Category Archives: Guest Blogger

Today we have a guest post from Evan Davis, CS, WSET 3, CSW. Evan tells us a bit about what he learned during a recent trip through the winelands of Georgia.

While many countries and emerging regions of the world have made their bones attempting to grow familiar French grape varieties, in the country of Georgia, winery owners have taken a different approach. All chips are in on traditional Georgian grape varieties.

Travel to Georgia, and you’ll enter a world apart and distinctly different from the rest of the wine world. Not leastways because of the long and oppressive Soviet regime, which—beginning in the 1920s—effectively ended winemaking as a free and commercial enterprise until the dissolving of the Soviet Union in 1991. In fact, of the nearly 125 million 750ml bottles exported in 2022, over 87 million of those bottles were exported to Russia. This is around 70%—and, with the US export share being a mere 1.1 million bottles, this is something the Georgians are hoping to change.

Just how are they going to accomplish this? With an intense focus on their strengths. Ask any Georgian winery owner what the most important strength of their winemaking heritage is, and you’ll get several answers. The nearly 8000-year history of making wine, the practice of making wine in Qvevri, and the veritable kaleidoscope of their indigenous grape varieties to name a few.

Georgia currently boasts as many as 525 endemic grape varieties. Of these, approximately 30 are used in commercial agriculture today. As a matter of fact, the country’s main wine region—Khaketi in eastern Georgia—is planted almost entirely with just a few leading grape varieties. However, even with these (5 or 6) most commonly planted grapes, a wealth of tasting experiences awaits the wine lover.

All the main grape varieties are made in both Qvevri and the “western” or modern style. The use of Qvevri—large handmade clay fermentation vessels buried in the ground—represents the ancient and unique practice of winemaking in Georgia. Alternatively, the western (modern) style of winemaking is focused on taking advantage of technological advances to produce clean, varietally correct wines using less labor-intensive production methods.

Rkatsitelli for example, is one of the most planted grape varieties in Georgia. At 63% of the total harvest in 2022, this thick-skinned white grape variety is the darling of Georgian winemakers. Rkatsitelli translates to “red horn” referring to the reddish hue the stems of this variety develop when lignified. When produced in the western style, it produces bright, tangy wines with crisp acidity and notes of lime zest, green apple, fennel and tarragon. If made in Qvevri, the wines take on a whole new character and complexity of texture, displaying aromas and flavors of dried orange peel, marmalade, dried flowers and curry spices. Fenugreek and coriander come to mind.

Mtsvane on the other hand, is a thinner-skinned white grape variety that has much more pronounced floral tones. It is a very successful blending partner to Rkatsitelli. This is particularly true in the wines from the region of Tsinandali, considered to be Georgia’s flagship white wine. While still bright and crisp, Tsinandali wines have an extra dimension of texture, intensity and floral lift not present in 100% Rkatsitelli wines. Tsinandali wines are not made in Qvevri, must come from within the designated boundaries of Tsinandali, and must be dominated by Rkatsitelli, with 15% Khakuri Mtsvane allowed in the blend.

Mtsvane itself is often used to make monovarietal wines in Qvevri, with a broader, open-knit palate as compared to the intensely textural Rkatsitelli. Other white varieties one encounters sporadically are Kisi, Khikvi, Tsolikouri, and Krakhuna.

Winemaking for the white wines made in the western style is typically straightforward. Regardless of grape, the wines are usually stainless steel fermented, and malolactic fermentation is blocked to retain the racy, crisp acidity. Some may be aged in oak barrels, though mostly the wines are rested in tank with light lees stirring and bottled young and fresh. Don’t mistake this for not having a capacity to age. Rkatsitelli is particularly age worthy, due to its high acidity, intensity, and textural components caused by its thicker skin.

If racy, brilliant wines are the norm for the whites, the red wines of Georgia couldn’t be at the farther end of the spectrum. Nearly all Georgian red wines are produced from the Saperavi grape.

