This has been a very interesting year for me, especially regarding the wine world. Wine consumption is down in the U.S., and actually worldwide. The information I’ve been getting from those in the industry is that most stores and distributors are down in double figures: some, close to twelve percent. At Kings Market, we are bucking that trend, although we are still down in sales around four percent. The reason for that is my focus on value-driven wines. Not just inexpensive wines; no! I went to a store and browsed their wine department. They had stacks of Gallo wines all over the place. I’m talking about the eight to ten-dollar mass-produced juice that they make. That is not the direction that will bring back customers who are serious about wine. I don’t have a problem with Gallo. They actually make good wines that are not cheap. However, if you want to develop a strong customer base, offer wines that are well-made, not mass produced, and deliver a solid quality-to-price ratio. That’s what we do in our department at Kings, and it is working. Our customers trust us and shop the department, knowing they will find a good wine at a good price.
Another addition to our department will be reinstituting in-store tastings. My first theme will be my top wines under fifteen bucks. I have my permit to pour wine and the materials to set up an area for tasting. It’s been a long time since we’ve done one of these, and it will be fun to bring them back to the store. Scott has been my assistant in the department for over ten years, and I don’t believe he has ever experienced one of these. That’s how long it’s been! I’m hoping to get some reps involved who would like to talk about their wines while I pour samples. Getting started is the hard part, but once things are rolling, it gets a lot easier.
Once again, Susie and I are planning a trip abroad. I have not been across the pond for over a year now. Susie is the master trip planner, of whom I am quite thankful. She does her research and finds some very interesting places to stay and things to do. The itinerary is starting to develop. We’ve altered the dates a bit to get the best prices on accommodations. The trip will include a stop in London to see all our friends there. After that it will be Spain and northern Africa. It will be a vacation for both of us, not a wine-centric trip. However, you know I will have to visit some wineries in Rioja and Jerez…It would be silly to go all that way and not go to wine country. I love Spanish wines, and many of them are featured in our wine department. In fact, a lot of my picks for the month are from this wine-producing country. Our stop in northern Africa will be Tangier, a major port city in northern Morocco. My understanding is that they make some serious wines in Morocco. It should be very interesting to check them out. I believe I have never tasted a wine from this area. Susie and I love to travel to new and interesting places.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
