Author Archives: Julie Ann Kodmur

Talking to Kelli White about her new book

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One of the most important books to be published recently in the wine world is Kelli White’s Napa Valley Then & Now. We recommend acquiring a copy (you can do so here); it’s truly a ‘magnum opus’ and an enormous and enormously important reference guide for Napa Valley wines. Here’s a way to take a sneak peek into the book….

We sat down with Kelli to talk about the book, how she came to write it and other insights about the process.

Kelli A. White’s work as a sommelier, first at New York City’s Veritas and then at PRESS in St. Helena, has been covered by many of the wine industry’s top publications, including Food & Wine, Vinous, The Wine Advocate, The Wine Spectator, The San Francisco Chronicle, World of Fine Wine, and Forbes. In 2013 she was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s top ten sommeliers in the country. Her writing has appeared in World of Fine Wine, Robb Report, Sommelier Journal, and Le Pan, and she is currently on staff at Antonio Galloni’s Vinous. In 2011, she co-founded a small wine brand, Houndstooth, with her fiancé Scott Brenner. They live in Napa Valley with their hound dog Lefty.

What surprised you the most as a first-time author?

This sounds incredibly foolish, but I was so focused on the making of the book, that I didn’t really think about the selling of it. I imagined that, as soon as it was finished, I would effectively be able to “move on” with my life. But books don’t just sell themselves, especially if you don’t have a household name. So it’s a good thing that I really enjoy talking about and crafting events around the book because that has been very time consuming.

I also didn’t appreciate the huge difference between publishing a book vs. publishing articles, from a public image point of view. I’ve been contributing articles for numerous magazines for years, but this was my first book. You definitely become a more public person, which has both positive and negative implications.

What was the most exciting or gratifying moment as you wrote the book and then see it published?

I dedicated the book to my mother, and she cried quite a bit when she saw that. That was a definite highlight.

Did you receive any negative feedback/reviews? How did you deal with that?

The whole review process has been an interesting psychological experience. The vast majority of the reviews have been positive, but– especially in the beginning– I would completely skim over the positive parts and dwell extensively on anything negative, no matter how slight. As the process wore on, I began to realize that you can’t please everyone. While some people would complain that there were no scores, for example, others would praise that; some would complain that the book was too expensive, while others would say it was a bargain for its size… time evened out all commentary, and eventually I trained myself to take the time to enjoy the praise.

In today’s world which is so online oriented, you’ve produced a 1,000+ page “real” book. Talk about that, why it’s important, meaningful, etc.

Prior to this book, I had written for both online and physical publications. While I love the immediacy and the dynamic nature of the online world, it was important for me to produce something that would still exist if the power went out. Plus, I truly hate googling things. When I want to know something, I enjoy the experience of thumbing through an index and looking up the answer to my question in an actual book. Call me old fashioned.

You describe wines in extremely lyrical detail. Have you had feedback from people who feel intimidated about “wine speak?” Please talk about that.

It was important to me that the writing in general, but the tasting notes in particular, feel warm and inviting. I think that my time as a sommelier has brought that home for me. People are easily discouraged, and I wanted them to feel excited and inspired. It can be a tough thing to balance– feeling excited and wanting to wax on about a wine, but not wanting to overwhelm a reader.

Did your “day job” at Press have an impact on the book, or was it an inspiration?

My day job was a huge inspiration, as a majority percentage of the tasting notes in the book were tasted at Press, and from its cellar. The cover image is of the cellar there, and the owner of the restaurant was the sponsor of the book.

Why did you decide to write this book?

Because I needed it. It was the book I wanted to have when moving to Napa from New York City. I knew relatively little about Napa (relative to other regions) and I wanted to study up prior to my arrival. I was more than a little surprised to discover that a wine region as highly regarded as Napa didn’t yet have a classic tome dedicated to its bounty. I turned that lack into an opportunity.

Talk about the research involved; were there any surprises as you handled that part of the writing?

The research was fascinating and really fun. Getting to know the various vintners of Napa was quite rewarding. In truth, when I arrived, I was expecting them all to be more formal and inaccessible but the reality was that the vast majority of them were incredibly warm and gracious. It was the first of many dispelled false notions…

You’ve literally traveled the world promoting the book, from Scandinavia to Japan to London, etc. Can you share any fun anecdotes about doing this traveling/promoting?

