It's a damned chore to get the word out about a book or a wine. You need so much publicity and even then the effort can fail.
Hustling is important.
I am flattered that anyone would care about my opinion. Sometimes I am thrilled, such as when Hank Beckmeyer sent me his wines in 2008 to taste. When I sipped, I was grateful. It was obvious that he listened to me, he read me. He never said I would like them (which I did) but that he would be curious to have me taste them.
I wear my opinions on my forehead. Which means, if you follow me, you know exactly what you're in for when I like a wine. I think I'm still capable of surprising, I'd like to think I'm not totally predictable. But the strength of my reactions can backfire. A friend of mine in Oregon (you know who you are and it is not you, Jason) always says to me, sheepishly, "You won't like my wine," and he almost refuses to let me taste. Wild, because we fancy the same kinds of wines when it comes to European stuff. Anyway, I care about him and want to know how his vintages go. My loss.
But, this is what I am asking you: Why would someone who talks about their wine like this,
"I want lots of flavor and extraction ... I want the wines to be power- packed, "
approach me for taste the wine?
What this gent (or his marketer) might not know is that I was there during the 2008 harvest, when he was shooting off his protocols to the winemaker (custom crushing his wine) who was to follow them. Protocol involved; sulfur, inoculate at this temperature, hit it with this tannin, sulfur, that enzyme, lower the temperature. Then there were the chips.
I could be wrong. Maybe I'd love his wines.
Was I just one of a million blogs the winemaker (marketer?) was reading in order to get the wines spread around?
I love it when someone like Hank shows up, I love it when I get a good lead on a winemaker or a wine. Thank you. I genuflect in gratitude, and I'm not slinging bull. I can even taste outside of my comfort zone. It's good for me!
So, I could understand, it the note said; I don't make the kind of wine you talk about, I'm no Arnot -Robert or Coturri, but I would love to have you taste my syrah from a high elevation and get your take.
That's an attitude and a request I can work with.
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