

Next to come was the main course – slow-roasted pork from the Pasternak’s farm and more of the Pey Marin pinot, whose oak was more pronounced than in our Roederer, which I surprisingly preferred – I’d looked forward to trying the famed Pey-Marin pinot.  The pork was served with artichokes and spring onion with olive-oil crushed potatoes.  Then out came the2008  Dutton-Goldfield 2008 Pinot from the very vines we dined between, and it just may have been my favorite of the evening.

Dessert was no mere afterthought.  Terje and his staff came up with a divine inspiration and pulled it off flawlessly despite the challenges of a field kitchen and 150 servings – strawberries on top of a baked merangue with sweetened Crème Fraîche from Bellweather Farms.  As you know, most of my recipes are savory, wine-centric musings.  But I’m determined to find a way to get this one into the line-up!  I’d not be surprised to find this one in our regular spring-time repertoire.

After the dinner, the mood on the shuttle vans was notably different.  Louder.  Cards were exchanged.  Perhaps a phone number or two.  Designated driving duties negotiated.  Monday morning was dreaded by all.

I hope you get a chance to try one of the dinners from Outstanding in the Field. But doing so takes some doing, and some cash.  Each seat sells for $180 – $240, and most of the 60+ events on their North American Tour have already sold out.  Still, it’s an experience worth saving for.

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

Note the 3 "wine bottle buttons" (top). Red = Co-ops, Green = open tasting, and Purple = appointment only. (Wineries closed to the public limited to our List View)

After many months of work with my development partners at Transitions 2, I am proud to announce the launch of my new iPhone app “NapaWineries“!

For less than one measly U.S. Dollar, visitors to our nation’s top wine country destination can now get insider insights to help plan their next visit.

And with over 500 tasting options in Napa, it’s nice to have this travel guide on your iPhone!  It’s like taking me along as your tour guide without having to buy me lunch.

Features of “NapaWineries”

MAP VIEW – colored pins indicate location plus –  ”Open for Tasting”, “Appointment Only”, and “Co-ops” (multi-winery tasting rooms).  Turn on location mapping, and your location is shown relative to the winery map!

INSIDER INSIGHTS – read my comments about favorite places, styles of wines, and great places to picnic!  Refresh your app before each visit, as our data updates occur regularly!

LIST VIEW – all Napa Valley tasting facilities including hours, pricing, and tasting information.

DIRECTIONS – Easily click-through to get driving directions

APPOINTMENTS – One-click calling for tasting appointments.

NOTES – record your thoughts and reactions.  Find a new favorite?  Had a bad experience and you’ll never go back?  Record it here!

Got an iPhone?  Download Now!

Sorry, this app is currently available only on iPhones and iPads.  Users of the iPad will note that it needs some resizing to be optimized – it’s on our development list!

Download today from the iPhone App Store (just search for napawineries), or click the button on the right to download from the iTunes store – the app will show up on your phone the next time you synch.

Cheers!
Dave
www.DaveTheWineMerchant.com

“I have too many gifts to get and not enough time” my friend complained.

“I can help, you know.  Wine always makes a nice gift.” I said.

“But I can’t give wine to everybody on my list” she said, “they’re all so different.”

“Try me”, I said.  Then the next few minutes turned into what can only be called my “Gift giving guide for a wine-soaked holiday”.

Innovators vs. Traditionalists
“Well, for example, a lot of my friends are pretty progressive – they work in the arts, advertising, writing… you know the types.  But then there’s my old college roommate – she’s the very poster child for “Traditional”, has Norman Rockwell prints in her dining room, sends daily tweets with feel-good quotes, and probably has a kitty poster in her cubicle, you get the idea.”

