Six of Top Ten. (Me, Rachel, Annie, Eric, Kamary, Nick) (Rachel Reenstra pic)

Breaking News: I was NOT chosen as the Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent!!!

And if that’s breaking news to you, then you’ve either been living under a rock or haven’t had the time or inclination to follow the social media goings-on over at Murphy-Goode Winery.

Hardy Wallace, a formidable applicant and all-around heckuva guy, was chosen as the Murphy-Goode WCLC…and I support him 100%.

In fact, we ALL do!

Which is indicative of the entire time spent up in Healdsburg…total support for one another, regardless of who was chosen…and ultimately completely in line with the idea of social media, right?

Before moving on, I simply have to THANK everyone who supported me and everyone else in the A Really Goode Job campaign.  Everyone’s amazing and unwavering support has truly humbled me.

Gosh I'm cool! Well, not anymore...I think I lost those sunglasses! Ack. (Eric Hwang pic)

As a quick wrap-up, the Top 10 were flown up to Healdsburg, CA in late July for what turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.  We had dinners scheduled every night where the Murphy-Goode wine flowed freely (kinda like Ancient Greece…or my version of heaven), educational talks out in the vineyards, a wine-blending competition, wine-pouring meet-and-greets, final interviews, haiku-writing contests, cooking dinner for 20+ people, a Segway tour of a local vineyard and on and on…CRAZY, right?

As soon as we realized that we were all so incredibly different from one another in the Top 10, we declared the weekend a “no competition” zone and set about to have a great time and be 100% ourselves.  Oh sure, we were competitive at Liar’s Dice and Texas Hold ‘Em (although Murphy-Goode winemaker Dave Ready, Jr. was the only one in the room who knew the rules for Texas Hold ‘Em…are you kidding me with all those goofy rules?), but the majority of our time up there was spent laughing and taking pictures and video, tweeting, Facebooking and just about anything else social media-related you can think of.

Rocky, Nick and I. Hell yeah I can play the tambourine! (Or so I learned that night.) (Rachel Reenstra pic)

It was only three full days we were there in Sonoma County, but it felt like summer camp.

Camp Murphy-Goode!

I had two running bits…that, as the Top 10 applicants in a widely-publicized job search, everything communicated to us was a test. When the Tasting Room manager, the wonderful Lorri Emmerich, suggested a breakfast place in town for me and Rachel to try since we were the first two to arrive on Saturday…I said whether we went there or not was a test. Sure enough, Lorri walked by with her husband an hour or so later and stopped to chat for a bit. I looked at Rachel as they walked off and said, “See! It was a test! And we passed!!! (I think.)”

My other bit was that it should be called “anti-social media” because at any given moment we all had our faces buried in our iPhones (guilty!) or smartphones to let everyone else know what was going on. If flashbulbs weren’t going off in our faces from the pro photographers in the group…we were our own paparazzi, in essence…then we were busy updating the “real world” on the happenings.

First night, me and Adam doing our social media thang while Dave Ready ran a bocce ball tourney! (Annie Lee pic)

In fact, every night when I got back to my hotel room, I’d spend at least an hour or so, regardless of how exhausted I was, looking up what the other nine had posted on Twitter and Facebook and their blogs so that I could “like” things, RT them or re-post in approval and appreciation.

Explore Healdsburg? Who has time when you’ve been dubbed one of the social media elite…and everything’s a test? 

If you haven’t seen the brief videos I’ve posted on the four-day excursion, you can check them out here:

www.youtube.com/toddhavens

And if you want to check out the pics, I’ve made the albums on Facebook available to everyone:

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

All Top 10 video submissions

Also, there are some GREAT videos and shots by Adam Beaugh (one of the Top 10)…with links to everyone’s sites, blogs, social media awesomeness…

http://www.areallygoodetrip.com/

and local Healdsburg tech pro Justin Whitaker posted a great compilation of the final announcement day:

http://myhbg.tv/1623/murphey-goode-wine-country-correspondent-announcement/

As opposed to the real photography professionals in the Top 10 (Adam, Eric, Rocky, Annie…did I miss anyone?), I took along my new iPhone 3GS and a laptop for expedited updating and sharing.

