Pomerol the Pits? Merlove Markets Merlot
Merlot has been a short since the movie “Sideways” was released, which of course sang the praises of Pinot Noir. Drinking merlot was seen to be very uncool, in what turned out to be another example of unintended consequences. After all, the movie ends with a bottle of Cheval Blanc, a blend of both merlot and cabernet franc. But merot lovers are fighting back, defending their grape in a new documentary that promises to be as entertaining for wine geeks as it will be for casual drinkers.
Merlove premiers June 27th at the Copia. The movie features an all-star cast of wine legends, who have a Mer-lust for Merlot:
Merlove is a documentary celebrating Merlot wine in response to the movie Sideways. Have the courage to embark on your own wine adventure. Merlove will help you learn more about wine, but it is your own experience that will guide your personal journey. As you try new wines you will gain love and appreciation for the gifts that wine can bring. Like anything in life, wine can be enjoyed and enhanced by sharing it with others. The bottom line is good wine is good wine and bad wine is bad wine, but that should not stop the adventure. The message of Merlove is that no single grape varietal should be singled out as superior or inferior to others. Enjoy as we interweave documentary style filmmaking with the animation of a bottle of Merlot wine named “Merlove” who must find a way to fill itself with love when aimlessly tossed into the ocean of mediocre Merlot wine.
We want people to know that Merlot is ready to be loved again by all and remember that every vintage has a new story to tell...
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The movie will even take you inside Chateau Petrus…
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Eveyone in getting into the act. Will baseball legend Tom Seaver make the wine hall of fame? If you did not see the profile on his new GTS Vineyards you can read it here.
Merlove
Homepage
Brecher and Gaiter Toast Robert Mondavi
John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter’s wine reviews have been a wonderful addition to the Wall Street Journal over the past decade, and I have been waiting to see how they would salute the legendary Robert Mondavi.
Their wine articles have soul, and this one is no different. It is one of their best, ever:
While many fine French wines were so elegant and high-bred that they seemed austere, Mondavi’s wines had both structure and generosity. They had the class of a master winemaker (some Mondavi winemakers became quite famous) and the ripeness of the California sun, a magical combination few had accomplished. The wines were more expensive than many, but not so expensive that they became special-occasion wines. And they were widely available. Unlike some later cult wines, whose appeal was that they were hard to find, Mondavi wines were accessible in every way, from availability to taste. They were democratic wines, and democratic in the best sense. They were wines that we could reach, but they made us stretch a little, think a little, grow a little. When we opened a Mondavi wine, we felt we were taking a step. Before we knew it, we—and a great number of other Americans—had stepped right into the modern world of wine.
Be sure to take time to read the full piece this weekend, and maybe even pick up a bottle of Mondavi’s Fume Blanc, or a Cabernet. Although it would need 30 years of bottle age before you could write a piece that would do it justice:
1974 Mondavi Cabernet Reserve
It was clear from the nose the moment we opened the long, intact cork that the wine was still good. The color was orange and light red, with fiery highlights. When we first opened it, the wine still had a core of vibrant fruit with a great sense of rich, sweet earth. There was cedar and a slight tone of citrus—Dottie thought of Grand Marnier. It was quite warming, with the essence of old grapes and earth. Although relaxed and clearly old, it was not over the hill.
Robert Mondavi
1913-2008
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A Toast to a Pioneer
WSJ
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Gary Vaynerchuck’s belated tribute, Gary was out of the country when Mr. Mondavi passed away.
Apocalypse Hampton: Here Come the Helicopters
Happy Memorial Day?
Not for the thousands of year round residents of the East End of Long Island, whose hamlets are plagued by an infestation of winged creatures every summer. And yes, the locals are bugging out, as the peacocks begin to strut their stuff in their annual invasion:
Jill Zarin found a summer travel bargain she couldn't pass up: 10 helicopter trips to the Hamptons for $28,000.
"Honestly, to me time is money," said Zarin, 44, who shuttles between her city home and her beach house while overseeing a Manhattan fabric company and appearing on Bravo's "Real Housewives of New York."
"I've got so many things going on," she said. "I'm managing a business, doing a TV show, taking care of my family and running back and forth from the Hamptons to the city." Newsday
Senator Chuck Schumer, who is busy stirring the pot in the controversy over the ratings agencies, is in the thick of this fight as well:
Gary Vaynerchuck Takes Mad Money
Three places I have not seen Gary Vaynerchuk recently:
1) Ditch Plains lineup, Montauk
2) In my bed
3) On CNBC...whoops.
Gary Vaynerchuck has been everywhere recently in conjunction with the release of his new book, 101 Wines. He even stopped by Mad Money tonight to talk wine with Cramer.
There are not that many ways to play the wine boom on Wall Street, and they spent some time talking about Constellation Brands (STZ-NYSE) among others.
I owned the stock back in 1994 when it was called Canandaigua Wine, and had a weird moment chatting with Marty Romm, the long time beverage analyst at First Boston. He had sponsored a meeting with Richard Sands of Canandaigua Management at the “21” Club, which happened to be held at the same time Quaker Oats bought Snapple.
Snapple had recently gone public and was trading at a ridiculous valuation. I knew a number of people that were short the stock, primarily based on its huge premium to the other beverage stocks and all the hype over the brand. It was 1994’s version of Netscape, which went public a year later. Hot Hot Hot.
Anyhow, Quaker Oats was fighting off a number of activist investors at the time, and decided to buy Snapple, which diluted shareholders and killed the stock, big time. It was the ultimate poison pill. The deal made no financial sense, but got rid of the activist shareholder who were badgering Quaker’s management. Quaker Management threw their shareholders under the bus to save their jobs. It was incredible, in its twisted brilliance, and every one that was short Snapple got crushed. It just goes to show you, anything can happen in these markets.
After the lunch ended I was talking to Marty in the lobby of “21” Club while he was on the television 3 feet in front of us on a taped segment of CNBC talking about the deal. It was surreal.
Snapple, the hottest stock of 1993-94. As I remember, anyhow, my memory is shot. Some day I will tell the story of how I made David Faber famous.
Gary talks about branding on Mad Money tonight. The Snapple deal was of course a huge failure for Quaker; they paid too much and they ruined the brand to some extent.
But for a short time it was hotter than even Gary is in 2008.
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Mad Money
CNBC
Brand culture failures: Quaker Oats’ Snapple
Brand Failures
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The content contained in this blog represents the opinions of 1440 Wall Street. This commentary in no way constitutes a solicitation of business or investment advice. It is intended solely for the entertainment of the reader, and the author.