I have been shocked (and pleased!) at the overwhelmingly positive foreign reception, especially in Europe. Interestingly, the modern style of Napa wines has not necessarily connected with certain European drinkers, but the older vintages are very exciting to them. I did a really fantastic tasting of older Napa wines with a group of sommeliers from Stockholm. A couple of them attended reluctantly, but then came up afterwards and told me “I’ll never say I don’t like California wines every again.” That was a very nice feeling.

What advice would you give a prospective wine book author?

Be organized, stay focused, but don’t get lost in the project. Be sure to take days off and treat yourself well. Also– fact-checking is extremely important and so often botched. As someone who has been written about, nothing is more frustrating than a misquote or a bad fact. And once the book is out, learn from the criticism but don’t dwell on it; it’s hard to put yourself out there, so make sure you’re well-supported by those that love you.

Another Wine Writer Symposium….

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Here’s a stormy weather welcome to the attendees and speakers of the 12th Annual Symposium For Professional Wine Writers taking place this week!

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A busy several days of tastings, seminars and networking await the 30 writers and the prestigious presenters, who hail from all points of the compass–Canada, England, Asia, Bordeaux, New Zealand, Florida, Nevada, Texas, New York, Washington D.C., Colorado, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Sonoma and Alameda.

Then, of course, the Symposium dovetails into Premiere Napa Valley, on Saturday, which is generating its own momentum with events taking place all over the Valley this week.

Hats off to the diverse number of topics being discussed, wines being tasted, wineries being profiled, vineyards being tromped through and vintners being interviewed. Wouldn’t it benefit all of us who are marketers in the wine business to understand how to improve our communication skills, learn how to ask the most perceptive questions, ferret out the hottest trends, as this lucky group is able to do this week? What a terrific opportunity for this group of attendees this year.

However, it is unfortunate that the Symposium attendees won’t be learning about the most important issue in Napa Valley today: that would be the cloud of anti-winery sentiment hanging over the Valley these days.

Try to go get a new winery permit today in Napa County: it can take years.

Try to plan an expansion or a re-model: it could take years. Want to revisit how many visitors your winery can receive? Good luck: your neighbors are watching…and counting…and will show up at your hearing to protest.

You could even say there’s a de facto moratorium on all winery development right now.

A small group of noisy activists are trying to go viral with their list of complaints about life in the Napa Valley. What’s a winery to do? If an entrepreneur comes here with the hope of starting a winery, that heretofore-successful skill set won’t apply.

What is APAC, a writer from New Zealand might ask?

Here in the heart of prestigious wine country, local officials have wondered about “how much marketing is too much marketing?” And a new term is being used to stir up anti-winery feeling: “binge tourism.” That’s used to denigrate a winery including hospitality events as part of its marketing and sales.

Here’s another new term being used derogatively: “event centers.” Anti-winery folk are trying to persuade the public that wineries aren’t really wineries, but “event centers masquerading as wineries.”

Then there are the articulate long-time vintners who are trying to remind everyone that Napa must compete on a world stage in a hideously competitive marketplace. Here’s just a glimpse of the issues at stake:
“Long-term agricultural sustainability is not possible without economic viability. ….Napa’s agricultural future comes down to only two options. First, to keep Napa Valley in agriculture we must all realize and embrace the fact that our wine industry must be dynamic, innovative and vibrant — it needs to be able to change with the times or it will die. The wine industry of today is not the wine industry of yesterday, nor will it be the wine industry of tomorrow. The second option is to give in to all the naysayers and their continuing fight for a Napa Valley of the past.”

What an enormously complex topic the Napa Valley wine industry is….here’s hoping we may have intrigued a writer or two to look beyond the Symposium schedule. Might be worth mentioning that these issues are starting to appear in other wine regions as well…..

Opining on obituaries

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I was one of more than a hundred people who attended the memorial for Jay Corley recently. The family organized a letter-perfect event. Perhaps it’s helpful, here at SWIG, to step back and recognize how important every ‘little’ detail is in something like this.

