And just as many people told me I was perfect for the island reef job, so people are saying about the Murphy-Goode job: “Go for it! You’re perfect! You love wine, you’re a great storyteller, I love your blog!” (OK, they know me, they love me, they’re biased…what can I say?)
So, my 60 minute video application awaits approval and processing (and it came out soooooo great! Whoo hoo!!). In the meantime, I’m headed for a carnival, a blog carnival that is, over at Andy’s Goode Life Blog where she asks us to respond to these three questions:
When I drink red wine, I often get the dreaded “red wine teeth,” which is an embarrassing condition to have at a party when I intend on talking, smiling, or otherwise showing my newly wine-stained chompers. And is there any way to reduce this affliction without hampering my enjoyment of red?
What are your tips to avoid “palate fatigue” when tasting so many wines in a session?
Why smell the cork?
1. How to avoid the dreaded red wine teeth? Ahh, the scurge of red wine drinkers, especially for those of us with a passion for heavy bodied reds like syrahs.
At Doug Cook’s birthday party at the Wine Blogger’s Conference, toward the end of a long day of tasting and drinking wine, we were all laughing at ourselves and each other, joyously celebrating our red teeth! It was a mark of a day and an evening well spent amongst new and old friends sharing some of our favorite wines.
So, enjoy!
Now, if you’re doing a photo shoot that’s another story. It’s best not to drink much anyway if at all. Bring a toothbrush. And if it’s a first date or a business dinner, and you’re worried about first impressions, choose to drink something white!
Extra, extra read all about it! VinTank to help Art Predator win Murphy-Goode wine job!
Okay, I admit, I am exaggerating a little bit, but it’s really exciting news! After I groused over at VinTank and here on Art Predator about how VinTank was providing an unfair advantage to the 8 candidates they’ve chosen before the contest is even over, VinTank’s Paul Mabray commented on their blog and on mine that they are happy to help ALL the applicants–those that ask anyway!
What’s in it for VinTank? If they’re in the business of social media wine consulting, why are they giving away all this information for free? Because they get it–they understand that what they do to help the wine industry will help the wine industry hire them! Further, by nurturing enthusiastic wine bloggers like me, they are developing talent for all those jobs VinTank recommends they fill.
So, Paul and partners at VinTank, I’m asking, I’m asking! Help me get not just a Goode job, but a great job! Help me further develop the skills I need to get a job in social media in the wine industry! (I even have some ideas of places to pitch!) I’m all ears and thrilled to learn more from the experts about using social media tools to communicate stories and make the world a more exciting, interactive place!
And since I know many of my readers want to better reach the world with what YOU want to say, I’ll share what I can with you!
First step, though, is to do my homework and read VinTank’s white paper on social media and the wine industry. Whoo hoo! I love this kind of stuff, I really do. And it smells and sounds like the coffee is almost brewed. Mmmn, coffee. Mmmnn, wine.
So I know you’re wondering, “what’s up with this Murphy-Goode wine blogging job you’re going for?”
Glad you asked! In this June 5 LA Times article, Murphy-Goode winemaker Dave Ready Jr admits they jumped on the “best job in the world” idea and made it their own by offering $10,000 a month for six months and a house in Healdsburg in the heart of Sonoma County wine country to the winning applicant via a 60 second video:
Ready said he got the idea of hiring a “lifestyle correspondent” via video application from the Australian state of Queensland. Early this year, tourism officials there caused an online sensation by inviting people to submit videos for “The Best Job in the World.” The gig: spending six months as caretaker of a palm-fringed island surrounded by azure sea, and using blogs, video updates, photo diaries and other online media to promote tourism. More than 34,000 people applied for the roughly $120,000 job, which went to Ben Southall, a self-described adventurer from Britain.
“We thought, ‘Wow, can we apply this to the wine industry?’ I guess we can,” Ready said as applicants joined him in sipping samples of Murphy-Goode wine. Many said they had learned of the job — which calls for an imaginative, inquisitive “people person” who is also a communications whiz — through e-mail lists or from friends.
With the deadline looming on Friday, Murphy-Goode has over 1300 videos posted on their website; they’ve warned they won’t accept more than 5,000. But according to Ready:
the main weakness among the applicants so far was their inability to show a passion for wine or for life in the bucolic Alexander Valley, not their mastery of the Web as a marketing tool.
Hmmn passion, passion, passion…I just think that’s a Predator attribute if there ever was one. And passion for wine? For life in the great outdoors in a special place like the Alexander Valley? Hhmmmm, I would say while there’s plenty of evidence for that all over this blog, it’s gonna be up to me to lead the Murphy-Goode folks there! And I need to make sure that comes through in my video as we finish editing it!
