Sunday, July 20th, 2008...6:35 pm
Drinking My Words
Dear Reader, please take note that this is a story of change. Some of us crave change, some of us are scared of it. Whichever side you’re on, AmericanWinery.com is bringing it–change. So how do I feel about it, honestly?
I’ve been thinking recently, pondering the ramifications of having a large wine sales company like American Winery in my town. What does this mean for me? The independent retailer? I thought about taking small petty actions against Lloyd Benedict, Founder of American Winery, egging his office window, screaming and jumping in front of him when he met Gary Vaynerchuk, warning Gary in person that Lloyd is (and here I have to use my imagination) contaminated—a highly contagious flesh eating virus or something—and that his company is a scam. I thought about posting mean notes on AmericanWinery.com insulting their business plan and web design. I thought about getting on Open Wine Consortium and telling everyone that American Winery sucks!
But that would be mean. And it would be… [long pregnant pause]… a lie.
The truth is I think it’s FABULOUS that there is this fresh new company–in my town–doing so much to promote American wine. They have a great plan and their web design is outstanding. I can’t in good conscience say anything bad about them.
And Walla Walla is a perfect base for such a project. Right here in the heart of wine country, a valley removed enough from Urbania (yes, I made it up) to maintain its grounded sense of place. It doesn’t hurt, either, that Walla Walla Valley is producing some of the best wines in the country.
So Lloyd’s a smart guy. And he’s a nice guy. His passion for wine is infectious (in a good way—not the flesh eating virus way). I’ve learned a lot more about wines from all over the country. I mean, who knew Oklahoma had good wine? Three months ago I had no idea! Check out the AW list of wineries by state and be impressed. Plus, although the selection can at times be overwhelming, the website contains a plethora of educational articles, definitions, and descriptions in addition to wine listings. To quote my sister, among others, “Edumacate yourself!”
Wine is a big deal in America. Wine sales continue to prove this. And I’m proud to do business in the same town as American Winery, the whole crew, knowing that we have a common goal of supporting winemakers, getting wine to the people, helping people learn about, find, and enjoy good wines from this place we call home: Walla Walla to the Nation.
It also means that from time to time I get to sample a fun spread, like this:
From L to R: Source Napa 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Kaz “Dudes” 2005 Petit Sirah (another Cali wine), Nelms Road 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (local!)
How could I complain?
5 Comments
July 21st, 2008 at 8:33 am
Let the lynchings NOT begin! Thanks Amy for your support. I understand how looking at a company like this may resemble a “Walmart of wine” type of feel but in actuality AW stands strongly for supporting and helping small wine producers succeed. We are in a time of massive beverage consolidation, there are 75% fewer distributors than there were 15 years ago and corporate wine brands are swallowing up the best wine producers and the domestic wine consumption gap against imports is slipping every year. I feel that if consumers dont choose to support lots of small wineries, those wineries will go out of business and the US will be left with fewer choices and lower (quality) price points. So I built AW hoping that people had an easy way to find and try lots of different wines that they would have otherwise never heard of. You of course got to this in your post! Not to mention a winery makes the greatest ROI with purchases through AW and they get 40% more cash than going 3 tier! Save the eggs!
July 28th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Amen, brother! No lynchings on the docket, I promise. I see a need to go local. That is getting easier in some areas and harder in others. Thank you for seeing a need and building a company to fill it. Seriously.
Not a big fan of 3 tier.
And in response to the “Walmart of wine” comment, I don’t know where that came from. Perhaps you’ve gotten that elsewhere, but in truth I’ve always been impressed by the professional, educational, integrous presentation of AW. I love seeing young, inspired professionals working out of passion to make a difference in the world. What could be more un-Walmart than that? No, I believe in what you’re doing. Thanks for the comment.
Hear that wineries? Get with it.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Amy, great post. I agree that American Winery is good for the industry and will do good things for sure. However, I disagree about the eggs. I’ve been in downtown Walla Walla and couldn’t hep myself but to throw eggs at Lloyd’s window. Turns out it is surprisingly fun. Might be worth a try.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Websites like AmWine, WineQ and others ARE very important for wine.
From my perspective, anyone that produces so many win-win-wins (winery wins, consumer wins, industry wins) while ALSO threatening the ‘old guard’ is fine company to keep!
- Agent Red, Founder
The Wine Spies, LLC
August 13th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Absolutely! Agent Red, I’ve got your back on that one.
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