“Those are easy”, I said, “Your current friends are likely to eschew the traditional.  Give them the gift of the latest new wine discovery – something that’s hot in the hippest of wine bars.  Good candidates that won’t break the bank include a dry, floral white like the Malat Gruner Veltliner ($18) or the Andeluna Torrontes ($12.50).  And if they enjoy red wines too then include a bottle of the Southern Rhone blend from Riussanelle ($19) or the Chilean Pacifico Sur Reserve Pinot Noir ($15)

“But your old roommate is a different story” I went on.  ”She clearly likes to stick with known entities, so don’t surprise her with anything too edgy.  Stick with the ol’ traditionals – Cabernet and Chardonnay.  Try the Napa Cabernet from Bighorn Cellars ($20) and/or Bonneau’s Carneros Chardonnay ($28), both are affordable wines made in the classic style she’ll appreciate.”

Relationships
“Perfect, that takes care of my friends and co-workers!” She said as she paused to take notes on the inside of her coffee cup’s hot sleeve.  Then she turned a bit coy as she asked “What would you recommend for my dinner date tomorrow night?  I’ve been invited over by this new guy I’m seeing.  It’s our first dinner at his place and I’m bringing the wine, but I don’t know what we’re having.”

“Well, if you don’t know what he’s making or ordering you’ll want a very versatile wine.  And since it’s a new relationship, a Beaujolais Nouveau would be a lot of fun!”

I went on… “This young wine just “arrivéd” in local wine shops about two weeks ago.  It’s called ‘nouveau’ because it’s the first release of the harvest – a simple wine, barely past puberty and fresh from the frothy fermentation vat with still-vivid memories of hanging around on the vine.  Beaujolais Nouveau celebrates the fertility of the harvest, so it’s Bacchanalian at its core!  In its native town of Beaujolais, the celebration begins at midnight with a parade (featuring lots of drinking), after which the wine hits the stores to satisfy long, anticipatory, Harry-Potter-like lines of eager imbibers.  The only serious thing about this wine is that it’s seriously grapey and easy to drink” I said fondly.  “And besides, they’re highly affordable, though in the world of Beaujolais Nouveau, you get quite a bit more bang for spending a bit more buck, so to speak.”

Hmmm, that sounds interesting, but what should I bring as a back-up?” she asked, wisely cautious.

“Well,” I continued, now on a roll, “at the holidays a sparkling wine is always a welcome site, and a good Brut is one of the most versatile food wines you can find – especially a Brut Rosé, which also lends a festive holiday color to your glass.”  Besides, (depending on your goal for the evening!) sparkling wine inspires more lurid conversation than most wines – want to hear a good story along those lines?”

“Well I’m not sure I want to get into that on our first dinner date, but… I’d like to hear the story!” she said.

“I think you’ll like it,” I said.  “You know the two types of champagne glasses, right?  The tall, slender flute and the low, flat cup or coupé?”

“Of course.” She said.  “And I know flutes are best for preserving the bubbles.”

“Right.  But it’s the coupé that has the more tantalizing story.  It supposedly originated in the years just before the French revolution.  According to the story, poor King Louis didn’t offer his young bride much bedroom satisfaction even though she was young and vivacious and wantin’ to be wanton.  Which she was, on more than one occasion, but outside the restrictive confines of the royal bedroom.  Each time, she countered her husband’s jealousy through extravagant gifts.

Keep in mind that her wanton behavior occurred when the age of courtesans was still fresh.  And as a courtesan’s customers entered her boudoir, she often greeted them with champagne served in a hand-blown glass – a replica of her own breast.  A preview of coming attractions, as it were.  Rumor has it that one of Marie Antoinette’s penance gifts to her King consisted of such a glass – titillating, so to speak, in its naughtiness as a gift to a King, and exactly the sort of thing the marauding revolutionists would have surely destroyed during the siege of the royal residence.”

“Wow!” she said with raised eyebrows.  “You’re right, I’m not sure that’s a story I’ll tell on the first date.”

“Why don’t I quite believe you?” I teased.