Saperavi is a teinturier grape, meaning the veins of its flesh are red. This makes it impossible to make a white wine from Saperavi, no matter how gently the skins are pressed. The most famous teinturier grape most have heard of is Alicante Bouschet from Portugal. Like Alicante, Saperavi produces red wines deep with color and rich with tannins and intense flavors. These are wines which have all the components necessary to age and improve in the bottle.

Saperavi, which represented 30% of the total harvest in 2022 is made in a wide range of different styles. From fresh young wines with bright fruit flavors, to more serious expressions aged in French barriques and even semi sweet reds. Saperavi is also often made in Qvevri.

When bottled without oak aging, Saperavi displays flavors and aromas of fresh blackberries, mulberries, violets, a touch of black pepper and dried herbs. When aged in barrel, the wines naturally take on a more baked and jammy character to the fruit, with lots of cedary and tobacco tones mingled with espresso. The most serious and age worthy examples of Saperavi come from the fabled area of Mukuzani in the Khaketi region. Wines labeled Mukuzani must be made from 100% Saperavi and aged a minimum of three years in cask.

There is also a controlled appellation of origin for semi-sweet wines made from Saperavi : Kindzmarauli, in the region of Khaketi. Traditionally, most of this wine was exported to Russia, and it was extremely popular during Soviet times. It is still popular in Russia today. Taste wise, though the wine is sweet, it does have enough juicy acidity to keep it from being cloying. I like to describe it as a a darker, more structured and non-effervescent version of Brachetto d’Acqui. When made in this sweeter style, the pretty violet and iris floral tones are turned up to 11. It is a great pairing with spicy dishes, though care should still be taken with spice because the tannins are still present.

Though Georgia sits a world away from the rest of the wine world, the country’s pride and passion for its heritage is staggering. Its food, culture and grape varieties are not only unique, but diverse and delicious.

About the author: Evan Davis is a regional Wine Educator for Spec’s Wine, Spirits and Finer Foods in Austin, Texas. A classically trained chef, Evan cut his teeth working in some of Austin’s finest restaurants. His passion for wine blossomed through a passion for food, and a culinary exploration trip to the Napa Valley eventually sparked a full-on obsession and a career in wine.

Photo credits: Evan Davis

Today we have a guest post from Marty Nott. Marty is a recently-minted CSS, and while in our CSW Online Prep Class he expressed an interest in Nicholas Longworth, one of the “important names in American wine history” mentioned in the introduction to chapter 16. I mentioned that it might make for a fascinating blog post, and here is the result of Marty’s research and writing. Thanks very much to Marty for this fascinating look at a little-known, but highly important part of American wine history. 

Portrait of Nicholas Longworth by Robert S. Duncanson (from the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum; photograph in the public domain)

He was an unlikely character working with an unlikely grape in an unlikely location that would nevertheless become the cradle of American winemaking: The state of Ohio.

Yes, Ohio.

Born in 1783 in New Jersey, Nicholas Longworth arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio, by flatboat at age 20. At that time, the city was only a frontier hamlet of about 750 people on the banks of the Ohio River. Longworth’s father—a Revolutionary War-era loyalist to the Crown of England—had lost most of his land and wealth to confiscation after the war, so Nicholas spent his boyhood in poverty. For a while, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker, and later his parents sent him to clerk for an older brother in South Carolina before he headed to Ohio on his own.

After studying law under a respected local judge, Longworth opened his own practice and thrived in the booming community of Cincinnati. He quickly acquired large real estate holdings, in part by taking land as payment in lieu of legal fees. In the 1820s, he stopped practicing law to manage his real estate empire and pursue his two primary avocations: horticulture and art. He had already become fabulously, sustainably wealthy. In 1850, Longworth paid the second-highest tax bill in the United States; by one estimate, at the peak of his fortune and adjusting for inflation, Longworth’s net worth places him among the 40 wealthiest Americans of all time.[1] Good thing; he had expensive hobbies.