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Where’s the PR here? In honoring someone’s life, you’re telling and re-telling their story. You’re defining their image, how you want them to be remembered, making sure the listeners know of the person’s achievements, accomplishments and above all, get a sense of his or her personality and uniqueness.

The obituary appeared in the local papers, with details of the memorial.

The winery’s website shared the sad news with an elegant photo with a biographical caption.

Speakers were chosen and asked to address different time periods of Jay’s life as well as his wide-ranging interests. Some chose to speak from notes; others not; everything flowed without any missteps.

It made me reflect on my experience some years ago assisting in writing the eulogy for a wine industry figure whose service took place at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The Governor delivered the eulogy, and it required more than the average number of re-writes: I learned a lot about how a eulogy is an extremely unusual speech, needing to be descriptive and personal, yet not showy in terms of language or style.

Back to Jay Corley’s memorial: There was a touch of the spiritual. There were baskets of tissues and understated white flowers wherever you turned. The program, in color, included numerous illustrations and photos, of Jay, of his favorite expressions as displayed on his desk and more. There was a room devoted to photos and favorite memorabilia, with a book to sign. There was food and of course, abundant wine, as well as touches such as a popcorn machine and an ice cream ‘stand.’ The family played it safe with a tent, putting it up the day before in the rain, only to have the day of the memorial be clear and even a touch sunny.

One of the toughest things a publicist can do is to guide a family or a business through a memorial or a funeral. What can you do to get ready or be prepared? The basics of the event are easy: it’s the nuances of what the person was like which are key. That means….pay attention to those around you; soak up their stories and the texture of their lives…in case you need to re-create that life and paint a picture one day in a eulogy or an obituary.

Make Merry!

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Is your winery’s entrance decorated with a holiday theme yet?

Maybe you don’t have an allée of tall sycamores whose trunks you could outline in red lights….maybe you don’t have a 30’ tall stainless steel creature jumping out of the vineyards (who might wear a Santa hat)….

But your winery probably has a gate or a fence. Or some type of trees or landscaping. Or a sign, however big or small. We’d suggest you get in the spirit, especially in these tough times. Decorate! Doesn’t have to be red and green. You could stay with all white lights, or an ecumenical approach with a rainbow of colors. What about a Burma-shave type progressive story told along the fence?

Maybe you could arrange for a herd of artificial reindeer who raise and lower their heads, all the while blinking merrily away?  The Phoenix Zoo is famous for its holiday light program, where visitors stroll through the zoo in the dark enjoying another dimension of storytelling.

In these tough times, even a whimsical approach to holiday décor will endear you to customers, passers-by and your own winery family of employees.

Picture of photograph of animal being projected upon the facade of St. Peters Basilica

Just as I’m writing this I came across an amazing son et lumiere ‘show’ the Vatican launched this week as a statement about climate change and endangered species. You can read about it and enjoy a video here, and see photos here, here and here. What a great and savvy combination of message and magic!

And what the Vatican has done is a reminder that there’s another approach: use your building façade as a canvas. If you live in the Napa Valley, you’ve seen how the city of St. Helena projects snowflakes on buildings along Main Street.

Share what you come up with — post a photo of what you do here at SWIG!

Merry and happy to all!

What do wine writers say when they walk away….?!

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Deloach March 2014

May we introduce Ryan O’Hara?!

Mr. O’Hara is a Washington D.C.-based wine blogger, whose blog The Fermented Fruit reaches over 35,000 unique visitors each month.

Ryan explains that he started the blog “not because I am a professional wine writer or critic, but because I love drinking wine and sharing in the experiences that wine has to offer. A true Marylander at heart, I was born in Annapolis, Maryland and raised just outside in the small suburban town of Arnold. I love being on the water nearly as much as I love being on a vineyard! While my formal education is in aviation, I deeply enjoy the intriguing complexities consistently presented by the fascinating world of wine. There is so much to learn and no two bottles are ever the same. I can’t imagine another subject that can be so mystifying and utterly rewarding at the same time. While I think professional scores and write ups are great as a guideline, I am here to share my perspective as a consumer. Together, I hope to find great wines that represent great value, whether they’re priced at $10 or $100. Besides my deep passion for wine, I am also an avid cyclist with three beautiful little girls and an amazing partner.”

