Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 7:02 PM

Subject: Wine at Orangewood Consulting - 5

 

To our wine cohorts,

 

It has again been over a month since I put out WOC-4 - what a month it was.  Laurie and I were in Italy on September 11 with a group of 9 Americans and one Canadian.  That day everything changed.  We were shocked and saddened, and also nervous about being away from home with no information about how we might get back.  As it turned out we all managed to get back more or less on schedule.  We were glad to be home.  Although there seems to be so little we can do to help, what we can do is get back to living life - so this newsletter is part of my normal routine.

 

While we were in Italy we visited the winery for the new wine we are carrying - Il Poggiolino.  It is indeed a small winery on the top of a hill with terraced vineyards all around it.  All 10 of us were welcomed by the owners, the winemaker and by Isaac - who was the only one who claimed to speak any English.  Laurie got to try out her Italian on them.  We sampled far more wine than is appropriate at 11:00am, but you have to do what you have to do.  We all liked the wines so much that we took a couple of cases with us to drink with dinners.

 

I thought that when I got back from Italy there were 6 restaurants who were planning to carry Vino Noceto.  All I had to do was get the orders and deliver the wine.  Ha!!  Well, the restaurant business is like the airline business - many people stayed home to watch television and many restaurants are in dire straits.  None of them have yet signed up to take the wine - perhaps October will find people coming out of their homes and back to their favorite restaurants.   

 

Retail outlets:

The 1999 Noceto Sangiovese is still available at AJ's on Central at Camelback and they tell me it is "moving a little".  They still have the Frivolo - but what you see there is all that is left.  Tom Hamilton at www.winesupply.net will supply cases of wine at a small markup but has not done so yet. 

 

Restaurants:

Still only one restaurant carrying Vino Noceto - Territorial Bar & Grill in Cave Creek. 

 

Wine Bars:

None have signed up yet - but I keep visiting them.

 

New territories:

No further activity there.

 

Portfolio:

I received no suggestions about restaurants that might want to carry a Thoroughbred Race Horse oriented cabernet sauvignon. So, what I am thinking of doing is holding a blind tasting at our home and inviting as many of you as would be interested.  The objective would be to see how the wine stands up to competitive cabernet sauvignons that are already available in the Phoenix area.  I have in mind doing this on Friday 26th October at 6:00pm.  I would have some hors d'ouevres so it could be a light meal. I'll need to get a headcount - so please let me know if you would like to attend such an event.

 

 

In the meantime enjoy your wine drinking.

 

Richard and Laurie Corles