Crazy Uncle
“Well… getting back to my holidays, what should I do about my crazy uncle?  He’s more of a ‘Jack & Coke’ type of guy who’s inclined to tell the same jokes every year, laugh a little too loudly, and who often forgets to bring the presents he supposedly bought for the family.”

“Sounds painful” I sympathized.  “He’s accustomed to a drink that delivers an alcoholic burn offset by the sweetness of Coke.  So that calls for a red wine with lots of ripe fruit and a big wallop.  Sounds like the job for a California Syrah or Zinfandel with alcohol above 15%, which comes with the side benefit of encouraging Crazy Uncle to take an early nap.  A good example is one whose high alcohol is kept in balance by ripe fruit, one such as Sextant’s Holystone Zinfandel from Paso Robles ($27) [Link #7]

Rich Relative
“Ouch! That’s a bit pricey for my crazy uncle!” she said “maybe I should save that one for my wealthy aunt, besides, she’s the real wine lover!”

“Wait a minute, are you in the will?!  Then avoid having her fall in love with an expensive wine or she may be tempted to drink your inheritance!”  I joked, “but if she does develop a thirst for expensive wines, please give her my number!”

Recovering Alcoholic
“Well, there is ONE relative I definitely won’t buy wine for – my aunt who quite drinking a few years ago.  What do you recommend for her?”

“Oddly enough, there are some good grape juices you should consider.  We buy the plain grape juice from Navarro Vineyards for our daughter, but our absolute favorite is the Vignette sodas made from wine grapes (I like the sparkling pinot noir juice the best!)  These are not wines that have been de-alcoholized like the horrid Fre “Wines” – a sort of cross-dressing experiment gone awry.  These are very appealing beverages in their own right.”

“How much time will it take me to purchase these on your website?” she asked

“Just as much time as it will take you to give me the payment info and delivery addresses of each recipient – I’ll do the rest!”

“Perfect” she said.  ”And don’t forget to include some for me too!”

If I haven’t covered some of the folks on your list, please give me a call (toll free 866-746-7293) or visit my online store.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
866-746-7293

Why am I writing about this in a wine blog?  Because she is part of a great, wine-fueled memory of mine.

It was in the late 80′s, a time which found me living in Chicago, my love of wine growing faster than a teenager.  After an extended night of wine sipping in one of Chicago’s many great restaurants (Cabernet from Conn Creek, as I recall), this wine sipper and his friends descended on a blues bar.  Koko Taylor was already part-way through her first set when we arrived.

We stepped into a packed house, so we naturally scanned the back of the dark hall for empty seats.  We saw a few (none of them together of course) and just as we started towards them I saw four seats – all together – on the far end of the front row. Musterring our Cabernet-fueled courage (though admittedly, this was the late 80′s, and the octane was not what it is today) the four of us excused our way past each person in the row, passing directly in front of Ms. Taylor’s massive presence.

Which did not go unnoticed.  And after bringing it home, she called me out, saying “If you want to take over my stage, you have to sing with me on this next song, it’s a little something I made famous called ‘Wang Dang Doodle’“.  She wanted me to sing in call-and-response to her “All night long” refrain (play video below, to remember this song as it SHOULD be remembered – without my contribution!).

Now, for those unfamiliar with my so-called singing, let’s just say that I’m no pro.  In fact, I’ve had several shower heads break in protest. The best thing my mother could ever say about my singing is “Well son, at least you have volume!”

Maybe that’s why, as the great Koko Taylor handed me a microphone, all my Cabernet courage drained away.  My response to her “All night long” refrain was the most feeble, timid, off-key response anyone could ever imagine.  And boy did Ms. Taylor let me have it with some good-natured ribbing after the song was over.

Koko, wherever you are, I thank you for the memory.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
866-746-7293

Quote of the Day
“”Blues means what milk does to a baby. Blues is what the spirit is to the minister. We sing the blues because our hearts have been hurt, our souls have been disturbed.”

~ Alberta Hunter, 1895-1984.  Blues singer, songwriter, nurse.

