Tag: 19 Crimes

Sincerity And My Wine Intentions

Published on by susanpajakLeave a comment

A colleague asked me the other day if I wouldn’t be happier selling more serious wines.

So many ways to answer and react to this question.  Being “serious” is a negative vibe for me.  I am passionate, curious, a little flakey, determined, cry at commercials, laugh obnoxiously…but serious?  Is it better, for the judgmental powers that be, to be put into this “non serious” category?  Does not being serious, by viewer’s definition, mean I don’t have talent?  Is there a serious scale?  Should I never drink another bottle of 19 Crimes again, and only stick to fine Burgundies, because that would be serious?  (bleh)

Every move I make I make with intention.  Intention takes the serious out of serious.  I see it before I do it; I’ve been doing this for a long time, and just realized I have been projecting.  Fabulous and fulfilling isn’t it?  Serious isn’t even a concept anymore – I’ve moved past serious.

Then I found the videos below.  Through wine shenanigans comes sales; true and true. Do I lead with luxury wines; I do.  I do because it is the outline of my job.  I do because down deep, it makes me happy.  I do because I believe the consumer gets a bad wrap.  You are not as simple as we, the fine wine minds, think you are.  You can understand geology, science, and the human experience.  But, do you want to decant a bottle of wine, or just pop a bottle at a picnic?  How funny that this week, I sold Bourbon Barrel Aged wines at around $16.99 on the shelf, and spoke at a $500 a plate dinner.  Opposite ends of the coin, but both relevant.  The squeaky answer that, for some reason, no one seems to hear, is that BOTH lead me to the end goal; winning at that wine game.

I’m going to keep going. Prepare your opinions, and get a few more insults ready, because more things are on the way.  Complicated, thrilling, and blow your mind things that will take time, patience, and a whole lot of…well…I’ve said enough.  For now, enjoy this 19 Crimes Food Truck/In Store Tasting/Virtual Reality promotion that gave so many people who came out on a snowy day a whole lot of, well, fun.  Now snow...that is serious…

Advertisements

Rebounds and Getting Played – Real Wine Talk

Published on by susanpajak1 Comment

I cannot disconnect myself with what is happening in my mind and what is happening personally in my life from this blog. This morning I woke up, checked out social media, witnessed a special someone creeping around town like an animal, felt like a brick hit me in the face (or the dead heart that was being slightly revived), and knew I had to write this.

Just like stupid romantic relationships that you find yourself in, wine can be a rebound and a “getting played” moment.  What do these two have in common; they make you feel special for a moment, lost, empty, and really really stupid.  I’m not any of the later, and I’m here to tell you that you are not as well.  Let’s distinguish how we got ourselves here, and what we can do to prevent this:

Getting Played:

IMG_2141

My friend Jackie buys a wine because the label is pretty.  This makes her feel special, intelligent, full of hope, confident that she is doing the right thing.  Sound familiar?  The marketing may tell you that you NEED this wine in your life, that this wine will bring you places you never have been before, your life will change if you just involve yourself a little bit…ok, that may not be the wine talking, but you understand where I am coming from.  I insert a picture of 19 Crimes here; a wine I sell, I love, I love selling.  This wine has everything I just spoke about, and does taste good.  You get a bang for your buck, a funky label that your friends will love to talk about, and a good time.  What does that sound like?  Beware, but be a risk taker.  Enjoy the positives that getting played may give your body and  palate.  It’s all just fun, isn’t it?

The Rebound:

IMG_1935I don’t consider a rebound always a bad thing.  It has the best intentions.  If I am feeling lonely, can’t make a decision, want a consistent warm hug, Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Sirah does it for me. (the innuendos in this blog are killing me by the way).  However, rebound wines will take you over the hump, but may not take you all the way.  It’s easy to get stuck with the one thing you know will make you feel good when you don’t want to take that next step into the unknown.  Petite Sirah may be the unknown for you as a varietal – here is the seduction.  The best rebounds are in the lure of what will be, aren’t they?  This one happens to deliver, and deliver.  That’s why it may be my date for New Years Eve…

Where does that leave us?

33908720_UnknownGreat question.  Maybe it’s not drinking wine at all.  Maybe it’s about making healthier choices for my body and my mind.  I chose this picture above because it is filled with food and wine choices that make me feel positive and good.   I just realized the wine is a little blurred out; is that a sign?  It’s great to take some risks.  When that risk fails though, should I stay in bed with a pint of ice cream, or go lift weights.  You know the right thing to do, but the “right” thing just seems so hard…

The opening photo is a picture of a wine barrel being “toasted” and treated for wine aging.  I remember taking this photo and being overwhelmed; it was a burning hot, a type of anxiety, a thrilling and tactile experience.  This photo is where I want my heart, mind, and soul to stay.  If I continue to get played, or be the “rebound girl”, so be it – it still makes me feel like the fire.  If I make poor choices in love and wine, so be it.  I rarely notice social media posts about mistakes we may make.  They happen to me at every turn.  Thank goodness they do – I’m learning, maybe closing myself off a bit, but still curious.