His properties just northeast of Cincinnati’s heart overlooked the Ohio River and included what was later named Mt. Adams, a south-facing and steep ridge that had been stripped of its forest by early settlers for lumber with which build their homes and shops.

In 1813, he began planting vineyards on that slope, concentrating first on the now-extinct Alexander grape. Alexander was considered an accidental hybrid of a native Labrusca species with a European Vinifera vine that was probably planted by colonial Pennsylvania Governor William Penn near Philadelphia, in one of many failed early attempts to grow Vinifera in the colonies. Theoretically, the Labrusca genes allowed the Alexander to survive and the Vinifera genes improved its taste.

Longworth found the only way he could make drinkable wine of Alexander was to add sugar and fortify it with brandy so that what he called “a tolerable imitation of Madeira” was about 20 percent alcohol by volume (40 proof). Cincinnati was (and still is) in the heart of American whiskey territory, and Longworth – a believer in “moderate temperance” – was dismayed at the region’s jug liquor habits. He hoped to produce a wine satisfying and attractive enough to replace whiskey, aiming for a drinkable, dry table wine of 12 percent alcohol or less. His high-test Madeira knockoff wouldn’t do, so he kept looking for a more suitable grape.

Photographic plate of Catawba grape from the book The Grapes of New York, 1908 by Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick (public domain)

In 1825, Longworth bought some vines of the Catawba grape, eventually finding that it did well in the Ohio Valley and that it made a better wine, though still with the notorious foxy traits of Labrusca. Thinking that the skins might be the source of Catawba’s musty taste and aroma, Longworth began separating the juice from the skins before fermentation. This produced a dryer and lower-alcohol blush wine. It was less expensive than imported wines and similar enough to Rhine Valley wines that the new Catawba wine proved popular with the waves of German immigrants arriving in the Ohio River Valley, who also became willing workers for Longworth’s expanding vineyards.

However, most of the area’s population thought that Longworth’s Catawba wine resembled a sour cider, so they didn’t buy it. Determined to create a commercial success, Longworth continued experiments with other production processes and grapes. Shades of Dom Perignon centuries earlier, Longworth’s wine fortunes changed with an accident. In 1842, a batch of the Catawba wine was mistakenly put through a second fermentation, resulting in a sparkling wine more pleasing and—to Longworth’s intuition—more promising than his still wine.

Problem: Longworth didn’t know how to make good sparkling wines—at least, not on purpose.

Solution: He went to France and brought back winemakers from Champagne to teach him and his employees how to make a proper bubbly. He built a cellar especially for the purpose, and his French winemakers introduced the Methode Champenoise. It was a noisy and sticky education, as bottles kept exploding from the pressure—42,000 of them in one year alone. Undeterred, Longworth bought more bottles, hired more winemakers—see “fabulously wealthy” above—and began selling the sparkling Catawba as soon as his first unexploded batches came of age.

Longworth’s German clientele liked it—a lot—and finally, so did the non-Germans around Cincinnati. He began shipping it out of Ohio, and soon East Coast aristocrats who previously sipped only European wines were demanding Longworth’s sparklers. By the mid-1850s, Longworth was advertising his sparkling Catawba nationally, producing 100,000 bottles a year, and making a tidy profit from it. The Longworth winery is generally credited with being the first successful commercial winery in the United States, and his sparkling Catawba was unarguably the first commercially viable sparkling wine made in the United States.

One account tells us, “Robert Browning drank it. In the ‘Illustrated London News,’ Charles Mackay said that it ‘transcends the Champagne of France.’”[2] Longworth sent a case of it to the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who found it inspiring enough to write a poem in tribute – “Catawba Wine.”

