Many many many years ago I went to a fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation in San Francisco. There were 60-something Napa and Sonoma wineries in attendance plus a killer silent auction – a dream afternoon, right? The food options, however, were limited – lots of fruit (and yuck-o, fruit with wine? no thanks) and stinky cheese. There is only so much stinky cheese you can consume at one time, so I admit I probably did not have enough food in my system when I hit the wine gauntlet. Was I tasting and spitting? Oh no, drinking it all down, baby! At one point I jumped behind a table to give a bathroom break to a small winery owner whose chardonnay I loved – no malolactic fermentation, not over oaked – it was yummy. So he offered me a free bottle if I would cover his table for him and like any good drunk girl, I sold the heck out of his wine. I started chatting up this cute guy, Lance, and found out very quickly that he had gone to high school with my new boyfriend, Scott (and funnily enough the conversation ended pretty quickly after that bit of information was disclosed… I wonder why?). Shortly thereafter my buds Bradly and Jim decided I had had enough and they led me to Jim’s car, smartly putting me in the front seat, as halfway to my apartment, in the middle of the Castro, Jim had to pull over so I could yack. Really lovely. I was in my late 20s, throwing up in the daylight on 17th Street from drinking too much. Bradly and Jim dumped me off at my apartment and I called Scott and made him come over to take care of me (no, not that way, I mean in the holding my head over the toilet way – ah, new love!). I was hung over for a week. And that, my friends, is how NOT to enjoy a wine tasting event.
The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival was two weekends ago and it has a somewhat deserved reputation for being a crazy booze fest. And on that Saturday it was true: folks in costumes dry humping, cougars asking for Volcano tattoos on their chests, one woman slung back a taste of our wine like a shot of whiskey – it was a spectacle indeed. But Sunday and Friday, the folks more concerned with actually tasting the wine were in attendance and many of them had specific tactics for getting the most out of this great collection of wineries.
1. Eat something before and during the event. Take it from me, this is VERY IMPORTANT.
2. Spit out the tastes. (Yeah, right) No, seriously, it is very difficult to keep track of how much you have consumed when you are having a little taste here and a little taste there. Those little tastes add up very quickly.
3. Take the time to do a little research before the event: Find out what wineries will be in attendance and select 5 or so as your priority. Don’t just visit places you are familiar with. This is a perfect chance to try something new.
4. Start by tasting whites first, then go around and try the reds.
5. If there is a competition associated with the festival, focus on the gold and silver medal winning wines. While it may not be a big time, world renown competition, it will pre-screen the
6. Take notes! Even if it is something as simple as “Wow, that Vineyard Manager from Quail Run is cute!” You’ll be trying lots of wine and meeting many people whilst consuming alcohol – if you want to remember any of it, write it down – or better yet, use that camera on your cell phone to take photos of the bottles you particularly enjoyed.
7. If the festival doesn’t have a Wine Will Call, complain to the organizers. We wineries have been chirping at some of these event folks for years to provide this – it allows you, the customer, to buy your wine at a booth, then pick all the wines your buy throughout the day up at one spot close to the exit. You don’t have to lug around bottles of wine. Basic customer service, wouldn’t you say?
Festival season is underway, Sip in McMinnville is this weekend, and we, Volcano Vineyards, are one of only five Oregon wineries invited to pour at Pebble Beach Food & Wine the weekend of April 16. The next weekend is the Astoria fest. Here in Bend we have the Promenade du Vin/Wine by the River event every fall. The mountains are bringing themselves to you, Mohammed. Take advantage!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Syrah: Sexy and Seductive? Or Sybil?
Last year I had a self proclaimed wine snob in our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge who snorted when I told him our 2004 Syrah was a “cool climate” Syrah. He dismissed me as “spinning” the marketing on our wine. He was obviously an idiot, as that wine won a double gold medal at the Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging. His idea of Syrah was the big, fat, flabby high alcohol fruit-bomb wine typically coming out of Walla Walla, parts of California and Australia (where they call is Shiraz – yes, same grape). So, not only was he a blow-hard who really wasn’t quite the wine connoisseur he fancied himself to be, but his palate has yet to evolve enough to appreciate elegant, refined Syrahs.
Settle down, I am only kidding - he is perfectly fine preferring one style of Syrah over another, but I do wish he would realize that it is a stylistic preference (and often dictated by climate – I don’t think we could ever do a high-alcohol Syrah from Lakeside Vineyard – it just doesn’t get that hot there).
I realize that it is very hip these days to be in love with syrah from Walla Walla. Especially here in Bend, it seems to have a cult-like following. And with good reason. I have complete admiration for the Walla Walla wineries, in fact, I am downright jealous of what they have been able to do over the last ten years: a cohesive, united marketing effort coupled with self policing has elevated the region to world class status. Mark Retz from Zerba Cellars will tell you that they absolutely have a marketplace advantage with Walla Walla on their label.
Scott made our Volcano Vineyards 2006 Fortmiller Syrah in a “Walla Walla” style – very fruity, higher alcohol than we usually have, longer aging in oak. That is what people expect when they order a Walla Walla syrah: a big, bold, fruity explosion of luscious, almost inky wine. It’s a style that has its place: for example, when you are sitting in front of the fire having wine for dinner. If you are planning, however, to have wine WITH dinner, a more subtle syrah – and yes, it is sometimes referred to as a “cool-climate” Syrah - would probably be your best choice.
I hereby confess to being uncool. I prefer my Syrahs refined, elegant, well balanced and generally lower in alcohol. A personal choice, a matter of taste, a stylistic preference.
The big, bold, high alcohol wines are perfect to have on their own since once you’ve tasted them, it is difficult to taste anything else – your palate is blown. When in a restaurant, I find that if I am spending more than $10 on food, I would really like to be able to taste what I am eating.
So the big bold fruit bomb wines knock your socks off on first sip, then… kablam! Your mouth goes nearly numb. And these fruit bombs can be any varietal from any region – it is a winemaker choice to let the fruit hang until the sugars (which convert to alcohol during fermentation) hit high numbers. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense. After all, the fruit bombs are the big sellers these days, the consumers seem to prefer them. The glossy wine mags, despite their editorial musings on the flaws of high alcohol wines, consistently award them scores in the 90s.
There are higher alcohol wines out there that retain some acidity and have decent structure – and keeping that acidic backbone is the key. I recently had a Pinot Noir with a 16% alcohol – very unusual for a Pinot Noir - and it was lovely, a perfect complement to duck. But frankly, if I am going to polish off a bottle of wine, I’d rather not be hung over the next day. (And no, for anyone getting his judgmental hackles in a twist, I do not consume a bottle of wine a night on a regular basis. By myself, that is. Scott and I do usually split a bottle a night, but after all, we are professionals. Sheesh.)
For me, wine is food, and its purpose is to be part of a memorable meal. When made in a well-balanced, well-structured style, Syrah is one of the most food friendly of the red wines, paring with the traditional “red” foods, like steak, mushrooms and game, but it also perfectly complements salty and bitter foods, such as olive tapenade, roasted vegetables, and lighter fare accented with lemons or capers. It is a great option for vegetarian fare.
So save that big crazy fruit bomb wine for an afternoon when you aren’t going anywhere and aren’t having dinner for a few hours. You’ll find it pairs perfectly with mid afternoons and soul searching conversations.
Originally published on: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/
Settle down, I am only kidding - he is perfectly fine preferring one style of Syrah over another, but I do wish he would realize that it is a stylistic preference (and often dictated by climate – I don’t think we could ever do a high-alcohol Syrah from Lakeside Vineyard – it just doesn’t get that hot there).
I realize that it is very hip these days to be in love with syrah from Walla Walla. Especially here in Bend, it seems to have a cult-like following. And with good reason. I have complete admiration for the Walla Walla wineries, in fact, I am downright jealous of what they have been able to do over the last ten years: a cohesive, united marketing effort coupled with self policing has elevated the region to world class status. Mark Retz from Zerba Cellars will tell you that they absolutely have a marketplace advantage with Walla Walla on their label.
Scott made our Volcano Vineyards 2006 Fortmiller Syrah in a “Walla Walla” style – very fruity, higher alcohol than we usually have, longer aging in oak. That is what people expect when they order a Walla Walla syrah: a big, bold, fruity explosion of luscious, almost inky wine. It’s a style that has its place: for example, when you are sitting in front of the fire having wine for dinner. If you are planning, however, to have wine WITH dinner, a more subtle syrah – and yes, it is sometimes referred to as a “cool-climate” Syrah - would probably be your best choice.
