Is Small Better?.
We have been open now for seven years and since opening we have espoused the mantra that we support a certain type of wine producer—we usually refer to them as small, artisan, family-run or something along those lines. It doesn’t take much explaining for folks to understand it. With customers new to our store the conversation often goes something like this: (Customer) “Do you have So-and So brand Chardonnay” (Us) “No, we don’t carry that brand, but we have some great choices if you like that style of Chard”. From there, we either see them walk out the door or, hopefully, try something new that we recommend. And hopefully they love it or at least have interest in what we do, and come back. But it’s difficult for people to try to unlearn what they know, there’s a comfort level with buying things you know, particularly when you’re in a different place.
During this time I’ve often wondered if we shouldn’t just bring in the big-brands that everybody knows and maybe just try to sneak in the stuff we really like to the few who are willing to try. Still I’ve never backed away from our philosophy and we’ve been able to win over a good number of people. It’s not so much that we think the big guys are bad, rather we think the small ones are better, more interesting and often time they have a story to tell that’s worth telling. It also adds a human element to wine. Instead of being produced by mega-conglomerate corporation as one sku among their two hundred different wines this is made by a guy working out of his converted barn who just happens to make killer juice. Isn’t that more interesting?
This was reinforced last week when we had a winegrower randomly stop in the store whose wines we coincidentally had in stock. As I was talking to him he was telling me that they actually sold off much of their fruit, both to small producers and to a couple big brands. I asked him if there was much difference in dealing with the little guys versus the big guys and he related to me one of the main differences. The small producers, he said, were in the vineyards all the time checking out the fruit for health particularly during harvest time. They are very specific when they want their fruit picked. The big guys just call on the phone and ask what the brix levels are before harvest never setting foot in the vineyard. They purchase by the ton instead of by the acre concerned only with the bottom line instead of insuring they get the best fruit.
Of course, none of this guarantees someone will make better or worse wine, but it’s indicative of the commitment to make better wine. And we love selling wine made by people that are passionate and frankly, that we like. That story which bridges the gulf between the wine in the bottle sitting on the shelf in Colorado to the thirty two year old winemaker in Burgundy allows an association that makes this so much more than just a commodity. And adds something to this thing we’re selling that you just don’t get from many things you buy. This is that human connection that we love in wine and why we support these types of producers.