Longworth’s terraced vineyards on Mt. Adams
(Image from a pamphlet advertising Longworth’s wines, 1866)

Longworth’s success launched an industry in the Cincinnati region; by 1859 there were 2,000 acres of vineyards producing more than 600,000 gallons of wine annually. Most of that was Catawba still wine, as sparkling wine production required deeper pockets than most vintners had.

The boom, however, was short-lived. Nicholas Longworth died in 1863 at age 80, depriving the young industry of its deepest pockets and his well of energy and dedication. Around that same time, black rot and powdery mildew flourished in the region’s humid summers and decimated Ohio’s vineyards. Catawba vines turned out to be increasingly susceptible to the rot as they aged, and by then many were in maturity or beyond. Such problems were not well understood at the time, and there was no simple or affordable cure.

With his immense wealth, Longworth could have absorbed his losses had he lived longer, but other vintners in the region could not. Simultaneously, the American Civil War created a shortage of manpower for the vineyards and offered other ways for entrepreneurs to make a living. By 1870, Longworth’s heirs closed his bottling plant, and what remained of Ohio’s wine industry was shifting north to the shores of Lake Erie.

Over his lifetime, Longworth helped Cincinnati grow into a city of more than 160,000, and his presence remains visible in the area today. He is as well known for his patronage of regional artists as for his winemaking, and his mansion—a wood-framed architectural treasure he bought in 1830 and named Belmont—still stands in downtown Cincinnati, housing the Taft Museum of Art. The slopes of Mt. Adams where he planted his first vineyards now feature urban neighborhoods, parks, and expressways, but Cincinnati remains at the center of today’s Ohio River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), the largest in square mileage of Ohio’s five AVAs.

Longworth’s family legacy still touches American art and politics. One of his granddaughters, the pottery artist Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, co-founded Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, which is still in business and a familiar name to antique lovers (hello, Antiques Roadshow!). One of his great-grandsons, Nicholas Longworth III, became an attorney and Ohio politician of note who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for almost 30 years in the early 20^th century, including six years as Speaker. He married President Theodore Roosevelt’s famously sharp-witted daughter Alice in a 1906 White House ceremony, and the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, DC, is named for him.

To learn more:

• Nicholas Longworth – Catawba Wine Bitters
• Grape-Growing and Winemaking in Cincinnati, 1800 – 1870
• Nicholas Longworth and the Cincinnati Region
• Nicholas Longworth: Art Patron of Cincinnati

[1] https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac/people/hall-of-fame/detail/nicholas-longworth

[2] http://www.weekendwinery.com/wineryinsight/Article_Jul03.htm

About the author: Marty Nott (Rochester, NY) is retired from a public relations career and earned his CSS in January 2020. He is studying for the CSW exam and then plans to pursue the CSE certificate.

Koehler Winery

Today we have a guest post from SWE member Jan Crocker, CSW. Jan, a current resident of southern California,  earned her Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) certification in 2016 and is currently studying for the Certified Specialist of Spirts (CSS).  Wish her luck!

For more than a decade, the Santa Ynez Valley meant Pinot Noir and “Sideways” to wine and movie fans alike. With many of the film’s scenes shot inside The Hitching Post II steakhouse in nearby Buellton, restaurant-goers bemoaned the near-impossibility of getting a seat inside the eatery, let alone at its newly famous bar. Of course, customers lucky enough to secure a table ordered the wine that made the restaurant famous: Hitching Post “Highline” Pinot Noir.

During the 16 years after the release of “Sideways,” however, the valley has evolved into far more than a haven for bright, zesty Pinot Noirs and lively Chardonnays. It is now home to 120 wineries that produce 31 different varieties, with lesser-known grapes Lagrein, Cinsault, and Grenache Blanc thriving in the AVA’s vineyards alongside the more famous mainstays. Often thought to share the balmy temperatures of nearby Santa Barbara, its summer afternoons are surprisingly toasty, with the mercury often touching 90 degrees Fahrenheit – and its nights dropping to the low 50s, even at the end of July.

