Ronga’s Rant

Well heck. Throughout the last month a handful of winemakers have commented “I read your blog, really great post – I liked the one about xyz”. Me: huh? You read my blog? Ok, so I feel like a schmuck since it’s been a decade from the last post. I assumed it was just my mom on the other end.

Content is a funny thing. I learned through writing HBS essays to cut ever unnecessary word possible otherwise I wouldn’t make the word limit, thus be DQ’d. (disqualified, not win a blizzard from Dairy Queen). That means you actually have to spend time thinking and writing and not slop 1000 words together to try to get your point across. Someone who is great at this is my boss/partner Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s able to do this 2 – 3 minute videos on his vlog. It may look like much time doesn’t go into it. However, my theory is that it is stream of consciousness, much like this post, but that days, weeks, months of experience lead him up to talking about that topic. Something just triggers a neuron where all the pieces suddenly fit together and he does his video about it. What’s great? He doesn’t say a single word more than he needs to. What’s important about this is that it captures the American attention span perfectly…which is indefinitely short. Just face it… we are an I WANT AN OOMPA LOOMPA NOW society.

Brings me to wine. We purchase to drink not save (talking about the masses…you wine geeks And myself for that matter.) I recently purchased a 2005 Chateau Lynch-Bages. One of my favorites wine verticals and I have not yet had the ‘05. I understand I could lay this sucker down for ten plus years. But I’m excited about, do not have wine storage as I live in a one bedroom apartment and I am not a collector. I am a consumer. So why did I drop $90 on a bottle of wine when I could have picked up 9 bottles of value wine? Well, it’s a good question. There is something about this wine that brings me back to when I tasted the ‘87, the ‘82 and the people I tasted it with. I plan to share this ‘05 because wine is an adventure, a journey and about memories. It’s not always about the best value. It’s about trying new things and having memorable experiences.

Everyone has their opinions and will infer them onto you for as long as you live. Don’t get me wrong, this has its merits. When it comes to wine, however, listen to the experts, but trust your instincts, and do what you please. Because life, just sometimes, has to be about pleasure, doesn’t it? I mean, who wouldn’t want an oompa loompa.

When you’re at a wine store, restaurant, or bar how do you decide which wine to get? You may ask a friend, the waiter or sommelier, or you may even do some research online. Either way, you are looking for a recommendation. As my friend Paul Mabray mentioned, recommendation is the number one influencer for purchasing decisions when it comes to wine. I’ll go out on a limb – don’t quote me here – and say wine isn’t unique to this phenomenon.

What’s fascinating is that there are only a FEW authoritative voices on wine. Whereas in restaurants, movies, books, products, music, etc. people have the luxury of listening to the voice of many. People turn to Yelp, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, Cnet, iTunes. Now you might argue, well, wine is a luxury good, where I want an expert opinion. Really? What about food or movies? You trust your palate or opinion enough to know what you like and what you don’t… you’ll listen to Yelp or Rotten Tomatoes, and your friends rec over Ebert & Roeper. You don’t go to the old school (or maybe you do, I realize I’m making a major gross assumption here) Zagat hard copy which was written at single point in time to look up a restaurant. If so…then here’s some food for thought. Restaurants have mad turnover in terms of employees, wine pros, chefs, etc. Zagat ranks a resto once per year. So… you go off of a Zagat rating 10 months ago, which by the way is one voice (or at least < 5). Instead you could hit the interwebs, go to good ole Yelp or the resto rating of your choice and see REAL TIME, what peeps are saying. You might get 20 reviews in the last month! This would quell any fears about employee turnover, especially with the cooking staff. Now, these peeps most likely are not foody connoisseurs. However, do you trust them to adequately judge service, ambiance, and quality of food? Maybe not. But at least you can read their reviews to ascertain how sophisticated their analyses may be. Decide for yourself.

In the wine world, people have been turning to a dying industry. Wine Spectator (don’t get me started). Wine Advocate. Wine Enthusiast…magazines! Now what? Robert Parker is an influential figure and, darn it, I respect him for what he done in the biz with scoring wines. Tremendous. But what he is doing is not scalable going forward. Espcially with people consuming info online and turning to consensus reviews. Parker rates wine at a point in time – for you finance nerds it’s like a balance sheet vs. an income statement.

