Intrepid Importer Explorers

Birthed from the end of the prohibition against alcohol in the 1920s, the United States alcohol distribution laws force at least 2 and more commonly 3 middlemen between winery and wine drinker (unless you purchase from a tasting room, of course). Called the Three Tiered System, the international wine you purchase at a grocery store passes from a winery to an importer (who brings it across the border), from the importer to a distributor (who manage the in-country shipping trucks), from the distributor to a retailer (Safeway, Trader Joes, etc.), and finally from the retailer to your table. It functions a bit differently in each state, but this tiered system has many functions. First, it prevents large monopolies by forcing the product to move through many hands. Second, it keeps consumption low by keeping costs high (each middleman takes a cut). Third, it generates a lot of tax revenue (a bottle of wine is taxed at each level).

In the global supply chain, Ryan and I are the importers. When we decided to enter this industry we considered going into business at each of the levels. Being the wine maker has always been a dream. The margins are arguably the best for the distributor. And wine shop owners have the joy of talking with and educating the wine drinkers. So why be the importer? The answer to this question arguably says more about Ryan and I than anything else. Our top 3 reasons are:

1. Importers are the intrepid explorers. Finding new wine to introduce to the US market is actually a lot harder than you’d think – especially when you want to do it right. It takes an extremely outgoing personality to make connections with people on the ground. It takes a savvy traveler to navigate in hard to reach corners of the world, communicate with people who don’t speak much English, and look cool and confident while doing it. It takes learning to say no while still being open to saying yes when the right wine comes along – in multiple different languages. But of course, for Ryan and me…this is the fun part.
2. Importers manage fewer but deeper and more complicated relationships. Distributors will at any given time have hundreds and hundreds of customers because each one only purchases small amounts of wine. An importers’ customer is the distributor, and generally you have 1 or 2 per state. At the most, an importer will have only 100 customers. What this means is that you have the time and the responsibility to get to know your customers well. They are deeper relationships that we try to build on trust and mutually beneficial transactions. In our personal lives, Ryan and I like to nurture these kinds of friendships, so it made sense that we did this in our business.
3. Importers are wine marketers – not necessarily wine salesmen. Yes we sell wine, but we focus on creating a comprehensive marketing campaign for each wine that includes a lot more than simply being salesmen. From garnering press to crafting a story that resonates with customers, we help build the image of the brand. I enjoy this because it requires creativity, and I believe creativity feeds the soul.

Ryan Does Denver

This last week I had an opportunity to fly to Denver to work with our great distributor down there, Unity Selections. I was going to tour the area with some of the sales reps to meet with their best customers and get to learn the market. It is always a fun thing to do, and I was definitely looking forward to it. While planning this little jaunt, I called up an old friend of mine, Rob Plut, who lives in Denver, and ask him if I could stay with him for a few days and catch up. During this quick phone call I was shocked to discover that I would also be in town for one of the greatest events that happens in America every year: The Great American Beer Festival! But more on that later…

Colorado is an interesting state. To its east lies Kansas, north is Wyoming, and to the south is New Mexico. This gives a crossroads feel to the state, and people from all walks of life find themselves in its capital, Denver. On my first day I drove with one of their fantastic reps up to Fort Collins. The town is home to the great New Belgium Brewing, so I assumed that this would be a beer town only. But no, they love their wine there too! As it turns out, I was told that our wine is the best selling Malbec that Unity Selections carries, and Fort Collins is a major purchaser of them. How cool is that!

After a long day of work Rob and I went to his favorite beer and wine shop, Little Raven Vineyards. Being more of a beer man, Rob hadn’t spent too much time checking out their Argentinean wine selection, but upon closer inspection we discovered that they are doing a brisk business selling the Gozzo Malbec.

Now, after a couple more days of work, the big night was upon us, the Great American Beer Festival was happening. This was my first time going, so I think that a little explanation is in order. It is a three day festival that takes place annually at the Denver Convention Center. They always sell out (this year there were 49,000 ticket holders and volunteers), have around 500 breweries, and your ticket entitles you to a one ounce pour of any beer that you want during the four and a half hours each day that it is open. This year, there were about 2,100 beers being poured, so even though we did our best we only managed to sample a fraction of them! Needless to say, people fly in from all over the world for this event.

