Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Sorry about the last venting post!
Wow a lot of venom came out there! Where was that from? I did not mean for it to get so out of hand!
But I guess it had to get let out, because after that I had a really good day of sales. So go figure.
It would have been a great day but for two things - one: I got the news that Tom Leykis' show is going to go off the air - now I know my readers may not be huge fans of Tom Leykis, but this is my entertainment in the afternoon on the radio..... all these callers and Tom with his unique approach to life.... I can't believe HE is being laid off due to this crappy economic environment.
The second thing is that I heard from my friend who works for one of the big food wholesalers, and she actually told me that HOSPITALS are defaulting on their invoices, ie. not paying their bills. I guess health care is not immune to this current economic suck-hole.
Okay there I have gone on to the negative side again. Sorry!
But seriously, there is still a lot of great stuff in life, life is good, life is awesome, there are a lot of great people, and I am very grateful.
Cheers everyone!
But I guess it had to get let out, because after that I had a really good day of sales. So go figure.
It would have been a great day but for two things - one: I got the news that Tom Leykis' show is going to go off the air - now I know my readers may not be huge fans of Tom Leykis, but this is my entertainment in the afternoon on the radio..... all these callers and Tom with his unique approach to life.... I can't believe HE is being laid off due to this crappy economic environment.
The second thing is that I heard from my friend who works for one of the big food wholesalers, and she actually told me that HOSPITALS are defaulting on their invoices, ie. not paying their bills. I guess health care is not immune to this current economic suck-hole.
Okay there I have gone on to the negative side again. Sorry!
But seriously, there is still a lot of great stuff in life, life is good, life is awesome, there are a lot of great people, and I am very grateful.
Cheers everyone!
Wine Comments that Drive Me Crazy
Funny thing, I stole this entire title from my friend Samantha's blog (Samantha Sans Dosage).... she wrote a great list of wine comments from customers that are just simply difficult to respond to - stuff like "I need a wine recommendation - where are the wine guys?" and "I'm not a wine connaisseur."
So I decided that I probably have a list of some of mine that I encounter in my job in wholesale selling German wine. Here are some that come to mind:
"You know, German wine doesn't really sell."
All right then, should I just go home and go back to bed?
Or my other response in my head: making a funny face and thinking - "What the hell? I've been in retail the last three years and nothing sold better in my hands than a bottle of well made German Riesling. And after a little introduction, I even got people to ask for German Spatburgunder by name. What do you mean German wine doesn't sell? Oh you mean you actually have to do your JOB and show your customers something a little different, something more than what they already came in knowing? Wow! I'm sorry!"
"You know, Riesling doesn't really sell." or its cousin, "We don't sell much Riesling."
Really? Shocking. One of the greatest noble grapes of the world which expresses its terroir in the most transparent way... why would this sell? Oh, I'm sorry, you mean you have to do your job. Pardon me.
Seriously though, I know people are going to order their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I know. You don't need to tell me. I already know. I'm just saying that having some Riesling on your list or in your repetoire may be beneficial for rounding you out and making you differentiated from all the other joints that are your competitors. You are in the wine business. Have you no creativity or love for wine? Or do you just try to put J. Lohr everything on your list and call it a day?
"You know, I love German Riesling, I really do, it is great, it just doesn't sell."
Again, sorry. Tiring comment. All this means is you don't know how to sell.
"We are looking for a $10 Riesling that we can pour by the glass (and charge $12 a glass for.) But we don't buy anything you can buy in stores."
Oh, you want an inexpensive Riesling but just one case a month, but I cannot sell it retail. Thank you for thinking this way. It takes reality into account.
"That's sweet."
Really. When you drink Orange Juice do you recoil in horror, saying "That's sweet!"? When you bite into a fresh apple, do you grimace and say "That's sweet!"? What else are you tasting in the wine? Anything? Anybody? Bueller??
"That's all you sell? German wine?"
Yes. We are importers. We try not to diversify too much. Just like you are a Japanese/Italian/Steakhouse restaurant. Focusing is good. It makes you an expert in the field.
"We're in bed with Southern. They print our wine list and everything."
And you admit that out loud???
"We get too great a deal with Southern. We don't deal with anybody else. Sorry."
Great! Should we all go back to bed then? Thanks!
Honestly, their Riesling comes out of a factory. Ours comes out of family owned estates that date back for centuries.
"Can I just order one case of wine? No, I can't pay the delivery charge."
Okay, let me hand deliver it to you. It will be my pleasure. I love loading docks. They excite me.
"But the wine I am now serving by the glass is just $6 for a 1.5 L bottle. Yeah, people seem to like it."
I have no words.
"You know, I just don't Riesling."
So..... why did you ask me to come down here and open bottles for you?
So I decided that I probably have a list of some of mine that I encounter in my job in wholesale selling German wine. Here are some that come to mind:
"You know, German wine doesn't really sell."
All right then, should I just go home and go back to bed?
Or my other response in my head: making a funny face and thinking - "What the hell? I've been in retail the last three years and nothing sold better in my hands than a bottle of well made German Riesling. And after a little introduction, I even got people to ask for German Spatburgunder by name. What do you mean German wine doesn't sell? Oh you mean you actually have to do your JOB and show your customers something a little different, something more than what they already came in knowing? Wow! I'm sorry!"
"You know, Riesling doesn't really sell." or its cousin, "We don't sell much Riesling."
Really? Shocking. One of the greatest noble grapes of the world which expresses its terroir in the most transparent way... why would this sell? Oh, I'm sorry, you mean you have to do your job. Pardon me.
