Your assessment of my point of reference is quite accurate.

I come from a country where - for a number of cultural and political reasons - individualism took a distant second seat for the benefit of the whole group. So, for me, that which benefits the whole benefits the parts in turn.

I suppose that at the end of the day, individualism trumps higher collective goals in the U.S. I don’t mean to sound bitter about that but rather see it as a matter of fact. That notwithstanding, maybe we’ll have to put some of that individualism on the back burner – as individuals and as a country – for the benefit of future generations.

Good points. To your second paragraph: the artisans should all the more seek to define themselves with hallmark wines rather than making essentially the same lineups as the big conglomerates.

As a society we revere invention but mostly ignore consistency, but we know that good wine, and good cars, need both to flourish.

When I assumed the farming responibilities of my family’s 9 acre ranch in the RRV in 2000, I decided to focus on one variety, Zinfandel. Because that’s all I initially worked with, I really felt comfortable with what the old school approach was which eventaully allowed me to experiment with growing coditions, cultivation practices, etc. From a marketing perspective, I was told folks leaving my tasting room would remember TWO things! That’s it! And it isn’t necessarily “elegant Zin” and “Harvest Moon” like I’d like, rather who knows… the dog on the floor, the cute taster next to them, etc SOOOO, it’s really important that your clients can fill inthe blank… “You gotta go to (insert your winery name) for (insert your flagship wine)!”

Afer establishing yourself as a House of ____, then you can flirt with other varieties and be successful at it.

Good luck all!

Of the grapes we produce, we sell 90% and make wine from 10% of the total, giving us only 200-400 cases/ yr, making us not only a boutique wine producer, but a “teeny” boutique at that. John Kelly’s reference to the Chinese proverb, “He has many knives, but none are sharp”, is doubly important to small producers such as Cerro Prieto. If we make a mistake with our small volume, the bad result is amplified many times moreso than a large producer having an unusual variety fall on its face. By necessity we have to take what the land gives us, and that is cold valley vineyard Pinot, and the death defyingly steep mountainsides/ hillsides which produce Cab, Syrah, and Merlot.

You are spot on, Art, about wineries falling flat on their faces with obscure wines found in a corner of Tuscany, or a small canyon off the Douro Valley in Portugal. We have neighbors, acquaintances and friends that have had this exact scenario befall them, and the only thing that has happened with wines they shouldn’t be producing is that they are just spending more money having to store unsold and unwanted varieties. The adage “find something you are good at and stick with it” is doubly important today. Some large, well known producers can get away with non- mainstream wines( that nobody buys) by sending them out in their 4-times-a-yr wine club shipment, which I find unfair, maybe even odious. Yes, they do get rid of wines they shouldn’t be making, but they are losing customers because of it.

Back to your point of comparing the similarities of the wine and auto industries: we are already seeing the shotgun approach, or the GM approach, of multiple brands not getting sold, and consolidation taking place. There has never been a better time to do what one does well…and stick to it, than now. It is no secret that some wine bars, hotel bars, and restaurants actually want only 1 or 2 of a winery’s many wines. Reason? They don’t want to have the same winery brand occurring more than once or twice on their wine list. They prefer to have multiple brands, and to the point, get from each winery what they are known for, and therefore, make the best. Their second and third tier wines are no longer welcome in these depressed times of “consumer is king”.

Your premise of “being a jack of all trades and master of none” is spot on. It is painfully obvious at both the micro and macro levels. Vintners and wineries would be well advised to follow your advice.

The idea that wine regions should find their niche is following the luxury wine-producer model, which makes <1% of all wine made. The other 99% of wine come from regions and producers that make anything and everything. That they’re not focusing on \finding their terroir\ would be laughable to the executives that run the company. Therer is profit to be had. And, like the auto industry, there will be duds in the pursuit to offer each customer something to their liking.