Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 9:32 AM
Subject: Wine at Orangewood Consulting - 38

To Our Wine Aficionados,

Introduction

For the first time in 38 newsletters I struggled with writer’s block.  Then just after I had dragged words out of my finger tips, along comes more and more news.  We have to publish before anything else happens!

Summary (Box Score)

Event Notifications

            Red Kangaroo, Scottsdale - July 25, with music by Steve Krum

            Red Kangaroo, Chandler - August 9, 10

Sales associates - yet another addition

Five new places to get our wine

Content

Outline for the remainder of this newsletter

Event Notifications

                        Red Kangaroo - Scottsdale

                        Red Kangaroo - Chandler

            Staff Expansion - Sales

New Outlets

            Crew - Carefree

            The Wine Merchant - Ahwatukee

            Wine Concepts - Phoenix

            Late breaking news

Rambling history

The Rambler

Red Kangaroo, Scottsdale - July 25, with Steve Krum

            Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm or so

            Cost: Format to be determined - watch our website for details

We had so much fun with Steve Krum at the Westberg/Nello’s event that his name came to mind as Dyane and I talked with Diane at the Scottsdale Red Kangaroo.  Diane and her husband, Gary, would like to evolve their wine store into something more bar-like.  How to create an atmosphere of conversation and fun rather than one of enter, purchase and leave?  One way is to give people a reason to stay.  Steve and his guitar will be one reason.  He will be along at 5:30 or so.  The wines will be the other reason.  We’ll be there with some Marinda Park wine samples and some of our sales staff.  Come along to sample the reasons and enjoy some conversation with us, Diane and Gary.

Red Kangaroo, Chandler - August 9 & 10

            Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm or so

            Cost: Free

Dick and I seem to have become a perennial feature of the Chandler Red Kangaroo.  If you haven’t had a chance to enjoy our brand of making stuff up as we go along, stop by between 4 and 6 and check the Marinda Park wines and whatever other wine Dick has talked Roger and Injy into sampling.  Last time it was the Vino Noceto Sangiovese Riserva.

Staff Expansion - Sales

This month Dick received a résumé from Davina Kehler.  She is so excited about wine that she has been taking Sommelier Guild classes at the Art Institute of Phoenix to learn about wines in general and to improve her tasting skills.  Dick and I quickly realized that wine knowledge-wise we were outclassed, so Davina is “on board” and primarily responsible for central and south Scottsdale and East Phoenix.  Feel free to forward restaurant suggestions to her - she is on it.

Crew - Carefree

If car A exited I-17 at Carefree Highway and headed east at 55 mph at the same time as car B exited loop 101 at Scottsdale Road and headed north at 45 mph, then they would narrowly miss one another in the vicinity of El Pedregal.  El Pedregal is the Moroccan looking building/mall at on the SE corner of where car A and car B almost collided. There are a variety of jewelry stores, knickknack emporia and hair salons, as well as a restaurant called “Crew”.  Crew has been getting some ink (publicity) recently and it is well deserved.  They do a variety of foods including seared ahi.  They print the menu every day, allowing them to take advantage of whatever is best in the market.  Dyane figured out that Kevin is the key guy and one of the owners of this place.  He and most of his staff tried all of our wines over a couple of fun Friday afternoon sessions and will fit the ones that he likes into his wine list.  The wine list is also printed every day, so he has lots of flexibility to add wines.  He has started with RustRidge Zinfandel and Chateau Benoit Muller Thurgau.

The Wine Merchant - Ahwatukee

Jim Rieder is The Wine Merchant and longtime supplier of wine to our newest wine consultant, Davina.  I met Davina and the Wine Merchant one morning soon after his 11:00 am opening.  He is located on Chandler Boulevard 1 1/2 miles west of I-10.  And a long way away from Cars A and B.  Jim is pretty much there all the time.  He had the opportunity to buy from us before, but as with all sales, the relationship is the key.  Jim tried a number of our wines and is starting off with the Vino Noceto Sangiovese.  Now he knows us, so feel free to ask him for your favorite Orangewood wines.

