Morgan & Moore
by Jeff MorganMorgan & Moore
November 2009After the Meltdown: If We Could Start Over
Let’s imagine the worst. It’s economic Armageddon, and no amount of government stimulus has managed to jumpstart the world (and wine) economy. Business as we know it has all but ground to a halt. All currencies are equally worthless, and barter has become the norm—not the exception. But let’s also assume that humanity has managed to avoid a cultural meltdown. Society still functions; it’s just that business as usual has little to do with what we know today.
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June 2009Ode to a Colleague, Reflecting on an Era
Oenology or enology is the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking.READ MORE »
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May 2009Evolution and the California Wine Style
Where are we now, and where are we going in terms of our winemaking evolution? It's a good question that's not easy to answer.READ MORE »
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April 2009Get Ready for Harvest: Sell, Sell, Sell
For this issue, our editors asked us to write about what we are doing to prepare our clients for the 2009 harvest. The answer is simple. We are preaching sales, sales and more sales. In this economy, what matters more? Sales planning, sales execution and then more sales planning is where it's at. Your annual sales may pleasantly surprise you -- if you can shift focus and make your sales efforts the most important part of your day. We don't mean this in a random manner. We mean that it's important to become better organized and execute the sales part of your day more efficiently -- especially if you have daily production issues to deal with as well. Many of the wineries we work with have small staffs who wear many hats. The sales hat--in case you haven't noticed our drift--is the one we recommend wearing most.
The distribution hammerREAD MORE »
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March 2009Buying Land in a Down Market
With real estate on the ropes, is this a good time to invest in a new vineyard or winery? Perhaps. Home values in parts of Napa Valley have plummeted 40% to 50%, but it's important to note that this has occurred in what we would call "fringe" wine country. The big hit in residential real estate is happening in the new developments that were built at the far southern end of Napa Valley, where (until recently) sub-prime mortgages still reigned supreme, and conditions for growing classically structured Napa Valley grapes are less commonly found than in the central and northern portions of the valley. Perhaps that's why home values have only dropped about 14% in St. Helena--arguably at the heart of the region's best-known vineyards.READ MORE »
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February 2009Are You Using Your Best Sales Asset?
Given the nature of our current economy, it's no exaggeration to say that sales are of primary importance. Those proprietors who keep their winemakers buried in the cellar should have their heads examined, because no one can sell wine more effectively than a winemaker.READ MORE »
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January 2009On a Soapbox About Greenness, Trellises
As we look toward the future, we may see more good wine on the horizon, but we also see increasingly hot weather and environmental challenges. Our trade periodicals are filled with information about the coming climate change and how we need to start thinking and acting seriously to endure the earth's inevitable warming.READ MORE »
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December 2008Paradise Lost, and Found, at Super Store
When late August temperatures in both Napa and Sonoma counties hovered around 100°F for two weeks, all the technology in the world couldn't help certain panicked growers and winemakers who skipped town for Labor Day weekend only to return to a "Brix nightmare." What were they thinking? Last we heard, grapes don't go on vacation. They just keep ripening.READ MORE »
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October 2008Making Room for Art in Winery Labs
Building an understanding of wine chemistry allows a winemaker to express a more artistic side.It's almost become trite to ask the question: Is winemaking an art or a science? But the question is one that every winemaker needs to think about. Without the art, we've got uninspiring wine. Without the science, we have the potential for spoiled art. Unfortunately, we can't help you find your inner "artiste," but we can help you take stock of what you should be thinking about, analytically speaking, this harvest season.READ MORE »
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September 2008When Technology Becomes Tradition
De-alcoholization, or alcohol reduction, is performed off-site, per TTB regulations.A long time ago, an inquisitive drinker was experimenting with sturgeon swim bladder and said to himself, "I wonder what this would do to my alcoholic beverage." He found out it clarified his drink, and he went back to his village shouting, "Eureka!"READ MORE »
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August 2008Borrowing a Cellar To Make Your Wine
Expense leads many winemakers to use the machinery and expertise offered by custom crush facilities such as Yokayo Wine Co. (left) and Napa Wine Co. (right). Being honest about what you are looking for, and getting appropriate insurance coverage, can help mitigate any problems down the road.In Northern California, the number of wine labels in circulation today dwarfs the actual number of winery buildings. Obviously, a whole lot of us are making wine in someone else's cellar, and the person who came up with the name "custom crush" is a marketing genius. The phrase implies that the recipient of this "custom crush" automatically receives some kind of very special attention. Sometimes this is the case, but often it's not.READ MORE »
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July 2008The Tragi-Comedy Of Distribution
Is your distributor a sales partner or just a glorified trucking company? Unless you've got a label so hot (or so small) that you sell out upon release through direct-to-consumer sales, you'll need help selling your wine. Distributors, who buy your wine at FOB; or brokers, who work on commission, definitely can help you build your brand--as long as they are responsive to your particular needs.READ MORE »
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June 2008Want to Start A Winery?
Welcome to our world. Between the two us, we've done just about everything you can possibly think of in the wine industry. We've grown grapes, made wine, sold it, promoted it and written about it. In fact, between consulting and running our own small wine operations, we continue to be involved with just about everything that makes our industry tick (or not tick, as the case may be). And, uh…yeah…we must admit that we haven't always gotten things right during our illustrious combined 50-odd years in the business.READ MORE »