The Year Ahead At domaine547

Here’s a brief-ish list of things I’d like to accomplish in the coming year:

1. The most obvious (and important) resolution is to actually write blog posts. I’ve been a bit remiss about that lately, because of time constraints combined with a bit of writer’s block. While neither of these have gotten any better, I think I simply need to work through the pain, and just put some content up. Hopefully it will get easier as time goes on.

2. Last year, I said I’d be reading more about wine in the coming year. I wanted to participate in the Wine Book Club, but sat on the sidelines. While I’m not going to be reading the January selection for WBC, I hope to jump in for the next selection. And I’m already doing better in 2009 in general, with The Widow Clicquot on my night stand, and my non-wine Book Club’s January selection. It actually looks like February’s selection will be a fantastic follow-up to that…

3. As far as the store goes, I’m vowing to expand inventory to include more varied selections, especially from a regional point of view. My taste seems to have contracted a bit, with France now dominating new SKUs. With a lot of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone and Loire wines in my carefully curated portfolio of offerings, I’d like to bring in some more varied items — with the Southern Hemisphere being a big focus of the expansion. Please forward any tips on wines from Argentina and Chile, not to mention New Zealand and Australia (which I used to carry lots of, but now, not so much)!

4. I’m going to continue to focus on value, even though at this point it’s a cliché of the economic realities of the world. Even though I think value has always been my focus, given that I’m a cheapskate at heart, I’d like to find even more great deals to pass along to my customers. It’s not easy being an internet seller of wines that only cost $10 or so, since a 30% premium for shipping is steep. But I’ll eagerly stock wines that cost $10 or $12, but drink like $20 to $30 items — like the Valdesil Montenovo (sold out, wah!) that I sold a ton of. And while I’m not a discounter or volume player, when I can find close-out deals like the Cenit Tempranillo from last year, or the Twenty Rows Grappler (also sold out) from a few weeks ago, I’ll jump at them.

5. I’d like to continue to get to know other bloggers, do a few more blogger packs, and find new and interesting ways to interact with the community.

6. Picutres! My crappy point-and-shoot digital camera has broken, and it’s time for an upgrade. Hopefully I’ll use an SLR to enhance the site, with some pretty photos to accompany stories. I think Jeff at Good Grape said something about blogs without pictures going the way of the Dodo (though I can’t find the post for the life of me). I’m going to take t[his] advice to heart.

Finally, there are other things I’m hoping for, like expansion into old fashioned brick and mortar retail, and crazy things like profitability…it remains to be seen whether these two items are pipe dreams or attainable goals, but a girl can dream.

Thanks for a great 2008 everybody and have a happy and healthy 2009!

what's all this, then?

Domaine 547 is a community meant for people who want to come along with us on our journey, as we learn about the world of wine.

It’s a point of view, that says wine need not be put on a pedestal or saved for special occasions, but should instead be a part of everyday life—because life is just that much better with a glass of wine in your hand (unless, of course, you are an alcoholic or under the age of 21).

Domaine 547 is a virtual tour guide, a way for all of us to travel the globe, even when our wallets and schedules might not permit physically doing so.

Mostly, it’s a place without pretensions, where we can drink, learn, communicate, and probably drink some more. And of course, there is no snobbery or attitude allowed.

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