But Ron, buying decisions of a large group like this can certainly affect a small winery in a HUGE way.
Got dat right.
I think it may have aided in the demise of Alcina, as well, since the core group of buyers were mostly here, and when the neocork debacle happened, a good winemaker with some great wines perished.
I think Alcina had pretty much stopped making or selling wine around the time WB was started. There are also a couple of the wineries that have been mentioned that were pretty well launched before people migrated here from other boards. It’s easy to lose track of the timing.
-Al
Gonon is a great example. I didn’t like it, but I bought it before easily for like $30.
Maybe Ultramarine?
Ron, let’s look at this four ways for my wines.
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as a small “appointment only” winery, about 50% of my appointments are WBers. For being such a small percentage of the wine buying public, that’s a huge percentage of people who take the time and come visit(and buy my wines). I think Berserkers make a healthy(in a good way) and distinct impact on my ability to be successful in a very competitive industry.
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even more importantly, while WBers are a small percentage of buyers and their likes and drinking habits may not represent the vast pool of people, I only make a few thousand cases. So I don’t need the masses, and a Meowmi style of wine to pay the bills. WBers are far more likely to get, and support, the wines that some of us old school wine loving folks like Todd Hamina, Vincent, Kelley Fox, Jim Anderson and others actually want to produce.
Todd and I used to have a standing joke between us when we’d taste each other’s wines, saying “Hmm…this is fantastic. Of course if I like it this much you won’t be able to sell it…” Thanks to WBers…that may just be a joke.
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mental health. Reading the recent threads on 2014 Beaujolais, the Northern Rhone, Loire Valley Cab Franc, etc. just reminds me of what’s great about wine. I sell my wines, and some places like Sec and Vinopolis are fantastic. Some are soul sucking. Honestly, I would rather argue with David Z over stems for a thousand years than stand behind a table in a grocery store for 3 hours.
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I mostly like the wine critics out there. I have lots of respect for David Schildknecht, Matt Kramer, Jamie Goode, Paul Gregutt and many others. However, I HATE the critical process. Tasting 150 wines in a day does not make you an expert…it makes you drunk. I don’t have a better solution though…except WB. Where many people drink bottles of wine, and often do it with dinner or friends. I will take a TN from a WBer, positive or negative, over any critics commentary. The TNs here are honest assessments AND it’s often followed by knowledgeable comments from other members who have also had the wine(s).
The 2014 Beaujolais thread here has initial TNs and corroboration, and discussion as well. IMO, it’s easily more helpful than any single taster publication for my purchases(and I started a bootstrap winery so I don’t have the cheese to be buying crappy fruit bombs).
Ray Walker and…Ray Walker. He fits both categories.
I sense that Patricia Green got a good boost out of its connection with WB. That has been a great story.
Very helpful. Though the brand was always going to gear up for distribution for pull through, having the Berserkers is terrific.
And Marcus, as for #2 I think we both kinda knew that the venerable Mr. Lett had paved the way to sing your own song. You just need to get people to hear it.
Pegau was nothing before WineBerserkers put them on the map.
Cheers,
Hal
I would argue it’s helped many wineries, as now that mailing lists are full, you don’t hear from them so much.
I remember when justin smith and Chris Maybach were constant posters (don’t tell me they stopped because of criticism) and those were just 2, there have been many others that have stopped posting.
As far as hurt, ask Cruse company next year with the next release of ultramarine if the last thread affected them, I bet you it did, but I bet wineries lose lots of customers after the first few shipments, it’s natural as people taste the wines and decide for themselves.
So for me, it’s the old adage… Any news is good news for a winery, at least their talking about you, I bet you it helps way more than it hurts.
Haha, that´s a good one …!
![[rofl.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7452fcd8e675af869f8da01174474a545b03944.gif "rofl"){kind=small}
Pegau was a Parker board darling before WB existed. And it hit the US with a pretty audible splash even back in 1990. I don’t know if it’s French and European reputation preceded or followed (it couldn’t have preceded by much).
Sierra Carche.
I was just going to say this! When I read the title, this is one of the first wineries that crossed my mind. I don’t want to feed Todd’s ego, but wines that were easy to find are now more difficult, and you cannot deny this board’s influence in part of that.
What kind of cheese we talking about here?
Pegau was very well known, even one of the best known CdP-producers, in the mid-nineties … at least in France, Germany and Austria (they had/have a very enthusiastical importer here).
I was lead to Pegau thru a very positive Parker-review in (I think) 1989 or early 1990 - and visited there in summer 1990 … and ever since annually.
Well done.
Marcus, you don’t mention the name of your winery. I’m curious. Thx
This is what I had thought, that Parker’s raves for the 89 and 90 Pegaus set off their reputation. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
It’s Matello/Goodfellow