The truth really is stranger than fiction.
Heard this interesting little story through the grapevine: a village in Italy got a pretty grape surprise a few days back when their pipes got filled with wine instead of water. While this sounds like a barrel of fun, the residents were all too aware of how this spill can create long-term damage. Irregardless, some weren’t wining, finding this a dream come true and even bottling up the flow in home water bottles.
…I have no shame.
‘A little goes a long way’ is an age-old adage many of us are familiar with. It stresses the need for appreciating smaller details and how they make up a better whole. It’s why my mother’s chai tea always tastes better than anything I could get in a cafe: there’s nothing quite like a dollop of love.
This mentality stretches far and wide, up to and including the wine industry. Unsurprising, as a mere year difference in the barrel can completely transform flavor notes and aroma. Viticulture, in particular, is rising as a subtle and extremely important touch-up to the winemaking process: it involves tiny changes in how vines interact with their environment, from sunlight exposure to leaf trimming. Even fruit thinning, an idea that can seem odd at a glance in a quantity-focused world, is considered paramount in creating robust, subtle flavors.
If you’re looking for a little more insight into the ever complex winemaking process, give this Forbes piece a look. It’s a little lengthy, but all the better for it. I’m walking away this afternoon with a whole new appreciation for how the little things add up.
Ever since taking on wine alongside coffee and tea, I’m facing up again with just how little I know.
So many French and Italian names! So many decades! So much variety! This classic drink has thousands of years to its name and even the most experienced in the industry continue to learn new things about the craft. With the wine industry being faced with a more nebulous interest by several demographics, proposed tariffs and the ongoing impact of environmental changes, I expect everyone is going to see their intimate wine know-how challenged moving forward.
As for me, well…I don’t plan on sitting on my laurels.
My friend’s mother invited me to a Townshend winetasting event in January, set up to celebrate their different varieties and stir up some buzz. It was a night of firsts: I’ve never been to a winetasting event (unless you count my roommate and I popping open a bottle on a Friday night), nor had I ever tried wine straight out of the barrel. Consider me excited to continue seeing what local Washington wine culture is all about.
Continue reading “Better Late Than Never: Starting Off The Year With A Visit To The Townshend Winery”
National Wine Day is upon us. That means being given a more plausible excuse to pour yourself a glass at three in the afternoon.
I got a real kick out of this piece earlier today: ABC’s short video talks about common misconceptions about wine, as well as validates what are thought to be misconceptions. Swirling the drink? It’s not just for show, as the oxygen brings out the wine’s flavor. Need to spend hundreds of dollars on a bottle? Probably not. The $15-20 price range is actually pretty good for most occasions.
I can definitely attest to that. Shout-out to my local Washington wine brands: you keep me buzzed.
For those that are getting into wine and struggling to figure out how to pair it with their meals, I like to look at wine flavors like a painting: just add contrast! If you’re eating something salty, pair it with a sweet wine. If you’re eating something savory, pair it with a fruity or tart wine. The more different the flavor notes, the more they bring out each other’s best. Don’t let a lack of knowledge keep you from trying new things. Even today’s leading wine experts are still learning something new about this old and delicious craft.
If you’re feeling like wine isn’t for you, for whatever reason, consider giving it a try this year. It’s a lot easier to get into than it seems and there’s a wine variety for just about everyone. All the French and Italian terminology will come later.
All that glitters in Arizona is not necessarily gold. It may copper, one of the historical “Five Cs” of the Grand Canyon State’s founding economy, alongside citrus, cotton, cattle and…
All That Glitters at the Third Lux Coffee Bar in Arizona — Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
Nguyen Coffee Supply wants to do more than improve the transparency and raise public awareness of specialty coffee grown in Vietnam. The Brooklyn, New York-based, woman-owned roasting company also wants…
Brooklyn’s Nguyen Coffee Supply Puts Fresh Spin on Vietnamese Phin — Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
At least 18 cities or regions in the United States now have living, breathing wage transparency documents for baristas, detailing metrics such barista pay, types and levels of benefits, demographic…
Behind the Big Bang of Barista Wage Transparency — Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
Sustainability has become a pretty convoluted word. It sounds nice on paper — and looks pretty snazzy — but the moment you start to scratch the surface, you run into trouble.
Which sustainability labels are actually inciting meaningful change for farmers? How are these certifications approved and maintained, much less reinforced by outside parties? Do consumers actually have any power when it comes to encouraging fair trade? These are just a few of the questions that The Week takes a look at: their illuminating piece goes into the nitty-gritty behind sustainability certification and what it actually means for farmers, traders and consumers.
Government initiatives versus non-profits. The issue of premium demand and production. The flaws in the reporting system and which standards are used to measure in the first place. There’s some good, insightful commentary here to pierce the labyrinthine tangle of fact and fiction. While the sustainability conversation won’t be ended with just one article — indeed, the oversaturation of certification labels is the problem — this article will give you a better idea as to what you’re looking at while shopping.
Just yesterday I was looking for coffee to stock up my shelf and wondering whether or not I should buy K-cups, thanks to recent recycling issues. I’m also planning on making the switch to a French Press for home coffee so I can focus on purchasing specialty, small-batch coffee. It’s not much…
…but change has to start somewhere.
Come one, microroasters and roaster-cafes, come all: now is the best time to improve your coffee marketing strategy.
There are more than a few transparency problems in coffee, from inaccurate green packaging to frustrated farmers. Roasters have their work cut out for them managing single-source coffee, keeping up with certifications and appealing to their own unique slice of the market. Customers want to know the bag of Arabica coffee they’re getting comes from somewhere they can see. Somewhere they can practically touch, albeit through the polished image of a persistent vlog and blog campaign.
When you don’t line up actions with words? It will plant a seed that will grow out of your control.
Email marketing is one of the most affordable and effective methods of building trust — it boasts an average of $38 for every $1 spent and is used by over 90% of B2B marketers today. Email is a constant reminder that your roasting technique isn’t like anyone else’s. It’s more one-on-one than social media, while not as noisy as banners or autoplay videos.
Here I’ll be taking a look at email marketing strategies that are designed to weave through the trust and transparency issues plaguing the coffee industry, as well as a few ideas you can try out immediately.
Let’s get started.
Continue reading “The Coffee Marketing Compendium: How Roasters Build Trust With Email Newsletters”
One of the genius details about coffee and tea is just how flexible they are. You can really come up with almost anything. …Almost. I really don’t want to read the news one of these days and find out liquid gold is now being called the ‘new espresso’.
I keep an eye on stories like these because I want innovation to be just as fun as it is necessary. Stories on climate change and the impact it leaves on entire livelihoods is an essential conversation, yes, but it’s also a little draining. Making the world a better place to live means embracing it all. Change as complex as coming up with new farming methods…as well as thinking about how to chill coffee quicker. Change as vital as planting millions of trees in one day, as well as a faster, cuter way of recycling.
Let’s take a look at some recent developments in coffee and tea, from low-calorie alcoholic tea varieties to caffeinated popsicles.
Continue reading “A Dash Of Different: Five Fun Twists On Coffee And Tea”
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