I'll be hiring Adam as my personal photographer whose only job will be to take nice shots like these! Me likey me. (Adam Beaugh pic)

SUCCESSES

Although I wasn’t tapped for the ultimate job, I did win 3rd place in wine-blending (which I’d never done before and was a lot of fun)…and I made it into the finals of Liar’s Dice where I went head-to-head with Dave, the guru himself, and Adam.

Am I bluffing here at Liar's Dice? You betcha! That's how you get into the finals, my friends! (Eric Hwang pic)

I didn’t win anything for 3rd place in the wine-blending…but for making the finals in Liar’s Dice I had to get up at 5:30am the next morning to be in a Skype interview for the local Sacramento NBC affiliate morning show where they ran out of time before asking me a question.  Ah, morning television!

At least Dave took me, Adam  and Mark Osmun out for breakfast at his favorite local eatery where we watched as the waitress tripped and dumped an entire pitcher of orange juice (it looked like) on a young guy dressed in a business suit.  It was awful, but when his buddies couldn’t stop laughing…neither could we.  Of course, when she came back over to us with a scalding pitcher of hot coffee asking me if I wanted more…”Oh no! Thanks, I’m fine! You can step away now, slowly, carefully…steady as she goes…”

SOCIAL MEDIA

The way it should be, I think, is how we approached it.  If there was competition, it was friendly.  Social media means that Hardy will lean on us to help spread the word just as much as we’ll lean on him.  Especially as we set to bring a slow-to-change industry successfully online.

Kudos to Murphy-Goode for breaking such public new ground!  (That sounds weird…such new ground publicly?  Meh.)

MURPHY-GOODE

What a great group of people!  Many of them have worked with the winery for decades…something you never hear nowadays.  Their humanity and generosity were overwhelming and, even though I only met them for a few days, I really do miss them!

Perhaps my affection for everyone is even more pronounced because Murphy-Goode was such a faceless entity for the entire AReallyGoodeJob run.  Tweets and Facebook fan page updates came mysteriously from On High – to actually meet the people who work so hard and care so much about Murphy-Goode and each other was a bit of a shock, a complete reversal from the walled-off anonymity of the campaign.

Rocky, Hardy (at the sink) and moi making dinner. (Adam Beaugh pic)

WHAT’S NEXT

These are questions we’re all trying to answer in our own ways. It’s why it’s taken me a couple of weeks to write this post.

Hardy is the official Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent for the next 6 months starting on 8/15/09 while Rocky was added in the 11th hour in a created-for-him internship role (SMART MOVE, Murphy-Goode!) and Kamary will be working with the winery in a consulting capacity.  You can already see what Kamary’s up to here at WineTimeTV.net

The rest of us are talking with other wineries (some in the Jackson Family portfolio…others not) and many, many opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible even a month ago could now easily come to fruition.  What a weird, weird, amazing world this is.

This site, AGoodeGuy.com, will not have much more life in it as it was created specifically for the A Really Goode Job campaign (obviously), but any future announcements will be posted here as well until another, more permanent home is found.

Simply TOO much happened in those 3-4 short days to write about…and it’d probably bore y’all to tears…but PLEASE feel free to ask any questions or share your thoughts in the comments.  It’s all over now so you can ask anything you want!

Thanks, again, for your support…and forgive me for failing to mention everyone who helped make this campaign such a phenomenal success!  (Linsey Careers, the townspeople of Healdsburg, my momma for birthing me, etc.)

I’m Todd Havens.  And I’m a Goode Guy!

(Yuk-yuk-yuk.)

My Mecca. (What? Too dramatic?)

Well, the time is upon us!

The Top 10 (including this here Goode Guy) are headed up to Healdsburg early tomorrow (Sat) morning for a few days of hijinx and shenanigans so I thought I would take this opportunity to make a PLEDGE to everyone:

Regardless of how much fun I have…
Regardless of how much great wine I taste (and drink)…
Regardless of the great meals we may eat and cook for one another…
And regardless of how much I may learn from Dave Ready, Jr. and my smart-as-a-whip Top 10 peers…

I will NOT become a Snooty-Snooterton.

My pledge having been committed to y’all here on the interwebs, let me just say…that…

I’M READY TO GO!

My bags aren’t quite packed (I’m a last-minute packer, it’s true), but I’m already jazzed to meet the entire Murphy-Goode crew that has pulled this all together, including winemaker par excellence Dave Ready, Jr…and hang for a few days with these super-talented Top 10 peers.  I predict we’ll have a blast.

TO FOLLOW ALONG, I’ll be Tweeting, posting videos, updating my Facebook page and even this blog when I get the chance.

(That’s the problem with social media, you have to be a tad anti-SOCIAL to keep up with it all!)

Thanks to everyone for their amazing support throughout this process…now wish me GOODE LUCK! 

Oooh, pretty. Looks cool in these summer temps.

Howdy, peeps!

Just a quick note to toss you over to a great L.A.-based blog, TheWanderkind.com, where the ever-gracious Nancy posted a Q&A with me about my thoughts on all things Murphy-Goode and making the Top 10.

She was able to wrangle all three of us L.A. Murphy-Goode Top 10ers into interviews which she’ll post throughout the week before we head up to Healdsburg this weekend.  She asks some spot-on questions, too!

Check out my Q&A for another flavor in this amazing process!

What's in that glass, Michelle? A margarita? Enquiring minds!

Howdy, Gang!

Welcome back to our third installment of Millennial Wine Consumer interviews.  Usually it takes a second season of a TV show or more before they go tweaking it, but this all about social media which moves at the speed of-

(I actually finished that sentence,  you just weren’t quick enough to read it.)

For our third interview, we have Michelle, a great addition to the roster, and…here’s the cool twist…she already works IN the wine industry!  She’s the Marketing Director for Keller Estate Winery in beautiful Sonoma County.  If you haven’t been there yet, please do swing by for a great taste and a “hello!”

I amended the questions a bit for Michelle and she’s been a great sport in dealing with my (dorky) sense of humor. I have to say I was most curious to see if her choices as a Millennial Wine Consumer were any different from those of Matt or Jean, my other two Millennial interviewees to date.

Which has more influence in Michelle’s wine-loving world?  Her Millennial designation or her working at a winery?  Check it out!

—–

Everyone, please welcome Michelle!

1. How old are you and how often would you say you buy wine?  (Assuming, of course, that Keller Estate wine doesn’t already flow from your faucets.)

I’m 25 years old, and while it would be awesome if Keller Estate poured from my faucets, alas, I do buy wine. I purchase wine about once a week, either from a grocery store (I love Trader Joe’s), a specialty wine store (this is a little more like once a month), online (about once every three months) or directly from a winery (when I go visit).

2. How do you decide which wine(s) to buy if you’re at a store or a restaurant?

When I purchase wine, I’m really interested in people who are trying out new varietals in different regions. I’m really into wines from New World places like New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, as well as California, of course.

I like to choose wines in the under-$20 price range if it’s for an everyday meal, but when I’m out at a restaurant, I like to splurge. I also like trying tasting menus with wine pairings — it’s fun to see what a sommelier thinks is a good pairing.

3. Would you consider yourself more “fluent” in wine brands than other friends your age?  And do friends call you for recommendations more than others?
Because I’m in the wine world, I do consider myself more “fluent” in wine brands and wine varietals than others my age. When I’m out with a group of friends, the wine list often ends up in my hand, although I always ask people what types of wines they like so that we all learn together.

I do get asked for recommendations when people are choosing special occasion wines (such as gifts or for a nice dinner).

4. You’re in the interesting position of being a female Millennial wine consumer who also works within the wine industry.  What’s your take on your generation’s relationship to the fermented grape and the new-ish trend of women as wine-buyers, specifically?

