Hit the Bottle

On today’s episode, Mike talks with his good friend, Jeff Siegel, otherwise known as the Wine Curmudgeon; writer, author of The Wine Curmudgeon's Guide to Cheap Wine, and excellent freelance writer. The two discuss wine media – how it’s changed from the 'good old days', and how it continues to change moving into the future. 

The two also chat about how the wine biz has changed in 'modern' times, and how it's perceived by new generations. This is definitely an episode you don’t want to miss!

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Meet Beckie Kier, Event Director for Vinexpo America and Drinks America, who has led the team on the U.S.-based Vinexpo event since its launch in 2018. Learn all about how Vinexpo New York transformed to Vinexpo America, and the brand-new Drinks America that was created in response to a forecasted continuing rise in consumption of spirits and ready-to-drink beverages. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

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Four crises happening at once – pandemic, economic recession, climate crisis and systemic inequalities - the largest (and perhaps best) online conference we’ll probably see this year addresses all four: WineFuture 2021.

On today’s episode, Mike and Emma are joined by our esteemed guests, Pancho Campo and David Furer, the ringleaders of this auspicious conference, who give us insights on the conference itself, as well as a number of the special guests participating this year. This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

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For a change of pace on today's episode, Mike and Emma talk amongst themselves weighing in on what it takes for International Wines to have a presence here in the U.S. Their combined multi-years of experience is well worth a listen. Be sure to pay attention!

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According to multiple sources, there are over 1.5  million podcasts and 34 million episodes as of October 2020. 50% of all U.S. homes are podcast fans, 49% of podcast listening is done at home, and 22% of listening is done in the car. 45 percent of monthly podcast listeners have household income over $75,000.

All the major media companies like NPR, BBC, New York Times, ABC, CBS, Fox have moved some content to the podcast format and they're very popular. Podcasts are here to stay, and a potential opportunity for smart marketers. So, on today's episode, we chat with Jason Stubblefield, a veteran podcaster, Jack of all trades and a personal friend. We discuss what it's like to launch a podcast and how companies can leverage the medium. Hang on tight - this is a podcast about podcasts. How very meta.

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You may have read (or heard of) the explosive report by The New York Times that reveals an ongoing culture of sexual abuse and harassment in one of the upper levels of the gourmet food world, the master sommeliers.

Certified master sommeliers are an elite circle, considering that only 155 people have earned the title since the Americas chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers was founded in 1997.

Of that 155, only 24 are women. That’s only 15.48% over the last 23 years.

On today’s episode, Emma and Mike talk to two women experienced in these issues, Katie Ellsweig and Karen Anne Selby. They talk about some of the experiences they endured in their careers, and the need for change. This is definitely an episode you don’t want to miss.

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2020 has taught us many things. One of the biggest lessons learned is just how important it is to be Web Savvy in the Wine Industry.

To that end, today Emma and Mike speak with George Christie, founder of the Wine Industry Network and purveyor of arguably the most read newsletter in the wine business, Wine Industry Advisor.

The three discuss how to best utilize WIN's tools as a producer, if the hype around wine and cannabis is here to stay, and how we see the future of trade events, lectures, and seminars moving forward. It's a great conversation. Let's get ready to hit the bottle.

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Crisis communications is something that we rarely think about until we actually need it. If 2020 has proven anything, it's that a crisis can and will happen any time: Covid, fires, an injury in the winery, a tank spill, or something along those lines.

How you react can be a make or break situation, so it's better to be prepared and think of solutions now rather than think of a solution later when you have to engage panic mode.

On today's show, Mike chats with Doug Levy, who is a personal friend and an expert in this field. He's written a book on the topic. He and Mike discuss what you should do before, during, and after a crisis, and really think about what we should do as an industry to prepare. Without further ado, on with the show.

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Marketing automation refers to software platforms and services that are created for marketing professionals to communicate on multiple channels online more effectively and automate repetitive tasks. Things such as setting up email workflows, integrating your CRM with your email marketing system, automating social media online. This is something that the wine business has been slow to adopt, but those that have, have shown some real return on it.

Today Mike talks with Morgan Bell, who is one of the principals at SharpSpring, which is one of the leaders in the marketing automation space. While this was recorded late last year, it's evergreen, so it's appropriate today as it was back then.

And with the advent of Covid and the need for more direct to consumer sales, those that adopt a marketing automation platform will be in much better shape. On with the show.

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Late last year, I had a conversation with Christine Moll from O'Neill Vintner's about leadership. And she actually defines it as three things - good leadership has the great ability to inspire, motivate, and mobilize. That it really kind of takes into consideration the individual rather than the role. So, it's like people over tasks.

There's no black and white, there's no formulas, it's very contextual, and as we look towards the next generation of leaders, it's important for us to realize that there are certain things that the upcoming generations value more than previous generations did, and by recognizing that, we're able to lead.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode with Christine Moll - on with the show.

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