Brander Syrah Rose’

The Santa Ynez Mountains provide a rain shadow for the region, sealing in daytime sunshine and warmth that benefit Rhône varieties Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Viognier. Additionally, brisk late-afternoon winds and the sandy, largely infertile soils of the region’s lower elevations favor these classic grape varieties.

Two years ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to spend five lovely, warm summer days in Santa Ynez. We managed to visit seven wineries and three tasting rooms—Stolpman Vineyards, Dragonette Cellars, and Flying Goat Cellars. These three wineries are required to have their on-premise tasting facilities separate from their wine-production sites for a good reason—their vineyards are located well in the region’s inland reaches, near Happy Canyon and Ballard, where narrow, winding roads are the norm.

Jan and David Crocker at Brander Winery

Although we found our way to wineries on the outskirts of the Foxen Trail—Brander Vineyard & Winery as well as Sunstone Winery come to mind—we gravitated toward the Rhône-esque wineries nearest Los Olivos, the tiny town roughly six miles from Buellton. Surprises and learning awaited us; my Pinot Noir-loving husband and yours truly, a fan of old-world Syrah to the core, both found selections we loved. Flying Goat’s Rio Vista Vineyards’ Pinot Noir spoke to his enjoyment of Dijon-driven Pinot Noirs, while I went weak in the knees over Melville Vineyards’ “Donna’s” Syrah, intensely soulful and brooding. Both of us discovered Koehler Winery—a site we has never heard about before—but have since been eager to suggest to wine fans.

Absolutely, we’ll return to the Valley over the next year or so, delighted to revisit our favorite wineries—and excited to explore new ones as they open.

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Today we have a guest post from a frequent contributor that we know as Candi, CSW. Read on to see how Candi learned to appreciate unique Italian wines.

The wine geek in me has several bucket list destinations. Places that I want to visit when the time is right and before aging overtakes my ability to travel with enjoyment. At the top of the list is Italy. Followed by Spain and Chile. Back to Numero Uno.

The nearest major city, where I do my Somm volunteer gigs, is second tier in terms of population, density, etc. Not at the level of New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C., or Boston. But our city was recently a stop on a major tour sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Trade Agency, along with the Italian wine industry.

In my opinion, we live in difficult economic times. And a few European countries that have significant challenges appear to be engaging in this type of effort to promote their wine industry. I attended a Spanish event two years ago.

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Two months ago, the word went out in the local Somm community. Italian event coming! A big “get”, to use a journalism term. Or a “score”. Or just recognition that our community is becoming more established as an American wine industry destination. And the message to us was clear: please attend. We need a large head count. So I checked event date and time with my beloved Designated Driver (i.e., husband). All clear.

Hmmm. Italian. Trade only; complimentary. Bucket list destination. It doesn’t get much better than that. Ticket obtained.

My typical pre-event planning includes using the list of vintners and, if possible, wines to be poured to establish a target list. My method has worked very well for me lately. By targeting 15-20 wines to taste, with a break in the middle, I am able to enjoy and evaluate those wines before palate fatigue sets in. Further, I am being safe, responsible, and professional.

For this event, I had a list of vintners. That’s it. And searching wines produced, much less typical prices per bottle, was challenging. I learned at the event that this was because about 40% of the vintners do not currently import their wine into the United States. Of course, some were looking for distribution. But that 40% were truly bucket list. They were bringing Italy to me. How considerate!

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Event day. Lovely sunny weather, indoor venue in an area I’d never visited. Nice facility, nice layout. In the room’s center, the vintners were arranged by number in the brochure we then received. And, fortunately, there was now a list of each wine to be poured by each vintner. Geek heaven.

A first for me: at my initial pour, the vintner suggested trying the whites at various other tables before coming back and trying the reds. That made sense to me, as I know that many Italian reds are big, masculine, up-front, choose your term. Starting with or mixing reds could indeed diminish my appreciation of the whites. And I’ve had a tendency to focus on Italian reds in the past. Why not try another way?

