Study Break: Pimping Wine in the Pouring Rain

Is it just me? Or does Los Angeles as a whole shut down when raindrops and hail fall?

I made an appointment with Andrew's Cheese Shop in Santa Monica today. Congratulations to them. After more than a year of being in business, they finally got their beer and wine license. And I certainly wanted first dibs at getting my wines in there to pair with their wonderful (and expensive) selection of cheeses.

After a meeting that made me feel warm and fuzzy, my OCD kicked in and I decided to drive around the entire beach area in the rain. Next stop, Briggs Wine & Spirits in Santa Monica. Closed. Then, one of my favorite Italian restaurants up the road, Drago. Dude in charge of tasting... out of the country until Friday. Travelled west to the Viceroy Hotel, one of the hotspots I take out-of-town friends to. I've been trying to get my wines into that place for what seems like forever. Guy also not there. Went up the road to Shutters Hotel on the beach. Sommelier not there. Heading south toward Venice I dropped by Primitivo Wine Bistro where they have awesome $4 Sangrias at happy hour. They're apparently closed during the day in the winter months. On the way home I hit the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey. The woman in charge... in a meeting for the remainder of the afternoon.

And that my friends was it. I got my name out there. Picked up a few business cards during my venture for a plethora of appointments I intend to set up when this LSAT is over. Then, I went home to take a bath and study. Moral of the story: Don't bother even attempting to sell wine when it's raining. Nobody goes to work. Or as always, it could be my luck and crappy timing.

More "Wining" about the LSAT

Vow to sobriety officially over. It's torture enough to hole myslef in my apartment, let alone do it while surrounded by tons of bottles of wine, a bottle of whiskey, and an old Miller Light in the fridge.

I've officially hit a wall. Less than a month before the LSAT I've been taking practice test after practice test. I don't feel like I've improved one bit since I listened to various podcasts over the holidays. I've done thousands of LSAT questions and still, I feel like a dummy. Yet when I go over the questions I missed when totally relaxed, I nail them. I know the material. Somehow, it's just not translating when I'm on the clock. I'm hoping these issues go away by game day.

Last Tuesday, I scored the lowest on a practice test since my first diagnostic. My boyfriend and a couple friends finally said, "Take a break." So Wednesday night I went to my favorite place, Whole Foods in El Segundo, where they have a tasting room. That night is dedicated to the bubbly. Ten bucks gets you four tastes and all the paninis you can ask for made by my favorite grill master Craig. I already stole one of his recipes for my own personal use since I knew I'd be making love to LSAT books for awhile. But it's just not the same as having someone else make it for you. So a little Lakers-Clippers action, some French and Italian sparkling wines, and voila. I was feeling good.

Next day, I made a six point jump. Still not enough to get into the law school of my dreams. But perhaps the lesson learned is that wine is good for the mind. At least that's what I've convinced myself of anyway.

Wine Withdrawls

Happy New Year to my faithful. It's been awhile. Ever since I started studying for the LSAT I've taken a little break from selling... and drinking wine.

Yep, a vow to sobriety while studying for the LSAT. I thought to myself, "It's only two months"... until I postponed the test to February.

I must confess. I had to give myself a few passes... you know, for business/trade purposes (wink wink). As a matter of fact, last night I finished off the bottle of St. Innocent Pinot Noir from Oregon.

But I'm really writing to talk about this test. And the countdown is at 40 days and I'm not even close to where I want to be. After countless nights holed up in my apartment diagramming conditional statements, studying argument structure, reading long boring reading comp passages about the cause of dinosaur extinction via meteorite. And how could I forget the dreaded logic games? Nightmares about breaking those damn things into numerous scenarios is enough to make anyone wake up craving a glass...

This sobriety kick has caused my sweet tooth to grow... and I'm praying not to postpone the test to June... because I want the spring to enjoy some of my favorite whites.

Aged Wines: Soliciting Your Opinions...

Some say good wine comes with age, especially when it comes to reds. But lately I've been hearing the newer the better. And I'm having a heck of a time selling Elliston Wines because of that theory. One example is a wine bar I went to a few weeks ago. The guy LOVED Banknote (and who wouldn't? It's a brilliant wine). But he kept hemming and hawing over Elliston, saying his clientelle doesn't care for older vintages... they care more about what's gonna get them drunk. Well, let me say this, if you're looking for a wine to get you drunk, Elliston's Merlot at 14% alcohol is probably your best option... even if it is only a 1999.



So I'm not blogging to complain or make fun of people's preferences. I'm writing this time for a sort of, have YOUR say. When it comes to wine, do you care about the year on the label? And if so, why?

Hostage Wines...

