Status & Power

I’m not sure how many of you watched Bill Maher this past Friday night, but I was absolutely blown away by his guest Batya Ungar-Sargon, the former Newsweek editor who spoke brilliantly and eloquently about the current state of the media in our country. 

You can check out the episode on HBO to hear her far more detailed synopsis of things, but to summarize a few of her key points: 

  • Being a journalist used to be a blue collar job, no different than a construction worker or delivery driver. It didn’t require any formal education, other than an ability to write coherently and get to the truth of a story.

  • Over time, it became a more elite position requiring a higher degree in journalism, and the job carried prestige. As that prestige grew, so did the notoriety.

  • Today, being a high-profile journalist is like selling a brand. The most famous have their core customers who agree with their individual philosophies, and they feed those audiences what they want to hear in order to keep the revenue coming. Rather than serve the public good, they serve their individual needs as brand managers. Social media then amplifies that messaging via the public and it turns into tribalism.

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with her summation, it made me think about the whiskey industry today with its influencer culture both on the brand and consumer side. I’ve been saying for years that most of the people buying whiskey these days don’t actually drink it, but it wasn’t until I listened to Ungar-Sargon that the connection to both self-branding and tribalism became clear. 

When you think about all the guys out there who post photos of their whiskey lifestyle on social media, hoping to brand themselves as influencers or voices of authority, you can see why the demand for rare and limited whiskey continues to grow. It’s not about drinking it. It’s not even about flipping it! Today, those bottles are a social currency in an entirely different value system that transcends experience or money.

When the point of something becomes public validation instead of education or enjoyment, you end up with a different usage than the one originally intended. Today’s budding journalists would rather be famous than good, just like modern whiskey lovers would rather be popular than happy. The attraction in both cases is status and power. Journalism and whiskey are simply vehicles to get there.

The New York Times is Ungar-Sargon’s main target during the show, but she’s far from the only journalist upset with the direction of that publication. Another regular Maher guest Bari Weiss famously resigned from the Times last year, writing: “The paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space. Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions.”

That pretty much sums up the whiskey world for me right now: social media influencers performing for the narrowest of audiences, drowning out all the voices who attempt to give a larger world view. As Weiss stated: “Why edit something challenging to our readers, when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4000th op-ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world?”

Tell that to the 4000th person to review Weller 107 on Instagram this year.

Anyway, check out that Bill Maher episode if you didn’t catch it. I think you’ll be just as captivated as I was. It will make you think long and hard about how something as simple as the daily news, or a bottle of whiskey, can turn into a completely self-serving enterprise with far reaching consequences. 

-David Driscoll

Italy In Los Angeles

A bowl of pasta at Jon & Vinny’s on Fairfax

One thing that I’ve noticed during my short time in Los Angeles is the incredibly strong Italian game. I certainly never thought of LA as an Italian food mecca before moving here, and I don’t think it gets nearly enough credit for the incredible quality at hand. Between Angelini, Bestia, Rossoblu, Mozza, and Marino, not to mention Pizzana, Prime, Jon & Vinny’s, and Apollonia’s for insanely delicious pizza and pasta, there’s a strong Italian presence in LA. On one hand, we have a gigantic Eataly in Century City, and on the smaller side even the tiny Roma deli in nearby Altadena has one of the best sandwiches in the area, not to mention a fantastic selection of olive oil. 

If we’re eating that much Italian food in LA, it would make sense to match that passion with a huge selection of interesting, delicious, and affordable Italian wines—beyond the ubiquitous rich and tannic Brunello, Chianti, and Barolo offerings. I eat pasta, cheese boards, bread with meats, and basic Italian soups and stews just about every night of the week, so I am CRUSHING bottles of Italian wine on a nightly basis. That’s why we’re continuing to expand our Italian wine selection to satiate what I strongly believe is a growing demand for food friendly wines with acidity that pair well with Italian cuisine.

CENTOPASSI 

For all you Godfather fans, the vineyards of Centopassi are located near the town of Corleone in Sicily and—get this—were actually confiscated from the mafia!! These are literally former mafia-owned vines. Centopassi is actually named after an anti-mafia film seeking to renounce the terrible effects of organized crime in the region and seek a better way forward, starting with a selection of incredibly fresh and food-friendly wines. 

2020 Centopassi 'Terre Rosse di Giabbascio' Catarratto $19.99 - The ‘Terre Rose di Giabbascio’ is made from 100% Catarratto, planted near San Giuseppe Jato. The Giabbascio vineyard contains free draining alkaline clay with sand, and is rich in iron oxides. A pale straw color with a greenish glint, you get fresh citrus, herbs, wet stones, and a general acidity that is amazing given how warm the region is. Try this with chicken, fish, or just as a cocktail hour wine. 

2020 Centopassi Grillo 'Rocce di Pietra Longa' $19.99 - The ‘Rocce di Pietra Longa’ is made from 100% Grillo from the Pietralunga vineyard, located near the town of Corleone. The vineyard can be recognized by a tall stone (the Pietra Longa pictured above) about 100 feet high nearby. Vines were planted in stony alkaline clay soil with many rocky outcroppings. The palate is full of lemon, marzipan and wet stones. It’s a mineral-driven white wine that refreshes your palate with every sip.

2020 Centopassi Nero d'Avola 'Argile di Tagghia Via' $24.99 - The ‘Argille di Tagghia Via’ is made from 100% Nero d’Avola, and takes its name from the church of the Madonna di Tagliavia, a few hundred yards away. The vineyard is planted between Corleone and San Giuseppe Jato in alkaline clay soils with some sand and limestone. This is a violet-tinged red wine that leaps out of the with peppery, herbaceous aromas melded with red berries. This is a leaner, more Rhone-style Syrah-like Nero d’Avola than I’ve had in the past. I’d do this with meats and spicy pasta dishes. 

GRIFALCO

If you think of Italy as a boot, then Basilicata is the remote area between the heel and the toe to the east of Naples. One of the least populated regions in the country, it’s known for Aglianico red wines, which I need to explain a bit about if you’re not familiar with it. When I first started learning about wine, Aglianico was described as this rustic Italian grape that needed 40 years in the bottle before it was ready. Most of the wines made out of the south in the past were sent up north in bulk to add color and density to wines from the more famous regions. 

As wine author Robert Camuto explained to us at his tasting event this week, people in these regions would work all day long in the fields or vineyards, so wine was an actual source of calories! Hence, they needed to be big and bold, as you might soak your old crusty bread in a bowl of wine for extra nourishment. Today, however, Aglianico is made in a friendlier, far more approachable style. You can definitely drink wines of Grifalco tonight with a nice steak or a hearty pasta sauce. Grifalco is run by the Piccin family, originally from Tuscany, who moved to Basilicata as they thought it was more promising!

2019 Grifalco Aglianico del Vulture 'Grifalco' $19.99 - The standard Grifalco is in the middle of the portfolio, and is the flagship wine of the estate. Sourcing grapes from four different vineyards, this bottling represents everything Aglianico del Vulture should be and is capable of. Juicy blackberry on the palate with a bit of licorice and wild herbs on the palate. Firm tannins on the finish.

2017 Grifalco Aglianico del Vulture Damaschito $39.99 - The Damaschito is an excellent, age-worthy, substantial red wine from an older single vineyard from the Maschito area of Vulture. The soil here is volcanic and particularly rich in iron and manganese, and after the first year of production in Vulture, the Piccin family noticed how the grapes from the oldest part of the Maschito vineyard had purity of flavor. They decided then to make a new label, a cru, from those vines only. The color of the soil from this site is mirrored by the color of this wine’s label. Shows ripe cherry, leather, tobacco, and licorice notes. Brilliant with prime rib or grilled lamb. Enjoy now or age 10-15 years.

2017 Grifalco Aglianico del Vulture DaGinestra $39.99 - Daginestra is another single vineyard expression from Grifalco, this one from the Ginestra area of Vulture. After a few years of vinifying all the vineyards separately, the Piccin family decided to go forward with making a cru label just for the Ginestra vineyards. Much like with their Maschito site, they found the Ginestra grapes to be expressing an exceptionally clear view of that place. The soil here remains volcanic but is defined by large amounts of calcareous clay. These rich grey clays served as the inspiration for the color of the wine’s label. Exhibiting notes of ripe plum and red berry, violets, leather, and cinnamon.

