Suckling's new web site and video - teaser

WINE TALK
21

Frankly, the video is boring. After one or two "I’m here"s, the reaction is “so what?”. In great need of a follow-on, as it is it’s not much more than a list of vineyards he’s been to.

22

The challenge for me is the content did not deliver on the question. I was left wondering, “so who is going to show me unknown gems?” the video makes a supposition and then proceeds to show James walking with folks from famous estates; he did not answer the question. Who ever wrote his ad copy for him should be shown the door.

23

Is it just me, or does he now in his maturity have a subtle resemblance to Uncle Bob?

24

I thought the same thing

25

A teaser video for one’s web site?

rolleyes

26

makes the point without excessive nausea, and ends with me wanting to watch more. Mission Accomplished. I cannot wait to see all of the new videos and content.

Quite droll! Excellent.

[welldone.gif] [welldone.gif]

27

I was neutral until “A Day in the Life” started in the background… The content may be great, but the pretentiousness is a bit too much to take. Why can’t winos lose the attitude and have fun with the stuff?

28

I think he is doing exactly that!

29

It’s probably too much to hope so, but it would be awesome if this were parody.

Le Pin? Harlan? Where does he find these unheralded gems? I feel like I’ve been invited into a secret society where only a select few have been informed of these special finds…

He told me on twitter that he’ll also be highlighting value wines. But there is a disconnect in the video: The video only proves that JS is tight with the biggest names (and most expensive producers) in the industry. Nothing new there. He can sell it as something different, but in practice he’s catering to a very small but wealthy demo that can afford these wines.

30

Whatever his intention, it comes off as incredibly pretentious.

31

+1 When they show just him with his nose in the glass in that last shot, I thought he was going to say “I’m here with Robert Parker.”

32

Ran the numbers. The average bottle of wine from the producers he touts in his video is $327.

Maybe I’m naive, and there’s a much larger audience for wines in this pricing stratosphere than I realize. But there’s nothing resembling a push to reveal great value, unknown quality producers, etc.

33

Seriously, if he could pull that one off it might be worth tuning in.

Reese.

34

There is a parallel thread on my forum, and these posts struck me as a very astute observation about the point that James may be trying to make and why he is stressing access:

http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/fb.asp?m=120190" onclick=“window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/fb.asp?m=120206” onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

35

Eric,

those make sense. It’s intriguing to see someone go out and try to establish and new wine presence at this point, especially someone who’s not of the Millenial/Natural Wine, trend. Suckling’s challenge is to answer the question “Why you? What will you give me than RP/TWA, Tanzer, WS or the specialty critics like Meadows, Gilman and Kolm cannot?” Maybe it will be nothing more than a high end wine/lifestyle site done in video or something. Who knows? Be interesting to see.

36

I read those posts Eric. Not sure how Suckling talking to the great wine estates of the world is going to give me access to unknown wineries more than any other individual or group.

His video runs completely counter to what is actually happening in digital in terms of crowd sourcing. Look no further than your own site. Posters on this board, your board, and others have been far more instrumental in bringing to my attention up and coming new wineries than any critic. I call BS on Sucklings whole thesis. I wish him the best of luck, he might understand the power of digital better than some, but in my opinion he is coming from a place of naivete.

37

He may be here and everywhere, at least in Napa, Bordeaux and Tuscany. Somewhere he’s not but should be? The barber.

38

I read many of the posts on Eric’s referenced forum, and this one raised a chuckle :

"I am here at Trader Joe’s in foul weather talking to Chuck Shaw… " [rofl.gif]

Hank [cheers.gif]

39

Quite interesting to see the tenor of responses on Eric’s CT forums to be quite different and less cynical than the views expressed here.
T.

40

Just showed the video to a work colleague who doesn’t drink wine. Her response: “I’m scared. I feel like I should be looking under my bed at night for that guy.”

Here’s a very real possibility for the market for this website: I think it’s possible that Mr. Suckling will create a kind of People Magazine for wine. After all, customers who buy People can’t afford the Gucci and the handbags and the bazillion dollar shoes worn by the stars, but they eat it up anyway. Maybe there’s a market, an audience of wine drinkers who can’t afford Le Pin or Latour but love to watch Mr. Suckling comparing an '89 Lafite to a '90 Lafite, or having lunch with Sting’s wife. It’s what Mr. Suckling does so well, and I think it’s possible there’s an audience who will really enjoy that.