I see more women my age getting into wine, which is wonderful.  I’ve [even] worked with quite a few young female buyers at restaurants, but you still see men dominating the wine industry. Unfortunately, I still see too few female sommeliers or wine collectors.

Women tend to be targeted by advertisers/wineries for the frilly, fruity wines, while men are still the target consumers for the serious, high-price stuff. One exception is wine bars — these are great places where a woman can go by herself or with a group of friends and not feel like she’s at a “bar.” I think they are great places for Millennials to learn about wine in a fun and easygoing setting.

5. Do you ever feel in conflict with your professional life (i.e. fighting for change in an industry clinging onto old ways)?

The industry is obsessed with tradition and is finding it difficult to adapt to today’s fast-changing world. While some wineries are getting into using technology, most have been very slow incorporating it into their businesses.

When I started working at Keller Estate, you could not buy wine from our website. I quickly made sure that changed!

One way in which you see wineries (and wine consumers) as slow to adapt is with the whole cork issue. I really applaud the winemakers in New Zealand for going with the screw-top closure. For the majority of wines meant to be consumed young, screw-tops are awesome. We’ve considered screw-tops at Keller Estate, but we still feel like most consumers are not ready as they like the idea of popping open a bottle of wine.

6. What do you see other wineries doing (right and wrong) to court your generation?

I don’t like the idea of wineries promoting their space as a place for bachelor/bachelorette parties. [Todd's interjection: Say what?!?  This was news to me.] This cheapens the wine experience and promotes binge drinking. I think some wineries are doing a great job by posting on Twitter and using Facebook to reach their consumers. As long as the posts are genuine and interesting, people pay attention. Blatant marketing doesn’t work. Telling a story and putting together interesting events does.

7. What have you or Keller Estate done to reach out to the younger generation?

We have a Facebook fan page, which my aunt updates with all of our upcoming events, and I regularly post on Twitter about my food and wine adventures (I’m @fancifulfoodie if you’re curious).

We are also launching an awesome new wine club called “The 1983 Club” for Millennials. Basically, it’s a more affordable version of our regular Key Club in which people receive our newest releases at home. For the new club, we are also including a book on wine education so that people my age can learn more about wine. Plus, they get invited to all of the events at the winery which allows them to bring friends and spread the knowledge.

We thought about how we could reach out to younger consumers and our first thought was that most young people are busy ramping up their careers; they are not quite at the place where they can regularly buy artisanal wines. So, we made our wine more affordable and accessible to my generation.

8. Did anyone influence you to try wine or to first discover it?  (You work with your aunt, but that doesn’t mean your immediate family was also part of Keller, correct?)

My immediate family is not part of Keller Estate, but we’ve always appreciated wine at home. My mom’s background is French, so her family grew up appreciating wine at the table. My parents love trying new wines at home and my mom recently took several wine tasting courses so she’s getting really knowledgeable about French and Italian wines.

I started to get really into wine in college. I went on several wine tasting tours with friends in Napa and Sonoma and I took a wine appreciation class at school. It wasn’t until several years after graduation that it finally became part of my professional life, however. Now that I’ve found my passion, I’m in love!

9. When you and your friends are not drinking wine, what’s next on the menu?  Spirits?  Imported beer?  Domestic beer?

Definitely domestic craft beer (Arrogant Bastard Ale [Stone Brewing Co.], Lagunitas IPA, Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout, etc.). We love trying out all of the innovative products coming out of the U.S.’s burgeoning craft beer industry. In San Diego, where I’ve been living, there are some fabulous craft beer producers, including Stone and Ballast Point. I love dark, hoppy beers like oatmeal stouts and double IPAs. One of my favorite places in Los Angeles is Father’s Office, a little shack of a restaurant that has well over 50 beers.

Thanks so much for your time, Michelle!!!