I hereby confess to being uncool. I prefer my Syrahs refined, elegant, well balanced and generally lower in alcohol. A personal choice, a matter of taste, a stylistic preference.
The big, bold, high alcohol wines are perfect to have on their own since once you’ve tasted them, it is difficult to taste anything else – your palate is blown. When in a restaurant, I find that if I am spending more than $10 on food, I would really like to be able to taste what I am eating.
So the big bold fruit bomb wines knock your socks off on first sip, then… kablam! Your mouth goes nearly numb. And these fruit bombs can be any varietal from any region – it is a winemaker choice to let the fruit hang until the sugars (which convert to alcohol during fermentation) hit high numbers. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense. After all, the fruit bombs are the big sellers these days, the consumers seem to prefer them. The glossy wine mags, despite their editorial musings on the flaws of high alcohol wines, consistently award them scores in the 90s.
There are higher alcohol wines out there that retain some acidity and have decent structure – and keeping that acidic backbone is the key. I recently had a Pinot Noir with a 16% alcohol – very unusual for a Pinot Noir - and it was lovely, a perfect complement to duck. But frankly, if I am going to polish off a bottle of wine, I’d rather not be hung over the next day. (And no, for anyone getting his judgmental hackles in a twist, I do not consume a bottle of wine a night on a regular basis. By myself, that is. Scott and I do usually split a bottle a night, but after all, we are professionals. Sheesh.)
For me, wine is food, and its purpose is to be part of a memorable meal. When made in a well-balanced, well-structured style, Syrah is one of the most food friendly of the red wines, paring with the traditional “red” foods, like steak, mushrooms and game, but it also perfectly complements salty and bitter foods, such as olive tapenade, roasted vegetables, and lighter fare accented with lemons or capers. It is a great option for vegetarian fare.
So save that big crazy fruit bomb wine for an afternoon when you aren’t going anywhere and aren’t having dinner for a few hours. You’ll find it pairs perfectly with mid afternoons and soul searching conversations.
Originally published on: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Newport Seafood and Drunk, eerrr, I mean, Wine Festival
Wine is all about aromas. Scents, fragrance, and bouquet are of primary importance. If nothing else, this week has been a week of varied smells.
We arrived in Newport early last week and learned a little something on the journey. Our youngest son is indeed susceptible to car sickness: last year’s vomiting incident was no fluke. But while last time he threw up after we got out of the car, this year it happened right there in the backseat. All over his Spiderman suit, his booster seat, the floor. Mmmmmm mmmmm good. Then we get to the house to find that a short in the electrical box caused the electricity to have gone out days earlier. And all the crab bait in the freezer was no longer frozen. Or fresh. So while Scott was cleaning out the minivan (and really, were they not designed with kiddo’s eliminations in mind?) I was suppressing my gag reflex to clean out the rotting fish. And despite three pounds of baking soda there is still a whisper, the merest hint of brininess in the air when we open the freezer. Ah. The sea.
Many, many winery people warned us that the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival is a crazy booze-fest of drunk twenty-somethings (and I know what you are thinking – what in the world is wrong with that???). But I’d have to say that out of the three days of the festival that only held true for Saturday, which was a spectacle indeed. Folks dress up in costumes, everyone screams when someone breaks a glass (and inevitably people start breaking glasses on purpose, and are quickly shown the door). I think its boozy rep is a bit overblown. While lots of places were complaining their sales were down 50% from last year, we felt the weekend was a great success – we’d never been here before so anything over breaking even was a bonus. Our 2006 Merlot won Gold here at Newport and we sold out of it and the 2005 Bordeaux Blend quickly. This was the perfect place for our Magmita Sangria.
The Newport Chamber of Commerce, who hosts the event, and the OLCC are of course well aware of the "festiveness" of this festival and they have set very strict guidelines for what we can and cannot do. Taste and glass pours we being closely monitored, no open bottles were to leave tasting areas, and the place was crawling with police. If a winery were to violate the OLCC regulations, hefty fines – and I am talking thousands of dollars – were levied. So of course there is the a-hole who comes up to us as things were winding down on Saturday and says that he "would have bought a case” except he felt “gyped” on his glass pour, so he wasn’t going to buy anything. Did he say anything at the time he got his glass? Of course not. Was he actually planning on buying a case? I seriously doubt it. What a bunch of BS. Like we are supposed to risk a hefty fine so he can get a quicker buzz? I don’t think so. But these few festival buttheads make for great stories later.
As we usually find at these events, most folks are so friendly, they love wine and are interested mostly having fun while trying great wines and yummy food. And a remarkable number of people were over for the weekend from Bend and had never heard of us. These events are a great excuse to get spend a long weekend away doing the wino and foodie thing on a budget. We’ll be at Sip in McMinnville the weekend of March 13, but we won’t be at Astoria, as it is right after Pebble Beach Food & Wine – that one, not so much for the budget conscious, but if you have the means, I highly suggest checking it out. If you go, be sure to look for me – I’ll be the one chatting up Eric Ripert. Or trying to, anyway.
We arrived in Newport early last week and learned a little something on the journey. Our youngest son is indeed susceptible to car sickness: last year’s vomiting incident was no fluke. But while last time he threw up after we got out of the car, this year it happened right there in the backseat. All over his Spiderman suit, his booster seat, the floor. Mmmmmm mmmmm good. Then we get to the house to find that a short in the electrical box caused the electricity to have gone out days earlier. And all the crab bait in the freezer was no longer frozen. Or fresh. So while Scott was cleaning out the minivan (and really, were they not designed with kiddo’s eliminations in mind?) I was suppressing my gag reflex to clean out the rotting fish. And despite three pounds of baking soda there is still a whisper, the merest hint of brininess in the air when we open the freezer. Ah. The sea.
Many, many winery people warned us that the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival is a crazy booze-fest of drunk twenty-somethings (and I know what you are thinking – what in the world is wrong with that???). But I’d have to say that out of the three days of the festival that only held true for Saturday, which was a spectacle indeed. Folks dress up in costumes, everyone screams when someone breaks a glass (and inevitably people start breaking glasses on purpose, and are quickly shown the door). I think its boozy rep is a bit overblown. While lots of places were complaining their sales were down 50% from last year, we felt the weekend was a great success – we’d never been here before so anything over breaking even was a bonus. Our 2006 Merlot won Gold here at Newport and we sold out of it and the 2005 Bordeaux Blend quickly. This was the perfect place for our Magmita Sangria.
The Newport Chamber of Commerce, who hosts the event, and the OLCC are of course well aware of the "festiveness" of this festival and they have set very strict guidelines for what we can and cannot do. Taste and glass pours we being closely monitored, no open bottles were to leave tasting areas, and the place was crawling with police. If a winery were to violate the OLCC regulations, hefty fines – and I am talking thousands of dollars – were levied. So of course there is the a-hole who comes up to us as things were winding down on Saturday and says that he "would have bought a case” except he felt “gyped” on his glass pour, so he wasn’t going to buy anything. Did he say anything at the time he got his glass? Of course not. Was he actually planning on buying a case? I seriously doubt it. What a bunch of BS. Like we are supposed to risk a hefty fine so he can get a quicker buzz? I don’t think so. But these few festival buttheads make for great stories later.
As we usually find at these events, most folks are so friendly, they love wine and are interested mostly having fun while trying great wines and yummy food. And a remarkable number of people were over for the weekend from Bend and had never heard of us. These events are a great excuse to get spend a long weekend away doing the wino and foodie thing on a budget. We’ll be at Sip in McMinnville the weekend of March 13, but we won’t be at Astoria, as it is right after Pebble Beach Food & Wine – that one, not so much for the budget conscious, but if you have the means, I highly suggest checking it out. If you go, be sure to look for me – I’ll be the one chatting up Eric Ripert. Or trying to, anyway.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Blah Blah Blog
My first blog for BendNights.com is now live. To read it, and other edgy Bend bloggy stuff, check out: http://bendnights.com/blog/category/from-the-vine/
I can't imagine having enough to say to do this blog and the BendNights blog, but I'll give it a shot.
So, how 'bout this weather we've been having?
All righty, a quick update on us. We are looking for a bigger Tasting Lounge space Downtown, and are hoping to find someone to sublease the Brooks Street spot. I am happy to say we’ve outgrown that location, and want to start doing more events in the Tasting Lounge, like wine dinners and technical tastings. We are still also working on getting a production facility up and running here in Bend by this summer – gotta get that Magmita Sangria bottled!
We started looking for investors for the Magmita Sangria and the Magna Wines last summer, but put everything on hold once it became clear the economy was tanking. I don't think we had a really clear picture of what our next step was going to be - Scott was thinking we might have to move to southern Oregon, I wanted to stay in Bend, were we going to use our current winery facility for the second labels or build our own and if so, how tricked out would it be... many, many uncertainties. But we seem to have narrowed our focus and as long as I can get Scott to stop coming up with new ideas ("Hey, let's do a whole line of frozen chicken called Lava Clucks" - it's maddening - somthing new every day) I will have our new business plan done by early March. It is all becoming clear to me now.
I can't imagine having enough to say to do this blog and the BendNights blog, but I'll give it a shot.
So, how 'bout this weather we've been having?
All righty, a quick update on us. We are looking for a bigger Tasting Lounge space Downtown, and are hoping to find someone to sublease the Brooks Street spot. I am happy to say we’ve outgrown that location, and want to start doing more events in the Tasting Lounge, like wine dinners and technical tastings. We are still also working on getting a production facility up and running here in Bend by this summer – gotta get that Magmita Sangria bottled!
We started looking for investors for the Magmita Sangria and the Magna Wines last summer, but put everything on hold once it became clear the economy was tanking. I don't think we had a really clear picture of what our next step was going to be - Scott was thinking we might have to move to southern Oregon, I wanted to stay in Bend, were we going to use our current winery facility for the second labels or build our own and if so, how tricked out would it be... many, many uncertainties. But we seem to have narrowed our focus and as long as I can get Scott to stop coming up with new ideas ("Hey, let's do a whole line of frozen chicken called Lava Clucks" - it's maddening - somthing new every day) I will have our new business plan done by early March. It is all becoming clear to me now.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Double Double Gold
First blog of 2009 and I have good news. The results of the Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging are out and we got TWO DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS: one for the Lava Red, and one for the 2006 Lakeside/Serenade Syrah. The ’05 Syrah got just plain old Gold, same with the ’06 Merlot.
The Platinum Judging is an invitation-only competition for Pacific Northwest wines. To qualify, wines must have won a gold medal or better in a major national or international wine competition during the previous year. To earn a DOUBLE GOLD, all the judges must agree that the wine is a gold medalist. To get a roomful of varied palates to agree on something like that is quite a feat.(Don’t you love that visual? A room of palates – it reminds me of that weird circus troupe that used to be on Northern Exposure every once in a while. Their ring leader was the guy who plays Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street and he was in love with Marilyn. Ah… I loved Northern Exposure!).
We will be taking it easy the rest of January, filling out our year end reports to states we ship to, compiling our OLCC Privilege Tax statement, pulling together our 2008 financials – all that fun stuff. We’ve cut back the tasting room to four days a week, and will try to catch our breath. Scott is working with Doug Hough, our designer, on the labels for 2007 and finalizing the designs for the Magmita and Magna lines. Things pick up in February with the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival the weekend of the 20th. And we are hoping to pull together a wine dinner this winter sometime – stay tuned!
The Platinum Judging is an invitation-only competition for Pacific Northwest wines. To qualify, wines must have won a gold medal or better in a major national or international wine competition during the previous year. To earn a DOUBLE GOLD, all the judges must agree that the wine is a gold medalist. To get a roomful of varied palates to agree on something like that is quite a feat.(Don’t you love that visual? A room of palates – it reminds me of that weird circus troupe that used to be on Northern Exposure every once in a while. Their ring leader was the guy who plays Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street and he was in love with Marilyn. Ah… I loved Northern Exposure!).
We will be taking it easy the rest of January, filling out our year end reports to states we ship to, compiling our OLCC Privilege Tax statement, pulling together our 2008 financials – all that fun stuff. We’ve cut back the tasting room to four days a week, and will try to catch our breath. Scott is working with Doug Hough, our designer, on the labels for 2007 and finalizing the designs for the Magmita and Magna lines. Things pick up in February with the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival the weekend of the 20th. And we are hoping to pull together a wine dinner this winter sometime – stay tuned!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Kissing 2008 Good-Bye
In our December newsletter, I hit a nerve – I have never gotten so many comments on a newsletter before, and there was one particular line that seemed to resonate with people, and in case you missed it, here it is:
Scott and I have been on the precipice of financial ruin for the last 3 three year. Welcome to our world.
We were flooded with folks dropping into the Tasting Lounge to commiserate. Those moments were the highlight of this holiday season.
But I am not sure if it is easier or more difficult to maintain a positive attitude now that everyone else is in our boat. The emotional roller coaster of owning our own business has gone from highs and lows oscillating month to month to a daily ride. One hour we are on top of the world; the next, things seems bleak. We strive to maintain perspective, focus on the big picture, be thankful for what we have, live in The Now, all of that. Lately, it has become our mantra. Great on a macro level.
But let’s get real. On a micro level, the daily stress is suffocating. It is frustrating for us, as we are right in the range we predicted in our projections, falling between best case and worst case. Our sales are up almost 30% over last year. What is killing us right now? Debt servicing and cash flow.
So, yes, I confess, we do have high consumer debt – but allow me to defend myself. And frankly, it seems we do need to defend ourselves these days since the BIG BANKS are trying to deflect their questionable practices by blaming the little guy – we were apparently too greedy, too impatient, too materialistic. What about those of us who have been squeezed so tightly that we had to use credit cards to buy basic necessities? Groceries, gas, health care, etc.
Scott and I are absolutely, astoundingly in credit card debt. And no, we did not buy a boat or a flat screen TV, we used those credit cards for the business and for basic life stuff (and yes, I do mean groceries, health care, etc). Mr. Visa and Ms. MasterCard helped finance harvest one year and we are still paying it off. And we have been paying it, methodically, every month.
So why, then, did I just receive notice from THE BIG BANK that they would be increasing my interest rate? And they are a bank getting BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in bailout money from the government (read: the taxpayers). I guess they figure all us cardholders should pay, as word on the street is that they raised rates across the board – because they can.
All they’ve done now is increase my monthly minimum to them without allowing me to bring down my balance. And frankly, if it comes down to the choice between paying my credit card bill and buying food for my little boys, guess which one I am going to pick? What are they going to do, ding my credit rating? Knock yourselves out. I am a small business owner; my credit has been shot since we started this venture. My priorities are NOT about keeping big bank executives in their McMansions for the good of the American economy, but about keeping my family housed and healthy and keeping my business viable. Scott and I joke that we have almost a million dollars in “liquid assets” (the wine) that are anything but liquid. I wish there were a bank that would consider it as collateral, but while banks will foreclose on a house, they don’t want to be in the wine business (hmmm – maybe that should clue us in… haha).
What disgusts me even further is “they” can hide behind the twisted rationale that it is not personal, it’s “just business.” Why is it acceptable to excuse their practices as justifiable because it improves their “bottom line?”
And for that matter, why oh why are the 49ers wasting away the talents of Michael Robinson??? Next season, try the guy at quarterback!!!
Five great things that happened this year (we try to do this every night with the boys – it is very fun and a great way to get them to remember the good stuff).
Scott and I have been on the precipice of financial ruin for the last 3 three year. Welcome to our world.
We were flooded with folks dropping into the Tasting Lounge to commiserate. Those moments were the highlight of this holiday season.
But I am not sure if it is easier or more difficult to maintain a positive attitude now that everyone else is in our boat. The emotional roller coaster of owning our own business has gone from highs and lows oscillating month to month to a daily ride. One hour we are on top of the world; the next, things seems bleak. We strive to maintain perspective, focus on the big picture, be thankful for what we have, live in The Now, all of that. Lately, it has become our mantra. Great on a macro level.
But let’s get real. On a micro level, the daily stress is suffocating. It is frustrating for us, as we are right in the range we predicted in our projections, falling between best case and worst case. Our sales are up almost 30% over last year. What is killing us right now? Debt servicing and cash flow.
So, yes, I confess, we do have high consumer debt – but allow me to defend myself. And frankly, it seems we do need to defend ourselves these days since the BIG BANKS are trying to deflect their questionable practices by blaming the little guy – we were apparently too greedy, too impatient, too materialistic. What about those of us who have been squeezed so tightly that we had to use credit cards to buy basic necessities? Groceries, gas, health care, etc.
Scott and I are absolutely, astoundingly in credit card debt. And no, we did not buy a boat or a flat screen TV, we used those credit cards for the business and for basic life stuff (and yes, I do mean groceries, health care, etc). Mr. Visa and Ms. MasterCard helped finance harvest one year and we are still paying it off. And we have been paying it, methodically, every month.