“It’s not the last one off the plane?  Yay!” I said

“I’ll get it” she said.

“Thanks” I said.

“I hope the wine’s OK” she said.

“It always is” I said.

“(Grunting) Got it!” she said.”

“Daddy it’s all sticky” the little she said.

“Something must have leaked onto it in the hold” I said.

“I just hope it’s not the honey we bought.” she said

“No way.” I said, knowing in my heart she was right.

Next to several bottles of wine, I’d packed two jars of honey.   It was special honey, from bees who make their living pollinating plants in Spain’s fertile Montsant region.  (Actually, I doubt whether bees respect appellational boundaries, so some of their pollinating likely took place in the neighboring Priorat DOC/DOQ.  Blessed little trespassers!)

During my years of travel to foreign wine lands, I’ve always brought samples safely home by wrapping them in excess clothing and then snugly  tucking them inside my checked luggage (article here).

But not this time – the photo at right shows the honey-clad suitcase after unpacking the sticky mess. You should’a seen the clothes.

Up to now, I’d had a 100% success rate in bringing home wine samples unscathed.  So, why were the odds Gods working against me this time?  Before you abandon hope of using this (usually) reliable technique, you may want to consider two refinements to the basic technique:

1. I packed so lightly, saving room for my eagerly anticipated wine booty, there was insufficient clothing to adequately wrap the honey jars.  Your goal is to prevent movement of the bottles, especially when your bag is mishandled.  If need be, recruit partially empty rolls of toilet paper and stuff them into your empty spaces.
2. Three bottles of our wine were housed in a wooden box from Clos de L’Obac, and it was contact with the corner of this box that broke the honey pot.  Despite the attractiveness of wooden wine boxes, I recommend mustering your restraint and leaving them at your hotel, IF you plan to transport other breakables in the same bag.

All in all, I am still a confident supporter of this (usually) reliable technique, and continue to recommend its use for safely returning with wine samples intact.

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
866-746-7293

Quote of the Day

“”The only reason for being a bee is to make honey… and the only reason for making honey is so I can eat it.”
~ Winnie the Pooh From ‘House at Pooh Corner’ by A.A. Milne

The Big One…
We recently invited Eileen and Jeff over for a special celebration dinner.  My wife and I had planned the meal and dug through our cellar to find the right wine for the evening.  We knew our friends were big fans of the Rubicon Bordeaux blend from Neibaum Coppola, and we'd been looking for a reason to open our 1994, so we decided that night was the perfect occasion. 

Imagine our disappointment when the bottle had a flaw inherent to it manufacture, but which Coppola could not know about until the wine had aged a bit. It was not drinkable.

Now, as a wine merchant, I don't carry a lot of Napa Cabs and am virtually unknown in those parts, I daresay.  But I still don't like to approach a winery flashing my industry badge, so to speak, because I'm always curious to see how a winery will react to an unadorned consumer.

So I filled out a form on the Neibaum Coppola website as an anonymous customer using my personal email address.  Though the content of my message indicated I was familiar with the problem behind the flaw, and had correctly identified it, I did not indicate my industry association in any way.  So when the winery representative replied within a day, pleasantly offering a very amenable resolution to our ruined bottle (replacement with the current vintage), I felt it was worth sharing with you.  Kudos to Coppola!

…And The Ant-Sized One
If you've visited this space on a regular basis (thanks Dad!) you may recall past articles featuring our association with the three young guys behind Anthill Farms winery (2007 Harvest photos and article on 2006 harvest.)  Anthony, David and Webb are no strangers to our olive orchard in Boonville, which is situated next to a very small vineyard owned by the delightful Donna Abbey and Dan Harris (the best neighbors one could hope for!)