-David Driscoll

Mizunara 101

If I had to find an analogy for Mizunara oak with whiskey, it would be truffles. 

Truffles provide an exotic, aromatic, and earthy flavor that food connoisseurs are willing to spend serious money to obtain, right? The same goes for Japanese Mizunara oak as it pertains to whiskey. 

The problem with truffles is that you never know if you’re truly getting what you’re paying for. More importantly, if you aren’t even familiar with the flavor you’re paying for, how are you supposed to know?!

I wasn’t raised with foodies for parents, and I never even tasted a truffle until I was in my late twenties. However, once I developed a taste for them (as did my wife), they became a small obsession. My wife and I once spent an entire week in Paris devoted to nothing but truffle consumption, which was easily one of the most hedonistic and expensive periods of our seventeen year relationship. The outcome of that experience was a broader understanding of what was and what wasn’t worth paying for. 

Mizunara oak requires the same due diligence. Until you’ve had a few dozen examples of what Mizunara is supposed to taste like and how the twisted, gnarled, difficult-to-cooper, and extremely-expensive Japanese oak can influence a whiskey, you don’t really know what you’re paying for, let alone if you think it’s worth doing so!!

That’s why I loaded up on the new Glendalough 7 Year Old Mizunara Irish Single Malt Whiskey. I believe this is 100% Cooley-distilled, but in all seriousness the whiskey isn’t the point here. The Irish whiskey is merely a blank canvas upon which the Mizunara oak is displayed. If you want a first-hand lesson in exactly what makes Mizunara oak so coveted and so interesting, this my friends is the whiskey for you. 

The price of a new Japanese Mizunara oak barrel is more than $3300 a piece, so they’re not cheap. Plus, they leak and are incredibly porous. So is it even worth using? Only you can answer that question and you’re about to find out for yourself. I can safely say that I’ve never tasted a whiskey this saturated with the essence of Mizunara in my career. Matured for 4 months in Mizunara (70% of the barrels brand new), this whiskey is dripping with incense. It’s all sandalwood and exotic spices from front to back, with a lovely richness and fruit character from the malt across the middle. 

I backed up the truck for this deal because I consider it a benchmark experience. It’s a whiskey that’s not only delicious, it’s also a stepping stone to a greater understanding of experience. We’re $10 under most other retailers and we’ve got plenty just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever wondered exactly what Mizunara oak is supposed to taste like, consider this bottle Japanese Oak 101.

Glendalough 7 Year Old Mizunara Finish Irish Single Malt Whisky $89.99

-David Driscoll

Customer Service

I went to an industry wine tasting event earlier this week with fellow retailers and restaurateurs, and engaged in a bit of shop talk while waiting for the event to begin. I was speaking with another retailer about how the business has changed over the last decade, with the role of retail morphing from customer education into almost entirely customer service-related tasks.

“I would argue that that the overwhelming majority of customers today already know what they want, or have an idea of what they want before coming to us,” I said to the fellow retailer; “We’re really just connecting the dots at this point.”

That’s when another retailer sitting nearby overheard our conversation and chimed in: “Yes! It’s so annoying, right? No one cares about our experience anymore!”

I smiled politely and replied: “It’s definitely a new era.”

Part of the reason (if not most of the reason) that people get into the wine and spirits industry is to talk about wine and spirits—and when I say “talk about wine and spirits” it means they talk and you listen. There’s a certain pride that wine industry professionals take in being a serious student. When the educational part of the job gets taken away and all that’s left is the customer service aspect, it can upset those personalities because that’s not the part of the job they enjoy. They’re merely public servants at that point, with no audience to care about their detailed opinions.

There’s this fantasy about working with wine and spirits that continues to carry on, leading generation after generation to believe that the title of “wine professor” is a real thing—that one can just sit in a retail or restaurant space all day long, never have to lift a finger, and simply answer questions or offer expertise about a subject.

Today, I’m here to tell you unequivocally that this job doesn’t exist.

If you’re not making wine or whiskey, then you’re selling it. If you’re selling it, then your job is to make customers happy. If you’re not making customers happy, then you’re not making money for your company. If you’re not making money for your company, then you’re not upholding your duties as an employee.

