There is a lot of, “Aw shucks” false pride that goes on around the internets and social media – you know the kind, “Gee whiz, I can’t believe I’m so blessed to be in this position and it’s all because of you.” “Shut up you vainglorious S.O.B.,” I want to yell at my computer screen.
Because of this, I am not going to demurely pinch myself and wonder with amazement at my dumb luck and indicate anything other than the fact that I’m just simply pleased that I have a couple of sponsors for this site that I want to talk about.
Now, granted, the advertising dollars equate to a monthly car payment roughly commensurate with a 1994 Chevy Cavalier, but, just the same, I am glad that somebody thinks enough of this site to want to be seen by the people that read this site. Capiche?
So, that’s the preamble and here is the context – each of the advertisers has a wine and technology angle to them. No coincidence, right? People that are reading wine blogs are probably internet savvy and wine online is growing – according to consumer direct wine sales trends from Vinteractive, online wine sales grew 29% last year, to $329M. Last year! A business year, in my best Harry Potter crib, that “Must-Not-Be-Named.”
Secondarily, hardly a day goes by where a new technology related wine thingy isn’t launched – mobile apps and such. It’s all very au courant. Given that, check out the below folks if you get a chance, I think they represent the upper echelon of services in their respective niches.
VintageChart + by Wine Spectator
I have a friend and we always joke that he’s an old man in young man’s body – he’s not a “tryer.” He likes sausage pizza, so why deviate? He likes Dave Matthews Band, so why explore new music? He’s a Popeye, “I yam what I yam” kind of guy.
I’m not that kind of guy, but we all get in a routine, particularly wine routines, and I’ve made a conscientious effort to break free and explore some new countries and obscure varietals. But, I don’t like to be disappointed. Fortunately, there are all kinds of phone applications out there that help you choose a wine. Perhaps the easiest way (that is also free) is the Wine Spectator VintageChart + iPhone application. You can use it to pick out a good year for a region or country you’re not familiar with and then ask your wine guy for help in making a final decision. Or, when faced with the phone book size wine list at a restaurant, narrow it down to a couple of bottles based on vintage checking and ask the Sommelier to be the tiebreaker. Blend the old with the new, you know? How novel.
Keep an eye out for more apps from Wine Spectator. They’re not going to be bleeding edge on utilizing technology, but they won’t be laggards, either.
Wine Chateau
Here’s what you need to know – there’s more than one wine retail sheriff in New Jersey. Wine Chateau has a huge selection and screaming good deals. 50% off shipping on ½ case purchase or more using promo code: grape45 and, if you want, go ahead and price shop their prices against results in wine-searcher—you will be pleasantly surprised, repeatedly. Check out Wine Chateau next time you are sleuthing for a particular bottle or you want to stock up on wines you can’t find locally.
International Wine of the Month Club
What I like about these guys is they’ve been doing it for a long time – since 1994, in fact. It’s not their first rodeo. And, while wine clubs are in an extremely competitive niche and growing more competitive by the day with the “wine deal” web sites, International Wine of the Month Club doesn’t merely pay lip service to selecting excellent wines, while actually delivering private label plonk as many wine clubs do. You can check out previous selections here. A little bit of homework will demonstrate an eclectic mix skewed towards ensuring value for members. For example, this month includes the 2008 Pietra Santa Dunne Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay, an unoaked beauty.
Around $30 a month plus shipping and handling gets you in the door. For two bottles a month, it’s well worth it for the “Christmas in October” feeling that happens when your monthly package arrives. And, really, as adults with a lots of obligations, shouldn’t we nurture as much giddiness as possible in our lives?
Thanks to the sponsors of Good Grape and a genuine thanks to you for indulging a moment of appreciation.
Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/and_now_a_few_words_for_our_sponsors/
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