Although we are in the wine business, many of you will remember that beer is always close to my heart. I started brewing beer in the college dorms (hopefully my old R.A. isn’t reading this) and during my time in Europe I really developed an interest in the craft. It was thrilling to be around so many people that are so passionate about what they were doing. The brewers and their representatives have spent lifetimes making their dreams come true, and what they are doing with beer has come leaps and bounds from where it was just 20 years ago. Some of the standouts for me were the Dogfish Head Brewery, who make historic and boutique regional beers at their brewery in Delaware. For example, they created a beer, called “Midas Touch,” that uses molecular evidence from an ancient Turkish amphora to re-create a beer from antiquity. Another brewery that I loved is called Chama River Brewing, and they make a beer that has been aged for five months in used wine barrels, giving the beer a delicious wine aroma right off the bat.

The list of favorites, of course, goes on and on, but a final thought about the beer industry in America is how diverse and regional it is becoming. The styles available are unprecedented, and people are experimenting with all new kinds of ingredients (jalapenos, maple syrup, vanilla, etc.). And it is beautifully not homogenized, you can definitely tell a Pacific Northwest beer from a New England beer from a Southern beer (is that terroir?).

It was a really fun experience to fly down to Denver for a few days. People all over Colorado are loving our wines, and every year they put on the best beer festival in the country. I will definitely be making this an annual event.

Being a Newby Again

Ryan turned 30 years old on Monday, September 7th, however he did not leave the 20s quietly. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday we partied like college students (well students with a bit more of a developed palette) in Vancouver , BC . Harkening back to the era of running to the border for a legal underage drinking experience, we ran to the border to eat, drink, and be merry. This epic weekend was full of surprises (who knew hardcore, leather-clan Goth kids are often professionals that get simply freaky at night), but one of my favorite surprises was learning that I enjoy scotch.

I love almost all forms of whisk(e)y. Shoot. My favorite drink for years was Jim Beam with ginger ale. However, when Ryan introduced me to the smoky, stinky alcohol called scotch, I was not so impressed. Now, I knew that not all scotches taste like campfires, but after this weekend, I learned how to love the smoke.

As a birthday present to Ryan I arranged a private scotch tasting at the Irish Heather. He loves Ardbeg…a distillery that makes the smokiest of smoky scotches. Armed with that knowledge, our whisk(e)y expert took us on a ride through the best of Scotland . I have to admit that it was a good exercise for me to be a newby taster again. I have a renewed appreciation on how intimidating it is to learn about booze. I felt silly asking base questions.

- Shouldn’t I know the answer to this?
- Will the bartender think I’m stupid?
- Will the people around me think I’m silly for being so interested?
- This tastes like garbage to me. Is it supposed to taste like garbage? Is that what we’re going for?

But like any good booze teacher, our guys at the Irish Heather were not only happy to answer my questions, they were turned on by the fact that we were so curious.

With the Whiskey Bible in hand, teachers at the ready, and seven different scotches to taste with different flavor profiles, I learned not only my favorite, but that with knowledge you can learn to enjoy what was at first a rather icky thing.

So note to everyone thinking about coming to an Elemental tasting…just come. Give it a try. Ask silly questions, and in the end, you may find something you love.

It was a great lesson, and a great memory.

P.S. My favorite was from Clynelish and Ryan’s was the Ardbeg Ugedail.

Falling in Love All Over Again With Each Other and with Gozzo

This week Ryan and I had the pleasure of pouring wine for the customers and staff at the Seattle institution, Delaurenti’s at Pike Place Market. Arguably, the market was where Ryan and I fell in love, so seeing our wine at such a place was a romantic thrill. We couldn’t help stopping to say to each other, “Look how far we’ve come!”

At this tasting we poured all 3 wines in our Gozzo collection, and they were a hit! The customers loved how approachable yet complex the wine was, and for $11-12 a bottle, they recognized its incredible value. But in addition to that, they loved that is was organic…and good.

Finca Las Yeguas is the name of the winery that makes the Gozzo wine. (You can see a slideshow of our trip to the winery here.) They began in 2001 with the goal to make a quality organic wine. Ryan and I, being the hippy-dippy Seattleites that we are, went to Argentina with the mission to find a good organic product. From my experience, a large portion of organic wines taste like the weeds the grapes were grown in…grassy, dirty, unrefined, and rustic to a fault. But not Gozzo! Finca las Yeguas hit their goal with this one, and we fulfilled our mission of finding it and bringing it to the States.