Wine changes… it transforms in the bottle, in the glass, in the moment. Let people decide. Let them tell the story, based on their palates. Let the winemakers tell the story. 100 reviews is much more powerful than one man’s, in my opinion. I believe Cork’d is a sucker that can scale. People, more than ever are consuming information online… But I diverge. The point is, no matter how many influential human beings there are in the wine world, one voice doesn’t do it. It takes many. My palate is totally different than yours. I like smelly arm pit, just came out of the gym, sweat socks, barnyard, funkified, dirty, blue cheesy wine. I’m guessing you want to throw up right now.

So… make your voice heard. Not just in wine. But everywhere. Don’t be shy. You can’t be wrong when it comes to wine, music, food, art, travel. They are subjective and local to your DNA. It is your opinion after all. Embrace it and share it. Influence. Otherwise, how will others know what to buy?

I had a marvelous dinner last night at Cookshop, catching up with my friend from my investment banking days. We are both working for ourselves now and truly love what we do. Over fried hominy (delicious!), we deliberated on how difficult we find it to tear ourselves away from our work. When you have so much personally invested in your work, “balance” becomes more challenging yet much more important to incorporate into everyday life. We also reminisced about a day (six years ago) when Anuj appeared in my cube after an investment banking VP on a project exclaimed:

“We have an infinite amount of work to do & a limited amount of time to do it in.”

Kill me. At the time, I remember Anuj laughing and going to start in on the work; I, on the other hand, was fresh meat, and terrified by the thought. Nowadays, I have an infinite amount of work which excites me and the prospects keep me driven and reassured that we have indeed created a business model that works at Cork’d. But there I go again ranting about something unrelated to wine…

The point of the story above is this: Anuj and I were enjoying a bottle of wine while talking & laughing over dinner. He always defers to me when choosing wine which I love which means I get to order something I haven’t tried before. We depleted a 2007 Muscadet Sevre et Maine “Sur Lie” Domaine de la Tourmaline made with the Melon de Bourgogne varietal.  I use this wine for illustrative purposes, to expatiate upon tasting, reviewing and scoring wines…and what might happen with the subjectivity of ratings.

Scenario UNO – You drink this wine alone on your couch. Yeah, I said it. And I do it. SO? Here’s the thing. You have no one to discuss the wine with, you’re likely not deep in conversation (except in your own MIND). Similar to seeing a thought provoking movie, you want someone to discuss with afterward, otherwise it’s not as fulfilling. This wine is fine, but that is all…it is wine, it’s in a glass. Perhaps you have it with a salad, do some work while you eat. You think about it, review it on Cork’d, but of course. You may rate it 86 points.

Scenario DOS – You imbibe this baby with a dear friend over dinner (my experience over the weekend). Mesmeric conversation not only about the wine but also about life, politics and relationships ensue giving this wine new life. You are feeling good about life, about yourself and having a remarkable time as you sip. You feel satisfied as you both agree on the backbone of this wine and debate about particular flavors. You score this sucker 88 points – see my review here.

Scenario TRES – You drink the wine with the winemaker at a restaurant. He visually brings you to the vineyard, telling you the history of the terroir, the vines, the labor that goes into the very bottle you are consuming. You hear his story, learn about his family and his passion for wine. You taste his sweat in the glass. After this encounter, you dig this wine, give it a 90.

Scenario QUATRO – Now… for the kicker! You go to Loire Valley, sojourn on the vineyard, see the vines, tour the cave with the winemaker. Feasting on an incredible meal with the most interesting people who live life the way it should be, you taste the wine again. Conversation is flowing and ever engaging. You are the life of the party and have never felt so good. You are influenced by how much everyone loves the wine. You give this baby a 92.

In my world, I often meet with the producers or folks in the industry and taste the fruits of their labor. I’m not naïve to think that knowing the winemaker and drinking his or her wine has no effect on scoring the wine. However, can I do it objectively? I’d like to think so…but relationships are powerful. The human connection is moving… and sometimes has subconscious implications.  Moreover, when it comes to wine “objective” doesn’t exist. However, I often rate wines on Cork’d right in front of winemakers and have no problem scoring a wine sub-90 points with my honest thoughts. Nothing against the person or the wine. My palate simply doesn’t LOVE the wine…doesn’t mean you won’t.

Just food for thought… or wine for reflection, as I like to say. Score a wine how you will. Just be AWARE of the surrounding situation and embrace it. Better yet, note it (in your review or tasting notes if you take them) so others know how to interpret your score.

MUCH LOVE to you all because human interactions and connections influence our thoughts and almost everything we do.

This is what I am, this is what I’m doing.

Cork’d.

Tomorrow, maybe I’ll come up for air. Because lately all it’s been is wine. And frankly a girl has got to breath. Maybe sleep and eat too. But one cannot sustain on wine alone, unless those health resveratrol rumors are true then heck, I’ve found the fountain of youth and I’ll live until the end of time with the way I’m sipping.

So here’s the thing, I made a promise in my last post and by golly I will hold true to that and tell you about my resto-sommelier binge in the city that never sleeps. I certainly didn’t. While my next post will be dated and I’ll have some catch up to do, I’ll at least be satisfying one person out there by following up from the last one. Umm… me. Duh. We’re all selfish son of a guns and I’d feel guilty as heck if I left it lingering. Not to mention the copious notes/reviews I took on the wines I tried (71 Petrus anyone? Not like that ever happens to me). So YOU will hear about it.

But in the mean time (by which I mean the next 24 hours), I live, breath and drink Cork’d. So go there, tell me what you think. http://corkd.com/

Your Drinking Buddy,
Ronga

Today at 4pm I venture into the big city on a tour of the best restaurants with wine friend, Enrique Ibanez. He will introduce me to the top sommeliers and I hope to try some very good wines. More importantly…what could be more important than wine, you ask? Conversation. I hope to learn from these somms. Just as I expect I will learn from this entire experience. Wine can truly take on new forms and taste completely differentl when shared with others and when there is a story told around it. Some people (hopefully those I’ll meet tonight) have a special gift for explaining and breaking down wine into words that make the wine so truly enjoyable it is truly spectacular.

As Corkd does not (yet) have a mobile app, plan on me taking note of each wine I taste and reviewing them later on Cork’d. This is a PROMISE.

However, I must admit…I’m a little scared. Not about wine being intimidating and interacting with folks more knowledgeable than me. I’m the first to admit when I don’t know something. Here’s the thing: we start at 4pm, before the somms are busy. We’ll hit five or so places….wait til after the rush is over, then hit five or so more places. Have you done the math? That is a lot of wine!

The key is not to drink a full glass (at least in my world… and my body size , just a taste (2+ oz) so you can fully appreciate everything the next wine has to offer. . Enrique may by on a different playing field, however.

I will write about this NYC restaurant tour, of course, in my next post and tell you all about my experience and if I… eh.. I mean “it” lived up to all I had hoped.  Two hours til GO TIME.

I love going out to dinner. And to be honest, it doesn’t really matter if I know the person or not. Of course I love getting together with family and friends for a night out, but I can have just as sensational of a time with complete strangers. Don’t get me wrong, a meal can completely fall flat…in fact this is probably the case more often than not. So let me give my two cents of what makes a dinner remarkable.

1)      Phones/electronic devices AWAY – I don’t care what new-age technologically advanced world we live in, dinner is a time to converse one-on-one with other, real life, human beings. Take that time to learn from a shared experience, a conversation.

2)      Eye contact – no matter how seemingly important one person may be, focus in on every single person there…with your EYEBALLS. Yes, that’s right. If you are speaking, make everyone feel important & engage each person by looking them square in the eyes. It not only makes you a captivating story-teller, but it also makes each person feel as if they’re on an equal playing field which is, frankly, the way it should be. This, in turn, fosters conversation.

3)      Share – not everyone is going to feel comfortable with this one, but I am all about family style when it comes to food. I love trying new things and feel that you break down umpteen barriers when you simply order different dishes with share plates. It makes the meal interactive & everyone feels more comfortable with one another. Again, convo flows.. naturally.

4)      Wine – never just refill your own glass (this goes with water as well if there is a pitcher on the table). Be considerate and refill your neighbor’s first if they give you the nod. But certainly don’t refill your own, set the bottle down and ignore the fact that your neighbor may have an empty glass. This is just a life lesson: Don’t be selfish.

1. Sub-bullet since this is a wineblog, after all. Pick up on the fact that you are trying the same wine with different foods. This is an extraordinary way to experience a meal, especially if there are many different types of food being passed around! This changes the wine profile with each bite of a new dish. Talk about this even if the company may not be “into it” or at least bring peoples’ awareness to the fact that the wine is dynamic.

5)      Conversation – no ONE person should dominate the discussion because it is then in fact not a discussion at all, but rather a lecture or a preaching. Ask questions to others at the table, whether you know them or not. TRULY ENGAGE. This can be difficult, especially if you are still dwelling on things from earlier in the day. However, put yourself and your issues aside, and learn. Look at this as an opportunity to learn what makes other people tick. If someone goes on and on about themselves, well it may not be someone that I’ll likely  dine with on a regular basis, but I might be able to take something away from the (one-sided) conversation. Real-life conversations are not twitter. Rather – they are two-way.

6)      Indulge – dinner is a treat when eating out with others. It has the possibility to stimulate us on so many levels. Taste each bite, savor each piece of conversation and remember each sip of wine.

All in all, a good meal or dinner should last more than two hours. Why? If you are truly engaged, sharing food, learning about one another, and completely stimulated – that is mentally, emotionally and physically, then in my opinion, you should have no desire to pick up an external device or check the latest score. Be in the moment. Be present. And most importantly, care. Show those people around you care by looking them in the eye when they speak and vice versa. Listen and respond. Don’t pretend you’re listening while texting away. This is what kills social media – when it interferes with real socializing.

Until the next (wine) posting, drink up, and have a lovely dinner. Please let me know what you think in your comments (or add to the list). xo, linds

There is NOT a one size fits all model – not for life, for business, success, even clothes (yes Michael Stars, I’m talking to you…but oh how I LOVE your clothes). There are so many different ways to “make it” in life and while I think it’s important to listen to those you admire, you have to stay true to yourself. Make mistakes on your own, learn from them and become the person God intended you to be <please trust that I will relate this to wine>

This is why I was so partial towards the learning model at Harvard Business School. With the case method, there were no lecturers telling you how to do things or what is right and what is wrong. Remember, life is not black and white. We learned via discussion. Ninety of us would peruse a case on Jack Welch, for example, and his management style, then take it into the classroom and have a heated debate and a truly riveting conversation about different approaches one might take in his situation. Go figure, all 90 of us don’t agree on how to handle a situation: whether it’s a software implementation, running a country, or raising VC money. Even more interesting, we all come at it from a different angle and none of us is “right.” Each ONE of us has a different background –ethnicity aside, we were all raised by someone (or not) who had extreme influence in the way we turned out as individuals. I believe our values, ideals, and perceptions were very much set before adulthood. Now, I believe these can be changed…but keep in mind someone else had loose control for almost 1.5 decades. It takes times to undo that programming.

Now, onto wine. And more specifically the palate. What is so awesome about the palate is that we are all blessed with different ones. Thank GOD. Can you imagine if we all tasted the same thing and all liked the same things? B-O-R-I-N-G. What I see, smell and taste in a wine, I hope, is different than what you will get from that same wine. Why? Well it fosters conversation for starters.

Just the other night I threw a little wine shindig for my Corkd and Vaynermedia colleagues. While I was sniffing the wine trying to pinpoint an unidentifiable scent (frustrating as heck!), Vaynermedia’s Sam (who, I think, found his calling a wine sommelier) picked up on pineapple. Which led me to what I couldn’t pick up on – pina colada. The wine, Graffigna Centenario Pinot Grigio, was just ok. But it did take me to a tropical island where I envisioned myself lying on a beach with a fruity cocktail in hand (oh & cocktail accessorized with pineapple pink umbrella).

