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About simplemathwines

Simple Math is about having more fun in life and re-exploring the notion of wine quality. I’ve swum across oceans of wine and have come to some conclusions. When you want to make great wine, you put yourself in the mix. You get great fruit, time things right and work with talented people to get to where you’re going. And with some care and smarts, the wines can be surprisingly affordable.

Beating the Bushes – A Practicum

A hallmark of being in the right place at the right time is the wisdom of carrying the right stick with which to scare up opportunity. If it’s a 14th Century Nordic cudgel (and you’re more softspoken than you’d like … Continue reading

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Making the Most of a Vintage

As we all know, a vintage is simply a year. The word “vintage” connotes more than just a number, depending on what you’re talking about. In the case of, say, an uncle, it’s deferential to refer to his vintage when … Continue reading

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A “Meet the Makers” Chat on ToutSuite

Excellent times on toutsuite.com The next show (just me doing an intensive interactive pinot tasting) will be on the same site on October 25th at 6 pm. You can chime in via telephone or Twitter. Just remember to sign up … Continue reading

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Fuel Injection for the Wine Marketplace

I called on a retail account today and was told that there are indeed a few bottles of Simple Math “peen-yot” available. Uh-oh. Readers, are you getting the kind of help you need at your local bottle shop, or you … Continue reading

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Secret Tasting July 31st in San Francisco

We’re going to do a quick and special pairing of Simple Math wines and nicely matched foods at a secret location. Mailing list gets first shot, and passwords will be handed out as I see the tickets selling. Here’s the … Continue reading

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Simple Math Releases New Pinot Noir Amid Ooohs and Aahs

Friends, you know who you are. Spectators, speculators and good sports, here’s more for you to digest. We come to the point in history when it once again proves itself as a repeating entity. When folks learned to like my … Continue reading

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Vocation, Vocation, Vocation

In this crazy world, there’s more than enough noise for you, if that’s your cup of tea. The ability to filter is of utmost importance for a number of reasons, perhaps mainly for sanity maintenance. If you can keep your … Continue reading

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Hello 2011, Looking Good

My friends and compatriots in the wine business report that consumer enthusiasm (and participation) have increased with the turn of a new year. It’s anyone’s guess how and why wine purchase trends fluctuate but, realistically, I perceive the following: holiday … Continue reading

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The Wine Scam Persists

Classic victimization. So if you reach out and ask “Who’s the shipping company and what’s their contact info?” you’ll learn that the shipping company is just setting up a new office and doesn’t have a website or phone system set up yet. Continue reading

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Volunteer Management

At a major wine event with my wife. A volunteer walks up and asks who did the brochure. I say, “We did it.” She says, “I’ll fix it for wine.” While any volunteer that doesn’t want to be there can certainly opt to bow out next year, a volunteer also has two things: 1) entitlement to an honest opinion 2) a responsibility to respect the participant as the reason for the event. Continue reading

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