Tag Archives: sunday read

Feb 15 2015
8 Comments
2015, Sunday read, USA

Sunday Read: Trends in the US Wine Industry for 2015

I am clearly having more time again, and I relish being able to read through blog posts again. It’s inspiring, and I have missed being able to do so over the last couple of months. Given that, it’s also time to resuscitate my Sunday Read column. I doubt it will get back to a full regular schedule, but I still want to use it to point you to articles I liked or consider interesting/thought-provoking.

In 2012, a Sunday Read pointed to Liz Thach’s post on statistics on the US wine industry. The other day, I cam across her Trends in the US Wine Industry for 2015 post, which is based on the 2015 Unified Wine Symposium and some articles. Thach is a professor at Sonoma State University and the geek in me gets a kick out of her bibliography at the end of the article.

Things that impressed me most in this article:

  • California’s dominance in the market (60%!!)
  • Per capita consumption is still low at 2.82 gallons (10.7 liters). That’s not a lot by any measure. These Wine Institute numbers for 2012 (it’s the most recent I could find – the US consumed 10.42 liters in 2012) indicate France consuming 44.19 liters (so roughly four times that), Switzerland drinking 40.44 liters, and even beer-addicted Germans drining 23.98 liters. Note that the Vatican tops the list at 73.78 liters annually per capita!!!
  • 36% of consumers using a wine app to check reviews or compare prices when shopping for wine. I guess not having a smartphone is the reason why it’s hard for me to wrap my head around that.

Have a great Sunday, and keep warm!

Liz Thach: Trends in the US Wine Industry for 2015

Tagged , , , , ,
Dec 22 2013
28 Comments
Sunday read

Sunday Read: What you should get “me” for Christmas

It’s just two more nights and Christmas will be on us (ok, three for you Americans, us Europeans like to open presents the night of the 24th…). Crazy how this year raced by us so fast. And let’s admit it, some of us still have not found the right presents…as panic settles in, the chance of grabbing something, lets call it a sub-par gift, increases. We end up buying a gift that might say a lot about us, but maybe not in the way we want it. And it can make the recipient feel uncomfortable…

My buddy Jeff The Drunken Cyclist wrote a great piece about how gifts for wine lovers (such as me) can go horribly wrong, and what you should actually consider giving if you are not sure. His piece is funny, as always, and enlightening, as most of the time. And it really spoke to me. So if you have a wine lover you still need to get gifts for, consider reading his take on it, which I whole-heartedly give my two thumbs up approval.

It’s unlikely you will be hearing from me before Christmas, so let me take the time to wish all of you who celebrate it, a great time with your loved ones, some peace and quiet, and some quality time together. We all, whether celebrating or not, can use it as the year draws to a close. I will be celebrating with my in-laws in Alaska, a tradition that has become one of the best additions to my life lately. The snow, the many dark hours, people I deeply care about who I have come to love and who accept me as one of theirs, great food and conversation, and last but not least the quiet of a remotely located house on a hill all combine for a wonderful way to spend these last days of the year.

I will be publishing something between the years, as we say in Germany, so no need to say good bye to 2013 yet.

The Drunken Cyclist: What you should get “me” for Christmas 

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Oct 13 2013
17 Comments
Sunday read

Sunday Read: Can Wines Be Works of Art?

It’s been silent on this blog for way too long. We were traveling for an extended weekend last weekend, and then work caught up with me. Given that I spend most of my working days writing, and work had increased quite a bit, I was just tired and could not get myself to write any more…

Let me try to get back into the habit with this Sunday Read. Over the last weeks, I have thought about whether wines could be seen as works of art (mostly in the context of explaining why pricing can be so far away from actual production cost). It a matter of coincidence that I came across this post on the blog of Dwight Furrow. I was fortunate to come across his blog Edible Arts through my friend Tracy who has started a great series of introducing her readers and the ones she reads to each other (it’s a great post combined with soup recipes, so go check it out!).

Dwight takes the approach of comparing the definition of arts (hard enough, trust me, as a lawyer this is one of the more hilarious definitions you will ever come across) with wine making. He reports that many philosophers would disagree with the assessment that wines can be art. From there, he moves on to explain why he does believe they are pieces of art comparing wines to performance art, and I really liked that idea.

So, have a great Sunday, enjoy the sun as long as you can!!

Dwight Furrow: Can Wines Be Works of Art?

Tagged , , , , ,
← Older posts
%d bloggers like this: