My Wine Education

Dream Job: I Need Your Help to Get It

What a week!  First the redesign, then the Cincinnati.com news. Now I've got one more bit of news, but this one requires YOUR help. A lot of your help.

You don't have to donate anything except about a minute of your time to click on something safe. I think you'll get a chuckle out of the whole thing too.

Murphy-Goode Winery is offering a 6-month, $60,000 position to someone who wants to promote the winery via social media. They'll even provide you with a rent-free home in Healdsburg. Seeing as how I'm a wine blogger and a social media consultant, it seems amazingly up my alley. I want this job. Really bad.

In order to get this job, I had to create a 1-minute video. I thought about embedding it below, but really, I want to drive you to the site to vote. You get a screen cap instead.

So many people seemed to just sit and talk about wine. I think wine is part of the job, but understanding social media and marketing is more important. So I tried to tell a story, and I used the Wizard of Oz to do it. Of course, it's also an excuse to dress up like Dorothy.

WinemeDineme readers will notice a guest appearance by Julie as the wonderful Glinda the Goode Wine Witch. The video was shot at Harmony Hill, so my HUGE thanks goes out to Bill, Patti, & Evan for letting us traipse through the vines and borrow their dog. Kevin, his brother Steve, and Steve's girlfriend Sarah round out the cast. Filming was done by recent foodie blogger, Bryan.

I created an accompanying web site at http://www.rainbowgoode.com. It's fun because it hosts the extended version (after all, it's hard to tell a story in a minute) and the blooper reel. The blooper reel still makes me laugh. Dogs are fun to work with ..

On the RainbowGoode site, you can view the various ways I'm trying to market the video, trying to drive votes. I am using every bit of social media I think is relevant - from my LinkedIn groups to this blog, from Facebook to Twitter. I picked up some Google AdWords and grabbed some bit.ly URLs. I'm amazed at the things that were available still. I'm also not discounting traditional media, sending press releases to everyone I can think of. Want one?

I'd love to make the Top 50 folks, and hopefully, the Top 10. At the very least, maybe I'll land a social media job of some sort from all this effort. But in order to do any of that, I need your votes. The contest ends June 19, so vote soon, vote often, and tell your friends!

... That's Fit to Print

Today I've got two big things to announce, so we'll start with the new partnership. I'm happy to say I've entered a partnership with Cincinnati.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer as one of the first members of their blogging network.

Julie and I met some folks from Cincinnati.com when we spoke several weeks ago at a Cincinnati Women Bloggers session. Cincinnati.com has been really reaching out to embrace social media in the last two years, and from my perspective, a partnership seems like a great way to drive new traffic. Julie and I will both be featured on the Living, Blogs, and Food pages. We've got other big ideas cooking with Cincinnati.com, so it should be an exciting year.

Now, in case you're worried, I haven't "sold out" to the Enquirer. You'll always find me at wine-girl.net. There's a badge over in the far right column of the site showing that I'm in their blog network, but that's it. That's the only change, except hopefully we'll see more readers and get some more conversations going in the comments.

For readers who are new, you can check out my policies and disclaimers.

•  I'll always let you know when I get a free bottle, meal, or class.
• Getting something free doesn't always mean I'll give it a good review.
• I reserve the right to delete your comments if you are rude or crude or are a spammer.
• I will still write what I want, when I want. Cincinnati.com isn't handing out story ideas or anything.

This is a fun new adventure. I look forward to meeting new readers and continuing the dialog with my loyal readers.

Cheers!

Michelle

Changes are a-comin'

Just a quick note to let you know you might be tripping over construction tools around here over the next 6 weeks or so. As we have time (outside of the "real" jobs), we're going to start re-designing this blog with the help of some of our talented graphic designer friends. We might even move to WordPress. Don't worry though - as long as you're getting here via wine-girl.net, you'll find us no matter where we are.

Our first two changes are rearranging the column layout a little (sort of like rearranging the furniture) and upgrading our happy face scale to have a little more depth and dimension.

Cheers!

Paella at Every Place

Remember that awesome birthday party I had where Hector, from Paella at Your Place, came to create amazing paella at my home?