But this week I finally got around to reading Anthill Farm's well-deserved feature story – Making a Mountain Out of [an] Anthill" - that appeared in the wine section of the S.F. Chronicle two weeks ago.  It is an inspiring story.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from Coppola, Anthill Farms has yet to pay its partners a dime, and was started a few years ago with less than $10,000.  But they can take comfort in the consistency of their short track record – consistently high scores from Burghound and the Chronicle (as well as from yours truly, for what that's worth!)

Though I can't get enough of their wine to include it in a club shipment, you deserve the chance to taste it before it's all gone.  You can buy some here.

It was a good week in the wine industry.

www.zwani.com

Monday, February 9th, 2009 – "Fighting vainly the old ennui" – as I write this I hear Jamie Cullum's voice singing that phrase from the Cole Porter song "I Get a Kick Out of You".  And after two weeks of being bombarded by thousands of of pink-and-red heart-themed ads for everything from tires to premium membership at Marketing Profs, I find myself battling a Valentine's Day ennui.  Which is not good for an online wine retailer.  I should be jumping into the fray, unleashing my own barrage of cupid-born messages.

I'm still a big fan of celebrating love in all its various and sundry forms, as long as the celebration is sincere.  But really, how many red-heart-infused ads can we see before the words "I love you" fail to conjure the sense of excitement that is their birthright? 

So today's posting contains no heart images.  No flying babies with bows and arrows.  No doilies.  No pink or red typeface.  Just the news that West Coast customers who order by noon on Wednesday will still receive wine in time for weekend festivities, whatever you have planned.

Click here to see my most recently recommended wines. 

Or click here for my recommended sweet wines.

And what better way to express your love for someone than through a languorous evening of great food, wine and conversation?  In that spirit, I've copied here a recipe from my February shipment to club members.  It compliments a wide range of red wines, and warms the coldest of hearts on a winter night.

Salt-Roasted Porterhouse

This recipe was inspired by Govind Armstrong at “Table 8” in Los Angeles.  If you’re like me, you'll worry that smothering a steak in salt will yield tough, dry meat similar to beef jerky (or shoe leather, but then I repeat myself).  Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.  By forming a hard barrier, the salt seals the meat's juices inside.  You then crack open the salt crust and discard it before carving – sort of a low-cost version of clay pot cooking that rewards the home chef with a moist and tender steak. 

The spice rub takes a leaf from the playbook of our pulled pork recipe that was so popular last summer, producing another meal you’ll long remember.  Add a great bottle of pinot and a loved one and this just may form a perfect winter memory.

Ingredients
2 Bay leaves, crushed
1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
2 tsp Whole coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp dried rosemary (or t Tbsp chopped fresh)
½ tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 ½ Cups (plus 1 tsp) coarse kosher salt
2 large Porterhouse or T-Bone steaks

Procedure
Mix the first seven ingredients well.  Transfer 2 Tbsp of the mixture to a spice grinder and grind well – to a fine powder, then mix in 1 tsp of the salt, keeping this ground mixture separate from the whole spice mixture.  Rub the finely ground spice mixture all over the steaks, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.

Preheat your oven to 475.  Mix the remaining “whole” spice mixture with 1 ½ Cups kosher salt in a medium bowl.  Add a scant ¼ Cup water and stir to moisten the spices.  Unwrap the steaks and place them in a large roasting pan, then pack the salt-spice mix over the top and sides of each steak, leaving the bottom (pan-side) unsalted.

Roast for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 130 degrees.  Remove from oven and place on a cutting board, cover loosely with a tent of foil and let sit for 8-10 minutes. 

When ready to serve, crack open the salt crust and discard.  Turn the steaks over (to the more tender, un-salted side) and slice into ½ inch thick slices.

Enjoy with loved ones old or new.

Monday, September 22, 2008

NM: Dave, what’s your background in wine?  How long have you been in the industry?  And what led you to where you are today?

