Some Wineries Get It/Some Don't

"It" being the personal touch.
Over the last couple of weeks, I tried a couple of wines I quite liked; wineries who I'd not heard of before. I e-mailed them a copy of my (long/boring) TN's and complimented them on their wine and asked a question or two. No response whatsoever. OhhhhhKay....not a biggie. I don't take it as a personal slight or anything...they're just probably pretty busy.
So...a couple of weeks ago, I find out that UntiVnyd has just released a Fiano. The 2'nd one made in Calif (Bryan Harrington had the first)and the first from the NorthCoast. Gotta get me some of that there Fiano, so placed an order for some annd some of their other Italian wines. Only 6 btls worth....pretty paltry in the grand scheme of things. I've met MickUnti several times over the yrs at tasting events and have liked his Zins, but not really followed him from the very start.
The order shows up ystrday & I eagerly rip open the box. Say whot?? Here's this nice little note in there from GeorgeUnti, thanking me for ordering and hoping I enjoy the wines and inviting me to stop by for a visit next time I'm in the DryCreekVlly. What a pleasant/personal touch. Prolly took George all of 30 seconds to scribble that note out. But it's those little touches that make all the difference in the world.
Hmmm.....guess which wnry I'm likely to order from again in the future??? It's a no-brainer.
Tom

George is one of the best people in the business, really great guy.

I buy wines from that Edmunds guy not only because they are excellent and fairly priced, but also because he responded quickly to my inquiry on procuring his wines in Indiana. Christian Moueix emailed me back regarding how people of normal means could taste Petrus. He told me very nicely that "they can't", but did tell me that the 2005 Trotanoy was a great value. We bought a bottle. Heidi Schrock called me on the phone from Austria! I've had a few wineries contact me months after order receipt to see if I enjoyed the wine. I am as loyal as I can be given monetary consideration to those wineries who are responsive.

Nothing irritates me more than either not getting an answer or getting a terse, useless, canned response (“Please see our website”) to a simple question asked of a winery. I don't ask questions for the hell of it and I'm smart enough to check the website before asking.

I buy wines from that Edmunds guy not only because they are excellent and fairly priced, but also because he responded quickly to my inquiry on procuring his wines in Indiana. Christian Moueix emailed me back regarding how people of normal means could taste Petrus. He told me very nicely that "they can't", but did tell me that the 2005 Trotanoy was a great value. We bought a bottle. Heidi Schrock called me on the phone from Austria! I've had a few wineries contact me months after order receipt to see if I enjoyed the wine. I am as loyal as I can be given monetary consideration to those wineries who are responsive.
Nothing irritates me more than either not getting an answer or getting a terse, useless, canned response (“Please see our website”) to a simple question asked of a winery. I don't ask questions for the hell of it and I'm smart enough to check the website before asking.

True dat, Sam. But I tend to cut the wineries some slack in that area. Several yrs ago, I sent an e-mail to a (Paso) winemaker asking him a few questions...
fairly intelligent questions....and got no response. Thru the general winery "info" e-mail address, since I didn't have his personal e-maill address.
When I saw him at a tasting event I repeated my questions and told him about the previous e-mail. He apologized profusely and related that the tasting room
manager handles the incoming e-mails and probably didn't forward it on to him. He even followed up w/ an e-mail later amplifying on his answers to my queries.
Those things happen.
Tom

Tom,

The one that torques me is when I ask where I can find a winery's wine in the region or if they will ship direct to Indiana and I don't get a response. As a potential buyer with money in hand why would they not answer me?

For a brief time I was the proud owner of a bottle of 1945 Cheval Blanc (my first and last stab at speculative wine investment - I made money on it in the end, but it was not worth the headache and frustration). So, I emailed the chateau to inquire about that particular bottling. And I actually got a response! From Cheval Blanc!

Yes, yes, I know what you're all thinking, why didn't I just drink the damn thing . . . . I've been wondering that ever since I managed to re-sell it. The brain surgeon (not kidding!) who bought it opened it along side a 1945 Mouton (a couple of the other '45 Firsts, don't remeber which) . . . . and "my bottle" of '45 Cheval Blanc was better . . . . sigh . . . .

The one that torques me . . . .

You know I just gave a test on that stuff yesterday. Well, if ever you get torqued again, just remember to stick your arms out so you don't spin as fast!

At least when I am torqued I employ the right hand rule.

At least when I am torqued I employ the right hand rule.

It would, after all, be gauche to do otherwise.

Mark Lipton

At least when I am torqued I employ the right hand rule.

There's a good man! Of course, in when torqued in that way, one needs to use the pointer for the first vector and the thumb for the second vector . . . .

I am still amazed at Cathy Corrison logging on here to respond to my corked bottle. (And the replacement bottle was awesome!)