The Ultimate Washington Wine Club

Thirty years! Twenty plus wines in the catalogue! Pioneer in Washington’s premier Red Mountain AVA! Kiona Vineyards and Winery is excited to announce their first ever wine club.

Saturday, I went to Costco because JJ Williams of Kiona was pimpin’ wine there. JJ is the 1 Eye Wine Guy (and yes, he does only have one eye). JJ’s family started and owns Kiona Vineyards and pioneered Red Mountain AVA and Washington wine. There were less than 20 wineries in the state when they planted grapes in 1975. Now, after 30 years of making consistently great product (and selling Red Mountain grapes to several other wineries) Kiona is excited to announce their wine club.

Three shipments per year of four to six bottles for only $125 (plus shipping) gets you library wine re-releases, pre-release wines and special wine club releases of small lot production. Wine club members will also receive 15% off on bottle purchases and 20% off on case purchases.

If you only join one wine club, this is one to consider for the variety, the quality, and the access to the diverse Kiona library. Visit the site to learn more and to sign up.

My apologies for the video not having JJ in frame fully – I hadn’t even had any wine! What is your favorite wine club? What features do you like? Leave a comment.

For my review of three Kiona Wine, check out the Tag Team with @thewinewhore!

Wine is Sexy Happy Valentine’s Day

I was working on a Valentine’s Day post, when @winecentury posed the question, “Is wine sexy?” I had found some sexy pictures that really got me thinking. Now, don’t get me wrong, drinking wine with James @winecentury or Joe @suburbanwino is far from sexy, but wine is the sexiest beverage there is.

While there is something very sexy about a girl who knows how to order a pint of black and tan and watching a girl do tequila shots will always get me going, wine is the sultry goddess of drink.

Consider her ways in the glass. Long slender and delicate, the stem is stretched tight like high heels and stockings. You cup the firm, round bowl of the glass in the palm of your hand feeling the anticipation of the taste. The sensual perfume tickles your nose arousing your senses to the heights of explosion. As you let the flavor wash over your tongue there is a release of passion causing your mind to rush and your cheeks to turn flush.

Wine is most definitely sexy. On this Valentine’s Day, enjoy the sultry, sexy images of wine! I want to thank http://drinksareonme.net for the great moments of inspiration for this post.

I wonder if this is how Naked Winery harvests their grapes.

The following image is not for the prude or inhibited. Cheers and Drink.Happy!

Photo Credit 1) Uncredited image from EventBrite.com 2) Uncredited image 3) Sexypictures.dk

CaliCabs Two Great California Cabernet

 

Wineries in California had the chance to observe the power of a unified voice on Twitter on February 11. Like a gigantic tasting room frenzy wine lovers, wineries and wine makers converged on Twitter for two hours to focus on California Cabernet.  In his effort to promote California wine and show wineries in the region the power of Social Media, Rick Bakas (director of Social Media for St Supery winery) launched the event through word of mouth using Twitter, Facebook and the good old fashion phone call.

When I talked to Rick on the phone you could tell that while the event has some built in exposure for Rick and St. Supery, he was jazzed about the buzz happening at other area wineries. Rick lives and breathes the power of Social Media but he also has a genuine passion for California wine.

Early stats indicate that the event was a success with over 1500 tweets from 250 people during the two hour block. Those numbers don’t take into consideration the countless people NOT tweeting but still participating in California tasting rooms and tweet-ups.  All told, in one two hour time frame, over 1000 bottles of California Cabernet could have been consumed! Total marketing cost of the event $0 (that’s ZERO)!

Steam continues to build as Rick announced a Sauvignon Blanc focused twitter tasting on March 4 (hashtag #SauvBlanc). Also, stay tuned for a huge Washington wine event in late March that hopes to have some national tie-ins and collaboration with several Washington wine influencers on Twitter (announcement coming on February 23).

