The New JohnTylerWines.com

After several months of hard work we are proud to announce the launch of our brand-new, totally redesigned, interactive website over at JohnTylerWines.com.

Our site now enables visitors to leave comments, ask questions or make suggestions. You can follow us in Twitter, add us as a friend on Facebook, and even see our latest photos on Flickr, all from our website.

We would like to say a special thank you to Jennifer Burke for all her help coaching us and helping us create our new site.

Thanks for joining us here at WordPress.com and we look forward to hearing from you over at JohnTylerWines.com!

Beatin the streets in So. Cal

Market visits are always exciting because you get to go out and share your product with people who have most likely never tried it before, and you never know what is going to happen or who you might meet. My latest trip was down to Southern California to work the market with our distributor in San Diego and Orange County. I was very lucky to be able to stay with my good friend Nicole Pederson and saved a ton of money not getting a hotel room. Keeping costs down is one of the most important things you can do to have a successful market sales trip.  In reaching San Diego I had a little hiccup in my plan for the week and ended up virtually skipping San Diego and parting ways with our distributor and moving on to the Orange County market instead. Note: being flexible with your plans is also important. In a last minute attempt to try and see some clients I reached out to our broker and he immediately set me up with 3 appointments each day, at least I had something! 

Contrary to what you might think selling wine is not easy and I’m still definitely getting my feet wet as far as the world of wine sales is concerned. My first visit of the day was a retail shop right down from the beach called ABC Wine and Spirits, the buyers name was Imre and boy was he a crack up. I walked in to the store to a group of people huddled around 2 small tables and about 8 open bottles of wine. A rep from another wine company was already there tasting with Imre. So I took a seat and waited for them to go through the wines. One of the best parts of walking into a situation like more than likely someone will offer you a glass and you get to taste the wines as well!  I had the opportunity to taste a Pinot Noir from Chile, not my favorite mixture of flavors with this wine, but interesting nonetheless.  After going through the first set of wines it was my turn…with my 2 wines. I of course graciously poured for the other rep and a few of the stores regular customers who were there to partake in the Tuesday afternoon of wine drinking. I received nothing but favorable comments about the wines, and one of the customers could not stop talking about how fantastic the Zinfandel was. This is a very very good thing to have happen at a tasting because this gives the buyer confidence that if he brings the wine on it will move and not sit on the shelf for months, which is every retail shop owners worst nightmare. More or less a typical time period for a tasting like this is about 15-20 minutes sometimes it can be less and sometimes more if the buyer is extremely interested and wants to hear all about the winery and the history, etc. My visit with Imre lasted an hour and a half. Later on I heard from other reps on the area that as a rule they allow an hour for a visit with Imre because once you are there it is nearly impossible to leave. With story after story and wine after wine you could be in that shop for days before you even realize it!  Imre assured me that he would be ordering wine from our broker so I left that account fairly happy and feeling like it was a success. The rest of my day was not the greatest of sales days I spent more time driving down the Orange County freeways than selling wine. Thursday was a better day I visit several accounts including Wine Crush, the Wine Pavillion and best of all Wine Works.

Darren Coyle is both the owner and the wine buyer and right away I received a good vibe from him. Wine Works is both a retail shop and a restaurant I got to thoroughly look through the menu with Darren and he explained to me his vision in setting up his wine list. The wines are categorized in sections such as “spicy reds” and “full bodied” whites so that even the average person whose wine knowledge might be limited can find the wine that suites his or her palate. Darren was gracious enough to give me a few minutes to sit down with him and go through the two wines. I could tell that he was impressed not only with the quality of the wines but also our story as well. When looking through the wine list I noticed that Darren was missing a Russian River Pinot in his line up. He had mentioned that Russian River was his absolute favorite appellation so it seemed fitting that our wines would be a great fit for his list. Darren placed an order with me for several cases and he is also going to be pouring it by the glass which for a winery like us is GREAT exposure. All in all I had a good trip, I met new prospective clients and introduced our wines to them.  Whenever you are traveling to sell wine, as with anything you just have to take one day at a time.

Mother Nature’s sense of humor

You know that saying, “April showers bring May flowers, May flowers bring June bugs.”
Well I guess Mother Nature has a sense of humor these days and wanted to put her own twist on it. So now I guess it should be May showers bring June flowers… I’m so confused! Normally this time of year growers and vintners alike could slowly start breathing a sigh of relief that they have escaped the worst of the frost. We lucked out this year and have so far only needed to use our frost protection systems a few times, compared to last year where crop loads were down 30% because of frost damage, however growers aren’t out of the woods yet. With rain this time of year what becomes risky is that the vines are starting to transition from budbreak to the next stage of development called bloom or flowering. This is a time when winegrowers hope for dry, still days so that the delicate process of reproduction can yield full, healthy clusters of grapes.  Rain right now increases the potential for abnormal or loose cluster development and lower crop yields. Cooler weather during this time can also be a critical time for disease and mildew control as young clusters are susceptible to Botrytis.