DC: I remember two things from 1979.  First, I graduated from college, and second, I knew I hated wine.  I had reached this conclusion scientifically, through repeated tastings.  The wine I tastes was an unpleasant combination of Cribari jug wine and 7-Up.  This frightful concoction was served at our college parties, it’s lack of quality more than offset by its tasteful service – usually a small wading pool complete with rubber ducks.  If it was served at a high-class event, and if we had a few extra bucks in the kitty, the ducks competed with sliced fruit for clear passage.  Each of my samplings resulted in the same unfavorable judgment, and my dislike for "wine" was confirmed as solidly as my belief in gravity.

I was finally introduced to good wine in 1981 during an alumni event at Callaway Vineyards.  At that time, Callaway was an emerging producer of quality white wines from their estate vineyards in Temecula.  I was shocked!  I actually enjoyed them!  I became convinced that my repetitive, scientific tastings during my college years had led me astray because they were limited to RED wines, while I was a natural white wine drinker.

That early epiphany launched an exciting period of experimentation.  My roommates and I bought the best white wine our meager budgets allowed, and we learned to cook specifically to see what paired best with each wine.  We held various sorts of wine-themed parties primarily as an excuse to meet women, and were rather pleased with the results.  I remember that we mastered fondue, having bought a fondue pot for a buck at a garage sale.  It was a fun period of exploration and discovery.  On many levels.

But it took me another year to come to red wines.  It happened at a steak restaurant while visiting friends in San Jose.  “Shall we have wine with dinner?” they asked. 

“As long as it’s white!” I replied.   

“You can’t drink white wine with steak!” they said “Let’s order a bottle of red and if you don’t like it, you can order a glass of white wine.”  That was the night I tasted my first high-quality red wine – a Heitz Cellars Cabernet. I was stunned.  Literally stopped in my tracks.  I had no idea a wine could be so pleasurable and thought-provoking.

That launched a frenzied decade of wine classes and wine events.  I was single at the time, so my evenings and weekends were largely my own, and I filled them with wine events.

I began teaching classes in the early 90’s out of necessity.  After following a job in a small Michigan town with virtually no wine culture, I decided to create my own by teaching wine appreciation classes.  I know of at least one major wine fan who can be traced back to those classes, as he and his family are still friends and customers of mine.

I kept taking and hosting classes for another decade after moving to San Francisco (wine Mecca!), and I still enjoy few aspects of the business more than sharing my love and enthusiasm for food and wine.  I’d wanted to get into the industry throughout much of my corporate career, but never wanted to take the pay cut!  I’d even worked in tasting rooms on weekends, assisted with a harvest or two, and tried to develop winery marketing programs in my off hours.  But could never cross the Rubicon of corporate security.

But when the dot-com meltdown occurred in 2001, I found myself out of work and with few companies hiring.  That was all the impetus I needed!

NM: What’s the story of the Sideways Wine Club?  What led to its inception?  How is it different from other wine retail enterprises?

DC: I’d been working in corporate America for two decades, growing increasingly disenchanted but unable to tear away from the lucrative cash flow.  I began working in tasting rooms on the weekends, just to keep learning about wine, and began traveling to France, Italy and other wine-producing regions to learn in situ.  But it wasn’t until the dot-com meltdown of 2001 that my cash flow was severed and I decided to launch my wine career. 

At first I leveraged my professional background by offering online marketing services to wineries.  For one client – Bonny Doon Vineyard – a six-week project expanded into 2 ½ years.  It was more fun than most people ever get to have at work (or with their clothes on, for that matter!) but it also made me realize I couldn’t reach my financial goals while consulting for wineries. 

Coincidentally, about the same time I was winding down my consulting arrangement with Bonny Doon, the movie “Sideways” was released in October, and was a well-established surprise hit and likely Oscar nominee by December.  As I was casting about to see what was next for me, I began making inquiries about launching my own wine club under the Sideways license, and finally launched the entity on April 1st of 2005.  To commemorate each anniversary, I write an April Fool’s day posting for this blog.