Not only is the wine good, but Fincas Las Yeguas is extraordinarily dedicated to organic practices and a product free of undesirable pesticides and containments. In fact, they purposefully purchased their land closer to the Andes than any other winery in the Mendoza region. Why did they do this? If you’ll remember, Mendoza is turned into an oasis by snow run off from the looming mountains. Clean water is funneled into the region by irrigation systems created by the original indigenous groups (wow!). By being closest to the mountains, their land is irrigated first, meaning that their water is not contaminated with pesticide runoff from wineries up stream. Because of this forethought and dedication to organic products, some claim that Gozzo has the least pesticide contamination out of any wine in the region. I don’t know if this is true, but I appreciate the effort!

Understandably, Gozzo has become our best selling wine. This is not to say that our other wines aren’t worthy of extreme praise (they are!), but for good reason, people want good organic. And now they have it.

Paying Corkage on Our Anniversary

Last weekend Ryan and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. We are officially no longer newlyweds! We celebrated by spending the day soaking our stresses away at Banya 5 before hitting the city for an evening of great food and beverages. Happy hour was a cocktail-lover’s pub crawl. Beginning with martinis at the ZigZag Cafe, continuing with Puerto Rican rum at Place Pigalle, and finishing with pastis at Le Pichet, we were well lubricated on the finest of fine spirits before walking to the charmingly rustic Entre Nous for dinner.

This restaurant was a shear delight and exactly our kind of non-pretentious food-focused dining experience. The space was nothing special (the chairs looked like they came from a teriyaki joint), but it was surprisingly warm and inviting. From glorious fondue to mom’s chocolate cake, their recipes came from the French owner’s family. Rustic, simple, flavorful…yumm!

So Ashley, how was the wine list?

Well, Ryan and I didn’t even look. We paid a corkage fee and brought a bottle of a super premium Malbec we’ve been saving since our trip to Argentina. After decanting, it was a wonderful addition to our meal, and since the bottle was so valuable, the $15 corkage fee was well worth it.

Ryan and I are fans of bringing our own wine when we dine out, and many people ask me why we do it. Doesn’t it seem like a rip off to pay a dude $15-$25 to simply open a bottle of wine – particularly when you can find wine on the menu for $25-$30? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. And it all comes down to arithmetic.

Generally restaurants charge about double the retail price for a bottle of wine (be nice to them. It is hard to make money in that business). See a $24 bottle on the menu? You could find it for $12 at the store. If the restaurant is charging a $15 corkage, you save money by buying the bottle off the menu. If it is a special occasion and you want a fine bottle of wine, corkage makes more sense. A $100 bottle at a restaurant would be $50 at a store. Buy it ahead of time, smack on the $15 corkage, and you have money left for an after dinner drink…or a cab home.

Being in the wine business, Ryan and I receive samples of free and fabulous wine all the time. Sometimes a winery will send us five or six bottles of their wine to see if we like it, and it is always a lot of fun to try one out with our dinner. Since the price to us is nothing, it is always worthwhile to bring it along. Or, if we buy wine, it is something rare that we find during our travels…again worth the corkage. For everyone else, I recommend giving the restaurant a call to learn the corkage fee ($15 is cheap. $20 is average. $50 is out there…and stupid), think about what you want to drink that night, see what wine you have sitting around the house, and do the math. (There is one caveat, sometimes restaurants go to great lengths to put together a fun, exciting, and reasonably priced wine list. If this is the case, give it a shot, you may find something you like!).

Never be afraid to bring your own wine. But a word of caution. You can bring 3 buck chuck, but the staff will be laughing at you in the kitchen. If you’re laughing with them, then go for it!

Selling Wine is Selling Moments

Every time I sell a bottle of wine I think about how it’s going to be the partner of an utterly unique moment. From a tranquil dinner at home with family, to boisterous parties with friends, to a private cry over a broken heart, wine is so intimately entwined with these experiences that they almost become the experience. Ryan will at times say, “Well, I sold 100 cases of experiences today!”

This past weekend I had one such experience. Our very dear friends Mario and Nicole are getting married in a couple of weeks, and Ryan and I attended a BBQ thrown in their honor by Mario’s father and step mother. While I love BBQs of burgers and beer, this was not that kind of BBQ. The couples’ lovely friends gathered together in a lush and lovingly tended garden filled with flowers and ripening tomatoes. As the home is close to the Puget Sound, scents of salt water drifted over the fence to mix with the sweet smell of briquettes cooking a baby pig that was roasted for the occasion. Strangers from different corners of Mario and Nicole’s life melted together into one big family as we toasted their future happiness and fortune. As the sun set, the summer sky was painted in brilliant orange as the guys swapped Simpson quotes and the gals quizzed Nicole on how she was going to do her hair on the big day. And acting as the social lubricant of it all was a charming collection of French white and rose wines staying cool in a lovely bucket of ice -- its condensation dripping onto the patio.

I wonder what experiences Elemental wine has graced over these past months. What did it look like? Was it happy or sad? Did someone get drunk? Was the wine noticed or was it a quiet companion to the moment?

How surreal it is to think of our wine being part of a stranger’s experience.

A Crusty Baguette & Portuguese Olive Oil: A UPS Guy’s Perfect Snack

My recent series of posts have shown why importing wine is the best and most beautiful job in the entire world. I’ve received many comments from friends saying, “Wow! I’ve read your blog, and you’ve had an incredible summer!” While true, I feel the need to bring to light the day-to-day realities of our business. When I’m particularly ‘centered’, I see that our daily happenings are just as exhilarating as driving the steep slops of the Douro . During other more ‘human’ moments, they land somewhere between infuriating and mundane, but oddly enough, they are always amusing.

Take, for example, Ryan’s recent trip to our neighborhood UPS store. Ryan mails samples of wine across the country weekly to prospective customers. The law requires that any box containing alcohol must be signed for by someone over 21 years old. UPS charges a hefty fee for that service, thus increasing our weekly shipping costs. But for us, this isn’t a problem. We budget for it.

Last week, Ryan attempted to mail two bottles of Portuguese olive oil (Elemental Olive Oil? Who knows?). The box looked like the right shape for wine. It had the correct weight for wine. And Ryan’s account showed past shipments of wine…so the shop owner took it upon himself to grill Ryan about the box’s content.

“What’s in the box?” asked the UPS shop owner.
“Olive oil,” responded Ryan.
“So there’s no wine in there?”
“No, Sir.”
The shop owner lifted the box. “So…no wine whatsoever?”
“No,” Ryan answered.
Not satisfied he pressed, “But you always send wine. Why are you now sending olive oil?”
“Because I have people who want to try the olive oil.”
Still skeptical, “So you’re only now deciding to send the same size and weight of box with olive oil rather than wine, thus making your shipment cheaper?”
“Yes.”
“Really? No wine?”
“Really.”
“Ummmff…OK, then.”

Ryan later told me that he wished he brought a nice crusty baguette along so that UPS guy could have tasted the oil before he shipped it. It would have shortened the conversation, and who knows? The UPS guy could’ve had a brother who retails olive oil!

Luckily, Ryan saw his package make it on the UPS truck. It was delivered in the end.

My Random European Memories

As you may remember, Ryan and I have actually been home from Europe for over a month. These posts were written on the road in my journal, but posted upon my return. Now that the stories from our adventure have come to a close (well, I didn’t tell you about our last day in Brussels when I got sick and had to eat powdered tomato soup, but some details do not need to be shared.), I’m taking a moment to reflect on our experiences. Though I could go on for hours reminiscing about the beautiful time we had on this trip, I’ll spare you and list the top five (my favorite number) memories/ thoughts that jump into my mind:

1. The Portuguese love their port. They are very proud of their port. But they don’t drink it as often as I would have thought. In simple work-a-day restaurants the Portuguese clientele drink beer or table wine with their meals and an espresso afterwards. If they do have a digestive, port is just one choice on the menu. Regional brandies were also very popular. While they are very proud port makers, they let the rest of the world do a lot of the drinking.

2. You don’t know the true meaning of life (or the meaning of a proper hangover) until you’ve gotten drunk with close friends and family on Belgian beer in Brussels .

3. Europeans care about the environment. Ryan and I enjoyed a lovely drink with friends over candle light one night in Brussels – not because the restaurant wanted to create a romantic ambience, but rather because all the lights were switched off in solidarity with other businesses in the city for the environment. They were making a point that we don’t need to use as much energy as we think. We stayed longer because the mood among the happy drinkers was so very charming in candle light.

4. I like octopus. Chop it up. Steam it. Drizzle with fine olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Done. Yum (once you get over the sensation of chewing on little suckers)!

5. You really don’t know the true meaning of life until you’ve drunk white port from 1954 served from a Frenchman in his port bar in Porto , Portugal .

