Buying Wine Online - Think of the ease!

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Wine & Spirits Daily NewsletterDecember 6, 2007~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


ONLINE WINE SALES MEET HOLIDAY SUCCESS. Ordering wine and wine related products online is becoming increasingly popular during the holidays, according to Winezap.com, an aggregator of online wine shops from across the U.S. Wine related traffic grew a whopping 35% this season from 2006, the company said in a press release, which more than doubled that of overall e-retail traffic.

Why the surge in sales? Winezap.com says it is most likely a result of the wine industry 'catching up' from years of heavy interstate-shipping and internet regulations, as well as the introduction of a drinking-age millennial generation.

"Purchasing wine online is a fairly new concept for Americans," says Michael Stajer of Winezap.com. "It wasn't really until 2005 that many of the restrictions on wine selling were lifted, allowing customers to finally purchase a bottle from somewhere other than the shop down the street."

While opening direct to consumer sales removal was crucial to online wine industry success, it is only one of many factors contributing to the 2007 holiday spike, says winezap.com.

According to the Wine Market Council, the Millennial Generation (those born after 1980) is the fastest growing segment of wine consumers and is expected to drive the beverage market for years to come. This generation is also used to purchasing things online, so you do the math.

Additional wine statistics from Winezap.com showed Black Friday's search traffic increase nearly 18%, while Cyber Monday boasted 33% bump in overall searches.

And for 2007's most popular wines by search? The Top 5 came in as follows:

1. Chateau Latour Bordeaux 2. Chateau Margaux Bordeaux 3. Chateau Haut Brion Bordeaux 4. Opus One Cabernet Blend 5. Chateau Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux

Clearly the online wine industry has created a strong buzz surrounding the holiday season, leaving many business owners in high spirits. But, with national wine e-retailers only in their 3rd holiday stint, this growth is only a sip of things to come.

Holiday Time at the "Estate"

The Holiday Time has begun at Chateau Julien Wine Estate. Our 20 foot tree was delivered and decorated on November 27th. This is an ideal time to vist the Chateau and enjoy the Holiday Spirit.

As Reported by Wine & Spirits Daily

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Wine & Spirits Daily NewsletterNovember 26, 2007~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A CRASH COURSE IN HOW MILLENNIALS DRINK. A new study from the Nielsen Company confirms important themes in Millennial drinking, including the generation's willingness to experiment with new products and pay a premium for alcohol. It's all about the image, right?

Also known as "The Next Great Generation," which is news to us, the 70 million Millennials outnumber Generation Xers (31 - 44 years old) by nearly 25 million and are nearly as large as the approximately 77 million Baby Boomers (45 - 65 years old) in the U.S.

"At the beginning of their careers, Millennials are discovering the world and have control over their money and time in ways their predecessors never did," said Richard Hurst, senior vp of Beverage Alcohol at ACNielsen.

BEER REIGNS SUPREME. Surprisingly, Millennials still show a preference for beer despite a drop of 12 percentage points in the past ten years from 59% in 1997 to 47% in 2007. Wine and spirits, meanwhile, have gained only six percentage points during the last ten years. On a dollar basis, beer represents the majority (47%) of Millennial consumers' spending, compared to spirits (27%) and wine (26%). On a volume basis, beer accounts for 83% of Millennials' purchases, compared to 11% for wine and 6% for spirits.

When it comes to beer, Millennials are much more inclined than older consumers to purchase imported beers (particularly Mexican) or craft beers, hence the recent surge in both categories.

HIGH SPIRITS ON THE TOWN. As with beer, Millennials are more than willing to trade up to more expensive spirit brands. Premium and ultra-premium spirits rank highest among Millennials, while value-priced spirits dominate consumers over the age of 50. This might have something to do with the fact that Millennials are more inclined to consume spirits drinks with friends, in a bar or nightclub than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers.

"As a group, Millennials grew up with more beverage options -- premium coffees, flavored waters, sweetened drink options -- than their older counterparts," said Hurst.

Nielsen found that Millennials perceive spirits to be "fun," "modern" and "popular." Baby Boomers, on the other hand, are less likely to consider spirits "fun" and more likely to perceive spirits as "relaxing" and "suiting their lifestyle."

RED WINE RULES. In line with recent trends, Millennials tend to prefer red wine (51% of volume). Popular varietals include cabernet and pinot noir, while chardonnay remains the most popular white wine across all ages. Pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc and rieslings account for a higher share of Millennials' wine purchases compared to the over 30 population.

Are you starting to see a recurring theme? Millennials like to experiment. They are much more likely to try new flavors, varietals brands and drinks recipes than older generations.

Says Gary Glass, president of White Rocket Wine Company (Millennial division of Kendall-Jacson): "The Millennial focus is not on learning about wine to avoid 'making mistakes' but on having fun with wine. Quality certainly needs to be in the bottle, but to sell that first bottle, the brand name and packaging are critical as this is the key driver of Millennials' wine shopping decisions."


USA TODAY'S VIEW ON LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE. Should the drinking age be lowered? Apparently not, according to an editorial in Monday's USA Today. The author argues that while lower drinking age advocates - who generally agree 18 should be the legal age - have good points, the social consequences outweigh the positives.

"The pro-18 argument goes like this: If 18-year-olds are allowed to vote and serve in the military, they ought to be able to drink. The age 21 minimum simply undermines respect for the law and prevents young people from learning to drink responsibly at home before they get to college," says the article.

Contrarily, the author claims that "about 50 major studies point to the same conclusion: On average, traffic deaths drop by 16% when the drinking age goes from 18 to 21. Since 1984, about 25,000 lives have been saved, federal highway authorities estimate."

To read more about the pro-18 vs. the pro-21 argument, click here. Both sides have some interesting points.

Thanksgiving with friends and family

Thanksgiving - A rest from the hectic daily lives we live - to reflection and enjoyment of family and friends. From the camaraderie of the kitchen cooking to the fine wines and food enjoyed by all. This was truly a great day to enjoy our freedom and appreciate all those who make America the great country it truly is!.

Happy Thanksgiving

From all of us at "Chateau Julien Wine Estate" we wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Halloween at the Estate & Our Grandchildren at Home

Halloween at the Estate with our team and Halloween in Pennsylvania with our Grandchildren.

Back to Mugello, Italy - October 2007

This is the last of the pictures from the Ferrari World Finals at Mugello, Italy. The event was enhanced by the addition of long time friends, Tom and Lisa Kincheloe. Tom was Vice President of National Sales for Chateau Julien for 16 years before his retirement from us. They (Tom and Lisa) are valued friends never to be forgotten. Thanks to Tony Nobles for his hospitality and taking good care of all of us in Tuscany.

The Vine Chronicles - Week 34 (November 2, 2007)

Today was harvest day at the Chateau! All the Sangiovese was harvested for Rosato and for Estate Sangiovese. Average brix was about 22 and the final acidity and ph will be forthcoming from the lab later today. These were the last grapes for the season and 2007 harvest is officially complete for Chateau Julien Wine Estate.

Italy - Mugello Circuit for Ferrari World Finals 2007

Off to the Ferrari World Finals in Mugello Circuit, Italy. From October 25th through the 28th, Ferrari raced the Ferrari Challenge, Shell Historic Challenge, F-1 Cliente and FXX.

Monterey County AIDS Project recognizes 17 years of Chateau Julien Support

Sunday night, October 21st, Chateau Julien Wine Estate was recognized for 17 years of support to the organization. The event was held at the Pebble Beach Tennis Club and was an incredible success.