—-

Conclusion: I love, love, love”The 1983 Club” that they created.  Especially for wineries with higher prices points (Keller Estate wines online start at $26 and go up from there), I think it’s a great introduction for a winery to reach a younger generation that may pay off endlessly in terms of LTV (Lifetime Value).

All good, good, good! Any trends we see developing yet?

In the event that you haven’t yet heard yet, I found out in an e-mail from Murphy-Goode Tuesday morning at 11:55am that I am one of the Top 10 candidates for their Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent.

I think I need a nose job...stat!

Which.

Is.

Awesome.

Many THANKS to all my peeps who’ve been so supportive throughout this whole process.  You rock!

I am thrilled to be part of Murphy-Goode’s top selects, I am honored by the skills and accomplishments of my fellow applicants and all those who applied…and I am getting stoked to meet the crew at Murphy-Goode in a week and a half for the final round of interviewing, planned shenanigans (plananigans?) and other wine-y activities.

Next steps (for anyone keeping score):

The Top 10 fly up to Healdsburg, CA (in beautiful and caliente Sonoma County) for a few days.

The winery announces their Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent on Tuesday, July 21, the same day that we return to our respective homes.  Dunno, maybe as everyone’s headed out to the airport they tap their select on the shoulder and wink for them to quietly fall back from the pack?

Or maybe there’s a Chalice ceremony and the nine who aren’t selected have to spit out their wine.  (Ooooh…spit takes are always good for a quick laugh.)

Anywho, I haven’t met anyone from Murphy-Goode or any of the other Top 10 yet so this will be quite an amazing experience, methinks.  Lots of talent, LOTS and LOTS of hard work on the part of Murphy-Goode in pulling this all together.  And lots of laughs to be had, I imagine.

Thanks again, for everyone’s amazing support!

Off to Sonoma soon…

My intellectual buzz after wine-tasting.

Since one of the job descriptions from the Murphy-Goode folks for AReallyGoodeJob is the rooting out of new and great picnic spots within Sonoma County, I thought I’d share one I found over this past holiday weekend down in my neck of the woods!

If you’re ever near Ojai (pronounced OH-high), California and would like to find a quiet and beautiful place for a picnic, be sure to swing by Old Creek Ranch Winery just off of Highway 33, due south of Ojai.

I happened by there on Friday after sitting in bad traffic for several hours headed to Santa Barbara (but then changed plans at the last minute and decided to check out Ventura and Ojai) and I found the Old Creek Ranch to be a great oasis.  Picnic tables everywhere…serenity…10 great wines to taste for just $10…very friendly staff…need I go on?

My recommendation: Pack a lunch for you and your family (plenty of kids were visiting the winery with their parents), do some wine-tasting (both reds and whites!) and pick a bottle right there to complement your lunch.  Then just grab a table right outside…and enjoy!

(If only life were that simple, right? “It’s April 15th…do your taxes and ENJOY!”)

The Ojai region doesn’t have a tremendous wealth of wineries…you’re still a tad too south for the Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez/Lompoc/Buellton extravaganza, but this proved to be a GREAT day trip outside of Los Angeles.

More enticing pictures at the Old Creek Ranch website!

(Millennial) Jean...she's awesome!

To continue my series on Millennial Wine Consumers, next up is Jean, a dear, dear friend who is on the cusp of the Millennial generation and has a different experience with wine than Matt, my first interviewee.

I incorporated many of the questions from the comments section of the last interview (thanks for all your contributions!) and I think you’ll find Jean’s response to those and my other questions realllly interesting!

Since I sang Matt’s praises, let me say that Jean is a fun, smart gal with an unmatched intellectual curiosity. She is 100% organized (we tease her about it all the time) and 1000% dependable.  We’re also convinced that she either doesn’t sleep or has found more than 24 hours in a day to accomplish all that she does.  (And no, I don’t get paid to say these things.)

So, without further ado, let’s meet Jean!

THE INTERVIEW

1. How old are you and how often would you say you buy wine?

I’m 29 (soon to be 30!) and I probably buy wine at least once a week. Maybe more. My goal is to have at least one white and one red at home all the time, but usually I have at least two bottles of each. I shoot to have different varietals and even different brands – it keeps things more interesting for me and gives guests more options.

2. Have you ever purchased wine online, directly from a winery or online retailer?

I have! Just once, I think. Last year I ordered Lamborn wine online as a Christmas present for my dad. We’d tried it on a trip together [because the winery name holds family significance] and I remembered that he had really liked it. When I couldn’t find it locally, I bought several bottles online. According to my mom, it was a hit! But I’m more likely to purchase in person when I’m already out shopping. It just seems easier.

3. Have you ever been to a tasting room at actual wineries?

I’ve been to tasting rooms in Napa, Sonoma, and the Central Coast. My best experiences have been at places where the staff has been friendly and informative.

If the atmosphere is welcoming, and we have the opportunity to learn a lot about the wines and the vineyard, I’ve noticed that I tend to feel more loyal and emotionally connected to the wineries. When the staff is rushed and inattentive, I become more eager to leave.

Other factors in a welcome atmosphere are décor, food samples, and areas for guests to picnic and linger.

4. Have you ever been to a structured tasting event at a local wine shop?  If so, what’d you think of it?

I’ve been to a few wine tasting events that raised money for local non-profits. They were a lot of fun. I definitely asked questions, took notes, and made some purchases, too. I think being at a fundraiser and getting excited about the cause got us in the spirit of spending money.

I don’t think that I’ve been to a tasting event at a local wine shop, specifically, just because I haven’t heard of any. It’s something I would be interested in, though!

5. How do you decide which wine(s) to buy if you’re at a store?

Most often I probably go with what I know. I’ve got my favorites like Clos du Bois, Kendall Jackson, Yellow Tail and Chateau St. Jean.

Otherwise, I’d say that memories and sentimentality factor in. If a wine reminds me of a really pleasant experience that I’ve had, or someone that I care about, I’m more likely to buy it.

Region can also be a factor for me. I’ve spent a lot of time in Spain, so I’m partial to Spanish wines (we served Vina Santurnia Reserva 2003, Rioja at my wedding). I’m loyal to California since I live here and I expect that I’ll be buying more wine from Argentina after my trip there this summer.

Price is another factor – though my target range changes with the occasion. If we’re hosting a small dinner party I’m more likely to go with something pricier. For large groups, I look for less expensive wines. And, of course, the label. I like “pretty” labels. I can’t really tell you what that means, except that I’ve noticed myself noticing.

6. If you gift wine personally or professionally, what factors into those decisions?

I’m especially inclined to go with a brand that I know when I’m gifting wine. I want to make sure that it’s good! Otherwise, price range and label are probably the biggest factors. If I know that my intended recipient has a favorite wine, or if we’ve enjoyed something together, then I’m also likely to go with that.

7. And your super-rockin’ Millennial friends, what is their relationship with wine?  What place does the grape serve in their lives?

I’d say that most, if not all, of my friends are wine drinkers. It is a staple at meals.

And, in my experience, an invitation to attend a wine tasting event is typically met with a very positive response. I think that price might be more important for my age group when choosing a wine than for older generations.

While I’d describe my peers as wine drinkers, I don’t know many who I’d describe as connoisseurs.

8. Do you always serve wine at parties?

Always! I see wine as a must-have at parties. No matter how fancy or very un-fancy, I’ll always have wine available.

9. Did anyone influence you to try wine or to first discover it?

I first really discovered wine when I was living in Spain as a teenager. But the fact that my dad is a wine lover has certainly made a difference, too. Living in California and visiting wineries has also heightened my awareness and appreciation of wine.

10. What could a winery do, if anything, to influence your decision-making?

I think wine-tasting events could be really effective since positive associations and memories influence my decision-making. Tasting events also provide a valuable opportunity to try out new wines without investing in a whole bottle.

I imagine that occasional discounts would help, too. When I’m first getting to know a wine, I’m more likely to buy something that feels affordable. But once I’m hooked, I’m more willing to spend more.

