The Innovationist

Here's what we said about taking wine to a dinner party: http://sedimentblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/chapoutier-cotes-du-roussillon-ultimate.html

Nobody has conspired to do anything. The person in the story is a hapless schmuck who would rather wring their hands over their lack of knowledge than make the effort to learn about wine. It's not rocket science. It just takes a little effort. 
This piece sounds like one of those late-night commercials in which a non-existent problem is exaggerated to be so severe that the product being sold can look like a smart and viable solution.

Arthur, 
 
Thanks for your perspective. I believe Paddy Miller chose the word "conspired" to be humorous and slightly provocative. His intention was not to blame the wine industry or cry wolf about a nonexistent problem. His point was that rethinking how the the average consumer (or at least some segment of consumers) view the problem led to an innovative approach to layout design. 
 
And if the character in the story is a schmuck because he is not knowledgeable about wine, well then I guess I am a schmuck too. But I still buy wine. 
 
-Chris

Enjoyable read! As for the fictional wine-snob, the hell with 'em. They are a huge, boring, self-absorbed pain-the-arses as a rule.

I think that the problem is two fold you have consumers who are scared to ask questions and retailers who are just flat out not doing their jobs. We make sure to greet every customer and try to let them know that we are approachable, but it is still amazing how many people don't want any information and how many retailers make customers feel uncomfortable as soon as they come in the door.

I appreciate the attempt at humor, and to try to be provocative, but read your title again. Misleading at best.

A conspiracy would involve some type of covertness or secrecy. The wine industry has not hid anything in their attempt to create value by raising the willingness to pay for their product. Therefore, it is not a conspiracy...its called marketing...the wine industry was great at marketing itself as elegant/elitist/sophisticated. This strategy worked for many years when Americans wanted a beverage of heightened sophistication. Unfortunately, this strategy hasn't worked so well the past 10 years as consumers want a more informal product. Fortunately, there are some great innovations which are addressing the gaping hole of providing wine for informal consumption. The acceptance of alternative packaging is one way of innovating out of the problem. Another is innovating how to educate consumers. There have been great strides made in turning the corner in the wine industry to market itself as an approachable and everyday beverage.

Why is walking into a wine store and asking for recommendations any different than walking into an auto parts store and saying, "I have no idea what I need, but I drive a 2005 VW Jetta and the left tail light is out." If the service sucks in either instance, you find a new store or complain to the manager. Admitting ignorance isn't a crime, every wine shop has a wine buyer, and every wine buyer worth their salt should be able to make recommendations about their inventory in all price ranges. Feeling uncomfortable asking for help in an auto parts store is not a valid excuse for driving around with a tail light out, and it doesn't work for not bringing home a bottle of wine you feel informed about, either.

Do they have a wine type to suggest, for a 2nd Divorce??

I attribute challenges like this (and their solution) to "the curse of knowledge." This was a term used in the book Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath. 
 
It is when you are so close and knowledgable about a topic you forget what it is to be a newbie. 
 
If you can break away from what YOU know as an expert about your products and services and see them from the customer's point of view you'll create smart and innovative ways to help lower the intimidation factor and create approachability.

Very good article about a persistent problem. A few have done a good job of delivering a consistent flavor profile based on consumer rather than the owner or winemaker's preferences. Knedall Jackson Chardonnay, Sutter Home White Zinfandel, Yellow Tail. The single best article was written six years ago by John Stallcup, one of the wine industry's real marketing geniuses, called Toppling the "Wall of Confusion" (the Wall of Confusion being the consumer's view of the typical wine set at your local grocery store or wine shop) article can still be found here. http://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getArticle&dataId=37561

The wall of confusion is correct. The invention of the camera phone is the best thing that has ever happened to the wine industry. When a consumer enjoys a bottle of wine at a restaurant or friend’s house, just snap a picture of the label and take it in (or E-Mail it) to their favorite wine shop and let the retailer guide them to the wines with a like flavor profile. That way, if the wine is not available the chances of getting a bottle with a similar taste are far greater.

Thanks for the comments. Just to clarify, I do not think there is actually a wine "conspiracy" in the sense that there is some underground lounge where wine industry fat cats get together to sip $1500 bottles of merlot, smoke cigars, and plot how to make the average consumer feel stupid like villains from an Ayn Rand novel. I am pretty sure Paddy Miller does not think this either.  
 
I agree with you, Paul, that the "curse of knowledge" is at play here. I also think this is an example of the paradox of choice. The vast variety of wines available can lead to paralysis by analysis.  
 
Several commenters make a good case for the responsibility being on the store proprietor to educate and guide customers. The bottle rocket layout is an innovative approach that solves the problem but in a more efficient manner. 
 
To those who say the problem is nonexistent, the simple fact is that some number of customers would find value in BottleRocket's design. I know this because I am one of them. You can either try and convince me the old way is perfect and I am at fault for not confessing my lack of knowledge and asking for help, or you can listen to your customers and change your approach to deliver the best buying experience possible.  
 
Chris

I too agree that it should be the proprietor's responsibility to direct consumers who are in need of assistance. Having said that, there is an undeniable 'snootiness', if you will, that is inherently linked to the wine industry; it's often hard to evade considering wine's heart and soul is historically rooted in France. Pun intended. No offense, Frenchies. But let's be real- everyone has been deprecated at least once when inquiring about a purchase and in turn, it can become an intimidating endeavor. 
 
As a wine professional, Arthur, I can tell you that learning enough to make educated purchases takes much more than "just a little effort". Especially when tackling old-world wines with cryptic labels. Tell me Arthur, what is Bandol? Where is it and what is predominant grape used? What does it taste like? And what would it pair well with? Not everyone has time to dedicate "just a little effort", and this is why marketing and branding is so important. As much as we'd like to believe that people don't judge a book by its cover or in this case, a wine by its label, it's a reality. Graphic design is a fundamental element for producers- specifically those who haven't been operating for over a century. Of course the schmuck in this story would resort to the visually pleasing label if down to two unknown cabernets. Branding is crucial, in any industry.  
 
I think BottleRocket's layout that caters to pairing food and wine is brilliant. Why do people link the two? Because the wine is supposed to compliment the food and visa versa. Not only does this appeal to beginners, but I can honestly say that I would be stoked to frequent this establishment. I can't say it'b be my 'go-to' wine shop but it definitely offers an edge that wine professionals can appreciate.  
 
The SF Moma recently held an exhibition entitled 'How wine became modern'. One of the most fascinating elements for me was the wall of wine labels. There were roughly 20 categories including sex, fame, sports, violence, etc. The curators then grouped bottles with labels that fell into each category. It was pretty crazy but makes perfect sense. In the end, it's all about the marketing. At least for the schmucks, it is. Check it out. 
 
http://www.yumsugar.com/Pictures-How-Wine-Became-Modern-Art-Exhibit-SFMOMA-12124789?page=0,0,5#5