The end result: I developed such an appreciation for the white wines that they became a great learning experience for me. I’d say at least 40% of the wines tasted were Bianco, 10% Rosato (my bridge wines) and maybe 50% Rosso.

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The Biancos, as a group, seemed to have more purity and depth than my prior experience. Here are a few impressions, by varietal.

My top choice: a 2017 50/50 blend of Greco and Fiano, IGT Campania. A creative blend. Greco seems to add up-front aromas & impact, while Fiano contributes further acidity. There is definite complexity. Imported.

Second choice: Greco di Tufo, Campania DOCG: poured 2018 En Primeur. Aroma drew me in: distinguished that as more complex than, for example, typical Fiano. I will certainly seek out examples to confirm. Almost no traffic at that particular table, which meant more time with the vintner. Not imported.

Vermentino, IGT Tuscany: poured 2018 En Primeur. Dry, no oak, definitely more complex than previous versions tasted. Not imported.

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Bellone, IGT Lazio: poured 2018 En Primeur. Pleasantly dry, distinct minerals, maybe bit of citrus. Friendly and interesting. Apparently a white clone of a red grape. Imported.

Falanghina Campania DOC: poured 2018 En Primeur. 100% Falanghina. Deep straw color, clearly darker than the Fiano which was harvested earlier. Clear floral and citrus aromatics, citrus more defined on the palate. Not imported.

Fiano Campania DOC: poured 2018 En Primeur. 100% Fiano. Striking clarity, aromas and palate show a hint of complexity, but definite appeal. Same vintner as the Falanghina. Not imported.

Malvasia Puntinata Lazio17 DOC. Also known as Malvasia del Lazio. Reminded me vaguely of Viognier. White flower aromatics more dominant, followed by citrus. Both noted on palate, where citrus made more of an impression. Interesting that some websites describe Viognier as a dry white floral! Not imported.

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Brut Rosato: poured 2018 En Primeur. Per the vintner, 85% Lambrusco, 15% Pinot Noir. My first Lambrusco, and a lovely introduction. Deep rose color, mid-size bubbles.  Aromatics are fruit-forward, which carries through to the palate. But there is definite acidity and, as is my personal preference, it is indeed dry. Maybe I can credit the Pinot Noir for that impact; the vintner delivered. Imported.

Rosato Sicila DOC: poured 2018 En Primeur. Per the vintner, 100% Nero d’ Avola. Another deep pink wine, this time a still wine with good clarity. Aromatics of fruit and citrus in balance. Confirmed on palate. A very nicely done dry Rose’ that makes no attempt to imitate Provencal versions. Imported.

After the whites and rosatos, it became apparent that it was time for a break. I had been carefully hydrating, with still bottled water and a few sips of Italian sparkling water as well. But a sit down and pause to take further notes and be safe was required. I know when that time occurs.

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This event had a feature I’d never seen before and I wish all tasting events had. Along the sides of the room, there were several tables with chairs. Intended for participants to use. That was a way to encourage people to take a break and to promote tasting responsibly. I ended up sharing a table with 3 others, and for the second portion of the tasting, it rather turned into a fun little cocktail party! One of us would go get a sample, then share the glass for an aromatic check with others. If they were interested, they could get pointed to a sample. I chose most of the reds, after my break, by their recommendation.

A few key Rosso impressions:

My top choice: a Tuscan Blend DOCG 2013. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Since the percentage of grape usage was in that order, it worked for me as I am a fan of the first two. A balanced, complex wine that stood out even though palate fatigue was imminent.

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Second choice: A Chianti Gran Selezione 2015. This was my personal favorite of 3 Tuscans poured by the vintner. Since I prefer the sour-cherry impact of Sangiovese, this may be why the wine outshone the Super Tuscans.