Well, you can have some too. This Friday, Hector will be at Liquor Direct in Fort Thomas from 4-8 pm, cooking up a tasty paella right there in the middle of the store to accompany a Rioja tasting. Just Friday though - he won't be around on Saturday, so gather ye rosebuds paella while ye may. As always, tastings at Liquor Direct are free of charge.

Can't make it on Friday? On March 26, Hector will be dishing up a seafood paella to accompany a Spanish Whites tasting and class at The Party Source. Cost is $20 (includes a $5 gift card) and includes several wines, paella, 2-hour wine education session, and most likely some of that addictive Vermont sea salt butter.

Jim Beam Changes Bourbon

Hi everybody! This is our opinion of the Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Infused Bourbon Announcement from February. You can also read our more recent review of how it tastes.

Breaking news in the wine & spirits world today, with the reviews popping up of Jim Beam's Red Stag.

Wild Turkey American Honey started a trend that really needs to stop. Now adding whiskey and honey to tea when I have a cold is a long standing family tradition to help strengthen your immune system, so we do reach for the American Honey - with tea - when we're sick.

Image from: The Bourbon Blog

With the announcement of Red Stag, a black cherry flavor infused bourbon, Jim Beam has done something that really should not have been done. I let cans of Beam and Cola slide. I even turned a blind eye to cans of Beam and Ginger Ale as some people prefer to mix their drinks. In fact, if Beam Distillers had decided to can the Black Cherry directly into the cola they might have had a product targeted at consumers who would want to drink something like this.

Sadly, Jim Beam makes some very nice bourbon drinks, Booker's and Basil Hayden both jump to mind. This marketing ploy needs to stop before we have as many different flavored bourbons as we do vodkas.

My friend Jeff made the following simple 5 year plan for Jim Beam to regain the trust of bourbon drinkers:

Step 1: Discontinue this line.
Step 2: Apologize to loyal bourbon drinkers
Step 3: Don't do anything this dumb for 5 more years.

If you disagree with Beam's direction on this, please contact Jim Beam on their website here: http://jimbeam.com/contactus.aspx

- Kevin

Big News: BlogHer Panel

If you're in the blogosphere, and female, you know that BlogHer is sort of the end-all be-all of blogging conferences. It boasts an amazingly huge number of attendees (not all women, by the way) and a wide range of topics.

This year, I've been asked to speak on the Food Blogging in Time of Recession panel at the July BlogHer conference in Chicago. I know, I'm not a food blogger. But what's food without wine? I'll be speaking, I think, on both finding Recession Wines as well as how to be a wine (and food) blogger during a recession. It sort of cuts back on fancy dinners and such - unless you're a bit creative.

Being asked to sit on on of these panels is a big honor, and I'm thrilled to have the chance!

I'm lucky enough to grace the panel with "Crockpot Lady" Stephanie, Hetal Jannu from Show Me the Curry, Deborah Hamilton of Lunch in a Box, and Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes. 

Because the other bloggers on the panel are more specialized in home cooking, I'm hoping to talk about both how to find those recession wines, but also (with a little coaching from Julie at Wine Me Dine Me), I hope to offer some ways to eat out on a budget - including finding a sweet spot on a wine list. 

Losing Pigall's ... and Jean-Robert

This makes me so sad. I know it's not wine related, but I thought it was worth sharing.

As many people know, there has been some tension between Jean-Robert de Cavel and his partners Martin & Marilyn Wade over the last year. Well, it looks like it's just too much. Jean-Robert at Pigall's, the flagship restaurant, will close on Feb 28 and Jean-Robert will leave the restaurant group.

There is this:

The partnership’s name has been changed from the Jean-Robert Restaurant Group to the Relish Restaurant Group, the Wades said.
...
None of the other establishments in the group, including Twist Lounge, next to Pigall’s, will close. JeanRo Bistro downtown, Lavomatic in Over-the-Rhine, Greenup Café and Chalk Food + Wine in Covington all will remain open, the Wades said.

Of course, I'm not sure how the quality will be affected - and the morale of the employees. Everyone loved Chef Jean-Robert and I know he was inspiring to many of those who worked for him. Differences with the Wades have sent several of my favorite employees packing from those restaurants in the last year.

