freebie protocol

My “Drowning in Social Media” post (February 26) brought this late-breaking query from blogger Erika Szymanski, who writes:

As a brand-new wine blogger, I can't fathom asking anyone for a free bottle even ten years down the road and if I had a substantial readership. On the other hand, I have wondered what etiquette and protocol deem suitable as far as tasting and tasting fees go. If I visit a winery or tasting room with the intent to write about the experience, is it:

1. Reasonable to mention my intentions and ask about points they might like me to mention?

2. Acceptable to ask for waiver of the tasting fee?

for sale

Mrs. G and I have been tracking the real estate market pretty closely these past couple of years. We have a couple of properties on the market right now ourselves.

But what I have not seen much evidence of is a fire sale among Washington wineries. I get the eerie sense that more than a few are holding on to a 30th story ledge by their fingernails, but they are still in the air. A recent news story in Business Week claimed that seven percent of the vineyards and wineries in the Napa valley had finances that were “very weak” or “on life support.” The story went on to profile a number of people who paid way too much and now find themselves in deep doo-doo. Nothing surprising about any of it.

weather report

Temperatures throughout the Northwest have been well above normal, but in Walla Walla wine country the fact that the thermometer has been hitting 70 degrees is not necessarily a cause for celebration. Looking at her Waitsburg garden for the first time in several months, Mrs. G noted that “it looks more like early May than early March.” Buds on the service berry trees are about to burst into leaf. The ancient apricot tree is not only loaded with buds, but many are open and already attracting bees.

brian carter cellars

I mean no criticism when I say that wine writing – and blogging in particular – pays a lot of attention to what is going on at this exact moment, and very little to history or even context. It’s only natural, it’s a sign of the times, and it’s definitely tied into the lightspeed of digital communications. But one of the enduring and endearing aspects to wine is its insistence that things not be rushed.

two for the show

The onrushing deluge of social media options for wine commentary and review has made it imperative, I would argue, for each and every person who elects to adopt the role of critic/commentator to explain her or his basic operating principles.

By that I mean, give your readers/viewers some idea of the basic criteria that you apply to the task. There are no set or fixed “rules” other than this – the individual should have some personal guidelines, goals, standards, a methodology if you will, and should be able and willing to describe it accurately. The print publications and newsletters that do the more formal scoring and critiquing all impose such guidelines on their editors, and I believe it’s helpful to their followers.

But as a soloist, rather than a member of any particular orchestra, you really have to set your own program.

true confession

Some years ago – OK, about 20 years ago – I took a weekend trip to a secluded mountain valley in north central Washington. I was traveling with a golfing/drinking buddy, and we were staying in the home of his older brother, who was on an extended vacation. Jimmy the Fish immediately attained legendary status in my mind, simply by virtue of the furnishings (a penis lamp was particularly noteworthy) and photos of him and his wife naked in various exotic locales.

My buddy and I soon exhausted the supply of wine I had packed for the occasion, and couldn’t help but notice a small wine rack placed next to a wood-burning stove in the living room. As I poked through the bottles, a motley assortment of aged plonk, I found a hidden gem.

special bottle

In the spirit of ‘Open That Bottle Night’ – and inspired by the many posts on this blog referencing older Washington wines that seem to be aging quite nicely – I popped a rarity over the weekend. I admit to having only a semi-organized wine cellar. It’s split among three locations, and with the amount of wine flowing in and out every week it is less than tidy. But I was rummaging through the older Washington bottles and came across this one. The back label reads: