YouTube Stars.

It’s not easy making money on the internet. A recent South Park episode comically explored the idea of monetizing YouTube content (with a to-the-point summary of the problem at marker 19:40).

Just when wine bloggers thought the best they could hope for is enough money to go down to Mexico and drink some Tequila once a year (all respects to Tom Wark), along comes Michael Buckley. (more…)

Giuseppe Battaglini in his tasting room.

Somewhere along the course of the evolution of our country’s wine culture, the notion that zinfandel does not age took root in the collective thinking. Every myth and legend has a seed of truth. So I suppose the direction a majority of zinfandel producers took in styling their wines contributed to the origins of this notion. But like wine made from any other variety, a zinfandel wine has to have the right stuff to allow it to last through the years and evolve into something complex and pleasing.

I must admit that much of what has typified many zinfandels available in retail had not only reinforced the notion that these wines won’t age but it also kept me from being a fan. Things began to change for me over the years as I pushed myself to not cling to assumptions.

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OpenWine Consortium Logo.

In just over half a year, the OpenWine Consortium has gathered 2000 members. They have been bloggers, writers, marketers, growers, producers, importers and exporters, retailers and wine enthusiasts. They have organized into diverse groups focused on interest, region, pursuit and wine industry sector. As one of the community’s administrators, it has been very exciting for me to be part of that growth.

The OWC now has members on every continent. This global, online network with administrators in North America and the European Union has reached people from different sectors of the wine industry. People located on opposite sides of the globe can now interact in a meaningful way. (more…)

PinotHarvest.com Logo

This is a great site to follow if you want to know about wine harvest and crush – especially if you love pinot noir and double especially if you love California pinot noit.

The site was developed by Adam Lee and Brian Loring.

Last month, before its launch, I asked Brian Loring about the purpose of the site:

“Adam and I, as well as other winemakers and growers, regularly post on various wine bulletin boards about our harvest experiences. The format of those sites, with the back and forth interaction of other board members, doesn’t lend itself to presenting how harvest unfolds in a straightforward flow. (more…)

One winery

On this Fourth of July weekend, many will head to wine country. Some will be bringing their kids along. There has been some discussion, recently, if children should be allowed at winery tasting rooms and a recent piece on Time.com examined drinking patterns of our children and relevant legal mneasures.

As a parent, I appreciate that childcare is tough to secure on a holiday weekend and not everyone has the luxury of leaving the kids with grandma and grandpa. I also realize that after being at the office during most of their waking hours, parents want to spend some time with their kids.

There are plenty of parents who go wine tasting and share driving responsibilities and make sure their kids don’t get unruly and disruptive. Wine country also offers some ways to keep kids occupied – like walking through vineyards (as long as they don’t attempt any novel canopy management techniques or start harvest a tad early).

Still, I’m nagged by this feeling that wine tasting rooms are adults-only environments. (more…)