The National Wine
UnClub
Blog/Newsletter
November/December 2010
Close Encounters of the Wine Kind
The frenetic pace of life in today's world is a wonder to behold. We don't seem to have the patience to wait on anything as the urgency of immediate gratification takes hold ever more firmly. This is symbolized quite clearly by the cell phone texting craze that fascinates the current generation during their every waking moment. Take a look at Facebook or Twitter and you'll see the same trend as well; incessant communication of a rather frivolous nature. Entertaining perhaps, but not relaxing, not allowing a moment for some reflective pause.
When I see a wine customer busily consulting his iPhone or Blackberry while shopping in my establishment I feel a bit chagrined to say the least. I certainly want the customer to be well informed about the wines I carry and wouldn't ever deny him (mostly it's a him, not a her, using the electronics!) the use of all means available to ascertain a good wine choice for his purposes. And in most stores that carry wine I would agree that the help provided by wine sales staff is probably inadequate to the task of knowledgeable recommendation outside of the narrow range of what sells best overall.
The problem I see in this is that with all our vast electronic means of communicating we are in danger of losing connection with the simple relationships of the moment available in the everyday circumstance. Now I don't mean to say that you should engage the fledgling wine consultant in a personal conversation while you're in a hurry trying to shop for the evening's wine. If the person attending you has something valid to share about the store's wine selection they will let you know if that is their job and you have some interest in their opinions.
The most knowledgable of wine enthusiasts are sure of one thing regarding their wine knowledge: they don't know it all! Therefore consulting (electronically or otherwise) the opinions of other knowledgeable wine enthusiasts is a must to stay up with what's happening in this ever-changing field. But respecting their own lack of current wine information, the most savvy wine buyers will intentionally frequent a wine shop where friendly wine workers are employed to fill them in on the latest happenings in the wine world.
Why do certain wines appear in the best wine shops around the country? Are all wines selected by store owners/wine buyers based on the established reputation of the winery? Are critical reviews in every form the best approach to getting the wine you want? These are questions that tend to dominate in the minds of most wine shop owners. Of course, one musn't forget how big a role price plays in how wines are purchased for resell in your favorite local wine outlet!
It doesn't take long to determine what motivates the wine shop owner/buyer; if interested just ask! If they indicate that their intention is anything other than serving your needs, you should leave the establishment as quickly as possible. If they don't know the answers to the questions above they're most likely incapable of serving your needs anyway. The first question they should ask of you is "What would you like?" or "How can I help you?" That should be followed by a genuine listening as you describe your area of interest in their services.
In the best wine shops around the country today typically one doesn't need to arrive 'wired' for gathering information; if the owner/consultant doesn't know how a wine was rated or whether the current vintage is recommended or not there is probably a high-speed internet connection on hand within the premises to check such mundane facts quickly. This is particularly useful when making a collectible or otherwise expensive selection of wines.
However our advice is for you the wine enthusiast to connect with the store that provides someone you can commune with regarding your tastes in this complex culinary-oriented endeavor. The reward of this type of communication is a very significant sharing that has the lasting effect of human warmth and care. Isn't it a great thing that we can share one with another in this fashion regarding something we are so passionate about? Certainly this has been my experience and keeps me excited about the next encounter in the wine shop!
Cheers!
Captain Vino