TODAY’S REBELS OFFERING A DIFFERENT APPROACH (via Cepage Noir)

Here’s hoping that my new-found digs (as a Central Market Wine Manager) will lead to an eventual placement of these “Natural” wines here in Texas! Back in 1994, I joined a small, dedicated French-wine import company that would later change its name from International Gourmet Corp – as we moved away from including olive oils [...]

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TODAY’S REBELS OFFERING A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Back in 1994, I joined a small, dedicated French-wine import company that would later change its name from International Gourmet Corp – as we moved away from including olive oils and vinegars in our offers – to European Wine Group. Our focus was bringing to America what we discovered in the artisanal, family-owned and operated [...]

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THE IMPORTER’S WACKY, THE WINE’S WONDERFUL

  Yet another bottle that exemplifies one of my proverbial answers to that almost weekly question posed by friends and family, “Hey Christopher, what ‘cha drinkin’ these days?” I once shared the tale of a full afternoon tasting event that involved several wines from this importer, an afternoon degustation that I can still taste on my palate and [...]

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Ceago – Fantastic Value, Biodynamic Pioneer

They call this place a “vinegarden”.  And if you find yourself near Clear Lake, Lake County, California about two hours outside both San Fran and Sacramento, take my advice, spend the day with Jim Fetzer, President of Ceago, and his winemaker, Javier Tapia.  For not only are the wines delicious – especially the Sauvignon Blanc [...]

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AmByth Estate – Biodynamic Beauty

While on our recent tour in search of the perfect location for our next venture, I took a few moments one early morning to check the hotel computer, just in case my in-box had any surprises for me.  My passion for the world of biodynamic wines has me sharing every tidbit of information I come [...]

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Biodynamic Updates – And Some New Wines to Try

We’ve just returned from our scouting trip to Virginia and my mind this morning is swimming with ideas.  The local wine scene in Richmond is vastly different than the one evidenced by consumers in the metropolis where I currently reside, with the most obvious contrast being the abundance of boutique shops adorning the landscape.  From one [...]

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Some Smashing New Discoveries

These past several days have most certainly inched along.  These have been ones spent working through the final pages of the business plan.  And these are the dreaded yet absolutely vital dozen or so pages known as the “financial” section, where the passionate prose takes a back seat to pure numbers; where the left-brain oriented [...]

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Oh, for a Glass of Wine

Another excruciating day comes to a close, witnessing me once again crunching the numbers on this business plan as we make ourselves ready for the first printing.  Thus far, only a handful of our closest allies are primed for the first draft of this 60+ page business plan.  And the pages are indeed impressive.  My [...]

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A Biodynamic Roundup

Blog Update #73, 2009: A Biodynamic Roundup I’ve chronicled our steps towards the building of a new and vastly improved family business through these blog updates, sharing daily discoveries over at my social network page where I’m known by the “handle” of Chambertin.   As we dig down deep this morning to hopefully complete the final [...]

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A Tale of Biodynamics, Feiring and the Death of the Chronicle

  Blog Update #72 A Tale of Biodynamics, Feiring and the Death of the Chronicle The power of the bio-dynamic wine movement first revealed itself as I witnessed a surge in my social network connections that can only be described as unprecedented.  On the 1st of May, I was leisurely working away on my latest [...]

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