A Primitivo di Manduria Riserva DOP 2015. Per the vintner, 100% Primitivo. They were pouring several Primitivos. I wanted to try the one they chose as the least similar to American Zinfandel. I’m one who believes there is a slight genetic difference and I wanted to test my theory. My impression was that this wine was distinctly drier, without any of the jammy notes I have often noted in a Zinfandel. The Primitivo would clearly pair well with red food, not so much with the beef and pork we often enjoy with American Zinfandel.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014. 100% Sangiovese. It was a goal to taste Brunello. Solid aromatics, so distinct that other tasters at the table went to try. Sour cherry, clearly astringent and tannic on palate. Long, long finish.

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Due to targeted tasting I missed the Aglianico Taurasi and Aglianico Campania. Along with a Cesanese and an Amarone. And many other Rossos. For me, the whites made such a favorable impact that it was well worth it. There will be other Rosso opportunities. I hope.

A few overall impressions: both Bianco and Rosso blends were good examples of each grape adding its unique contributions. Whether fruit, acid, tannin, structure, aromatics or a combination. And, I was attracted to mid-priced wines more than the most expensive ones; prices were discovered after the tasting. Whether this is palate preference or my frugal soul, it doesn’t matter to me. My palate is my source of enjoyment.

Further, I have a practice of 3 to 4 sips of water for every sip of wine. I had a second wine glass that I kept filled with the Italian sparkling water during my tasting of the Rossos. This was smart because the carbonation naturally reduced the amount of wine consumed. I will continue that experiment in the future.

As I learned from the distributors I met, the best toast is Salute! So Salute! And Cheers to Bucket List Bianco!

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Today we have a guest post from a frequent contributor that we know as Candi, CSW. Read on to see how Candi learned to appreciate some local small businesses that just happen to be wineries.

Small business is part of my DNA. All of my grandparents were family farmers. My father’s main business was a small electronics firm; as soon as he could, he too purchased a small farm. My brother and I each became self-employed after years of working as an employee. It’s just who we are.

So it stands to reason that I would seek out and support small businesses when it makes financial sense. I may be frugal, but I’m willing to pay a bit of a premium to support local restaurants, shops, etc.

Given my passion for vino, I have sought out opportunities to support small wineries. When we do a tasting trip, I seek out small vintners that I may have never even experienced for the target list. Extra points if the wines can’t be found elsewhere. Over time, direct-from-winery purchases have increased. Why not support wine as a small business and, sometimes, as a small farm?

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Very recently, I learned of a local event that would focus on small California family-owned wineries. It was one of my small-vintner buddies who clued me in, as he would be there. Sounds like another way to get a perspective on wine as a small business, not to mention a perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon. And my trusty designated driver, i.e. husband, willing to step up. I’m there. I’m so there.

The event was organized by an association for its members. More than 60 wineries participated. About 80% of the wineries have an annual case production of less than 10,000; about 30% produce 1,000 or fewer cases per year. Most major regions and a cross-section of AVAs were represented. It appeared that the wineries were targeting visibility to brokers, distributors, on-premise trade, and even direct-to-consumer.

My standard approach to an event of this magnitude is to do pre-event research. Just like tasting trips, I want to narrow the focus. As a professional, I’ve learned that I have a limit before palate fatigue sets in. For safety, education and enjoyment, I respect my personal limitations. To their credit, the association provided detailed information well in advance of the event. Even a spreadsheet listing participants, price ranges, key varietals, and contact information was available. Perfect.

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Prior to the event, I began to receive e-mails from some of the wineries. These detailed what wines would be poured, reminded me to stop by, etc. About 15% of the vintners sent these messages. A nice touch and a way to build anticipation.

For the event, I took a hard copy of my target list. Onsite, things were well-organized and staffed with ample volunteers. User-friendly organization, complete with tables in alphabetical order. A promising start.