19 Crimes Overload And Some Lessons Learned

Published on by susanpajakLeave a comment

Last blog about this wine…I promise.

I was presented with the project of performing a 19 Crimes Dinner at Elixir Bar and Grill in Edison New Jersey.  Not going to lie; my wine snob back bone got all twisted.  It’s the holidays and time for the pricey stuff; give me some Penfolds Grange and call it a night!  19 Crimes is fun, inexpensive, easy going as far as a palette calibration; where was I to go with this one?

First of all, shame on me.  Have I not been telling you wine is supposed to be fun?  Let me paint a better scene for you; Elixir has a Mexican twist on their menu.  I could not have asked for a better pairing!  All of the spices, fried empanadas, and hearty meat entrees came to life with 19 Crimes.  19 Crimes is a BOLD wine and ready to overwhelm you a bit.  It needed this menu as a side kick.

What I didn’t expect was a room full of women.  Totally not planned, but all of the guests were women!  This has never happened to me before, and I need to admit, I was a little taken back.  My first thought was – “I got this.  Who better to relate to women then me!”  Then I realized they had no interest in listening to me, were extremely LOUD with their conversation, were more interested in taking pictures with the wine then tasting it…I hate to say it, but this dinner became very “girly”.  With a few days before Christmas, I had to relax and let it ride, and stop judging.  Am I all caught up with the tale and not the moment?  Do I envision a different notion about women and wine?

Do I not enjoy the act of makeup, dresses, fancy purses…Oh my – you won’t find a more girly girl than me.

I want more than all that though from you, my wine drinker.  There are all sorts of people roaming the wine shops, and looking for different experiences.  I can respect, but I want more.  I want mystery and journeys, questions and provocative conversation, raised voices and opinions, and above all, attention to your own nature and quality of the woman you are.  Put down your lipstick and pay attention to what is in front of you!

In the end – just glad you are drinking the stuff.  I can’t BANISH (see what I did there) a type of consumer.  Stay true and do you boo…

Side note; 19 Crimes “The Banished” paired extremely well with dessert!  This wine has some oxidized notes to me, similar to a port style wine, that are a dream with chocolate.  We also introduced the newest guy to the block; 19 Crimes Shiraz.  Bolder than the others, riper, integrated tannins, plush notes of jammy red fruit, and still $9.99 like the rest of the criminals.

 

Just Criminal

Published on by susanpajakLeave a comment

I NEED to write about this, because this wine is taking over my life.

I’ve been working like a crazy girl selling 19 Crimes, a wine from Australia, around the state of New Jersey – and I need to say, it’s not that hard.  $9.99 shelf price and easy drinking – but what does that really mean, and what does that mean to me?  Do I not speak of levels of flavor, relay tasting notes, pontificate the meaning of life over a bottle of wine…  I do, and I’m starting to think about how much that matters.  Do I connect, and if I do, what imprint on your wine brain am I leaving.  If a simple, juicy, straight forward wine can impress all wine drinkers out there, then why am I studying viticulture areas of Burgundy and writing marketing decks on Cabs from Napa Valley?

I need to think it all connects.  Is 19 Crimes the springboard to your wine journey?  Who can say what leads us anywhere, and where we will end up.  On election night, I performed an in store tasting of pretty expensive stuff.  I sold TONS of wine that night to the price tag of over $50.00.  Do you know what people were saying?  “I need to get drunk” or  “This will help me forget what is going on” or “Will help ease the pain”.  First of all, buy a bottle of whiskey for that; is this all I am good for?  How do I express the fun of all this in a responsible way, broadcast a nugget of information, and give back to a source that has given me so much?

It’s the balancing act of life my friends.  This morning, I heard how the cast of “Hamilton” expressed their thoughts about the election; lets stop here and say that this is not a expression of my political views.  There is an obligation to an audience when you put yourself on stage.  Does the ego take over, or does the authentic self?  Do I need to be heard, or do I want to say something effective?  I began this blogging life so I can share a part of me, but how is the message being received?

If NOONE out there reads this, I’ll be ok.  Why?  I know I did something I never said I would do – commit to written word, and commit to my own opinion.  That takes respecting your audience as well as yourself.  It doesn’t take courage to spew thought, but it does take conscious effort and a whole lot of class.

Where can you buy 19 Crimes?  Um, anywhere.  If you have been asleep when walking in a wine shop, it will probably fall into your lap.  There are large displays in most wine and spirits stores, groceries, my living room…

What should I have in my purse? 9.99 for the Cab and two blends.  There is a fourth wine called “The Warden” which is a Shiraz/Durif kind of blend.(my fav)  That will run you between $22 and $24 dollars.

What should I be tasting?  Big mouthfuls of black raspberry, dark chocolate, plum, gushy gushy red berry flavors.  The nice thing about these wines is that there is a definite sign of the alcohol, and extremely integrated tannins.  This gives the wine balance, and doesn’t allow it to get bulky with all the fruit that is out there.

And what have I been doing with this wine besides consuming it?  Check out below: