tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post354453669784728640..comments2024-03-08T21:37:38.443-08:00Comments on VinoFictions: Vinogirl and I clashThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-43114675181243377022014-06-26T17:07:14.811-07:002014-06-26T17:07:14.811-07:00Thomas: Thank you very much for the signed "G...Thomas: Thank you very much for the signed "Garlic, Wine and Olive Oil"; I'll be looking forward to digging into it.<br />Sincerely,<br />Dennis TsiorbasNew Hampshire Winemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07111304557830665931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-67122110609261362902013-05-22T08:16:18.909-07:002013-05-22T08:16:18.909-07:00Gabe:
You posted: "I do like the idea of tel...Gabe:<br /><br />You posted: "I do like the idea of telling people what you're doing to your wine, and letting them make the decision where to draw the line."<br /><br />So do I. That's why I rail against disingenuous "facts" that confuse rather than inform the consumer.<br /><br />Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-60966576982575474972013-05-22T07:23:22.463-07:002013-05-22T07:23:22.463-07:00Thomas,
I hope it did not come off wrong, I u...Thomas,<br /><br /> I hope it did not come off wrong, I understand that you are not attacking their passion. I just think that a lot of times, you guys get so focused on the marketing aspects that bother you, that you sometimes miss the point. I'm not trying to tell you you're wrong, just trying to get you to look at it from a different angle. I honestly appreciate the opportunity to have these discussions.<br /><br /> I think every winemaker, from the brilliant and successful guys like Paul Draper, down to the piddling schmos like myself, have to walk the fine line between necessary improvements and unnecessary interventions. Everyone draws the line somewhere different, and thats one of the reasons every wine is different. I can't say much about Ridge, because I don't know much about their winery (other than the fact that they've been making great wine for decades). I do like the idea of telling people what you're doing to your wine, and letting them make the decision where to draw the line. And I'm sure some 25-year old in the sales & marketing department is going to sell it pretty hard, but that's not really the reason wineries make those decisions.<br /><br /> As for so2 gas, I have worked with that as well, and it is even nastier than the powder. Fortunately, a recent OSHA inspection of our winery gave us so many new safety rules to follow in order to use so2 gas that we discontinued its use entirely.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13849290999060380035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-61630600825587066982013-05-22T05:40:31.308-07:002013-05-22T05:40:31.308-07:00Gabe:
Anyone can make wine without the use of SO2...Gabe:<br /><br />Anyone can make wine without the use of SO2. What matters is the result. (Incidentally, SO2 as a gas is more common at large wineries.)<br /><br />As I said, I respect all that Draper has done with Ridge, but that's not what I am pointing out. As with Ron's satire, you seem to have a problem either understanding or accepting that we are not attacking their passion; we are upset over their marketing method. <br /><br />The SO2 comment is only one thing. The Ridge "ingredient" message goes on to imply that other wineries use "industrial" methods but Ridge does not. Then, they justify their use of water to help dehydrated grapes (never talking about what dehydrated those grapes in the vineyard); they praise their use of calcium carbonate to lower acidity and their use of tartaric to increase acidity (again, never explaining why they would need to add these substances); they make the use of egg whites for fining sound like a nice meal; and they claim that oak is used as a flavoring rather than as a storage vessel (does that mean oak chips or barrels--they don't say).<br /><br />In other words: their interventions are ok, but other interventions are "industrial."<br /><br />It's misleading marketing, not to mention negative.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-81390676626359229752013-05-21T21:10:47.656-07:002013-05-21T21:10:47.656-07:00i work with potassium metabisulfite almost every d...i work with potassium metabisulfite almost every day. its nasty stuff. he might not have all his facts straight, but i have tremendous respect for any winemaker who can make wine without using sulfur. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13849290999060380035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-47647988676857554662013-05-21T16:09:27.582-07:002013-05-21T16:09:27.582-07:00No doubt that Draper should be respected for what ...No doubt that Draper should be respected for what he has done and accomplished in the wine world. But in the race for maintaining a marketing edge, the company stretches the concept of "natural" to an uncomfortable degree, in my view.<br /><br />For instance, they claim that their use of SO2 is so that the wines maintain their vineyard character. If you dig deep, you can make that case, but it's not exactly why SO2 is added to wine--is it? <br /><br />It's that kind of sly marketing bullshit that makes me crazy. <br /><br />The company also claims that SO2 was brought to the wine industry in the 19th century. That is not factual. Use of sulfur dioxide is a 2nd century discovery, in Rome.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-91577575987586011242013-05-21T13:05:30.101-07:002013-05-21T13:05:30.101-07:00Thomas,