I said it then, and I’ll say it now. If I could, I would dye my hair black and become Portuguese. Not because I don’t love my home country or my blond hair, but because that country really is that beautiful. I guess that the next best thing is to bring home some of our amazing finds to share!

Wandering in Happiness -- Lisbon

Aahh Lisbon. What a spectacular city. Ryan and I are wrapping up our Portugal adventure with a trip to its crown jewel, and we get to know it by walking…and walking…and walking. On the first day we encounter this piece of graffiti:

It translates roughly, “There is no road that leads to happiness. Happiness is the road.”

In a city where each road and passageway is more beautiful than the next, I believe this statement is oh so very true. Here is just a few of the perfect pieces of happiness we found in the streets of Lisbon.

Growing Fat and Happy on Custard

Ryan and I have begun a little game. On practically every street corner lie small bakeries selling an abundance of delectable treats. Of all we’ve tried (and we’ve tried a lot) we love the pastel de nata the most. Imagine a cupcake sized dense crème brule surrounded by a flaky, buttery crust. Ryan and I get ours to go, and in three glorious bites, we gobble them down as we walk. Each bakery boasts their family recipe is “the best” and “most authentic,” so we’ve decided to find our favorite. After eating lots and lots of them, we’ve found small differences. Some are sweeter. Some are eggy-er. Some include nutmeg and cinnamon. Some have a smaller filling to crust ratio…suffice to say we can’t decide on a favorite, and despite the miles we’re walking, we’ve gained a few pounds just on custard…sweet, sweet custard.

Sipping Shots with Berries in the Street with Locals

On the small Largo de Sao Domingos one will find a small walk up counter sandwich between a hat store and a small café. From it, two guys serve up shots of ginjiha in little plastic cups. Made from sugar, grappa and the cherry-like ginja berry, locals stand around the little plaza slowly getting tipsy as they play cards and talk to neighbors. How could we not stop! I hope ginjiha and egg custard mixes well in my stomach.

Impromptu Antique Buying from a Giggly Old Man

Buildings in Portugal are routinely decorated with brightly colored, hand pained tiles. Kitschy tourist shops sell replicas that are expensive and machine made. Being a lover of all things tile, I’ve been on the look out for the real thing, but you can’t find them anywhere…until today. Wandering in the old sailors’ quarter, The Alfama, we found a tiny antique shop. Unceremoniously tossed into a wooden crate next to the entrance sat dozens of the antique hand painted tiles obviously scavenged from a dilapidated building. One man’s trash is certainly another man’s treasure. It was sad to see these glorious pieces of history thrown in a big pile, but given their very reasonable price, Ryan and I start digging. Like lions ripping at the body of its prey, we worked with a rather ridiculous zeal. Hearing our work, the owner of the shop stepped outside to giggle at our frenzy. With a twinkle in his eye and a deep belly chuckle, he led us to the back of his shop where we found crates upon crates of more tiles! For over an hour the three of us worked to find the perfect set. Being enveloped by such an infectious laugh for so long, Ryan and I couldn’t help but giggle at our good luck as we walked out of the stop with our newly found treasures.

The Joy of Meeting the Family

Yesterday Ryan and I drove deep into the Alentejo region of Portugal. This amazingly beautiful corner of the country is home to the world’s primary supply of cork. Traveling for miles down country roads we passed acres upon acres of thriving cork forests. It made me think that the occasional cork tainted bottle of wine is well worth it to keep this incredibly eco-friendly and eco-important forest thriving. Cork is renewable, it is biodegradable, the forests sustain incredible wildlife, and many of these trees are over 500 years old. The alternative is plastic corks dumped in land fills and mines tearing up the earth for the metal screw caps. Hhmmm…

We drove to the Alentejo to visit the Rovisco Garcia Winery which is owned by one of the most well respected cork growers in the region. The winery is run by the charming Sophia. After a dream-like tour through her incredible property (we saw a hawk hunting snakes), we were treated to a sumptuous lunch at the family home. The moment we walked into the door, a 3 foot tall flurry of blond hair and ruffles came flying up to Ryan – attaching herself to his leg. We were quickly introduced to Sophia’s youngest daughter. After she stopped hugging Ryan, she ran up to me and asked with wide eyes, “Blah, Blah Blah Blah Blah?” I could tell it was a question because of the way her little voice rose at the end of the sentence. But other than that, I couldn’t understand a single word. Her grandmother quickly said to her in Portuguese, “Blah Blah Blah Blah. She does not speak Portuguese.” Very concerned, the little girl looked at me as if I was a kitten with a broken leg. Then she asked, “Blah Blah Blah, Portuguese?” And her grandma responded, “No. Blah Blah. No. She does not speak Portuguese.” The little girl took her little hand, wrapped it around my finger, and began pulling me down the hall – jabbering…in Portuguese…as we walked. Her grandma (who didn’t speak much English either) yelled down the hall after us, “The Bitch had puppies! She want you go see!”. So the little blond Portuguese girl and the tall blond American girl spent 20 minutes jabbering at each other in languages we couldn’t understand over a box of 6 puppies and The Bitch.

