Sometimes I feel like I have to write something profound in this piece, which of course adds pressure on me when I’m thinking about what to put out there. I of course realize that this is meant to be random thoughts about things in my life and the wine world. There have been times where I’ve used it to rant, but that’s not the main purpose of Bits & Bobs. For instance, I forgot to mention last week that Susie and I have now been together for five years and have been married nearly two and a half of those. We’ve traveled abroad together three times. We’ve been to London, France, Dubai, South Africa and Italy. We travel well together and Susie is always supportive of my ventures to wine country, no matter where we are in the world. It’s been a fantastic five years and I’m looking forward to many more with this wonderful lady.
March is the official “Washington Wine Month”, and the only one I really care about. One wine month is enough for any state. I’m focusing on Washington wines for my YouTube channel in March. I started with a Merlot episode because I feel strongly that Washington produces some of the best Merlot in the world, next to Bordeaux and Italy. Today’s episode will feature GSM blends. GSM is an acronym for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This blend is most common in the southern Rhone Valley. Washington State has become known for being able to produce many types of wine very well. All three of the aforementioned varietals do very well here. One of my viewers asked about Washington State GSM blends, so I dedicated the episode to him. I have now reached over four-hundred subscribers on YouTube and I am very stoked about that. It makes my goal of seven-hundred by the end of 2021 seem reachable. If you haven’t watched my channel, please check it out. I believe the content is good and worth the time for those interested in wine and learning more about it. If you like what you see, please subscribe to my channel.
I know I have from time to time gone on a rant about things that happen to me at the store with certain sales reps. One rep suggested that I rant about every sales rep that calls on me. He is a very funny, affable character who has been a subject of my rants in the past. However, I think it is time to focus on their good qualities and what they have helped me accomplish at the store. For instance, the aforementioned rep helped me find a Chardonnay recently that was pretty damn good for next to nothing. When he told me the price, I was a bit concerned it would be inferior in quality. However, I knew the producer so I purchased some. Scott and I tried it and knew right away that we would sell a ton of it. Turns out, we sold nearly sixty-five cases of this Chard and my customers kept asking for more. It’s gone now (it was and older vintage), but if it wasn’t for this rep, taking the time to find this gem and point it out to me, we would have missed a rather large boat. He cares about his job and works hard to get wine in front of me that he feels will do well at Kings.
I feel much better about pointing out the good qualities of those I deal with rather than the negative. I’m not saying I will never rant again, that is something I can’t honestly promise. For now, however, I will spend a bit of time in this column pointing out the positive things that happen to me in my world at the store with those who visit and sell wine to me.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