Drinking wine with others is great for this reason – because you can pick up on things you may not have otherwise. On the contrary, I often like to see/smell/taste the wine before anyone says anything so I don’t have any preconceived notions in my head. I don’t want to force myself to smell or taste something. Like in life, go with your gut, trust your own instincts. Don’t just take someone else’s opinion and make it your own.  This can be difficult when you don’t feel well-versed on a subject such as wine. But you can always listen to others, discuss, ask questions, then decide for yourself. You can do this with life, worldly issues (spanning from politics to philosophy), AND with wine. Be open-minded and in the end, just be you. And have faith in YOU.

OK, it’s time. It’s past time. So… what’s up with the lag time in my blog? Was it writer’s block? Laziness? Was I out traveling the vineyards of France? Nope.

More exciting, in fact. I’ve been running Cork’d – a place where wine meets online media and winelovers, both expert and noobs, come together. Gary Vaynerchuk and I are working on BIG things here and working towards the big Cork’d relaunch. Admittedly Cork’d has been through its ups and downs, and well, I’m ready for it to just get high if you know what I mean.

This past month has been absolutely amazing. And I know you hear people say that. But really, it’s my dream job. I’m coming from a world of private equity and investment banking working for some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. They have been my mentors, my sounding boards, my family away from home.

Now I have a new family – I am still getting to know some of them, but what I love is that they keep me young. Cork’d shares its offices with Vaynermedia, a company founded by Gary and his brother, AJ Vaynerchuk. The VM crew is a bunch of fresh, creative, young thinkers who have a unique perspective on the social media space. Since Cork’d is where new world meets old world, it is helpful to immerse myself in this environment.

Did I mention I have also hired four Cork’d interns who are all rockstars in their own respects? First we have a highschool student, who during the interview mentioned he’s into astronomy and black holes. When I told him I like Stephen W. Hawkings, he told me Hawkings was “old school” and proceeded to drop some knowledge on me about who to follow online for “up to date” info. Next, is a beautiful personal – inside and out – from Alaska. She at one point during high school pushed around a food cart selling salmon, etc on the street in Alaska. She has taken her first level Sommelier test and flew out from San Francisco for the interview. Her personality is rocking. We have our resident actor/singer who keeps it real by singing in the office. He makes everyone laugh which is super important in any culture. Although he was more into the social media side of things, his reviews of wine, which we taste in the office (yeah, I said it!), are off the charts and on spot. Last, is a guy that is probably be more qualified than me … a Darden MBA spending his summer here at Cork’d. Aside from being an all around awesome human being, he knows Rails, social media, and now wine. He has gone out of his way to help me understand the Rails world (riveting…). People like that are QUALITY. I’ll say it again; you don’t find people like this in just any economy. AND, finally – our kick ass RAILS CTO Kyle should probably get an entire post entirely to himself (which is why I struggle to find words write just a couple lines). His talent is sick as I’ve mentioned many times on Twitter and he’s not just another developer. He’s the real deal. We have lucked out completely here at Cork’d and I couldn’t be more appreciative, more grateful. The A-team, indeed.

My days are anything but predictable. Last night I had a glass of wine with a Cork’d user, who I was honored to meet. Getting feedback in person from a company you run is something that all CEOs should do. I truly value feedback from users. Other days I spend meeting with guys in the social media, tech or wine world. They help me get a better handle on what’s going on out there. All in all, here’s what I DO know: I don’t know it all. If I did, life and my job wouldn’t be fun. I love learning. My job is challenging and it’s because I’m always on my toes. When I stop learning, I’m not sure it will be fun anymore. So for now, I’m a sponge…and I’ve surrounded myself with people who are kind enough to coach me, mentor me and be my family again.

However, I’d like to end by mentioning the two people who have been truly there for me: mom & dad. You guys know more about business than I ever will. Mostly because you are wise and know about life… And, I’ve learned that the two go hand in hand. Thank you for your advice, love and support. It means the world to me.