Even though it was fifteen years ago while working my first retail wine job, I can still clearly remember a colleague openly venting on the sales floor, saying with a sneer: “I didn’t get a level III WSET certification just to move boxes all day long.”

While the industry has changed immensely since then, one aspect has remained entirely the same: the wine and spirits business is a real job, and if you don’t like dealing with customers, then you’re in the wrong business.

-David Driscoll

Breaking Down Our Laphroaig Barrel Tasting

Last night I took my colleague Ara to the Raymond restaurant in Pasadena for a special barrel tasting event and dinner with the team from Laphroaig and Beam Suntory. Mission was one of only fifteen retailers selected nationally to receive one of Laphroaig’s first distillery-direct single cask selections, and yesterday was step one in what will be a multi-step process to make that happen! We were very excited to be selected, as Laphroaig is easily in my top three favorite distilleries in the world, and I’m obsessed with the idea of being able to choose from specific warehouses on site.

I’ll be going live on the @missionliquor Instagram at 3 PM today to dig into the nitty gritty, but the gist is this: we had cask samples from five different types of barrel, from different ages, and it was up to us to decide which type of cask we’d like to select. Not the final selection, mind you; just the type of wood. Seeing that the MSRP for the Laphroaig single barrel will be the same no matter the age, barrel type, or volume, there’s a lot to consider beyond pure flavor!

I’ll be live on Instagram to talk about all the details later today, then I’ll repost the video here tomorrow for anyone who misses it.

-David Driscoll

New Matthiasson Vintages: The Best Ever?

If you missed the live Instagram discussion with legendary Napa winemaker Steve Matthiasson last week, I’d encourage you to check it out now. It was such an inspiring walk through the vineyards with Steve that we immediately sold every bottle of Matthiasson rosé on hand, forcing us to scramble for additional inventory in the wake of today's email offer.

For those who aren't familiar with the Matthiasson wines, the New York Times' Eric Asimov has a fantastic summary: “Matthiasson wines bear an agricultural stamp, as fresh, lively and alive as the best produce from a farmers’ market."

Indeed, the stamp each Matthiasson label bears is the pruning shear: the most important tool in the Matthiasson tool belt, as Steve's philosophy is far more centered around farming than actual winemaking. "The pruning shear is our version of a chef's knife," Steve said during our discussion; "When you buy a bottle of Matthiasson, you're paying for for the fact that our vines were tended by hand, by full-time, year round employees with paid holidays and 401Ks. They're doing everything by hand, taking care of the land organically."

The 2021 Matthiasson Rosé was made from a combination of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Counoise from the Windmill Vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills, Barbera from the Muller Vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills, and Syrah grapes from the Hurley Vineyard in Napa Valley. It is delicate on the nose, fresh and lively on the palate, and it really lights up the taste buds about mid-way with tangy red fruits and beautiful notes of raspberry with herbs. All the fruit is grown specifically for rosé and harvested very early to keep the acidity fresh, similar to the level of ripeness for a sparkling wine. If I had to choose the top rosé from any winery in the world, I can't imagine tasting anything better than this 2021 vintage from Matthiasson. Their obsession with organic farming and top-notch fruit is palpable in every sip.

In the tradition of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Matthiasson Napa includes a small amount of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, and is blended from six vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The three AVAs are Coombsville for structure and black fruit, Rutherford for savory Cabernet characters and bright fruit, and Oak Knoll for soft fruit. It is a Napa Cab of the old school, a blended wine, age-worthy, complex, and begging for a steak off of the grill.

As Steve discusses during the Instagram conversation, the fruit was specifically farmed to yield fruit with a lower alcohol levels, brimming with traditional and classic Cabernet Sauvignon flavors of dark fruit, tobacco leaf, and a hint of pepper, yet simultaneously with mild tannic structure to create a wine approachable in its youth. To me, this wine drinks like California Cabernet from decades ago, reminiscent of old Heitz Martha's Vineyard vintages, but with a silkiness and elegance that manifests itself immediately, rather than over decades in the cellar. In short, it's nothing less than spectacular.

-David Driscoll

As an aside, don't miss the Tendu Wines as well: an affordable label that also features Steve Matthiasson as its winemaker, and holds true to the same organic standards. It's like a farmers' market inside every bottle.