How does it differ from other retail enterprises?  It may sound trite, but the real difference is the people involved, more than simply its unique brand.  Very few enterprises have a face behind the brand these days.  I mean, who can you contact at Wine.com?  Wine Commune?  BevMo??  Even some of the great wine retailers are completely anonymous, especially online, and some of the best local merchants are nearly invisible online.  We still have humans on the front lines, my name on every email, and a personal reply to each inquiry.  More than our unique brand, that’s what differentiates us.

NM: What prompted you to begin teaching classes now?  What do you hope to accomplish with your classes?  What’s your favorite aspect of teaching them?

DC: I hosted wine classes and tasting groups throughout the 90′s, but by 1999 my work load became oppressive and eclipsed my wine classes (each of which required 20-30 hours in preparation).  But when I got involved with the wine shop “Tastes of the Valleys” in Solvang, I began teaching again, and remembered how enjoyable it was to share my enthusiasm with others.

It was a casual meeting with an old friend that resulted in the monthly “Third Tuesday” classes at Reaves Gallery in San Francisco.  The gallery space limitations mandate small, intimate classes of 10 – 15 people.  The classes have developed a nice group of regulars who look forward to catching up and sharing new wine discoveries each month.  I love it!

NM: Future plans or changes for the club?  For the classes?

DC: There are so many things to talk about!  I am always looking for ways to break the model and re-invent what I’m doing.  That assures that I remain both enthusiastic and prepared for whatever comes next in our industry. 

My top predictions for the wine industry in ten years?  I will be very different.  Look specifically for a new wave of opinion leaders as well as a vastly different distribution landscape.  Watch for mobile computing and other forms of electronic communities to have increasingly significant roles.  Moderate consumption of wine will be increasingly recognized as a healthy part of a daily diet, so watch for wine to grow ever more common on our dinner tables at home.

                               Get Amusing Musings sent to your desktop!

I find it far less intrusive and less time consuming to receive relevant news on my Google or Yahoo desktops.  Here’s how to receive my latest "Amusing Musings" whenever they come out:

How To Add (Time required?  ~1 minute):

1. Highlight and copy this url http://www.sidewayswineclub.typepad.com/blog
2. Open a new browser window and go to (or create) your MyYahoo! or iGoogle page
3. On MyYahoo! - Click on the green plus sign for "Add Content"  (sample image at right is not live, by the way!) Look for the "Add RSS Feed" image towards the bottom of the resulting frame (see sample at right).  Paste the url from above into the line and click the orange "I’m Done" button
4. On iGoogle – Click the "Add Stuff" button on the far right, then click the "Add feed or gadget" on the left frame.  Copy the url into the text box and click "Add".  That’s it!

You’ll find my latest posting appears within your desktop on a weekly(ish) basis!

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com or
Dave@TastesOfTheValleys.com

Today’s Quote:
"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion.
I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."
—-Kurt Vonnegut, US novelist (1922 – 2007)

    I Need Your Vote!  VOTE DAILY!

.   Help me continue this free blog by taking 5 seconds to vote here!

After seeing some of the resumes of our current candidates for our country’s top office, I decided it was worth throwing my hat into the ring.  At first, I thought it was just a fluke, but now, as you can see (below), it’s picked up quite a lot of momentum!  Click the video to view…

If I’m to have any hope of overcoming the political powerhouses, I’ll need your support.  Please send your checks to me directly, made out to "Dave the Wine Merchant for President".  All those contributing more than $100 will recieve whatever wine is left over at our wine bar.

But seriuosly, aside from this impressive spoof from the minds behind paltalk.com, I could use your vote. It’s just that, I could use your vote for my blog, and I could use it before November!  Remember, vote daily!

Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com or
Dave@TastesOfTheValleys.com

Today’s Quote:
"We’d all like to vote for the best man, but he’s never a candidate"
~Frank McKinney Hubbard"

    I Need Your Vote!  VOTE DAILY!

.   Help me continue this free blog by taking 5 seconds to vote here!