I’m looking forward to the wine business in 2011. Why? Well, I think part of it has to do with the fact that I can’t seem to get much done in 2010! Now that isn’t totally true, I have opened some good accounts since I started selling wine, but I seem to hear some of the same old excuses/reasons from a lot of places – “It’s the holiday season, I don’t want to bring in anything new right now…” etc. I understand retail, there is a lot going on during this time of year, and it would be difficult to enter a new item in, market it, and sell it when so much else is going on, especially if you are a big store.
One thing I don’t understand about many of these business owners is, why some people run a business that they don’t even know much about? It seems like some people can really just make a living by accident! If only they took some time to really understand all aspects of the business, not only would they be a little happier in their day to day dealings with people in the business, but they may also make a little more money. I know the wine market in general is nothing like I would want it to be, in an ideal, wine lovers world. In that world, everyone would search out good value $10-$20 bottles of wine for everyday drinking, and get a few higher end bottles for special occasions… and if you had money to burn, you wouldn’t just buy the Opus Ones, Silver Oaks, and First Growth Bordeaux of the world, but you would also find those small production labels that are hard to find, and not as well known.
There are many good wines coming out in 2011, from what I’ve been reading about some of the most recent vintages all over the world. Since technology, winery hygiene, and winemaking skill is constantly improving, the main factor that makes a huge impact on vintage is the weather and climate in each region. This will always be a deciding factor on what vintages are good, great, or not so good from year to year and from region to region. Of course the other factors always come into play, but as the wine industry evolves, the control of temperature, sunlight, and rainfall will be of the biggest concern for most quality wine producing regions.
I believe wine sales in the U.S., especially the East Coast will go up significantly this coming year. This will be due in part to more educated consumption, a growing economy, and peoples fears slowly subsiding. The U.S., in the big scheme, is a small but rapidly growing contributor in the quality wine industry, both importing and exporting. I would like to see us play a bigger role, especially since we are getting better and better at making quality wine! For now I will continue to find wines from all over the world at great values, in hopes to help the world economy get better!
To 2011! Let’s Toast!
