Drinking with the Doctor: domaine547 gets a chance to hang with Good Wine Under $20’s Dr. Debs
It can be lonely going to trade events on our own. We haven’t been in the biz that long, and we don’t know tons of people in the LA wine world. We’re getting to know them, sure, but that takes time.
So it was our pleasure to be able to invite Dr. Debs to a trade tasting this week, so we could enjoy some wine with somebody we consider a colleague. Yeah, her day job might be in the Academy; but of all the people we’ve met in our time pushing wine, she has to be about the most professional of the bunch.
The tasting in question was an Italy event, focusing on “Tuscan Terroir”. Trouble was, we couldn’t taste a whole lot of terroir in most of the wines. We tasted, spat, tasted, spat, tasted, spat, and so on. But it was only about one wine in ten where we had a sense that we were tasting something special.
That being said, Dr. Debs seemed to have similar responses to the wines we tasted, and we’re pretty sure it was not a case of group-think. See, this isn’t the first time we tasted together. Dr. Debs is the most recent participant in the Wine Blogger Sampler Pack program, and we’re very happy to launch her Good Wine Under $20 pack this week. She came to d547 headquarters a while back, and we tasted through about a dozen wines from around the world. The ones she ended up selecting were among our favorites as well, and you can get the lowdown on them if you click on that link you just passed…
In the meantime, we posed a few questions to the good Doctor after the Tuscany tasting, and here are her thoughtful responses:
As usual, our questions are in bold, Dr. Debs’ answers are not…
What were the highlights of the Tuscany tasting for you?
Producer-wise, I really enjoyed the wines of Castellare, which combined traditional Italian wine-making with super value. I also found their wines to be among the most even in terms of quality, from bottle to bottle and vintage to vintage. Of course, the other highlight was tasting so many Brunellos that I would simply not buy for myself. The standouts here for me was the 2000 Salicutti Brunello di Montalcino (ret. $120) and the 2003 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino ($80)
Did you find any wines that you thought were terrific values?
The 2006 La Parrina Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario ($13) was terrific, with salty and floral aromas and a marvelous citrus core. The 2004 Castellare Chianti Classico ($21) had surprising depth for a wine of this price, with layers of leather, herbs, and plum fruit and a nice, silky texture. At a higher price point, th 2004 Pratesi Carmione ($35) super-Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot had nicely balanced blackberry, cedar, and herbal flavors and aromas.
This isn’t your first trade tasting…you’ve been to Family Winemakers, but this was definitely a buyer-oriented event. Did it give you any particular insight into how the wine professionals operate?
This was the first event I’ve been to that was clearly tailored to buyers. I was so focused on the wine that I didn’t have much opportunity to people-watch. But I was struck by how many were having conversations with the makers or their representatives.
Once you got home and looked at the price sheet, were there any big surprises?
Italian wine is EXPENSIVE. And some of the wines I liked least were the most expensive.
Any disappointments (besides the traffic on the way home…)?
Turns out I am just not a Super Tuscan gal. I preferred the simpler and more old-fashioned wines that had lots of Sangiovese.
You’re reading Vino Italiano for the Wine Book Club. Personally, we find that reading and tasting in conjunction with each other are much more effective to learning about a wine region than doing either one or the other. Did you come away with any particular revelations or more complete understanding from doing these activities simultaneously?
I actually went back and re-read the Tuscan chapter after the tasting. I don’t drink lots of Tuscan wine as a rule, so it was a chapter that I wasn’t able to link to a lot of tasting experiences. After the tasting, the descriptions of Super Tuscans and the various Tuscan wine-making zones made a lot more sense, and triggered specific aroma and flavor memories from the tasting.
At what point did you experience palate fatigue?
When we were down to three tables or so, and had to make the final push to the finish line, I thought, yikes, I’ve got to focus because I’m tired and not sure I’ll be able to discern much about individual wines. As tastings go this was on the smaller side, which is nice, but I like to drink reds and whites. Less palate fatigue for me that way!
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We also couldn’t resist asking Debs a few more general questions before our time was up with her.
Wine is a passion of yours, and definitely more than just a hobby. If you rewound to the years just following college, and were just entering the professional world, might you have chosen a different path related to wine?
I think I’m glad that it’s my avocation. I like to think I bring my vocation (lifelong learner) to wine, too. It’s a good combination.
Wine played a role in your upbringing, as you wrote about so beautifully on your blog recently. Even though wine consumption is on the rise in the US, it still seems like there are hurdles to getting folks to treat wine as part of every day life rather than a special occasion item. What do you feel are the most effective ways of changing this mindset?
First, thank you! I think the less we focus on trophy wines and the more we focus on wines that go well with food and everyday drinking, the more likely we are to see a big change. I am always amazed when people say “this is a wine to be had on its own, without food” like that’s a good thing. Hmmm. Not sure I agree.
Your next wine vacation will be to…
Paso Robles, no question. But I’m going to Spain in September for work and I plan on playing hookie at least one day and getting into some vineyards.