Next post: I’ll be back to writing about wine

There are so many wine bars in NYC.  I’ve made it a personal goal to hit up each one while I’m here.  Ambitious, I know…

The best tool I’ve found to assist me in doing this is a mashup created by Dr. Vino that shows most wine bars by geography in NYC.  He not only has wine maps for wine bars, but also wine shops and covers the Chicago area.  Tyler – Dr. Vino – also writes a great blog worth checking out.

Anyhow, y’all know I’m a sucker for South African wines.  I love them all. When I came across Xai Xai South African Winebar, I about died & went to heaven.  They only serve South African wines, & not just your typical African wines (as if there is such a thing).  Really, really interesting ones.  It was hot outside & I wanted a white.  So I went with a grape I know… one that is 1) slowly going extinct in South Africa because it is becoming more expensive to grow so it is becoming increasing replaced with Sauvignon Blanc & one that is 2) delicious because the soil & weather there supports its growth.  Sorry for the ridiculous build up. The grape is Chenin Blanc.

The South African bartender poured me a taste and it was good… a little oily, petrol like, but good.  Then I do what I always do & ask him if he had to pick ONE wine to drink, which would he choose.  This usually proves an impossible question to answer.  But not for this guy; he immediately pulled out the Haute Cabriere ‘06 Pinot Noir-Chardonnay from Franschhoek.  I have never had a Pinot Noir Chardonnay combo, except in sparkling or Champagne of course, but there was no second fermentation on this baby.  We are talking new territory!

Wow.  What a treat.  This made the Chenin Blanc seem like PBR in the world of beer.  I opted for his suggestion & was even more impressed by the temperature at which they kept their wines. Honestly, it was perfect…not freeeeeezing. Room temperature, rather.  You could actually taste the flavors in the wine. While the mix was unclear (I was told it was 70/30 chardonnay/pinot noir), this did not ooze chardonnay to me.  Instead I got richness, intensity, & a medium body.  Crisp & green, there was some acidity to add to the balance of the wine.  I am salivating as a write about this.

If you get a chance to pickup this wine – do it.  More importantly, go check out Xai Xai on 51^st & 9^th Ave. Well worth the trek.  Cool ambiance, friendly staff. Didn’t try the food, but would be a great after work spot.  Let me know if you end up swinging by.

What is the difference between Gavi and Gavi di Gavi wines? They’re both from Piedmont (Italy), white wines and made from the Cortese grape. So what gives? Many times, for example the other night, I’ll see a wine on a list that is simply a “Gavi” followed by an Italian name and a “Gavi di Gavi” followed by an Italian name. What?!

Apparently, Gavi is a wine producing area within Piedmont. It extends from the village of Novi Ligure to the lower hills of the Ligurian Apennines. Gavi di Gavi, however, is produced exclusively in the village of Gavi (province of Alessandria). Not all that interesting if you ask me.

So I decided to do a little taste test a couple nights ago at my favorite wine bar (on the corner near my new studio in Chelsea, NY!) called Le Zie. I ordered a glass of Broglia Gavi di Gavi “La Meirana” 2006 ($11/glass). Then I ordered a bottle of Castellari Bergaglio Gavi Fornaci 2007 ($42/bottle). After an odd stare from the bartender, I double fisted the glasses and alternated smelling and tasting.

For me, the Gavi di Gavi tasted citrus-like, zesty, crisp. You could taste the green color. The Gavi, on the other hand (again, same grape, just not as specific of an area) was slightly sweeter, the fruits not as citrus like, but more cantaloupe-like….or honeysickle. Still refreshing and soil like, just not as crisp and balanced. Ugh. The color was similar, think a hardy urine color. Not taste or smell people, I am just talking color, don’t get grossed out on me.

Anyway, that was my opinion. Could have been the vintage, the bar, the fact I was by lonesome waiting on someone to arrive, many factors. But I was hoping there was some really fun fact that made them different. Some confounding difference between just a regular old Gavi and a Gavi di Gavi. Sometimes you’re just disappointed… or maybe y’all know something I don’t? Please do tell….