Compounding the sadness, Mobile gave Jean-Robert at Pigall's a 4-star rating last week. It's the 5th year for that rating, and the only restaurant in the tri-state area to acheive it.

Thanks to Julie for the tip!

Glad Tidings (or Buried News)

On Christmas Eve, two pieces of Kentucky news were announced, and buried because of the holiday.

Kentucky's Bourbon Trail to be featured at Obama's Inauguration: Or, at least part of one of the Balls. I'd kill to go to this ... I have the perfect dress. Seven distilleries will participate in the Bluegrass Ball held by the Kentucky Society of Washington as part of the inauguration celebration. Our proud bourbon representatives are Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Four Roses, Maker’s Mark, and Wild Turkey. The black-tie event occurs Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., beginning at 6 p.m. 

Court Okays Interstate Wine Sales: Yes, we're slowly (SLOWLY) breaking down Prohibition. Here's the entire article, as they say it better than me:

The US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a Kentucky law that prohibits the shipment of wine from small out-of-state wineries to customers in Kentucky.

The ruling Wednesday upheld a lower court decision that declared the law to be an unconstitutional violation of the Commerce Clause.

The lawsuit was initially filed by Huber Winery in Starlight, Ind., which objected to the law that allowed small in-state wineries to sell directly to Kentucky customers but did not permit small out-of-state wineries to do so.

A trade group representing Kentucky wine and spirits wholesalers had supported the state’s position.

I'm not sure yet how this will affect our ability to get Ohio wines in Kentucky, if at all, but I"ll be pursuing it in the new year.

Back to your ham, family, and new toys now. Happy Christmas!

Beaujolais Nouveau Went Green

It's a start.

Every year, Beaujolais Nouveau is rushed across the pond by air to make it to the US by Nov 20. It's not my favorite wine, and some of it (not all) is swill. So it's a lot of trouble, and apparently a huge carbon footprint, to get some not-very-awesome wine out by a certain date.

This year, the two largest Beaujolais producers acknowledged their anti-green ways and decided to make some changes. I know it doesn't fix past transgressions, but I appreciate the changes they are making. It's a positive sign for the future.

Slow Food Columbus: Ohio v Michigan

I realize that college football gets folks all riled up around here. Me? I've never really paid attention to it. But that puts me in the minority.

The upcoming Ohio State v Michigan game has inspired Slow Food Columbus to host a wine competition tonight. They contacted me mid-last week and asked me to judge. So, with my head still in a California time zone, Kevin & I are driving up to Columbus tonite. I bet money we drive back home tomorrow. The winning wines will be celebrated at a dinner on Nov 20.

Image from Dr. Vino

Here's the information:

The third Thursday of November also coincides with a special local tradition—the OSU/UM football game. Slow Food Columbus has captured the spirit of this rivalry with the first annual Ohio vs Michigan Wine Clash.

Earlier in the week, panels of local judges in Columbus and Ann Arbor will convene to compare the wines both states have to offer. The primary goal is to find wines to put on your table whose carbon footprint is low and whose quality is high—just in time for Thanksgiving. But like the game that Saturday, a winner shall triumph and be revealed at a dinner at Alana’s Food & Wine on November 20th.

On the night of Thursday November 20th, Alana’s will be offering the most noteworthy Ohio wine* by the glass and Slow Food members will receive a complimentary glass. Please join us to capture the local spirit of wine, autumn harvest and tradition. Contact Alana’s at (614) 294-6783 to make reservations.                   

* We regret that we can only offer Ohio wines, as there are no wines from Michigan available through Ohio's distribution channels. This will not affect the outcome of the judging process, as all wines will be judged blindly and impartially. The glass of wine is compliments of the Benefactors of Slow Food Columbus.                                           

Now, it's not lost on me that part of their movement is to reduce the carbon footprint of wine (they have a particular issue with Beaujolais Nouveau) and they've asked me to drive 4 hours round-trip to judge the wine. However, I'm not one to turn that down, so it should be fun. Tonite we'll be judging around 40 Ohio wines and I'm excited. Ohio wines, especially the vinifera, have such great promise. I also really hope there is an icewine category, as the wineries along Lake Erie have a special gift for that sweet ending.