Chablis or CA Chardonnay (just kidding — wink wink, Tom!)
HA! Honestly, if I had to be on a desert island with just one kind of wine it would be sparkling wine. Don’t care where it’s from, I just love the stuff!
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So, Dr. Debs, if you ever decide that a life in academics is no longer your cup of tea, we think you’d make a mighty fine wine buyer. Your writing is phenomenal. You’re articulate, and you’re adventurous. Come back and taste with d547 any time. In fact, we agree regarding the Castellare and may just have to add that to our line-up.
In the meantime, check out Dr. Debs’ blogger-pack at our store, and we’ll post later in the week with a few additional details about her Good Wine Under $20 World Tour blogger pack!
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get your wine on
2008 “Bebame” Red, El Dorado County, California
Cabernet Franc (65%) and Gamay (35%) from - gasp - California! And only 13% ABV, pretty modest by California standards. If I tasted this blind I would probably have said it’s from the Loire Valley. It has pretty much nothing in common with the full bodied iterations of Cab Franc coming out of Napa. Juicy, light, delicious quaffing wine.$18 a bottle
2006 Telegramme Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge
Really balanced and smooth, this is a bargain of a Chateauneuf. Yeah, the 07s are lauded but what would I prefer to drink? This! It’s the second label of Vieux Telegraphe, from the same property but from younger vines. And it’s a deal at $33 a bottle.2006 or bust!
NV Barcino Cava: LA Times Wine of the Week!
Delicious and just in time for New Year’s Eve…this is the LA Times Wine of the Week, and we have plenty in stock. Order online, pick-up in-store!$14 a bottle!
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freshly pressed
The Business of Saying No:
No, I am not a natural wine merchant.
And no, I am also not not a natural wine merchant.
So what exactly is my store, Domaine LA? This is a tricky question that I try to answer here.
________
A couple of months back, I participated in the first annual Los Angeles Natural Wine Week, spearheaded by Lou Amdur of Lou Wine Bar. At that time, I took some heat from a few folks around the Internet who felt I might have been merely capitalizing on a trend and didn’t see me as a true natural wine merchant.
The thing is, I’ve never claimed to be a natural wine merchant. When I started my business online a few years ago, I stated plainly that I wanted to sell wines I loved. I was an enthusiast with a fairly receptive, wide-ranging palate, and I considered learning about wine a journey I would be going on alongside my customers. While I’ve since expanded my business to include a brick and mortar space, my self-conception and mission statement haven’t really changed. But my palate has.
To be absolutely blunt about it, I used to love wines that I simply can’t stomach anymore. There are blog posts archived on my website that in retrospect make me cringe, paragraphs singing the praises of some of the most blatantly manipulated wines in the world. I once criticized a wine bar for not having any Southern Hemisphere selections; it’s now my favorite spot in Los Angeles. And today I carry barely a dozen Southern Hemisphere SKUs myself.
By and large, my palate-shift is reflected in what I bring into the store. Chris Ringland and Mollydooker have been replaced by Eric Texier and Thierry Puzelat; the California fruit- and alcohol-bombs, for the most part, have given way to wines from La Clarine Farm, Donkey and Goat and LIOCO.
As a result of my largely obscure inventory, almost every day I’m faced with customers asking for items that I don’t stock. On a regular basis, I hear:
“Do you have Rombauer Chardonnay?”
No, I answer.
“Do you have Caymus?”
Afraid not, I reply.
“What about Blackstone Merlot?”
So sorry, but no.
“Where’s the Veuve Clicquot? This is a gift. I need the recipient to know it’s nice!”
Sigh.
Saying no to people sets up a potentially risky relationship that may start and end with that one exchange—many customers want what they want and aren’t open to alternative suggestions. In other cases, however, that simple “no” can be the beginning of something beautiful, a dialogue that winds up with a customer who came in looking for the Prisoner instead going home with something like Morgan Twain-Peterson’s Bedrock Heirloom Red, a wine which, while perhaps not 100% natural, is a more honest “made in the vineyard” (yes, I know this is also a cliché) version of what the Prisoner purports to be.
Of course, sometimes that customer really just wants the Prisoner. Which leads me to my major confession here: despite more than a bit of ambivalence, I continue to sell the Prisoner, along with other wines that are by no means natural, wines that are quite frankly manufactured. The Prisoner sits on the shelf right next to the Bedrock Heirloom Red, and for the time being, it will stay there. At least twice a week people come in asking specifically for this wine, and, for several reasons, it’s a request I’m not—yet—willing to deny.
Even though I no longer drink the Prisoner, there was a time–not too long ago–when I did so happily. When I first started getting interested in wine, it was a bottle that captured my imagination and helped launch me on the journey I remain committed to today. So maybe I keep the Prisoner around out of a sense of nostalgia. Or maybe I keep it around to remind me how far I’ve come. Maybe I keep it around hoping that for those who ask for it, it will simply be their starting place just as it was mine.