Most growers would probably agree that at this point in the growing season they would rather not see any more rain and just deal with dry conditions. But like most industries involved in agriculture sometimes you have to deal with the cards you’ve been dealt. But you better believe that somewhere out there vineyard managers and growers are getting together for a little anti-rain dance singing. “Rain, rain, go away come again some other day, after harvest.”

Pinot Pioneers

Pommard clone Pinot Noir about ready to be picked, originally uploaded by johntylerwines.

Russian River Valley is known for producing some of the best pinot noir in the world. However the sensation did not happen over night. At Bacigalupi Vineyards we have some of the oldest pinot noir clones in Sonoma and Napa County. In John Winthrop Haeger’s book North American Pinot Noir , John documents about how my grandfather, Charles first came to know this famous grape of Burgundy.

The first well documented planting of pinot around the Russian River occurred in the 1960’s, as it did in the southern Central Coast area. Early in the decade Bob Sisson, the University of California farm adviser for Sonoma- mindful of the heat summation studies done by Albert Winkler and Maynard Amerine in the 1940’s- began advising Russian River growers to try chardonnay and pinot noir in place of zinfandel. Several growers heeded Sisson’s advice, including Charles Bacigalupi, who owned vineyard on Westside Road. Bacigalupi had never heard of chardonnay or pinot noir before Sisson brought them to his attention, and claims he had to write down the names to keep from forgetting them. Eventually, he obtained pinot noir budwood from Karl Wente, probably from Wente’s new increase block in Arroyo Seco, but Bacigalupi remembers Wente telling him that the stock had come from France via the family’s old vineyard in Livermore.

From that  humble beginning my grandfather expanded his knowledge of the pinot varietal and experimented with several clones and planting locations. We now grow 6 different clones all in the Russian River Valley. Each clone has it’s own distinction both on the vine and in the glass. Here is a little bit about each clone;

Wente - easily my favorite because of it’s history and bright purple color when it’s picked into the bins at harvest. Originally brought over by the Wente family from France in 1912 the clone slowly made its way around several Livermore vineyards until it was certified by UC Davis. Because the most common clone planted of chardonnay is also called Wente this often causes some confusion but yes, Wente is also a clone of pinot noir as well. Our oldest block of pinot is planted to the Wente clone and dates back to 1968. Wente clones tend to be earlier ripeners and are usually harvested first. In wines they are known for producing great flavor profiles and color.

Pommard - The only clone in the Davis repertoire whose origin is cuttings taken directly from a producing European vineyard. The majority of our vineyards planted to Pommard is the original clone, UCD 4 known for producing wines with intense fruit,  mdeium spice and good mid palate complexity.

Dijon- Dijon clones are the most recent and best documented imports from France. We currently have 3 different generic selections of the Dijon clone; 115, 667 and 777. Clone 115 is said to have been selected in Burgundy primarily for its consistency of production. Clones with the higher numbers – 667 and 777  are often appreciated for their impressive fruit concentration and have created great enthusiasm with more recent availability.

Wadenswil- (pronounced Wad-ens-ville) originates from Switzerland and was imported to the US in the 1950’s. Several collections of this clone are planted widely but 2A is the clone that we produce, prized mostly for it’s high-toned berry fruit and notable perfume.

Our range of clones allows us  to experiment in both the vineyard and in production as far as what clone and planting location work the best. In 2007 we changed up our program a little and harvested the Wente and Pommard clones separately, after having blending the two on past vintages.  We plan to bottle them as individual lots this summer….. so stay tuned!

Celebrate Earth Day

John Tyler Wines and Bacigalupi Vineyards consistently strive to incorporate sustainable practices in all areas of our business.  And to celebrate Earth Day we wanted to share some of the new ways we are doing our part.

We farm at the highest levels of sustainability whose core definition states that in accomplishing our goals we do not compromise the earth’s natural resources.  At this stage in the vineyard all the pruning has been finished. The next step will be mowing the grass between the vine rows but this timing must be specific. It is important to wait until the grass has gone to see before mowing, ensuring that these desirable grasses will reseed next year.