The great thing about being a wine broker as opposed to selling for a large distributor is that I can choose which wines I sell... and I don't have to get myself involved with any hostage wines. Please allow me to explain: The big liquor distributors sell wine and spirits. So in order to buy certain wines, you have to buy certain hard liquors they sell as well.

It's not a favorable deal for the specialty wine shops and wine bars because they don't like to be told they have to buy something they don't want... if they want a certain wine.

A few months ago I went to Vintage Bouquet, a wine and food festival put on by the Beverly Hills Bar Association. I met a potential client who had a California red blend that wasn't very good. But he also had Italian wines from vineyards in small villages in Italy. Upon talking to him about possible representation he told me his whole business model... which was basically very similar to the way the big distributors work... If you want these rare Italian wines you have to buy my crappy California wine. Needless to say I flaked on the conference call.

Sounds flaky but think about it. How would you like it if you saw a pair of pants you liked at a department store BUT... you could only buy the pants if you bought two shirts you didn't like at all? I didn't feel like pitching wines to some of my people and saying, "No, no, no... You can't buy that wine if you don't buy this one."

I didn't really know what to call this concept... until I ran into another salesperson at the Whole Foods in El Segundo last night. He called 'em "Hostage Wines"... I'm sure you now understand why. By the way, Whole Foods Monday nights is OFF THE HOOK. $5 beer tasting night... and the panini grill master Craig rocks.

A couple more side notes... A little while ago I posted a blog about my rookie mistakes. Of course I have more to tell about. But for now I'll say this: None of them were held against me. As a matter of fact, those people have bought from me... or have promised to.

Also, I finally left my long and crazy television career to focus on something more crazy... studying for the LSAT. Of course wine is a passion I plan to continue to pursue for as long as possible. But being a lawyer is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid... only having an extreme case of ADHD, I'm easily sidetracked.

Killer Tan: A Break From Wine Talk to Touch on an Issue That's Important to Me

June gloom has finally come to an end and now that the sun is showing its pretty face, time to dust off that bikini and enjoy those rays. When I was in high school this was my favorite time of year. At 16, I was a sun worshipper. But being fair-skinned, I’d always burn. My solution: A couple weeks at the tanning salon for my pre-tan and I was set for months of fun in the sun.

Beach bums, or anyone who enjoys their share of ultraviolet rays (or maybe even an OD of Vitamin E) often refer to themselves as “sun worshippers”. But in my teen years I took things to the extreme. My ritual didn’t only include the pre-tan, but I also had to be out in the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when it was shining at its strongest. Sunscreen. What’s that? Give me some of that Hawaiian Tropics tanning oil. A few dips in the pool to attract those rays and I’m good to go.

More than a decade later I say to myself, “What the heck was I thinking?”… especially after I read the June 18th issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which reports that skin cancer patients are getting younger. It’s become the second most common form of cancer among women between the ages of 20 to 29. What’s worse is that all the warnings in the world are being brushed off. Citing that same article titled, “Skin Cancer Strikes Younger People,” consumer reports found that 31 percent of Americans never use sunscreen or sun protection. Another 27 percent said they never or rarely use it on their kids.

That’s crazy considering the fact that skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and it can be deadly. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 60,000 people were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2007. Around 8,000 people died from the disease.

So with those alarming figures, why do we ignore the things that can prevent us from being victims? Is it that, “It won’t happen to me” attitude? Or is that golden tan worth life itself?

So far I’ve been lucky. A woman in my 30’s, all that sun worshipping in my teens didn’t hurt me. But now I only wear SPF 45. I even wear clothes and a visor to the beach. And to be honest, I enjoy those beach barbecues even more so now, especially since I don’t wake up the next day with a painful sunburn.

If all the facts and figures still haven’t phased you think about this: The American Academy of Dermatology finds that most premature aging is caused by sun exposure. I don’t know about you. But I’ll take my pasty white skin color over a killer tan any day. You know why? Because I enjoy the fact that I still occasionally get carded.

dermanetwork.org.

Just for Laughs: Rookie Mistakes

As you may recall, I'm getting back into the wine industry after a LONG hiatus. When I first started I was allowed to be ditzy... "I'm really in TV. I'm just doing this as a favor to a friend. Can you open my wine bottle?" When I finally decided to do this for real I realized, "Oh sh**. I'm actually going to have to learn how to open a wine bottle using a cork screw other than the one I use to impress my company." I'm talking about the cork screw that can actually fit in my hand... not the fancy one that my friends bought me for Christmas last year.

So while I make fun of the "manly man" who thought Rose' was girly, I have to give him props for his patience... and a much deserved shout out for teaching me how to use that cork screw *without* judgement. I brought him six or more bottles of wine to taste. He opened one for me... then basically watched me open the rest... giving me useful critiques each time.