11. When you and your friends are not drinking wine, what’s next on the menu?  Spirits?  Imported beer?  Domestic beer?

It depends on the occasion. For dinners and most evening functions I’d say spirits. But for an afternoon BBQ we’d probably drink beer. I think imported beer (Heineken, Amstel, Guinness) is usually the favorite, with the exception of a few domestic breweries (New Belgium Fat Tire, Killian’s, Blue Moon) that are popular among my friends.

Thanks, Jean!  Since you try to keep several bottles of each red and white around the house, I’ll be right over…cheers!

Two Milliennial interviews down…are we seeing any trends yet?

Let me know your thoughts and/or any questions you think I missed in the comments below.  Thanks, peeps!

Whoa...my Photoshopping ain't so subtle today. Can you guess which video box is mine?

I woke up this morning to find an e-mail from Mr. Dave Ready, Jr. (winemaker par excellence for Murphy-Goode) which stated that the Top 50 had been announced…at 2am (boy they are some night owls up in Healdsburg)…and that I had made it into that next tier!

So a nice bit of awesomeness to start off the weekend, right?

(If you have a fetish for press releases, check it out here.)

It’s a great group of people that includes some whom I’ve yet to meet…and quite a few excellent peeps who didn’t make the cut.    Fortunately, this correspondent position requires the collective efforts of everyone so I don’t see this as a farewell with any of those very talented people.

Thanks to EVERYONE who has supported this journey to date and to all who voted for my application video!  I do believe you all helped make this possible!

Next steps: The Top 50 will be pared down to the Top 10 and that will be announced on Tuesday, July 7.

That’s the crazy cut since the Top 10 will fly up (over, down, whichever) to Sonoma County for a few days of merriment and INTENSE SCRUTINY (or maybe not) from the AReallyGoodeJob folks in hopes that they find a person who meshes quite seamlessly with their family and crew.

That’s all for now.  Thanks, again, and have a great weekend…probably listening to your favorite Michael Jackson songs.

This is one of those posts that may fly in the face of wine etiquette, but being an average wine consumer…I just gotta ask it:

Is there any problem with drinking a Gewürtzraminer for dessert?

I’ve had smaller, quicker dinners the past couple of nights and haven’t thought to open this Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 Gewürtztraminer (geh-VERTS-truh-meaner…although it’s actually quite nice!) I recently bought at Trader Joe’s for well under $10.

When I finally remembered I had the wine and tasted it, I found it to be just sweet enough that I poured myself a glass after the meal while winding down for the evening.

(Although not exactly the same, I found a quick review of their Dry Gewürtz at this cool site.)

Have I broken some punishable Law of Winedom by doing this?  It’s two nights in a row now so my sentence would be that much more severe, methinks.  Time to petition for a stay of execution?

Or am I just a wine rebel dancing to the beat of my own drum?

Groovy, grape-y blog!

Have you checked out Jeff Lefevere’s GoodGrape.com blog lately?

Not yet?  Well, where you been, Jelly Bean?

He put up a fantastic couple of posts last week that give a great snapshot into the Top Ten Most Dramatic Issues facing and inciting the wine industry today.

Jeff also gives a point-counterpoint to each issue which really make you ask yourself…What do I think about each issue?  And why are all those people in the comments so wrong?!?

He broke it up into two separate posts, Part I and Part II, that cover these hot-button topics:

(I’m not numbering them since it’s not a countdown in order of importance.)

• Wine Competitions
• Wine Magazines
• Restaurant Wine Prices
• Parker’s Palate
• Corporate vs. Artisanal Wines
• 100 Point Rating System
• Direct Shipping
• New World vs. Old World
• Gen Y and Wine
• Ethics

Check out both of Jeff’s GoodGrape.com posts, Part I and Part II, and throw in your two cents!

Good Grape is on Twitter, too, natch!

Any BIG issues you think he missed?  Add ‘em here in the comments or over at his blog where we’re following right along!