Wine Concepts - 4001 E Bell Rd, Phoenix

Mark Stern has recently opened this store, just east of Highway 51.  May of the wine stores are trying to be more like a pub.  Mark’s place is close to my idea of a place to hang out.  It’s on the brink of being a restaurant rather than a wine bar or wine store.  They serve wine and beer and real food and stay open until the last customer leaves!  The real food comes from a full kitchen where Alicia, a cordon bleu chef including toque, makes a variety of foods to complement your wine drinking.  Mark himself used to be a wine maker - Paradise Valley winery last produced wines in 1995.  Left over from his winemaking are a pneumatic press and a de-stemmer, which add a certain je ne sais quoi to the ambiance.  Mark’s location is such that he focuses on boutique wines that he can sell for under $20.  Our wines qualify.  Davina tracked this place down and spent 4 hours twisting Mark’s arm with the result that the Noceto Frivolo and Normale are now available there (Laurie delivered them during the sales marathon).  Other wines are likely to follow as space opens up.

Late Breaking News

Arrivederci at 7101 E Thunderbird Rd, Scottsdale, will take delivery of Noceto’s Frivolo and Normale on Tuesday, July 8.

Star of India at 4025 E Chandler Boulevard, Phoenix, will take delivery of Chateau Benoit’s Muller Thurgau and White Riesling on Wednesday, July 9.

Rambling history

We have passed our two-year anniversary of being wine distributors.  On June 6, 2001, we delivered 2 bottles of Vino Noceto Sangiovese Riserva 1998 to the Territorial Bar and Grill.  I think they still have one of them.  I started off with just one bottle of wine in the catalog - the 1998 Vino Noceto Sangiovese Riserva.  I got some pretty funny looks from the places I tried selling it.  That’s all you have?  We quickly added Il Poggiolino wines from Tuscany and RustRidge wines from Chiles Valley in Napa, and then later the other Noceto wines.  Even so, the catalog was quite petite.  Now I view the slim portfolio as an advantage.  That first year was tough.  In the first 6 months we sold 7 cases of wine.  In June 2002 we sold our 100th case of wine.  The notion of selling 100 cases when we were slogging around during those first 6 months was just that, a notion.  In 2003 we have already sold over 200 cases of wine.  This is getting to be a serious business.  I guess I didn’t ramble so far this time.

The Rambler

Last time I brushed by the write-off of our delivery vehicle.  Several alert readers asked for a little more than the throw away line that I included.  It was certainly more than a throw away line and has led to significant changes in our lives.  Feel free - as always - to skip the rest of this   It was in the middle of April.  Laurie and I had hiked down the Grand Canyon for a couple of days and had just hiked out.  We knew about the snow, but not about the gale that would blow as we emerged, exhausted, from the canyon at 11:00am.  We climbed into our car, changed out of wet clothes, put on all the warm dry clothes we could muster, cranked the heat up, and headed home.  The sun came out and we put on our shades.  I was driving.  I knew I was tired and played games to stay awake.  Two miles before Flagstaff I relaxed and was woken when the car left the road.  I saw nothing good and remember little about what I did.  We damaged trees and utility poles and wrecked the car.  We came to a stop facing the road.  Laurie had some glass in her face but otherwise we were able to exit the car safely.  We were incredibly lucky.  Being bundled up and wearing sunglasses, we were fairly well protected from the flying glass.  We spent a couple of hours at the Flagstaff emergency room.  Laurie had stitches in her face, but has recovered nicely.  We were fortunate enough to catch some of our fellow hikers at the Bun Huggers restaurant.  They collected us and got us home safely.  (Thanks, Robert and Pat).  Back-up plan was for someone to drive up from Phoenix for us – fortunately he didn’t get too far before we called him off (Thanks, Mark).  The accident was literally and figuratively a wake-up call.  We decided, among other things, to reduce our driving.  To that end we realized we are doing far too much driving to and fro between Cave Creek (where we have three horses) and Phoenix.  So, although we love our house and location, it makes no sense to stay here.  Our house is for sale.  We have bought another house less than 100 yards away from our horses and expect to be living there in September.  So, that’s the story.

Cin-cin, alla salute!

Richard and Laurie