Because, honestly? The tech stuff and how to use social media stuff can be learned rather quickly by anyone who’s a good writer.
Being passionate, enthusiastic? Ahhh, now see, that I have learned, my friends, that I have learned is one of my gifts. It was my passion and enthusiasm, the poetry I had for describing coffee which got me a tasting room job at Ridge Winery in my early 20s.
I am like the Pied Piper, leading my charge on bicycles with 50 people along for the ride in Santa suits or prom dresses, by organizing community cleanups and planting days, or simply in the college classroom, keeping my students awake, showing them how to be ALIVE, encouraging them to be human. To lead a life full of aesthetic, participatory experiences, not anaesthetic spectator ones.
Hmmn, now isn’t that what social media is all about anyway? Being human and interacting with each other?
Which meant that Art Predator aka Wine Predator did not. And for those of you who follow this blog (and there are a lot of you, lurkers and commentors alike), you know my huge disappointment. You likely recall that I wrote a lot about Australia (not just my typical AUS wine posts!) and the Great Barrier Reef in the weeks leading up to that announcement–posts that, I must admit, have very long tails and continue to be quite active.
In the same post, I mentioned that Murphy-Goode was a week or so into a contest looking for a “Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent,” and I wondered whether I should throw my hat into the ring. I even bought a bottle of 2005 Murphy-Goode Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at the Ventura Wine Store on Telephone.
But I was still licking my wound, letting the warm consoling words of friends wash over and heal me.
Until now. Yes, friends Helen and Dave have been after me to apply ever since I told them about the Murphy-Goode wine blogging and social media job while we were en route to the Delicious Wine Tasting in Santa Monica. Dave keeps giving me that “I’ll never forgive you if you don’t apply” look. So I’ve decided to go for it.
One minute video applications are due Friday June 19 at midnight, California time. I’ve got my script ready, and my lines rehearsed. Some filming and editing is done, my friends and family are lined up, and the tritip is marinating for the fine dinner party we’re going to have with some Murphy-Goode wine up at my mom’s house.
And then. And then.
And then I’m cruising the internet and find this: a wine marketing think tank, VinTank, has already vetted the existing candidates, chosen their favorites, and even helped them promote their candidacy. At one point, they even offered Murphy-Goode $100,000 in services if M-G chose one of their favorites!!
Hello? Murphy-Goode Dream Job? My dream has been squelched before I even finished my video!
Yep, he’s really good. And his video is really good–or is that goode?
Anyway, now I am in a quandary. The invites are out. Friends and family have made plans. I’m looking forward to seeing them, to enjoying the great meal I have planned, and to drinking this Murphy-Goode wine I bought!
So–The party’s is ON!!
PS And you know it–you will be the first to know how it goes! I am counting on you, my faithful readers, to vote and support my candidacy! Together we can do it, we can put the Art Predator to work at a Really Goode job!
And, if you get a chance, drop those folks over at VinTank a note and ask them to save a spot for the Art Predator aka Wine Predator. They won’t regret it!
Of course we will have wine and be playing music and talking about gardening and food coops so maybe you or I can have it all by making art! Comment below or email me for more details!
If you choose to grow food, here’s the details on the permaculture workshop: Continue reading →
Writes Grateful Palate’s Dan Phillips of his 6 Bottle Grab Bag for $50:
Six bottles of wine (my choice). Adult signature required for shipping. An additional fee of $4.25 will be added.
The combo that always causes hysteria! We choose the wines from our warehouse. You get six bottle of wine that The Grateful Palate imports. Some shockingly amazingly high quality wines seem to find their way into our Grab Bags – so don’t settle for just one. Note: adult signature required when you receive the shipment and we can only ship wines to States where it is permissible. Call us if you are unsure of your states laws.
Knowing the condition of Dan’s warehouse after several warehouse sales, I’d say this one’s a go for it steal of the day! I’m betting it will include some super close-out deals of wines that they no longer import or the tail end of a case that they don’t want to mess with anymore. My bet is he’s going to give you some great wines at a great price knowing you’ll come back for more!
And what soundtrack might you choose to enjoy with your Grateful Palate wine? The soundtrack to 15 years of my life in SoCal is KCRW–the public radio station out of Santa Monica City College that I’m obsessed with! And now that they have an iPhone ap, I never have to leave home without it–even when I’m traveling by bicycle or out of the station’s reach or away from an internet connection!