The NectarView

2007 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon

• The Stuff: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles AVA
• The Swirl: Very dark plum with hints of ruby jewel tones toward the edges
• The Sniff: Moderate hints of black and blue berries. The strongest scent is green briar or evergreen. Nice notes of spice dance around on the back end.
• The Sip: A pleasing front end with some sweet fruit that is Syrah-like. A subtle vanilla oak pokes through right before the tart tannins grip your tongue on the back end. It’s not a Darth Vader death grip, but still pretty stout.
• The Score: At only $14, this is a heck of a value and a well made every day Cabernet. I score it a 4 (out of 5) for price to value. If you ever find this wine on sale for $10-$12, but several bottles.

Other scores from Cellar Tracker range from 84 – 90 points

2004 Croze Cabernet Sauvignon

• The Stuff:100% Napa Valley Cabernet, 42 months in oak, 13%ABV, 637 cases made 
• The Swirl: Nice dark rust colored plum with a little translucence (almost see to the bottom of the glass)
• The Sniff: I never wanted to stop smelling this wine. Floral perfume kissed me first, then gentle bright blueberry and strawberry aromas held hands and skipped through my nose. They were followed up by some mellow vanilla notes. This is the kind of wine scent you wish for in every bottle of Cabernet!
• The Sip: Definitely does not disappoint – The fruit is soft and supple like a long slow French kiss. The passion builds as some spicy pepper jumps in. The finish is super balanced and longs with enough tannin to keep the wine strong with food.
• The Score: At $35 this is a 5 (out of 5) wine for me. I love the complete package and would definitely buy this bottle again.

Other score on Cellar Tracker is a 93 and well deserved!

Did you participate in #CaliCabs? What wine did you enjoy? If you didn’t participate, what is your all time favorite California Cabernet and why?

Going Social, Old School

Find more photos like this on LaunchPad – INW
 

A funny thing happened after work. I actually walked away from my Twitter feed to talk to people. In person. I know, it’s a shocker! Hard to imagine that in today’s world people still enjoy getting together, shaking hands, and exchanging business cards. One hundred people enjoyed great wine, fine chocolate and bold coffee for three whole hours. Conversations were more than 140 characters and never once did I hear someone say, IMHO, LOL, or even WTF.

The topic. Social Media, of course.

Local professional network group LaunchPad INW  (@LaunchPadINW)organized the event hosted by Northern Quest Casino Resort and Spa. While the wine, coffee and chocolate may have been a hit and a welcome benefit to attending, the true draw was the enigma, the elusive, the intimidating little thing called social media.

I was honored to be on the panel with three other highly engaging Social Media folk (@bethany_kate, @noseyparkerINW, and @rings_things). Each of had a few minutes to share some insights into how we use Social Media. The old school preacher came out in me and I had to cut my prepared remarks short – it was either the passion or the wine but the moderator got out the old shepherds hook.

Below are some of the questions that we started with:

Are you seeing a direct correlation between social media efforts and increased sales/awareness?

• Without a doubt the answer is yes. Everything I’ve done in the last three months to build the brand DrinkNectar has been through the three pronged approach of Twitter and Facebook pointing to my blog.  The other panel members also spoke to the specific success they’ve seen with their efforts.

What is your social media mix? Percentage of publishing to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blog, etc.

• Biggest thing to gain here was that each person on the panel used a mix of each medium that they felt comfortable with. Great point from @noseyparkerINW was that each platform has its own audience and culture. It is a huge mistake to treat them all the same way. The message should be crafted differently for each network.

Are you seeking out connections or are they solely coming to you?

• I don’t think we actually asked this question, but if you think about it – imagine if Social Media didn’t exist. If you had a product to sell or a passion to pursue would you seek out connections or wait for them to come to you?  Social Media is not much different than personal interaction

Have you been able to measure the success of these tools?

• Ahh, the age old question of ROI. Let me phrase it like this before I share the answers: What is the potential loss of business or reputation or brand status by NOT participating in these tools? Customers are on Twitter and Facebook (in huge numbers and for large amounts of time).
• The ROI answer was YES across the board but more anecdotal than specific. While I don’t sell a product my investment has resulted in a return of public awareness and community involvement (exactly what I was going for).