Visiting their home, tasting their wine, touring their property, and learning more about the Alentejo region of Portugal has been one of the greatest highlights of our trip so far.

Would you Go in Debt for $32 Million for a Dream?

I recently attended an event for a housewife who liked to bake cinnamon rolls. She turned her love of baking into the worldwide sensation Cinnabon.

In a recent interview, Francis Ford Coppola described the great depression he felt when he released a film that critics predicted would fail. Why? Because this film put Mr. Coppola personally in debt for $32 million. It is now considered one of the greatest war films of our time: Apocalypse Now.

As Ryan and I start our own business, these stories of risk and passion inspire me and give me strength to keep going. These people dare to follow their greatest dream, and they risk everything to do it!

Yesterday we met a family who lives another such story: The Patos. The father, Luis Pato, began making wine near Coimbra, Portugal over two decades ago. His relative success has grown his property and established him

as a great winemaker. But now his daughter Filipa Pato has started her own winery making some of the best white wines I’ve tasted thus far in Portugal. A recent mother, she and her Belgian husband are risking promising careers in Brussels to keep the wine tradition alive in their family.

Helen Keller once wrote, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Who knows if she is right, but I am certainly tickled by people who live as if she is.

Old Ladies Rule the World!

Ryan and I are sipping white port and eating cookies in our simple waterfront guesthouse in the Portuguese beach town of Nazare . In addition to the lovely sunsets and picturesque whitewashed houses, this remarkable town has a delightful peculiarity. It is dominated by tiny old women dressed in knee-length petticoat skirts, knee socks and knitted wraps. In most cities old ladies are as sheepish as street kittens, but these women rule the streets! Instead of boys playing soccer, they take over the plaza to play a type of street ball. Petticoats fly as they take turns throwing a ball at an empty crate. Large groups gossip loudly as their husbands timidly smoke cigarettes. These women were the main street merchants selling dried fruit, nuts, fish, donuts…it was a festival of the best street food in the world! It all paired wonderfully with the crisp young white wine that is typical in the Portugal: vino verde. I liked these old women. They seem to say, “Men may think they rule the world, but we know who the real bosses are!”

Stiletto Heels, Fascism, and 1 Euro Beers

Ryan and I have moved south out of wine country to spend a night in Coimbra, the home of Portugal’s oldest university. The small medieval center is a steep maze of narrow cobblestone streets and stairways interrupted by miniature squares and ancient churches. The chaos cues you into the complete lack of city planning…that is until you reach the top of the hill and find yourself at a buzzing university. This impressive 700-year old university is a collection of palace-like buildings from the 1100s and imposing fascist monstrosities built by Portugal’s last dictator, Antonio Salazar.

This town reminds me why I loved going to university, why I love university towns, why I love university students, and why I wish I could still be one. Tradition requires Coimbra’s university students to wear black graduation-style gowns to class. As you walk through campus with these scholars, you feel like you’ve gone back in time. But just a quick look at the stiletto heels and tight red jeans sticking out of the bottom of the shapeless robes brings you back to 2009. Despite the seemingly conservative university, the surrounding streets remind you of the political and freethinking zeal of students. Graffiti denouncing the world’s evils (Nazis, fascism, intolerance, oppression of women, imperialism) decorate the buildings. Boisterous conversation and music blare from 2nd story windows – reminiscent of the nights I stayed up arguing politics and literature. Women carrying art canvases scurry down the street without make-up, shoes or bras while their guitar-toting male companions steal side glances at their cleavage. And of course, ancient watering holes filled with smokers drinking 1 euro beers…

I love the energy and non-conformity of universities. I love (and envy) how their days are filled with forming opinions, creating art, and making friends. And I love how, given the freedom to do so, students will test our societies’ boundaries and play with independent thought. And I love how you can ironically find the same “originality” and “non-conformity” in university towns around the world.

