I don’t know about you other Children of the Grape, but I love wine tasting. I especially love wine tasting at small boutique wineries. There may be a hundred reasons why I prefer the smaller independent wineries, the atmosphere, the experience, the one I really love is finding a unique taste.
There is so much of a sameness with so many major wine brands that are generally accessible to the consumer. That isn’t really bad, it is a commercial decision. They make what sells… and what sells a lot.
If you like those taste profiles, great, but what if you want more or something different? I love Cabernet Sauvignon and a lot of big reds, but I like to taste different flavors in my wines too, not everything has to be overly oaked.
When was the last time you went to your favorite restaurant and found a bottle of your favorite boutique wineries’ wine? My guess is never. Even in the wine Mecca of Northern California it is hard to find smaller wineries’ wines in restaurants and bars. Why is that?
After Prohibition, the states began to seek methods to regulate and control the alcohol industry. They were also eager to collect taxes on alcohol producers. Some things never change… Governments control, controls limit. That means our alcohol choices are limited. As I said above, Malarkey.
When there are a limited number of distributers, they have to make choices. Choices that limit our options. This is total supply and demand. The distributers talk to the producers, and only the producers who can provide enough product to make it worth the distributor’s time. Guess who that isn’t? That’s right our favorite boutique wineries.
Well, now there is hope for all of us wanting something different. Liberation Distribution or as they are better known, LibDib( www.libdib.com), is a wholesale distributor of alcoholic beverages. I know I just labeled the distributors as the problem, but LibDib is a different kind of distributor, they are enabled by a couple of things that weren’t around in 1933, the web and mobile platform. LibDib connects small Makers (boutique wineries, craft distillers, and micro brewers) with Restaurants, Bars, and Retailers. This allows the makers to find new markets without having to meet the large distributor’s rules about volume, as well as allowing the Retailers to purchase the makers products with no minimums as well.
Genius.
