I have been immersing myself in the study of #wine in a semi-systematic manner for much of the last 8 years. Indeed, #Vinopanion's 8 year anniversary with @WineLog is approaching in the middle of this month. Yet I have slowly realized that something is lacking in my devotion to the knowledge of the vinous delights: focus, structure and external credibility. You'd think that a trained scientist would have recognized this long ago and I did notice these thoughts in the back of my mind a few years back. But they were always battered back by "where's the time?" and "I'm still receiving plenty of media travel & event invites," along with "my wine consulting services continue to expand." Then I reached last year and I started to recognize some clear patterns in my wine work. While I had plenty of media opportunities and my fellow wine colleagues were continuing to get work, I could see that the pace of my own trade offers beginning to slow down. It was then that I noticed that most of my colleagues began to sport letters after their names on their business cards: they were taking certified educational courses to formalize their wine training. I needed to set up my wine game. It was then that I contacted the good people at Napa Valley Wine Academy (FB, Tw): "help!"
Tag: Bordeaux
Le Wine Buff Teaches Wine Finance
My super fine readers would have to be asleep not to know about my longtime wine project as Le Wine Buff (WineLog) for Enjoy Bordeaux (Twitter, WineLog). Well, recently I sat down to lunch with reporter Ryan Flinn alongside my fellow 'Buff Rebecca Chapa (Twitter, Facebook) and we discussed our efforts to get the word out about the quantity of affodable, high quality Bordeaux wine. Lo and behold, Ryan Flinn put together a great article discussing just how relevant affordable, high quality Bordeaux wines within the context of the sky-rocketing prices of über-premium wines due to the rise of fine wine culture in China. The article has already been picked up by Bloomberg, BusinessWeek and SFGate, so check it out at any of the prior links. Cheers! Today's Bordeaux is in New York City?!
My regular readers know that the Enjoy Bordeaux Le Wine Buff's took NYC by storm a couple months back, helping host the Snooth and Ziff Davis TechEnology event, back at the end of March. It was there that we battled the East Coast urban prejudices against affordable, quality Bordeaux and taught them who's boss. Well the Buffs are headed back the East Coast to jury the 2011 Today's Bordeaux: Top 45 Affordable Bordeaux Under $45 and I have to say, it's gonna be great. For when Bordeaux hits the Big Apple, it's sure to be culinary and vino awesomeness! Le Wine Buffs Survive Manhattan (and so does the city)
So as it turns out, New York is a pretty damn cool place! My first time in NYC was filled with as much sightseeing, vino networking, shopping, eating and drinking as one could possibly fit into 3.5 days. I was in the city for the first time on another adventure as Le Wine Buff for the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB)'s Enjoy Bordeaux campaign, on a fully paid business trip. While the point of the trip was to attend the Snooth & Ziff Davis TechEnology event and talk about the full awesomeness of affordable Bordeaux wine alongside my LWB colleagues, I was determined to experience as much NYC as I could handle...and I succeeded. Le Wine Buffs Take Manhattan
Enjoy Bordeaux's Le Wine Buffs are back and we're thirsty.
This time we're taking on New York City and Manhattan is gonna stumble down in a vinous frenzy of affordable Bordeaux wine! We're the wine sponsor for this year's TechEnology wine event held by Enjoy Bordeaux partner Snooth and tech media publishing titan Ziff Davis. Held at the newly renovated General Assembly, the event will mix some of the icons of tech, publishing and the wine biz and look to do some serious vino mind melding.
I'm excited to be pouring and talking about these wines at the event because I think Bordeaux is coming into another renaissance of exposure for it's thousands of high quality, affordable wines and their Chateaux, all across the greater appellation. Much of this belief was built during our visit to Bordeaux last summer. This event promises to be "a private, networking event recognizing the wine world's most technologically forward people, business and practices"...and these are the peeps that need to know Bordeaux!
See you on the Right Coast vinopanions, and cheers!