Advance information, particularly the winery spreadsheet, proved to be very helpful. I did chat with a few attendees, seemingly Millennials, who preferred the app for smartphones that was also provided prior to the event. Not my cup of tea, nor my glass of vino. Multiple media strategies, however, can be a key way to increase exposure. Whatever is most user-friendly to the attendee is likely be adopted and appreciated.

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Armed with my trusty personal bottle of water, I began to execute my plan. As I limit the number of stops, it allows more time to chat with each vintner and to learn any geeky details or back story they care to share. Fortunately, there was less crowding than I’ve experienced at some events. The best part, for me, is learning from the vintners and staff. Less crowding means I don’t have to move on to be polite.

I learned of some wineries that were founded by “dreamers” later in life as an additional career. Some harvested grapes from tiny plots within key vineyards. Many continue to experience the high cost of doing business, particularly in glam areas like Napa and Sonoma. Most have opened since 2000, some as recently as 2017 and 2018.

Photo via: https://www.rescuedogwines.com/

Wineries were generally pouring current releases; there were a few new releases from vintages as new as 2016 for reds and 2018 for whites and roses’. My most interesting takeaway was the vast cross-section of varietals; clearly, some of the vintners had favorite grapes and chose to work with them. And, as I worked my way through my plan, I began to see just how many different varietals I could experience.

To illustrate, here is a list of a few of the wines that made a favorable impression. Granted, pricing and availability vary by location. But due to my frugal mindset, all wines listed are generally priced in the mid double-digits or less.

• Tablas Creek, Dianthus, Rose’, 2018: of Mourvedre, Grenache, Counoise. Listed first because this vintner is a reliable producer for us.
• Oak Farm, Albarino, 2017
• Tranquil Heart, Barbera, 2015
• Keenan, Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 2014
• Kieu Hoang, Chardonnay, 2015
• Avinodos, Malbec, Napa Valley 2015
• Enriquez Estate, Pinot Noir, 2011, and Tempranillo, 2012
• Rescue Dog, Sparkling Rose‘ NV “Bubbly Boxer”. Listed as a fun choice with a percentage of profits dedicated to, you guessed it, rescue dog organizations. Wine with a cause, why not?

All of the wines except for Tablas Creek were new to me. I was learning that survival, even thriving, depend upon continued, increasing visibility as a key success factor. And not just for wineries. There were some other encounters. Many with…owners of small businesses.

This was an event done in a no-frills manner. The association relied upon a few sponsors for basic bread, cheese, and crackers so that palates could be cleansed and attendee risk managed. I met a few sponsors, and learned where I can buy their very tasty stuff locally.

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I saw one of my gym buddies there. Her husband is chef/owner of a restaurant. Another small business to seek out and support. Another business card into my bag.

I met the head bartender from one of our favorite restaurants; in fact, the place where we celebrated an anniversary. He noted that their top-selling brand is, yes, from a small winery.

I met folks visiting the area from Oregon. I now have a few recommendations of small wineries in their area to consider on our next tasting trip there.

So it wasn’t just the wineries that were getting increased exposure at the event. My opinion: small businesses need ongoing visibility to survive and even to thrive. That means multiple methods of communication: websites, focused e-mails, social media, word of mouth, any way to get their presence and their story out there.

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Maybe it was just a coincidence. The day after the event, I received an e-mail from a winery. They were liquidating and offering closeout pricing on their remaining inventory. One of those places where I’d signed up for a list years ago, so long ago that I forgot I subscribed to the list. Certainly the first message I’d had from them in years. A case study in what not to do? Possibly.

Since the event, I’ve received e-mails from several of the wineries. Reminders of what was poured, coupon codes for post-event discounts, thank-yous for stopping by. Follow-up and follow-through. Very wise.

If this event was any indication, small wineries remain alive and well. I also realized though, that it’s all about visibility, communication, flexibility, and just being out there.

As a small business owner, I will continue to support the same. Will you consider doing so as well? It is your choice. My choice is….

Small Winery Cheers!