This KCRW iPhone ap is absolutely the best news I’ve had since the good times on the Santacon ride Friday! The only bad news is it’s not free–which it should be for us subscribers! Yep, it’s .99. Here are the details:
KCRWListen to KCRW with our brand-new iPhone app. Listen Live, On Demand, and Be Tuned-In to events around town! http://ow.ly/doaj
BTW, here’s the info on Today’s Top Tune: KCRWToday’s Top Tune is Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens with “Trouble in My Way.” Get the FREE song-a-day athttp://ow.ly/do5D
A month or so ago I went to a tasting at Paradise Pantry in downtown Ventura where Vino V winemaker Michael Meagher showed off his chardonnay, his Confundido blend, his pinot noir, and his syrah. I knew the syrah and even used it for the Wine Blogging Wednesday North vs South Challenge, so I was excited to experience the others. At a rushed tasting that night (we had a documentary on loons we’d planned to catch that night and we were on bikes), I loved the chardonnay because it was NOT overwhelmed by oak, and I was super impressed by the pinot which means a lot because I’m not always impressed by California pinots. I knew when it was wild salmon season, I wanted to pair it.
Fast forward to Copper River salmon season, those fleeting, magical few weeks in early June which I wish would last for months, but this year may even be shorter than the typical Memorial Day weekend to Father’s Day or sometimes July 4th weekend. The Copper River salmon season lasts as long as the allotment, and this year the allotment is so small that Von’s won’t even commit to having it one day to the next; when they have it, it’s $29.99 a pound unless you’re a Vons Club member which means it ranges in price from $8.99-15.99. Right now it’s $12.99. Typically we prepare it simply: some olive oil, salt and pepper, a squirt of fresh lemon then cook it on the outdoor grill.
So when I learned that Gonzo Gastronomy’s Wine Blogging Wednesday #58 Prompt “Now I’m waiting for Wednesday, waiting for Wednesday…” was to do a tasting under different musical influences, I thought: FUN! Then I thought: Gotta get some of the Vino V pinot and taste it with some Copper River salmon and then sit around and listen to music! (This is how I broke the news to the Big Monkey–you be my dj and I’ll be your dancer and we’ll both do the drinking! You can imagine this suggestion was greeted with enthusiasm!)
Just to make it more interesting, and because I’ve become quite fond of NZ pinot noirs following the Wine Blogger’s Conference last October, I opened a bottle of Babich 2004 Lone Tree which I found on clearance for $8 at Vons. It typically retails between $15 and $20.
The Vino V has super limited distribution but since they’re local, I was able to pick up a bottle that night from winemaker Michael Meagher who was hosting a winemaker dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Brooks. It typicaly retails between $40 and $45 but for members of their email club, it’s 10% less or on special at $35 which is what I bought it for.
While we were preparing our dinner, we of course opened the wines and snacked a little on some simple wheat and flax organic crackers from Trader Joes. The Babich was room temperature rather than cellar temperature like the Vino V, which was especially important to the Vino V since it is 14.5% while the Babich is 13.5%.
At first there were many characteristics that we really liked about the Babich, and we liked it even more after we chilled it down a bit: it has a nice, earthy character, a generous nose, and surprising depth and complexity with notes of eucalyptus and truffle. We liked it with our simply prepared salmon, brown rice, fresh squash, and stuffed portabello dinner. But as the meal and the evening progressed, it seemed to grow harsh, and flat while the Vino V flourished. It was significantly more flavorful and complex–flat out more enjoyable, begging us to refill our glasses. It had plenty of flavor and character for our meal yet didn’t overwhelm the salmon either. The wine comes across balanced and has a lovely finish.
The next stage was to fullfill the legacy of the prompt: to taste the wine with various musical offerings and see how that changes the experience of the wine, enhancing or degrading it.
Honestly, it’s hard for me to imagine a wine such as this as ever being distasteful. But we did find that our experience of the wine changed depending on the music. Our musical choices ranged from Bruce Springsteen to Frank Sinatra to a spoken word piece of mine with music I arranged:
The bottom line on this prompt is that we really enjoyed selecting music from our hard drive, clicking play and then tasting the wine and talking about it and the music. This is one experiment we will do again!
Here are some really rough notes of the Vino V pinto noir with various musical pairings as well as the original prompt: Continue reading →
So you might have gathered that I’m applying for another “dream job”–this time, instead of Caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef, I’m up for Murphy-Goode’s Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent.
Art Predator aka Wine Predator on the Prowl for Murphy-Goode Wine Blogging Job
Yes you have to choose–food or wine, music or art–on June 14.
to a tasting at Paradise Pantry in downtown Ventura where 
So when I learned that Gonzo Gastronomy’s Wine Blogging Wednesday #58 Prompt 
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 