Fortunately, I've spent the past ...Thomas,<br /><br /> Fortunately, I've spent the past few years making wine for other people, and managed to learn a lot from their mistakes and their successes. Not to say that I myself will be successful, but hopefully I'll be starting from a better place.<br /><br /> As for your earlier point, I think that most people who only know me from the internet would be surprised to learn my actual winemaking philosophies. I'm not some crazy Alice Feiring naturalista. I actually use a lot of science and fancy equipment in my winemaking, which is what gives me such an appreciation for winemakers who have learned to make good wine without it. I don't really care about the hype and bullshit, it's the lack of appreciation for winemakers by people who write about wine for a living that make me tends to drive me crazy. I don't know what Paul Draper wrote in his letter, but that guy is one hell of a winemaker, and I think he deserves a lot of respect.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13849290999060380035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-58005588589868822002013-05-20T06:16:13.294-07:002013-05-20T06:16:13.294-07:00Take this for what it's worth: about 75% of ev...Take this for what it's worth: about 75% of everything I did to start and operate my winery was wrong. I managed to stay in business for eight years, chasing my tail the whole time. In the end, the circumstance of a truly poor vintage that presented me with virtually no crop plus the lack of funds to ride the bad year ahead, not to mention the burnout from trying to "do it all" stopped me in my tracks.<br /><br />I have no regrets for having done it, but I do wish I had been smarter about it. Now that I am smarter I'm also older and lack the energy it requires to do it again. Besides, it's much easier to judge others ;)Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-35819294076268708052013-05-19T20:41:33.459-07:002013-05-19T20:41:33.459-07:00Thomas,
My wife actually picked it up from th...Thomas,<br /><br /> My wife actually picked it up from the library a few months ago, and I recognized you instantly. Unfortunately, I am still a couple years away from trying to launch my own winery. But I am a complete idiot, so I imagine it will come in handy in the futureAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13849290999060380035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-68542516844064933942013-05-18T16:42:56.244-07:002013-05-18T16:42:56.244-07:00Gabe:
The name of the new book is not set until t...Gabe:<br /><br />The name of the new book is not set until the publisher fully agrees during the editing process. I submitted a title, but have learned with past books that publishers routinely trash the author's title. I think it makes them feel like they had some input in the book...<br /><br />If they accept the title, it will be: Over A Barrel: the Rise and Fall of New York's Taylor Wine Company.<br /><br />Formed in 1880, after Prohibition Taylor became the largest winery in the Northeast--and about sixth in the nation in 1977, when Coca Cola bought the company. Coke brought the company to California with its Taylor California Cellars brand. In 1983, Coke sold Taylor to Seagram, and then Seagram sold it a few years later. By then, the company was fully raped and ruined. In 1995, Constellation bought the brand.<br /><br />The book is scheduled for release around January 2014.<br /><br />I've got two book proposals floating right now, hoping to get a bite.<br /><br />Have you seen my last book? It's The Complete Idiot's Guide for Starting and Running A Winery.<br /><br />The publisher was smart to have me write that book. I was a complete idiot when I started my winery.<br /><br />Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-6332749888762119162013-05-18T15:54:20.024-07:002013-05-18T15:54:20.024-07:00Well, I can't blame you for not wanting to giv...Well, I can't blame you for not wanting to give away your hard work for free. I appreciate you giving us a free taste, and expecting us to buy if we like it :-) what is the name of your new book?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13849290999060380035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-11759755099137658912013-05-18T05:53:09.352-07:002013-05-18T05:53:09.352-07:00Gabe:
After a few years of blogging, I realized t...Gabe:<br /><br />After a few years of blogging, I realized that only a small number of people want to read what I want to blog.<br /><br />That's ok on its face, but there comes a time when one has to decide how best to spend one's time. I am a writer by trade. Writing for free is not in my blood, but when I do it, I hope that it receives an audience size that reinforces its necessity.<br /><br />My blog never reached that size.<br /><br />Having said all that, now that I have submitted the manuscript to my latest book, which took 3 years to write, and I am, as we say, between projects, I might blog a little soon--after I get the garden planted, the property cleaned up, and dinner prepared...<br /><br />Contrary to what you may believe, when it comes to winemaking, you and I are likely in synch. It's the hype and bullshit that makes me crazy. In fact, a recent Paul Draper letter got my ire up and I might blog about.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-54976030918926140262013-05-17T20:04:35.029-07:002013-05-17T20:04:35.029-07:00that was nice. i feel like you just had me over t...that was nice. i feel like you just had me over to your house for dinner and a bottle of wine. you should do more of theseAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13849290999060380035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-9897287188576993742013-04-06T06:43:47.181-07:002013-04-06T06:43:47.181-07:00Sure, go ahead and gloat.
We do get oregano into...Sure, go ahead and gloat. <br /><br />We do get oregano into December, then it dies back until about now. Cilantro--fuggedaboudit!Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-41053705645357330912013-04-05T17:49:18.751-07:002013-04-05T17:49:18.751-07:00My cilantro and oregano grows outside all year rou...My cilantro and oregano grows outside all year round, does yours? Kidding!Vinogirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10145696108646897751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-45967877444318401842013-04-05T13:17:06.997-07:002013-04-05T13:17:06.997-07:00Hah! This wine had heft AND it came in a heavy bot...Hah! This wine had heft AND it came in a heavy bottle, too. Not the usual Montepulciano D'Abruzzo bottle.<br /><br />Re, the basil cubes: when you have winters like ours you learn a number of tricks to keep greens serviceable.<br />But then, we do a lot of our own food production. We develop our own sprouts, make our own yogurt, and store a number of produce items throughout winter plus, we have a greenhouse that keeps us in certain hardy greens for the whole year.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1128271396089958050.post-19928664129177029852013-04-05T11:24:32.567-07:002013-04-05T11:24:32.567-07:00You're a veritable Martha Stewart...basil ice ...You're a veritable Martha Stewart...basil ice cubes, indeed!!!<br /><br />I love the use of the word "heft" in your review. However, I usually reserve that word for describing the overly heavy glass that some vintners use to kid you into thinking that the wine inside the bottle has some heft. Vinogirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10145696108646897751noreply@blogger.com