We thought Ryan’s perspective on how wineries present themselves would be valuable for SWIG readers. Please enjoy.

  1. What’s the weirdest or most unprofessional thing that a winery said or did while you were visiting?

Awkwardly being pressured to purchase wine. While I realize that wineries are in the business of selling wine, I am there in a journalist capacity – not necessarily as a customer.

While I do occasionally buy wine on these ‘official visits,’ I am certainly not in a position to do so every time. Expecting me to write about them and buy wine seems pretty one-sided to me. Unlike a traditional journalist, most bloggers aren’t being compensated for their time or articles despite having increasing influence amongst consumers.

2. What’s the ‘best?’

Being surprised to learn that a winemaker was genuinely interested in my blog. Usually I get the requisite ‘About Me’ scan before a visit.

3. What surprises you as you visit wineries, again, knowing that your hosts know you’re a blogger?

Probably the disparity in how I’m received as a blogger. However awkward, some wineries literally roll out the red carpet while others don’t even seem to fully grasp the concept of blogging itself and the relevance of new media. Basically they don’t understand what a blogger is/does and or how it might relate to or benefit them.

I think there is this stigma out there that many bloggers are just out to get free wine. While the opportunity to taste your wines is greatly appreciated the reality is that well-known bloggers already get more wine sent to them than they can taste. For those of us who invest a great deal of time and energy into our blogs, that viewpoint is quite frustrating.

It’s important to note that having a big social media following does not necessarily translate to a lot of blog traffic. You can get an idea of how much traffic a blog actually has by utilizing Alexa.com.

4. What would be your advice for a winery when they are planning a visit by a journalist (do this, don’t do that)?

  • It’s always a good idea to know who is visiting you, even if that means just a quick scan of their About Me page.
  • No offense to hardworking tasting room professionals (several friends of mine!) but if it is possible have the owner, winemaker, or marketing director host journalists.
  • Try to understand that all bloggers work differently. I for one, do not like taking formal notes during an actual winery visit. It is hard to focus, especially when you have an engaging host and I know when I’m tasting 10 big wines side by side, I suffer from palate fatigue…
  • What’s with the 10am tastings?! I realize that the argument is that your palate is most fresh, but I’d like to start a movement towards late afternoon/evening tastings! Also, please also make sure to provide a spittoon.
  • Make sure that you’re on social media. I’m surprised how many great producers I visit who aren’t engaging consumers and fans on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Many bloggers will share something from their visit on social media. Some of the benefit is certainly lost if they can’t directly link to you.
  • While most bloggers appreciate seeing the property, try to focus on what makes you different from other wineries.
  • Know that we sincerely appreciate your hospitality.
  • Should a blogger write about you – say thank you and keep in touch.

5. What motivated you to start your blog? Do you have any future plans for the blog?

I needed an outlet to share my passion for wine. I think my friends and family had enough of listening to me going on and on about the wines I was excited about! I can’t say I have any future plans for the blog necessarily, though that could always change. I just recently added a ‘Cult Wine’ section where I will be sharing splurge worthy wines that I think have already achieved cult status, or may have what it takes to do so in the near future. I hope to develop that further and continue to develop good content for my readers.

6. Can you tell us anything about the readership of the blog?

My readers are a diverse and loyal bunch. While 92% of the 32,500 unique users who visited in October were from the United States, the remaining 8% was represented by another 106 countries. The majority of my traffic finds me via organic search. While some blogs focus on wines from a specific price point, I prefer to cover wines spanning the price spectrum – which more accurately represents my interests in wine and how I consume it. It also enables me to connect with novice wine-lovers and connoisseurs alike.

7. What is your view of the current state of wine writing and journalism in the U.S.?

I see the reliance on scores by prominent critics becoming less and less important as the millennial generation becomes a more and more powerful segment of the wine consumer population. They value a more personal connection and for better or worse, they buy wine more often based on its story rather than its actual quality. Their skepticism of the established system combined with their reliance on social media will support the current trend towards the increasing influence of new media.