Or, more cynically, maybe I keep it around because people buy it. Maybe it’s a crutch to lean on when I’m too tired to hand-sell the less familiar items on my shelves. Seeing something recognizable is comforting to consumers, and that comfort somehow lends me credibility; credibility is a precedent to trust. Trust is what enables me to recommend something different to a customer who normally drinks the Prisoner.
In this sense, the Prisoner is of great value to me, not just as an easy sell, but even more so as a gateway to all the other wines I have available. I don’t know that I’d be able to move as much of the Bedrock, an unknown wine with a tiny case production, without the Prisoner right next to it.
______
Saying no is extremely hard. Right now, I’m willing to do so 90% of the time, maybe even 95%. Call me a coward or a fake if you want. But I know where I started out, and it’s been a logical evolution. And while I’m headed in a particular direction, guided by my palate, it’s safe to assume I won’t ever be a 100% “natural wine merchant.”
I like to think there’s room for somebody like me—somebody with confidence in her tastes, who also takes into account modes of production in buying decisions; someone who has a particular point of view, yet retains an inclusive attitude. I am strong in my opinions, and enthusiastic in my passions. I never judge my customers, and hope that they’ll be as open-minded and respectful of my offerings as I am of their preferences.
So far, it seems to be working out. In recent months, I’ve brought in only one case of the Prisoner (less than a thousandth of a percent of its total production) for every three cases of the Bedrock (1.3% of its total production).
So, what am I?
I’m not a natural wine merchant. And I’m not not a natural wine merchant.
I’m a work in progress. And I’m okay with that.
The Business of Saying No
Los Angeles Natural Wine Week: Taste California Terroir on 5/15/2010 at Heath Ceramics
Meet the Reps: Amy Atwood
wine jargon
Frizzante
From Wikipedia: Frizzante is an Italian wine term term for semi-sparkling wine (as opposed to Spumante, which is generally used for fully sparkling wines). Frizzante wines generally owe their bubbles to a partial secondary fermentation in tank. You might notice a light fizz or tingly sensation on the tongue with a Frizzante wine, compared to the more carbonated sensation that more fully sparkling wines yield.
Scorekage
Okay, so we made up this word yesterday after a great restaurant experience. We brought a bottle of wine with us, expecting to pay a corkage fee. But the restaurant either forgot to charge us the $15, or decided to be nice to us. We scored! Hence, “scorekage” has entered our lexicon. This can also refer to BYO friendly restaurants that don’t charge for corkage under any circumstances.
grapewise
DomaineLA Store Contact Info
If you’re looking for our brick and mortar shop, here’s where it can be found:
(323) 932-0280
Hours are 11AM to 8PM, Monday through Saturday and noon to 5PM on Sundays.
Read more…Fabulous & Frugal!
Our friends launched a new site and domaine547 is a featured wine columnist in their premiere edition! Go check out Fabulous & Frugal for some fantastic lifestyle tips for living the good life during what, for most of us, is an economically challenging time. There’s much more than wine there, and we’re thrilled to be a small part of the start of what will surely be a successful venture. Congrats to Brandi & Steph for their achievement!
DomaineLA Store Contact Info
Fabulous & Frugal!
domaine547 In the Blogosphere! Imbibe Magazine Unfiltered
January 28th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Great interview with Dr.Debs…apparently everyone wants to find out about the woman behind Good Wine Under $20, with 2 big interviews so close together!
January 28th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Man, I wish I could order some of your wine packs. They look awesome!!
But that would probably make me a felon in the Commonwealth of PA.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Sonadora, thanks for stopping by as always!
1WineDude, don’t you have a nice Aunt or a friend in NY who wants to receive packages on your behalf? Hehehe.
January 29th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Jill,
I think the good Dr. is fantastic as well, but given we’re on the heels of the Good Grape Blogger Pack, is Dr. Debs immeasurably more professional than I?
My goodness, if so, please do feel free to privately message me so that I might take it as a learning experience.
Jeff
January 29th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Wow, it’s smiley day here! Can you just use regular emoticons and get the faces to appear? hmmm, who knew?
Jeff, we never knew you were so insecure. We feel you’re on par with the doctor, but it would be quite a commute for you to get here for a trade tasting…
Of course we love you — and your wine picks — and did not mean to imply otherwise. Cheers to Good Grape and Jeff L!
January 29th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Oh, Jill, don’t confuse the inquiry for insecurity. I am frequently wrong, but never in doubt.
Manifestly yours,
Jeff
February 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
We recently did an Italian wine tasting at a regional wine shop here in Taxachussetts. It is heartwarming to see a country pull its wine production out of a tail spin and begin to produce noteworthy wines. Italy has done much to improve the quality of their products over the last 10 years.
I have Sangiovese in my blood. I’m happy to report that we found 5 bottles that we brought home for future reviews. Wish we could have been there. We had a great time and looks like you did too.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:21 am
[…] We were impressed by the wine, as was our tasting partner for the day. You can read our write-up here, and our tasting partner’s […]