2005 Pinot Noir label

It’s not just in the vineyard where it is important to be sustainable. We purchase products and support companies who are environmentally conscience. Our label supplier; Paragon who has provided us with our labels since the launch of our brand in 2002 was certified as a Bay Area Green Business in 2008. They offer tree-free and recycled stock for label printing and go beyond compliance with environmental regulations as well as take extra steps to reduce their water and electrical waste.

We purchase all our shipping supplies from Packaging Plus, a local company with a great selection of 100% recycled molded pulp wine trays. We use these for wine shipping  instead of Styrofoam which is not bio-degradable or recyclable. Molded pulp is durable, easy to store and more cost efficient as well as a better choice for the environment.

Celebrate Earth Day!

Etiquette for visiting wineries by appointment only

Recently we as a winery have been added to the Wine Road map which is one of the best map resources for visitors in the area to be able to find the wineries they would like to visit. Currently until the tasting room is operational we are open to customers who would like to visit the vineyards and taste our wines by appointment only. Many including Acorn, Carol Shelton, Inman Family, and Siduri conduct tastings like this and for various reasons;  the need of specific licenses, facility size and accessibility, production size, staffing ect. Frequently we have people call for appointments and not show up. For this reason I have put together some guidelines for those who plan to visit a winery that is open by appointment only to make your experience, and the wineries experience a pleasurable one:

1. Confirm your appointment
It is always a good idea as the date of your visit gets near to confirm your appointment with the winery.  Life can be crazy and plans change quickly so re-confirming the date and time of your visit help to avoid scheduling conflicts.

2. Expect to provide a payment method when booking the tasting
Some wineries that conduct tastings by appointment tend to require a credit card number to reserve the tasting. This helps to cut down on the amount of visitors that make appointments and then don’t show. Most wineries will not charge a tasting fee if wine is purchased.

3. Be on time
Wineries open by appointment usually require visitors to set a certain date and time. Take some time to plan ahead and allow plenty of driving time. 

4. If you are going to be late, let the winery know
It’s polite and courteous to let the winery know that you are going to be late for your appointment. Make sure you have the address or a map and the phone number of the winery before starting your day. There is nothing worse then expecting a visitor and having a no-show.

Tastings by appointment are great because they allow us as a winery to spend more time with you as a customer so that you can experience the real wine country. Special flights, vineyard tours and being able to meet the winemaker or vintner are all things that can be included with these types of tastings. Following the above guidelines can help ensure a fantastic wine tasting experience

Wine and its ROI

The most recent issue of the NorthBay Business Journal features the Top 500 North Bay Companies for 2008. This is an extensive list of the top performing companies from all over the bay area. Any business you could think of ranging from insurance, law, retail outlets, banks, construction and restaurants you name an industry and it’s on the list. So broad and varied is this list that it’s very impressive. Imagining the workload it would take to compile all this information is staggering. Taking a closer look at the list I noticed quite a few wineries making the top 50 companies. Most of these are not a surprise because they include the likes of Foster’s Wine Estates, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Trinchero and F. Korbel & Bros. Inc. But heading down the list there were more and more “smaller” family run or privately owned operations including C. Donatiello, Seghesio and Foppiano. You can view the entire list here

Overall out of the 500 companies listed, 47 of them or just over 10% were wineries or winery corporations. This helps to put in perspective the amount of income generated from wine and wineries not just here in Sonoma County but the country and worldwide. While not all these wineries are distributed internationally some of them are, which is also an indication that wine consumption across the globe is still stable.  This is not a surprise since recent surveys and research say that despite the economy people are still drinking, and in some cases drinking more but just cheaper products. Well, after all let’s think about it; alcohol makes people feel good, relaxed and makes it easy to forget about the hectic struggles of life. Wine also usually suggests positive feelings and associations; those of family, friends, fun, good food or an occasion. Bringing out a special bottle of wine that has been saved for years and has significant meaning can turn a dull mac and cheese dinner into a feast. Well maybe not totally but you get my point.

Wine is one of the alcoholic beverages where you actually get a pretty good ROI. Think about it…. you buy a $35 2006 Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley, stash it away in your cellar for a few years and pretty soon that winery is advertising the exact same wine you bought as a library wine for $20 more. Now there is always a risk with investing and I guess that would come when occasionally you open up your nicely aged Zinfandel and find out it’s corked but I think that is a risk most are willing to take. Although a wine’s ROI does not come full circle as most don’t re-sell wine they have bought but the return comes more in the form when you get to drink your delicious, finely aged Zinfandel.