As Ryan and I sip our 1 euro beers, I promise to myself that this energy of inquiry, self-expression and non-conformity will penetrate the deepest pours of Elemental Importers. I may no longer be in university, but I can bring its spirit to the work I am doing now.

The Top 4 Reasons You Should Drink Douro River Valley Wine

1. Harvest By Hand and Crushed By Foot
Portuguese wines are known for value. A good bottle starts at $10-$15. What isn't known is that the Douro River Valley is the most expensive wine growing region in the world.

The steep vineyards were created long before trucks and machines, so the grapes are accessible only by foot. Grape pickers must carry each box uphill to the trucks waiting above in 100 degree heat. This makes for a very labor-intensive and expensive harvesting.

Also many boutique wineries still stomp their grapes by foot. This, again, takes a lot of time and manpower. So, when you drink that $10-$15 bottle, know that it is even more valuable than you thought. This extra TLC and expensive overhead does make very special wine.

2. Port Only Comes from Douro River Valley , Portugal
The Douro River Valley is the only place in the world that can technically grow grapes for Port, kind of like how champagne only comes from France's Champagne region. Wine regions around the world rip off the name for their fortified, sweet wines, but only Port comes from Portugal , and its grapes must come from the Douro River Valley.

3. No Irrigation
To maintain the Port making tradition, the government enacted strict grape-growing standards that every cultivator must adhere to. My favorite is, "You cannot water your grape plants". What the heck? The Douro is appropriately nicknamed "hell" in the summer because of its ungodly sun and extreme heat. How does any farmer expect to produce a crop without water? I kill my tomato plants in one day if I don't water them.

But grapes from the Douro are never watered - ever. (Well, the exception is for baby vines. They can be watered until they mature.) Roots must go 4-6 feet down to find water. This puts a huge strain on the grapes which, ironically makes the wine better. The harder the vines struggle for water, the more tasty soil nutrients get deposited in the grape. No irrigation means blasts of flavor!

4. No Tacky Tourism Overhead
Wine tourism is a good thing. It stabilizes revenue for small producers -- smoothing out the financial wrinkles of slow years. And as a lover of wine, a strong tourism infrastructure provides access to great wine tasting experiences.

However, these are downsides to it as well: cheesy wine knickknack stores, grocery stores with overpriced picnic fixins', bad wine staying in the marketplace because it's subsidized by overpriced lunches served on their terrace, etc.

Also, when regions become hot tourism spots, the price of the wine goes up due to its reputation. Take Napa Valley for example. Because Napa is, I feel their wine is 25% more expensive than comparable wines in California . Great wine, but wow, they are expensive. And they can get away with it.

Douro Valley , by contrast, is much more beautiful than Napa , and it has none of the tacky, price-inflating problems that come along with other wine growing regions, hence making it a good deal and a great place to travel.

A Glowing Review and Eating Blood Sausage with the Quirky People of the Douro

Before we head back to Portugal, I want to let you know that The Seattle Times wine critic, Paul Gregutt, wrote a glowing review of Elemental Importers’ portfolio – highlighting the Domandos Torrontes and the Gozzo Organic Cabernet Sauvignon! This is incredible! He is arguably the most well respected wine writer in the Pacific Northwest, and he is a Contributing Editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. This is in addition to him being a heck of a nice guy. Now we have proof that our wine is good. Thank you, Paul! Now go tell your wine shop (or grocery store) to carry it!
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Port. Many people have tried it, but most understandably know nothing about it. Port is confusing. Ruby…Tawny…LBV...drink now…drink in a century…it’s sweet…it’s dry…it’s red…it is white…aaahhh!!! Well, I’m not giving you a lesson on port today because the good ol’ Wikipedia can do it for me. Check it out here. It’s actually really interesting stuff. I’m also not going to tell you what port to try, and what port not to try. Find a local wine shop doing a tasting…and give it a whirl. It’s worth it.

Instead I’ll provide a tasting of some of the surprisingly quirky people we met in the Douro River Valley …the only region in the world that can technically grow grapes for Port. I like to believe that these charming souls add to the beauty of the wine.

I Love the USA!
One winemaker’s 12-year old son asked in broken English, “Where are you from in the USA ?”. “ Seattle .” “I like Coca Cola!” Come to find out, this boy loves the US so much that when his parents voiced less than positive opinions of George W Bush, he got upset and said, “Stop saying bad things about the US president! You don’t know him!”

