Comments on: On wine, books, commoditisation and customers http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/ the Irish wine blog. Wine in Ireland. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:36:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Julian http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-646 Julian Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:02:57 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-646 I've worked very hard on an answer and failed. I can't separate my personal views (bitter, benighted) from what I'd like to say in a professional capacity. I think the independents as a species, in books, wine, or whatever, will survive, probably irrespective of whether they jump through all the hard-work, up-to-the-minute hoops that are recommended for the good of their health. This is not to say that there will not be many painful individual casualties along the way - most people do not care about what's important in a book(shop) or in a wine(shop), and see bang per buck-led business as just plain better in every way than the particularities of this or that specialist (whatever they *say*). I’ve worked very hard on an answer and failed. I can’t separate my personal views (bitter, benighted) from what I’d like to say in a professional capacity. I think the independents as a species, in books, wine, or whatever, will survive, probably irrespective of whether they jump through all the hard-work, up-to-the-minute hoops that are recommended for the good of their health. This is not to say that there will not be many painful individual casualties along the way – most people do not care about what’s important in a book(shop) or in a wine(shop), and see bang per buck-led business as just plain better in every way than the particularities of this or that specialist (whatever they *say*).

]]> By: Lar http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-595 Lar Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:23:24 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-595 Hi Derek, thanks for the comment. I checked out your site and it looks as if you have something great going on in Maipo. Keep it up, and hopefully we'll see your wines on the shelves of some small Irish wine shops. Lar Hi Derek,

thanks for the comment. I checked out your site and it looks as if you have something great going on in Maipo. Keep it up, and hopefully we’ll see your wines on the shelves of some small Irish wine shops.

Lar

]]> By: derek http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-593 derek Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:50:30 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-593 Pardon me for being so simple, but I have to interject that small can be beautiful and successful: if it has something to differentiate it. Tradition is not differentiation, it is a long pier and a pair of great walking shoes all laced up. Obviously if the person running the business thought they were a corner shop competing with Tesco's, than clearly they never stood a chance. Strictly a case of poor vision, and not necessarily bad performance nor lack of effort or nor ability. Sure one can have a lot to offer based upon one's experience and history, but let's get real people quaint tradition must be maintained as adamantly as any new venture just opening up. If the trouble with normal is it always gets worse, than the trouble with comfortable is that it always disappoints. I have has precisely the opposite experience and began a lot smaller indeed with three barrels of wine. I began, a cliche I know, in the garage and for six years now and have never not had a growing following that came to me [adamantly] and insisted upon my growing the business. Not only have they always bought all the wine I can make, and insisted in my making more, they have insisted by buying futures. Almost a quarter of my 2008 wines, still in the barrel, are sold for delievery in March. I am the smallest winery in Chile and to my knowledge the only one ever to have sold futures. Break the molds people. Swap dance cards once in a while, drive a different route, try a new perspective. Small is great if one can see... djmk, www.garagewineco.cl Pardon me for being so simple, but I have to interject that small can be beautiful and successful: if it has something to differentiate it. Tradition is not differentiation, it is a long pier and a pair of great walking shoes all laced up. Obviously if the person running the business thought they were a corner shop competing with Tesco’s, than clearly they never stood a chance. Strictly a case of poor vision, and not necessarily bad performance nor lack of effort or nor ability.

Sure one can have a lot to offer based upon one’s experience and history, but let’s get real people quaint tradition must be maintained as adamantly as any new venture just opening up. If the trouble with normal is it always gets worse, than the trouble with comfortable is that it always disappoints.

I have has precisely the opposite experience and began a lot smaller indeed with three barrels of wine. I began, a cliche I know, in the garage and for six years now and have never not had a growing following that came to me [adamantly] and insisted upon my growing the business. Not only have they always bought all the wine I can make, and insisted in my making more, they have insisted by buying futures. Almost a quarter of my 2008 wines, still in the barrel, are sold for delievery in March. I am the smallest winery in Chile and to my knowledge the only one ever to have sold futures.

Break the molds people. Swap dance cards once in a while, drive a different route, try a new perspective. Small is great if one can see…

djmk,
http://www.garagewineco.cl

]]> By: New Irish wine blog | BUBBLE BROTHERS - CORK WINE MERCHANTS http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-587 New Irish wine blog | BUBBLE BROTHERS - CORK WINE MERCHANTS Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:39:28 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-587 [...] but the blog has only just come to my attention, thanks to Gabriel’s joining the debate at Sour Grapes. Here’s the [...] [...] but the blog has only just come to my attention, thanks to Gabriel’s joining the debate at Sour Grapes. Here’s the [...]

]]> By: Lar http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-585 Lar Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:29:14 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-585 Great to see another Irish wine blogger, Gabriel. Great to see another Irish wine blogger, Gabriel.

]]> By: Gabriel Cooney http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-584 Gabriel Cooney Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:38:03 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-584 Hi Sour Grapes, who is closing down? High chance of big shake up in our business in the next 12 months - it is shaky enough at the best of times! Anyway, my musings are now newly on www.onthegrapevineblog.blogspot.com - would like your views on the scribblings of a blogging virgin... Hi Sour Grapes,

who is closing down? High chance of big shake up in our business in the next 12 months – it is shaky enough at the best of times! Anyway, my musings are now newly on http://www.onthegrapevineblog.blogspot.com – would like your views on the scribblings of a blogging virgin…

]]> By: Julian http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-582 Julian Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:05:50 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-582 I am going to make a reply to this in due course. Promise I am going to make a reply to this in due course. Promise

]]> By: Lar http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-542 Lar Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:53:46 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-542 Ditto, Julian, would love to hear your thoughts. I've some follow up thoughts that I'll try and put down too. Enjoy the Taste of Cork. Hope the sun comes out. The weather here was biblical (old testament) this morning. Lar Ditto, Julian, would love to hear your thoughts.

I’ve some follow up thoughts that I’ll try and put down too. Enjoy the Taste of Cork. Hope the sun comes out.

The weather here was biblical (old testament) this morning.

Lar

]]> By: Irish Wine Contemplations http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-541 Irish Wine Contemplations Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:47:32 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-541 Julian, It would be very interesting to hear your perspective on this! I look forward to reading your thoughts. Cheers, Will Julian,

It would be very interesting to hear your perspective on this! I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Cheers,
Will

]]> By: Julian http://www.sourgrapes.ie/2008/06/26/on-wine-books-commoditisation-and-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-540 Julian Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:41:45 +0000 http://www.sourgrapes.ie/?p=364#comment-540 All very interesting stuff indeed, and thanks Lar for putting together the research. If Taste of Cork leaves me alone sufficiently, I hope to put up some thoughts, for what they're worth, on the matter on Saturday. All very interesting stuff indeed, and thanks Lar for putting together the research. If Taste of Cork leaves me alone sufficiently, I hope to put up some thoughts, for what they’re worth, on the matter on Saturday.

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