As the night progressed, the panel fielded questions from the audience. Each of the questions was very tactical and specific around “how do you,” “what do you,” “how many can you,” etc. Many of these questions were the same ones I had three months ago when I first launched DrinkNectar.com. I guess the answer is complex and simple at the same time. It goes back to getting social, old school.  What makes someone successful at good old fashion palm pressing, baby kissing, business-card exchanging networking?

• Content: You’ve got to have a good product, idea or vision
• Care: You have to care about what you’re doing and those your engaging with
• Conversation: Ever seen anyone walk into a networking event and never say a word?
• Passion: It’s contagious
• Discipline: You’ve got to stick with it and be patient

Technical specifics aside on how to “use” Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkdIN, Buzz, etc, etc – these principles work in going social, old school. Now they’re just magnified…infinitely!

Wineries on Twitter: Cleavage Creek

Below is the story of Cleavage Creek Winery and how they use Social Media. Theres is a unique story. To help spread their amazing story, please comment on this post, follow them on Twitter, and re-tweet this to all of your followers. I was truly touched by the compassion of a 77 year old man and the love for his late wife.

How long have you been using Twitter?

Cleavage Creek Wines joined Twitter in April of 2009.

What prompted you to dive in?

Twitter offered a great opportunity to spread the word about Cleavage Creek’s passions of making great wines and funding breast cancer research.  Fighting cancer starts with raising awareness.  Reaching the Twitter audience only enhances the ability to do such.

What type of strategy or approach do you use when posting content?

On Twitter, you are who you are. Cleavage Creek uses the friendly approach which is precisely who we are.  We love to talk about wines. We make mention of breast cancer in an effort to raise awareness.  We like to engage others.  So many entities and individuals are using Twitter so the opportunities are endless to establish relationships and learn and share.

What have been the benefits of using Twitter/Facebook? (increased traffic, increased brand awareness, customer connection, etc)

In using Twitter, we’ve met a plethora of people from around the world, literally, whose acquaintance we might not have made with out it.  That’s amazing! It’s also very vital to our goal of raising awareness about our fight against breast cancer.  Almost everyone’s life has been touched by breast cancer in some form or fashion.  When new Twitter pals learn about the efforts of Cleavage Creek to fund breast cancer research by using our award winning wines, it helps the cause.

Is there a single success story that you can point to with using Twitter/Facebook?

Since joining Twitter, Cleavage Creek has enjoyed a good deal of wide media coverage – all has been appreciated and important to our cause.  The most touching Twitter experience is when we hear from those who are fighting breast cancer or have a loved one. They thank us for our efforts and many times tell us that upon learning about Cleavage Creek, they encourage a loved one to get their annual checkup.  It’s very gratifying to know that the mere existence of Cleavage Creek can have a positive impact. This motivates us everyday, literally.

What do you think is the single biggest barrier to why we don’t see more wineries actively using Social Media tools?

Many wineries might not have the resources to dedicate to using Twitter.  It can take a fair amount of time.  Once they learn the benefits and possibilities that might change.

What advice would you give to wineries joining the stream or getting back into the stream?

Don’t be afraid to engage anyone on Twitter.  Most people are friendly and receptive if approached in a respectful manner.  Do your Twitter home work.  Seek out others with similar interests.  Have something interesting to say. Treat Twitter members like you would wish to be treated and you’ll enjoy a rewarding Twitter experience. It’s actually great fun!

Briefly tell us about your winery, a new release, or something unique about you?

One man & a small vineyard…making award winning wines & funding breast cancer research.

