One too many martinis...I'm a big fan of rolling the dice with this method of decision making...whether good or bad, it's gonna be epic and memorable!
What a wonderful interview! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I've never felt particularly drawn to California...but I now find myself wanting to visit Alexander Valley and AVV specifically. It's always impressive when wineries can deliver quality and satisfaction at comfortable price points. And hearing Katie's thoughts on the 3 tier system is so interesting (I've always found it such a complicated choice to keep using).
Weirdly enough, despite feeling distanced from Cali, I think there are quite a few similarities between California and the Western Cape...a recent fire in Hermanus (in the middle of winter!!) is another reminder that fires are a real threat.
Also...look at your sweet, handsome faces!!! Thanks for the great read!
Definitely similarities, both in terms of the climate (and microclimates) and the varieties used. I don't know what the California wine selection is like in the Cape, but if the import system is anything like it is here I would guess it is a mix of mass market wines and wildly overpriced wines that have gotten enough attention to attract distributors? If you have the chance, definitely try some AVV wines, people often think of Sonoma as playing second fiddle to Napa, but the reality is that incredible wines are coming from the region. If you need any recommendations from the selection that is available to you, we're happy to try to help!
It's inteesting - I may not fully understand the three-tiered system, even though I also subscribe to Tom! But I think it's the case that retailers can't get bottles from anyone BUT wholesalers? So wineries can sell DTC, but not directly to retailers? At the very least, there are out-of-state retailers that can't go around wholesalers. So this is why I could never create a wine shop with a section for different US States - there aren't enough large producers in NY, Virginia, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, etc. The best you can do is have a few Oregon and Washintong brands alongside Cali big brands. And that really is a tragedy. But more for retaiers and consumers (who have to pay for shipping per winery they want to try) than for the wineries themselves, who (correctly or not) feel like DTC is maybe good enough.
Yeah I think the system is fairly complex and varies from state to state, so definitely don't fully understand it either, but agree that it's a shame about the roadblocks to sourcing great wine without wholesalers having to be in the middle of it. Seems like even if it is a system that works well for some, there's major flaws with it, and as you said, that especially goes for retailers who want to curate their own selection without being at the whim of the distributor. There's a small tasting room near me out in Austin that registered the business as a winery (in spite of not making any wine themselves) which actually allows them to bypass a lot of the regulations that prevent the sale of out of state wines that aren't carried by wholesalers since they are technically not retailer or consumer. Not sure how it works exactly, but maybe that's an angle to explore when you open your wine shop!
One too many martinis...I'm a big fan of rolling the dice with this method of decision making...whether good or bad, it's gonna be epic and memorable!
What a wonderful interview! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I've never felt particularly drawn to California...but I now find myself wanting to visit Alexander Valley and AVV specifically. It's always impressive when wineries can deliver quality and satisfaction at comfortable price points. And hearing Katie's thoughts on the 3 tier system is so interesting (I've always found it such a complicated choice to keep using).
Weirdly enough, despite feeling distanced from Cali, I think there are quite a few similarities between California and the Western Cape...a recent fire in Hermanus (in the middle of winter!!) is another reminder that fires are a real threat.
Also...look at your sweet, handsome faces!!! Thanks for the great read!
Definitely similarities, both in terms of the climate (and microclimates) and the varieties used. I don't know what the California wine selection is like in the Cape, but if the import system is anything like it is here I would guess it is a mix of mass market wines and wildly overpriced wines that have gotten enough attention to attract distributors? If you have the chance, definitely try some AVV wines, people often think of Sonoma as playing second fiddle to Napa, but the reality is that incredible wines are coming from the region. If you need any recommendations from the selection that is available to you, we're happy to try to help!
It's inteesting - I may not fully understand the three-tiered system, even though I also subscribe to Tom! But I think it's the case that retailers can't get bottles from anyone BUT wholesalers? So wineries can sell DTC, but not directly to retailers? At the very least, there are out-of-state retailers that can't go around wholesalers. So this is why I could never create a wine shop with a section for different US States - there aren't enough large producers in NY, Virginia, Texas, Michigan, Idaho, etc. The best you can do is have a few Oregon and Washintong brands alongside Cali big brands. And that really is a tragedy. But more for retaiers and consumers (who have to pay for shipping per winery they want to try) than for the wineries themselves, who (correctly or not) feel like DTC is maybe good enough.
Yeah I think the system is fairly complex and varies from state to state, so definitely don't fully understand it either, but agree that it's a shame about the roadblocks to sourcing great wine without wholesalers having to be in the middle of it. Seems like even if it is a system that works well for some, there's major flaws with it, and as you said, that especially goes for retailers who want to curate their own selection without being at the whim of the distributor. There's a small tasting room near me out in Austin that registered the business as a winery (in spite of not making any wine themselves) which actually allows them to bypass a lot of the regulations that prevent the sale of out of state wines that aren't carried by wholesalers since they are technically not retailer or consumer. Not sure how it works exactly, but maybe that's an angle to explore when you open your wine shop!