John Tyler in Food and Wine Magazine

When you think of food and wine and the combination of the two, for me only one publication comes to mind; Food and Wine Magazine. Covering everything from restaurants, hotels, travel, wine, and recipes on an international level F&W has a little something for everyone. Recently the Russian River Valley Winegrowers and Food and Wine teamed up to showcase some of the beautiful scenery and fantastic wines that the Russian River has to offer. The most recent promotion is in May’s issue and captures the breathtaking vistas of Westside Rd. One of the wineries featured is us! John Tyler is in good company with the names of Davis Bynum and La Crema along with other notable Pinot Noir producers.  RRVG is an important partner in promoting the valley and its growers and helps to bring consumers and wineries together. Like they say “You can’t imagine a more beautiful place to grow great wine.”

Estate Secrets

Poppy Rock, originally uploaded by johntylerwines.

Spring has a way of reminding us how important it is to stop and smell the flowers. Here on the ranch there are several places where you can do just that. The other day I took a little break from a busy day of working in the office and went for a walk, taking along my camera. There is an area hidden from site that is one of my favorite places during the spring time. My Grandpa named it Poppy Rock and it is very appropriately named.  It’s a large rock formation that poppies literally seem to be attracted to. As the poppies bloom they cascade all along the rocks, creating some very beauty scenery. Poppies are most well known for being the California state flower. They are protected by the legislature and therefore it is illegal to pick or destroy them.
While I was back at Poppy Hill taking photos and admiring the flowers all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I see a coyote dash through the trees. We hear them quite frequently at night but this is actually the first time that I ever saw one in person. He was quick and agile and didn’t really give me much of a second thought besides that I probably interrupted his afternoon nap. Wild animals are usually far from my mind while I’m out walking around but this is definitly the time of year to start watching out for rattlesnakes!

 

Feathered Friends

Here on the estate we also have two lakes that my grandparents made when they purchased the property in the early 1950’s. Both lakes are used for irrigation purposes so we do not use water from any municipal source. In the lake are fish; bass mostly and occasionally some other feathered friends. There are several groups of geese that have settled here for the time being, sunning themselves and enjoying a little swim. Wow, it’s rough living in wine country.

Fermenting at Crushpad with Wine 2.0

Nicci at Wine 2.0 event at Crushpad, SF, originally uploaded by johntylerwines.

         Last night Nicci and I attended the Wine 2.0 event at Crushpad in SF that was all about “blending wine and technology. It seems like in every business and industry, technology is often the driving forces behind advancement and expansion. This theory can also very easily be applied to the wine world.  New sites like TwitterTasteLive, Open Wine Consortium, and DrinkthisTV  take wine and the wine tasting experiences to a whole new level. How would you like to swirl and smell an Australian Shiraz while the winemaker, who is in Australia talks you through his favorite characteristics? This is now possible with more and more wineries using sites like Skype and Tokbox to give consumers the ultimate wine tasting experience.….. one which brings dull tasting notes to life in an international way. While walking around the tasting before the big rush I was lucky enough to try out this virtual tasting experience with Lisa Mattson from Wilson Daniels.  Hooked up through Tokbox with headphones I spoke with Grant Burge the winemaker and owner for Grant Burge in Barossa Valley and together we tasted his 2006 Shiraz . My reaction? Everyone has got to try this!!! Tasting notes have now taken a 3 dimensional form. Not only was it an awesome experience to taste wine with a winemaker half way around the world, this platform opens up so many doors for wineries that can’t afford to fly their winemaker out for such an event, but customers still get the opportunity to interact with the producer, virtually. So I guess the question is how “new” is all this technology really? Well for wineries wanting to take advantage of these trends I would advise to start now because as we know technology advances quickly so what’s hot now might be considered passe in no time.

Tokbox Virtual Tasting

 

DrinkthisTV

Twittertastelive

         Having never been to Crushpad before but hearing and reading information about it I was impressed at it’s size for being located in SF. Approx 1,000 people attended the event, definitely a large amount of them were “millennials” , people in the trade and those in online social network channels. Recently the thought came to me that you can sort of compare meeting someone that you are friends with from a site like Facebook or Wine 2.0 for the first time in person to a blind date. You’ve seen their photo, maybe sent them a message or two with casual conversation but the in person meeting and face to face contact can be a little unpredictable. For me there is often that moment of confusion. Why do I recognize you? How do I know you? All of these questions pass through my brain and within a few seconds I must try my best to make the connection. Nonetheless it’s always nice to put a name to a face, and a profile.

         Overall the event was really fun, people showed a genuine interest in the wine and we even poured our inaugural vintage; the 2002 Pinot Noir which for a 7 year old wine is showing fabulously! So if you love wine, technology and social networking, think about joining Wine 2.0; fun events, nice people and good vino….what’s not to like?