Cleavage Creek is owned by Budge Brown who lost his wife of 48 years to breast cancer.  Mr. Brown obtained the Cleavage Creek label after deciding that he wanted to fight the disease and raise awareness so that others would not suffer as his wife had.  www.CleavageCreek.com

Budge Brown released his first Cleavage Creek wines on October 15, 2007.  His second wine release took place on October 4th, 2008.  Cleavage Creek wines have won numerous awards in international, national, and regional competitions - 32 medals won thus far. These are seriously good wines doing seriously good work. The latest release of new wines was October 1st, 2009.

Dedicated to fighting breast cancer, Brown and Cleavage Creek donate 10% of gross wine sales to breast cancer research.  At least 10% was the original commitment.  Brown has far exceeded that number, reaching deep into his own pockets to bolster the contributions made by Cleavage Creek. Over $70,000 has been contributed to date to efforts to fight breast cancer. Most recently, Cleavage Creek has funded a new Integrative Oncology Research Center for breast cancer at Bastyr University.

 On each bottle of Cleavage Creek is the image of a breast cancer survivor — her story is told at the Cleavage Creek website.  These ladies are not paid to do this, but they lend their time and experiences to fight the disease. A total of 20 breast cancer survivors have appeared on the Budge Brown era of Cleavage Creek wines.

 In a time when about all we hear news wise is negative, this is a wonderfully positive story — amazing what one determined 77 year old man can do!    

Here’s the complete story:

http://www.cleavagecreek.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=21

 What is your favorite rock band and why?

The Eagles…great music & fun times.

Episode #31 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Pinot. Just the mention of the word causes many wine lovers to begin to salivate at the light, sweet fruit. Pinot. This fickle grape drives wine makers crazy with its thin skin, susceptibility to weather, and its influence from the soil. The high-maintenance drama queen of wine perpetuates passionate prose and is the ire of Merlot lovers everywhere.

Oregon winery, Willamette Valley Vineyards manages to gently coax 310 acres into beautifully crafted Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir (among a few others). Wine Enthusiast calls Willamette Valley Vineyards, “One of Americas great Pinot Noir producers year after year.” As you’ll see in the video, I whole heartily agree.

While the wine I’ve tasted is a palate pleaser, even more impressive is the wineries stance on being a steward of the land. From the basic reduce, reuse and recycle to a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2010, Willamette Valley Vineyards is a world leader of sustainability. One impressive program offers fifty gallons of biodiesel to employees every month (10 employees participate).

The NectarView

Those that know me (or watched my reviews) know that I have a love / hate relationship with Pinot Noir. My limited experience with the grape has left me with a sour view of what it can produce. I’m not giving up! A wine that generates so much passion must have an impressive upside.

 

2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir

• The Stuff: 100% Pinot Noir, 13%ABV, 37,446 cases produced
• The Swirl: Very translucent and clear. Borderline amethyst like tone
• The Sniff: A moderately restrained nose that produces gentle whiffs of sweet cherries or cranberries, woody oak, and vanilla.
• The Sip: A little thin on the initial attack but opens up to delicate raspberry / cherry with a dash of vanilla. The finish is slightly sweet and tart like a SweetTart candy.
• The Score: At $25, I score this wine a 3 (out of 5). It’s a very nicely made Pinot Noir. It lacks the brightness of flavor to score higher. At under $20 on sale this would be a solid wine.

2007 Signature Cuvee

• The Stuff: 100% Pinot Noir, 14.5%ABV, 305 cases produced
• The Swirl: Translucent and clear with moderate garnet tones. Very pretty – would make a nice piece of jewelry
• The Sniff:  Very bright aroma of cherry and cola with hints of smoke and wood
• The Sip: Impressive balance, the initial taste feels slightly carbonated (like pop rock). The sweet cherries are not overwhelming and the finish is wonderfully round with the right amount of acidity.
• The Score: At $50 this wine may be out of reach for the majority of consumers but shows very well and deserves a score of 4 (out of 5).

Overall this round of Pinot Noirs has shown me why there is such a passion for this fruit. You can feel that the wine is a delicate dance and must be carefully crafted to produce a good product.

Drink.Happy!

*This wine was provided as an industry sample with the intention to review

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