Eat Your Veggies...Or Else...
That same family had a cook/ nanny that had been the “head” of the household for many years. In the middle of our tasting with the winery staff, I was startled by a strong “Jab! Jab! Jab!” in my side. I turned to see the 4’9” Woman in Charge herding me to the table like a little girl. The staff abruptly stopped the tasting and joined me. Apparently, lunch was ready. As she served the soup, you could feel her loving energy fill the room, but her weathered face told you there would be hell to pay if you didn’t eat all your veggies. Later, I found a little round bruise on my side. It made me smile.

A Food Porn Entrepreneur
The chef/owner of the DOC Restaurant is a flavor genius. I actually enjoyed his blood sausage. His fine collection of Douro wine was an inspiration. And to my delight, he was as quirky as you’d hope a master chef would be. He elegantly helped us decided on each course, but he made sure that we also saw his new cookbook. Filled with arty photos of him standing barefoot in the Douro River with a chef’s coat, this book took food porn to whole new level! And in addition to the countless magazines and books that raving about his food, our attention was turned to a “remarkable new machine” that mixed like Kitchen Aid and heated like a stove top at the same time. And for only 20 installments of $50, we too could own one. He was certainly an entrepreneur.

The Sweet Smell of Orange Blossom and Meat

The Douro River Valley is a spectacularly beautiful wine growing region. Rugged terraced vineyards slope down hill to a slowly curving blue river. A photographer’s paradise. The light at dusk makes the dry rocky dirt turn a bright orange, while casting dramatic shadows of vines and olive trees onto the road. As the sun sets and the temperature begins to drop swallows come zipping out of their cool corners like an untrained army. Using the wind as their personal rollercoaster, they swoop chaotically through the air collecting unseen bugs for dinner. This breeze also brings with it the sweet small of orange blossoms mixed with savory roasting meat from the restaurant below.

And here sits me and my Ryan on the balcony of our humble guest house. For only 35 euros a night, we have box office seats to the best lightshow in town. Sipping on a local cocktail (inexpensive white port, tonic water, and lime) from our plastic bathroom cups, we smile knowingly to each other. Life is indeed very very sweet.

P.S. And the wine is good. It is very very good. More to come.

White Port from 1953 and the Most Beautiful City in the World

Today we arrived in Porto, Portugal which is located where the Douro River drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Traditionally, the grape growers upriver floated kegs of port down to be warehoused in Porto, where the weather is (slightly) cooler. All of the major producers still warehouse their ports here today. We were so excited to visit a couple of them!

Our mouths watering in anticipation, we set out to wander the city. After only a few minutes, we discovered that it was one of the most beautiful cities in the world! It was an amazing blend of old and new, grit and polish, and everywhere people walked through narrow streets down to the river. We followed the traffic downhill, where just across the river we would be able to find the warehouses (and tasting rooms).

We crossed the river and walked, and walked, and walked uphill until we came upon our first port house: Taylor's. Barrels of all sizes lined up like little port-making soilders. Depending on the size and length of time in barrel, different types of port is made. A quick rule of thumb is, rubys see the shortest time in the barrel; Tawny ports see the longest.

After Taylor's, we went to another port house, and another, and another. By this point we knew dinner was necessary, but it was not to be.

As we searched for Purtugese cuisine, we stumbled upon a bar that specialized in boutique ports, oh my! We quickly befriended the owner and he poured us flight upon flight of varying vintages, types, and vineyards. Towards the end of our stay he came over to us, and with a twinkle in his eye, suggested we each try a glass of white port made in 1953! After his first taste, Ryan said nothing and then started to laugh. After a 20 second pause he said, "This is the finest beverage I have ever tasted in my life." We would have bought the bottle there and then if only it wasn't 190 euros.

After this warm welcome to Portugal I can't wait to dive into the winemaking region and see where all of this comes from!

Giggling All the Way to the Wine Convention

Ryan and I are done with our tour in Dusseldorf, Germany. From the start, this country has made me giggle. Crossing the Belgium/Germany border, I smile at a road sign pointing to “Ausfart”. Who names a town Ausfart? As we drove, I noticed another sign pointing to Ausfart. And then another one. And another one. I said, “Wow! Ausfart must be a really large town!”. Finally everyone else in the car started to giggle too. