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Wine Post: Wine & Spirits Blog

• Excerpt: Wine Retail in 2010: Hopeful Reactions from Across the U.S.
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor This is an excerpt from an article I wrote, published on Palate Press on February 2, 2011. From across the U.S. you can almost hear the collective exhale of relief by wine retailers. Having adjusted inventories to accommodate the tighter purse strings of wine drinkers, retailers found that while the byword for 2010 was “value, […]
• The Problem with being a Retailer on an Importer/Press Trip
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor Do not get me wrong, I am having a great time. But almost all of the wines I am tasting will require at least 3 months before they get into the US, and that only if one of the importers on the trip with me decided they want to start the process of bringing the wines in TOMORROW. I am tasting lots of great wines and one of the […]
• A surprise tryp to Portugal
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor I was extremely surprised when I received an e-mail inviting me to a "tryp" to Portugal. At first I thought it must be spam, but decided it was worth another look. We would like to invite you on a trip to Portugal. I had to read that line two or three times to make sure my eyes were ok. I think showed it to my fiancé […]
• How to Be a Good Wine Distributor
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor Have you ever bought a car? You needed four wheels that moved when you wanted them to and stopped when you said so. Therefore you went to the used car lot, because why go for the newest, top of the line model when it will be devalued $5k the moment you drive it off the lot. And then there's the car salesman. He (or she - […]
• In Response to the Passionate Food Rant
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor I posted this comment on the Passionate Foodie, a friend of mine who is extremely knowledgeable about wine and especially Sake. However, I disagreed with his position about carrying niche wines. You can see the original post here: http://passionatefoodie.blogspot.com/2010/11/rant-wine-store-owners-mercenary-or.html Below is my […]
• Too much a Chilean
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor Sometimes I think having worked with Chilean wines gives me a slanted point of view. As I am now buying for a store, my initial impulse is to fill the spots I have open with Chilean wines. Slowly I think I am learning that too much Chile can be a bad thing. That being said, I recently wrote another article on Chilean wines. Fe […]
• Quick Taste: Olson Ogden Wines
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor Sometimes it takes me a long time to taste wines. Right now I am working on reviewing wines I received in July. The Olson Ogden wines I received back in May and am sorry it took me so long because these were really delicious. 2008 Olson Ogden Marsanne Margaret's Mandate, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley, California - The […]
• Landmark Vineyards: A John Deere Legacy
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor It's a tough life I lead. Seriously, sometimes the work I do is incredibly difficult and tedious, but someone has to do it. Like when I had to meet with the proprietor of Landmark Vineyards, Mary Calhoun and her daughter Damaris for lunch at Seasonal Restaurant and Weinbar. Mary and her husband, Michael Deere Colhoun, run […]
• Shana Tova
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor It is very interesting to see what people buy for Rosh Hashanah. Obviously I expect people to purchase more kosher wine, but I am not sure why. Many of the people that take off during the Rosh Hashanah are the same people that buy plenty of non-kosher wine. If you are not going to drink kosher year round, why start now? It mig […]
• Quick Taste: Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
  by Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor Since I am currently taking WSET courses at the International Wine Center, my tasting analytics have changed slightly to include more minutia. I hope that you do not mind (and if you do, let me know) since I am going to start using the format to report my Quick Taste posts. The format is very simple, you first analyze appearan […]