Mike Veseth's Blog, page 27
August 13, 2020
Around the World in 80 Wines: New Paperback & 30% Discount Offer
The paperback edition of my award-winning book Around the World in Eighty Wines is due out next month and Rowman & Littlefield is celebrating by offering a 30% discount off the list price of hardback, paperback, and Ebook editions.
You can order to book on the R&L website and apply the discount code RLFANDF30 during checkout. All the details (including five different ways to order) can be found in this pdf: 80WinesDiscountFlyer.
Inspired by Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale, Around the Worl...
August 11, 2020
Allegro con Brio: Celebrating 20 Vintages of Eroica Riesling
“Eroica” is the name given to Beethoven’s third symphony. It is a wonderful work, both elegant and powerful. And it was written to make a statement. First performed in the year 1804, it was meant to rally listeners to oppose the forces of tyranny.
“Eroica” is also the name given to Riesling wines made by a partnership between Dr. Loosen of Germany and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State. “Eroica” is celebrating its 20th vintage this year, which is a good moment to think about how it began...
August 4, 2020
Wine, Coronavirus, & the Falling Dollar
What is going to happen to the value of the U.S. dollar as the coronavirus crisis unfolds? That was the question that a couple of wine economists (I was one of them) were asked in a zoom meeting back in May.
The dollar’s going to stay strong, we both said. That’s what happens in a crisis. Investors rush to the safety and security of the dollar whenever there is uncertainty and risk. Ironically, the dollar sometimes rises even when the U.S. is the source of the uncertainty, but that’s another sto...
July 28, 2020
Cooper’s Hawk Winery Leverages Its Unique Business Model
It is time to circle back to check in on one of America’s most innovative wine companies: Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant. Cooper’s Hawk has carved out an unexpected market segment (it is too big to be called a niche) and built a loyal following. Can its unique business model continue to thrive in today’s challenging wine business environment?
Cooper’s Hawk by the Numbers
The numbers are impressive. The big winery in Woodridge, Illinois produced 675,000 cases of wine in 2019, according to Wi...
July 21, 2020
Long, Slow Road to Recovery for U.S. Wine
How long will it take for the economy to get back to normal? That’s the question I am asked most often these days, where “back to normal” is code for conditions at the start of 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic and the recession it has produced.
Try to Keep It Real (Compared to What?)
The answer to this question depends on how you look at it. If you are thinking about a world without concern for virus contagion, face masks, and social distancing, the answer might well be “never,” but only ti...
July 14, 2020
Bastille Day Reflections: Libertè, Ègalitè, Rosè
Today is July 14, France’s national day — Bastille Day — and it is a good moment to consider Rosè and the democratization of French wine and wine in general.
One thing that I like about Rosè is that is symbolizes to a certain degree the classic values of freedom (libertè) and equality (ègalitè). There isn’t any fixed recipe for Rosè. Winemakers have considerable liberty in choosing grapes, blends, and styles. And Rosè levels the playing field a bit, too, allowing less well-known regions to comp...
July 7, 2020
Einstein’s Law & Washington Wine
Einstein said that everything should be made as simple as possible … but not simpler. At some point further simplification loses the essence of whatever is being studied. I am pretty sure that he was talking about physics, not wine, but I think the concept applies here as well.
I was reminded of Einstein’s Law when I learned about what the Auction of Washington Wines is doing to try to spread the word about this region’s dynamic wine scene. Usually the auction is an in-person event and so the im...
July 2, 2020
Wine, Recession & the Fed-Ex Effect
The impact of the evolving coronavirus recession on the wine industry is complicated. It seems like you get a slightly different story depending on when and where you look. One way to think about this situation is to analyze other industries where the impacts might be easier to discern. Fed-Ex, the package delivery giant, offers several potential insights.
Business if Booming, But …
How is Fed-Ex doing in this environment? A recent report from The Economist newspaper provides some clues. You’d...
June 30, 2020
Holiday Flashback: How the U.S. and Canada Almost Destroyed Wine
These are tough times for many people in the wine industry, especially those who depend on bar and restaurant sales for much of their income. The restrictions necessary to address the coronavirus pandemic have had many unintended consequences.
The wine industry has been shut down before and took decades to recover. But the story isn’t exactly what you might expect. This special holiday week flashback column takes us back to 2015 to tell the story of how, in very different ways, the U.S. and Cana...
June 23, 2020
Rediscovering Ruchè, One of Italy’s “Invisible” Wines
The coronavirus pandemic has paused The Wine Economist’s usual travel and speaking schedule and while I don’t miss the chaos of international air travel I do miss the opportunity to meet interesting new people and the chance to discover wines made from indigenous grape varieties that often don’t get the attention they deserve.
At this time last year, for example, we were visiting Sardinia and Friuli, two regions of Italy that are especially known for their indigenous wine grapes. Some of these ...