Seriously though, I know people are going to order their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I know. You don't need to tell me. I already know. I'm just saying that having some Riesling on your list or in your repetoire may be beneficial for rounding you out and making you differentiated from all the other joints that are your competitors. You are in the wine business. Have you no creativity or love for wine? Or do you just try to put J. Lohr everything on your list and call it a day?
"You know, I love German Riesling, I really do, it is great, it just doesn't sell."
Again, sorry. Tiring comment. All this means is you don't know how to sell.
"We are looking for a $10 Riesling that we can pour by the glass (and charge $12 a glass for.) But we don't buy anything you can buy in stores."
Oh, you want an inexpensive Riesling but just one case a month, but I cannot sell it retail. Thank you for thinking this way. It takes reality into account.
"That's sweet."
Really. When you drink Orange Juice do you recoil in horror, saying "That's sweet!"? When you bite into a fresh apple, do you grimace and say "That's sweet!"? What else are you tasting in the wine? Anything? Anybody? Bueller??
"That's all you sell? German wine?"
Yes. We are importers. We try not to diversify too much. Just like you are a Japanese/Italian/Steakhouse restaurant. Focusing is good. It makes you an expert in the field.
"We're in bed with Southern. They print our wine list and everything."
And you admit that out loud???
"We get too great a deal with Southern. We don't deal with anybody else. Sorry."
Great! Should we all go back to bed then? Thanks!
Honestly, their Riesling comes out of a factory. Ours comes out of family owned estates that date back for centuries.
"Can I just order one case of wine? No, I can't pay the delivery charge."
Okay, let me hand deliver it to you. It will be my pleasure. I love loading docks. They excite me.
"But the wine I am now serving by the glass is just $6 for a 1.5 L bottle. Yeah, people seem to like it."
I have no words.
"You know, I just don't Riesling."
So..... why did you ask me to come down here and open bottles for you?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Winter Vineyards
A stark contrast to what one sees in September, say, but beautiful nonetheless.
Schnaitmann vineyards in Fellbach, Wurttemburg:
Rudolf Furst vineyards in Franken:
The Brauneberger Juffer, view from Fritz Haag winery:
View out the window from Wegeler Mosel:
View out the window at Karthauserhof in the Ruwer:
A view outside the Meyer-Nakel winery in Dernau in the Ahr Valley ("Are we Dernau?" Joke credit goes to Brent Wiest)
Urziger Wurzgarten in the background, with the Monchhof winery in the foreground:
Not tourist season, as you can see, but wow, the pruning is certainly a ton of work!
Schnaitmann vineyards in Fellbach, Wurttemburg:
Rudolf Furst vineyards in Franken:
The Brauneberger Juffer, view from Fritz Haag winery:
View out the window from Wegeler Mosel:
View out the window at Karthauserhof in the Ruwer:
A view outside the Meyer-Nakel winery in Dernau in the Ahr Valley ("Are we Dernau?" Joke credit goes to Brent Wiest)
Urziger Wurzgarten in the background, with the Monchhof winery in the foreground:
Not tourist season, as you can see, but wow, the pruning is certainly a ton of work!
Winery Soups
Nothing warms you heart and soul like homemade soup at a winery in Germany. When tasting those high-acid unfiltered barrel and tank samples in the dead of winter, what can neutralize that empty feeling in the gut? Oh, I already told you: winery soups.
Here is a wild boar soup from Rudolf Furst, the Pinot Noir specialist in Franken:
Here is my second bowl of soup from Zilliken in the Saar. Note the little dumplings and things:
The following two soups were made and consumed at Gunderloch. The first was a multi-bean soup that ate like a chili:
And the second soup was the first course at dinner - a classic German potato soup, delicious with 2006 Gunderloch 3-star Auslese, a dry-styled Auslese that is fantastic with food.
There were also soups at Pfeffingen (a goulash-type soup) and Schloss Lieser (cream of asparagus) which I did not take photos of, but you get the idea.
Here is a wild boar soup from Rudolf Furst, the Pinot Noir specialist in Franken:
Here is my second bowl of soup from Zilliken in the Saar. Note the little dumplings and things:
The following two soups were made and consumed at Gunderloch. The first was a multi-bean soup that ate like a chili:
And the second soup was the first course at dinner - a classic German potato soup, delicious with 2006 Gunderloch 3-star Auslese, a dry-styled Auslese that is fantastic with food.
There were also soups at Pfeffingen (a goulash-type soup) and Schloss Lieser (cream of asparagus) which I did not take photos of, but you get the idea.
Wine Personalities
Christophe Graf & others at Von Buhl, along with Rudi Wiest:
Norbert Breit at Wegeler Mosel:
Christophe Tyrell at Karthauserhof:
Hanno Zilliken of Zilliken, standing next to Rudi:
Bert Simon of Bert Simon Winery:
Max von Kunow of Von Hovel Estate:
Robert Eymael of Monchhof:
Werner & Mieke Nakel (father and daughter) of Meyer-Nakel:
Gunter Kunstler of Kunstler Estate:
Fritz Hasselbach of Gunderloch, Agnes Hasselbach behind him:
Norbert Breit at Wegeler Mosel:
Christophe Tyrell at Karthauserhof:
Hanno Zilliken of Zilliken, standing next to Rudi:
Bert Simon of Bert Simon Winery:
Max von Kunow of Von Hovel Estate:
Robert Eymael of Monchhof:
Werner & Mieke Nakel (father and daughter) of Meyer-Nakel:
Volker Raumland of Sekthaus Raumland:
Gunter Kunstler of Kunstler Estate:
Fritz Hasselbach of Gunderloch, Agnes Hasselbach behind him:
Rudi & Erna Wiest of Rudi Wiest Selections/Cellars International:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)