So why, then, did I just receive notice from THE BIG BANK that they would be increasing my interest rate? And they are a bank getting BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in bailout money from the government (read: the taxpayers). I guess they figure all us cardholders should pay, as word on the street is that they raised rates across the board – because they can.
All they’ve done now is increase my monthly minimum to them without allowing me to bring down my balance. And frankly, if it comes down to the choice between paying my credit card bill and buying food for my little boys, guess which one I am going to pick? What are they going to do, ding my credit rating? Knock yourselves out. I am a small business owner; my credit has been shot since we started this venture. My priorities are NOT about keeping big bank executives in their McMansions for the good of the American economy, but about keeping my family housed and healthy and keeping my business viable. Scott and I joke that we have almost a million dollars in “liquid assets” (the wine) that are anything but liquid. I wish there were a bank that would consider it as collateral, but while banks will foreclose on a house, they don’t want to be in the wine business (hmmm – maybe that should clue us in… haha).
What disgusts me even further is “they” can hide behind the twisted rationale that it is not personal, it’s “just business.” Why is it acceptable to excuse their practices as justifiable because it improves their “bottom line?”
And for that matter, why oh why are the 49ers wasting away the talents of Michael Robinson??? Next season, try the guy at quarterback!!!
Five great things that happened this year (we try to do this every night with the boys – it is very fun and a great way to get them to remember the good stuff).
- No more diapers at Chez Ratcliff! And yes, that includes Scott. haha
- My brother finally got his liver transplant. He is still in the hospital. His donor was a fellow who is in his church. That someone would risk their life is such a deliberate, contemplated way renews my faith in the human race.
- I got my faith back. And by that, I mean faith in Volcano Vineyards. At times this year, I was seriously doubting what we had gotten ourselves into and struggling with not knowing where the path was leading. I am still not sure, but I am now okay with not being sure. Everything in my life has turned out fine so far, especially when things didn’t go exactly as I wanted them to. I expect this, ultimately, to be the same.
- Scott and I saw The Police. I love, love, love Stewart Copeland. The best part is that we had two more nutso Stuart Copeland fans right in front of us and watching them be as excited as kids on Christmas morning made it that much more fun for me. And for anyone getting a bit judgee-wudgee on me, let me clarify that the concert was a complete surprise to me which Scott arranged on his own, paying for it by selling some of his most prized possessions, we brought our own food and after the show, we slept in our car. For the record, I love Miles Copeland, too. The man is a genius and I try to model our marketing and PR by his example. Yes, that will take some explaining and I will do so in another blog.
- Our 2005 Syrah won Best of Show at the National Women’s Wine Competition. The day we found out we had won was a very good day.
Looking ahead, we have great plans for 2009, exciting products to launch, great ideas, lots of hope and anticipation. I try to see the fun in navigating this challenging situation, how I can outsmart the circumstances. A great exercise in creativity, if nothing else.
When I was mulling over 2008 a few weeks ago, a friend asked why I couldn’t ‘start fresh’ right then and there, that very day (which was early December), why wait until New Year’s Day? Well, I see life as a process: change rarely happens in one day, so in effect, we are starting our new phase today and yesterday and next week. But my brain likes categories, it likes a start and a finish, it likes wholeness. If I can asses 2008 as a unit, put in a box, seal it up and stick it on the shelf, you bet I’ll do it. It’s a ritual, a sense of closure, a cleansing. Then I can glance back at it when I need to, but the dwelling in it is over. Venting is part of that as well. Thanks for reading my vent.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Quick 2008 Harvest Update
We harvested Fortmiller Vineyard last Thursday, the 30th, our latest harvest yet. The grapes, as expected, looked stellar.
For the Lakeside Vineyard Syrah grapes, Scott is trying something new this year – we harvested 7 tons, and fermented two of those tons whole cluster, meaning the stems were still attached. Because of the freeze, the stems were brown and dry, and should add a soft tannin overtone we haven’t had in our syrahs in the past.
For the Lakeside Vineyard Syrah grapes, Scott is trying something new this year – we harvested 7 tons, and fermented two of those tons whole cluster, meaning the stems were still attached. Because of the freeze, the stems were brown and dry, and should add a soft tannin overtone we haven’t had in our syrahs in the past.
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