Now that I've got that down, there's certain terminology I don't know that's also showed what a newbie I am. And it happens at the worst places... like Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. I opened up a bottle of 1999 Elliston Merlot. I go on with my schpeel about how since this wine has been aged 10 years it's very balanced and smooth. The Bar Manager smells it and says, "It's corked." I say, "Huh?" He repeats, "It's corked. It's no good." And he puts the glass up to my nose and it smelled awful... almost like chlorine. He then explained that corked meant that air somehow got into the bottle and the wine spoiled. Embarassed, I asked if this was common. He said 10 percent of bottles are corked, it's happened to other brokers, yada yada. Thankfully I get to return Friday for him to taste the *real* Merlot.

I'm sure there are more rookie stories to tell. And as I get more I promise to share.

One thing to note, I'm an honest person. I always tell my clients I'm new... so if they want some hot shot broker who's developed relationships with every Sommelier, Food & Beverage Director, Bar Manager, etc. etc. I'm not that gal. Thankfully, like me, my clients are new to this as well. And by new I mean, their wine hasn't been sold in Los Angeles before. I believe that's what makes it work.

Getting Personal: Why Little Wine Broker?

So I've promoted my clients, and as I continue to get more "value wines" I'll keep you up to date to safisfy your cravings. I'm writing this blog on a more serious note... to let you get to know me, my background, and how I got into the crazy wholesale wine industry.

I started selling wine five years ago. It was a pure experiment that began when I was writing for a television news station in San Francisco. My producer, Mike, also made (and still makes) wine (Homefire Cellars http://www.zintopia.com/). But his Zin and Petite Sirah had never reached the L.A. market. Since my work in the Bay Area was only temporary I told Mike to send me a couple bottles of his wine... and that I'd shop it around. It was so good and so well priced that the first time I took it out I made an immediate five-case sale.

Well, things got a little crazed in the television news world and I put wine on the backburner. But broadcasting (much like all businesses) is also suffering. Given the extra free time I decided to pursue the wine thing all over again... building my business from scratch. Unfortunately Mike has a new broker in L.A. but he's helped me start over and get clients.

So I got the clients and started going on the sales calls. Of course when I cold call restaurants, retail establishments, etc. people would ask for my company name. That didn't take long to create, thanks to Susan Brink, owner of Venokado (an adorable wine and gift shop in West Hollywood). During a tasting appointment she suggested Little Wine Broker... because she, like many other people, thought my last name was pronounced "Little". It's not (li-tell is how it's pronounced). But I thought, why not take advantage of something that's been driving me nuts all my life? How people butcher my last name. I immediately took her suggestion and voila! Little Wine Broker.

I believe Susan was inspired by another broker in Los Angeles, Katherine Strange, who named her company... Strange Wines (she makes a wonderful Syrah by the way). Katherine, too, has been very helpful when it comes to quickly answering emails about licensing... and importing.

A couple side notes... Haven't heard back from the Midlife folks... but I'm not going to let my hair get gray over it. I just had a tasting with a new client last night... Elliston Vineyards. Only got to try their Merlot and Champagne (so excited to have a Champagne in my arsenal). I'll write more about them next time.

We Drink With Our Eyes

I'm a serious label whore. And wine bottle labels are not exempt. As someone who's supposed to know wines, I would've never admitted that... until I saw I'm not the only one... and it didn't take long to find out that my fellow winos are a lot like me.

It happened the first sales appointment I went on. The guy told me they were only looking for wines that were 120-130/case. So I searched through my stash and found the price points he was looking for. But one problem: The label looked like it was straight out of the '70s (I actually remember wine labels looking like that when I was a kid). And he said although the guy's Chard was tasty, the artist types in the area wouldn't go near it... because of the label.

As I continue to fine-tune my wine book, bottle label is just as important as taste. Jack Wines, for example, has a great label. See for yourself: www.jackwines.com. And going back to wine as a hobby, the graphic designer who created his label is the proprietor of Banknote Wine Company... http://banknotewines.com/

Both are good wines at affordable prices. But one thing you should know is that labels *can* fail you. I made the mistake of purchasing a 30 dollar bottle of wine to enjoy with a friend. It was a tie between two wines... I chose the one with the fancier label. Boy did I pay for that (literally and figuratively). The wine tasted like crap... and I was embarassed.

As for the guy who had the not-so-stylish label, I had to tell him I was having a tough time showing his wines because of it. He actually wasn't aware there was a problem. Who knows whether he'll change it.

Regardless, label may not be the only attention grabber. The wine's name is another. I may soon be representing a wine called Midlife Crisis Winery. Unfortunately that label doesn't have the picture of a sports car on it. But that just goes to show... whether the label (or the name) peeks your interest... just like we eat with our eyes... we drink with our eyes too.

Wine as a Hobbie

Let's face it. In this economy, even the experienced wine drinkers know they don't need to spend a lot of money to drink good wine. Every day I call a place to set up an appointment I've gotten into the habit of asking what price points work for them because I'm not going to open expensive bottles if they don't plan to spend the money. But what most people don't understand is that wine making is a very expensive hobby. I call it a hobby because most of my clients have "day jobs" and hope people will like their wine enough that they won't blink when it comes to price.

One of my clients is a film producer. Guy Riedel has worked on some great movies... "Wedding Crashers", "Rocky Balboa"... and one of my personal favorites, "Office Space". He makes a Cab and a Syrah called "Guy". Very good high-end wines.

And he knows the science involved in wine (as he should. He's only been making wine since he was 15). He really started getting serious about wine in 2001. He started making wines at home, then went on to make more at a crush facility in San Francisco.

As many of you may know, he's not the only person in the spotlight who makes wines. I just found out last week that Wayne Gretzky also makes wine in Canada... only his are a little less expensive than my guy Guy.

Of course many of my clients have taken interesting career paths... one includes the C.I.A. Don't laugh just yet. I heard a Navy Seal even makes his own wine, although he's not my client.

But let's get back to the *cost* involved in winemaking. My C.I.A. client said making one barrel of wine costs $10K. So let's do the math:

1 barrel= 25 cases

If you wanted to make 100 cases of wine it would cost you 40 freaking thousand dollars.

Let's think of things you can buy for $40K:

A 10 karat engagement ring (although that would be HUGE... I'd settle for four).

Fertility treatment costs half that. And let's not forget, a Mercedes or perhaps a lifetime supply of yoga classes... Neither of which my clients have purchased (that I know of). Instead they shelled out a whole lotta dough with the hopes that you would enjoy their wine. Cheers to them!

Warming Up to Whites

SO, in the last blog I wrote about men who have a hard time warming up to whites. But now I'll speak for myself. I myself wasn't a huge fan of whites for a couple reasons:

1) The first time I got sick from alcohol was when I was 17. I asked a friend to pick up a five dollar bottle of wine from 7-11, at which I was going to swig from while we played drinking games. He came back with what was supposed to be a white wine but had a pink tint. I downed the whole thing throughout the course of playing... along with about four shots of Jager. Needless to say, the next day I had a lot of explaining to do to my mom as to why I prayed to my bedroom carpet instead of the Porcelain Goddess.

2) When I finally got into wines (not for the purposes of getting drunk) I'd always hear people say you REALLY didn't know wine if you drank whites.

I took a long haitus from selling wines. And when I got back I made the mistake of going to a wine specialty store in a really hipster side of town. To make matters worse I told the guy, "I'm not really into whites..." Thinking I was so sophisticated, the guy knocked me off my high horse and said back to me, "If you're gonna sell wine you better get into them."

Ever since that, I've been drinking only whites. One that's been opening my palate: Petito Wines makes a beautiful Marsanne Roussanne. And the price is right.

Even the French agree with me. I took it to a French restaurant last week and the woman *really* liked it.

Moral of the story: It probably wasn't the white/pink wine that caused me to get sick back in high school. I'd say combining that with Jager was my bad. AND, not only should I get into whites, another owner of a wine specialty shop told me he might even host a tasting night with black glasses, keep the wines at cellar temp and serve. He said most likely, people won't even notice the difference between whites and reds. Plus, as the weather heats up, what a perfect time to warm up to whites.

One last side note: I just attended this amazing tasting event at the Greystone Mansion. I had to meet a client there.... someone who's very accomplished in the film business. As I start taking his wines out I'll be sure to let you know who I'm talking about.

'Tis the Season for Rose'

Last week I tried to sell a wonderful Rose' from Jack Wines to a new upscale restaurant in El Segundo. The guy in charge of tasting was built like a football player and not someone you'd stereotype as a wine expert. He was quite macho too. "I hate Rose'," he said to me. "I just think it's so girly."

Why? Because it's pink in color? Don't let that fool you. Rose' is very refreshing in the summer months, just as satisfying as a cold beer (but easier on the wasteline). And it doesn't have to be from France. The one I rep happens to be from California.

But back to his point about Rose' being so girly. I think men are given a bad rap for drinking whites. As a matter of fact, in my early 20's a gay friend of mine said, "If he's drinking Chardonnay, he's gay." Not so. I actually knew a guy who drank Chard and he was far from gay(he might have been metrosexual... before they actually gave it a term).

Anyway, if you're a man who hasn't ventured past the reds, take a risk. And be comfortable in your own skin. Even Billy Joel mentioned Rose' in his song, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant". So it's gotta be good.