Interview with Vinapedia: “Wine Knowledge for the Wine Novice”
Posted by Jennifer Lemming on November 5th, 2008
I interviewed Michael Mattis, a former Yahoo! blogger now working at BNET .com and such a wine enthusiast that he launched his own site, www.Vinapedia.net. Michael’s perspective is likely indicative of an average wine consumer, so I hope this provides some insight to wineries on how to successfully approach and/or build a relationship with your consumers and thus strengthen your brand. His comment about keeping wine reviews on his site positive is one that resounds among many bloggers and should be encouraging to wineries about trial among key influencers
Tell me a little about yourself.
I’m in that no-man’s-land between Boomer and Gen-X. We caught the tail end of the ’70s but really only came into our own in the ’80s. We are responsible for Adam Ant. A bartender-come-journalist by trade, my current title is social media manager (how trendy is that?) at the CBS-owned business management site, BNETcom. Fun fact: Most 43-year-old men might complain of that “old football injury.” I suffer from a chronic croquet injury. I’ve always had a delicate constitution, and now I always know when it’s going to rain.
How did you first get interested in wine?
Strangely enough, I grew up in Davis, Calif., the oenological capital of the U.S., at the time when the California wine industry was at last recovering from prohibition and wine was becoming a real field of study at the university, U.C. Davis. But the Judgment of Paris came and went unnoticed by me, maybe because my parents didn’t drink. It wasn’t until many years later, after moving to San Francisco, that I became aware of the region’s importance. Then I good friend went to France to chase a woman and ended up going to an oenology school there. When he came back, his enthusiasm was contagious. I’ve been hooked ever since. He now runs Terra Firma Wine Company in Oakland, Calif. with his wife. I also managed the bar at Enrico’s Sidewalk Cafe in North Beach, San Francisco, and the chef-owner, Rick Hackett, really instilled in me an appreciation for good wine and how it can be paired with food.
What prompted you to start Vinapedia?
I wanted to learn more about wine, and building a website is a great way to organize your thoughts about any topic.
What do you hope to accomplish with the site?
The original motto of the site was “Wine knowledge for the wine novice.” The idea is that as I learn about wine, I can share that knowledge with others, in an unpretentious way. Wine should be fun. That’s why I changed the motto to “We will pimp no wine before its time.” And because I just like the word “pimp.”
What are your biggest challenges with running the site?
Labor. Content development requires lots of it. It’s pretty much just me and some basic software. I do have a few occasional contributors who write on a volunteer basis — such as J.M. Garcia III, who has a much better palate than me — and thank heaven for them.
How do you get inspiration for content on the site?
To be honest, mine is not the world’s most refined palate. What interests me most about wine is the culture and history that surrounds it, and the breathtaking dedication and craftsmanship of the people who make it. Don’t get me wrong, I love wine itself, but it is wine’s affect on humanity and human culture and history I find most intriguing. Did you know, for example, that wine was a tertiary cause of the 100-Years War? The English and the French were fighting over more than just the French crown. They were fighting in part over control of the wealth that French wine created.
Do you make any revenue from the site?
A little. Google regularly discount my clicks, though 
. Currently I’m looking into other revenue streams for the site.
How do you find out about/decide to try new wines?
I ask friends in the business, like Cameron Hughes of Cameron Hughes Wines, or Ted Talley from Terra Firma, or Mike Hogan down at John Walker. I also have my local wine shop, Corkage, and the incredibly savvy and nice chaps down at Terroir Natural Wine Merchant. Wineries also occasionally send me samples to try. I make it a point not to review wines I don’t like — why bother? At Vinapedia we like good wine in spades. Let’s keep in positive.
Has the economic situation impacted your wine buying behaviors at all? Do you anticipate making a change in the future?
Not yet. But like a lot of people, I’m always on the lookout for a bargain. I expect that to continue.
What wines/wineries do you feel you have a personal connection with and what did they do to build that connection?
In California, Quivira and Chateau Montelena are two favorites. Quivira was the first winery I ever tasted at, sometime in the early 1990s. I just like what they do and the unpretentious way they do it. Being a California history buff, I also really like the Quivira name. OK, so I’m easy to please. Sue me. I also like a wine with a really good back story, and Chateau Montelena has a great one, recently immortalized in the controversial film, “Bottle Shock.” I should mention also that I once spent a terrific weekend with Charles Hendricks, who at the time was cellar master at Chateau Montelena. In fact, it was Charles who took me to Quivira the first time that same weekend. So there’s a lot of personal history there. I think I tend to connect with a winery through its people as much as its product.
Do you attend tastings? What type? Any favorites?
Not regularly as yet. I tend to rely on my friends. I guess I need to get out more! That said, I’m really looking forward to Ruben Morancy and Ellie Ernest’s SF Wine Week. I used to work with Ruben at Enrico’s in the way-back. Again, it’s as much about the people as the wine!
How often do you make the trip over to Napa/Sonoma to taste at winery tasting rooms?
Roughly quarterly.
What could a winery do to connect with you/get featured on your site?
Call, write, email, telegraph, send up a flare or a smoke signal, send me a sample.
What trends have you noticed in wine consumption or purchase behavior?
I think at least among a certain population there is a positive move away from the ultra-big, tongue-lashing wines that typified U.S. wines, say, ten years ago, and toward more austere, structured wines that pair well with food. Of course, mass-produced “Yellow Tail” type wines continue to dominate through advertising, but I think people are becoming more educated. Also, there seems to be greater acceptance of lesser-known varietals, and the fact that terroir is as important as varietal, if not more so, in the final product.
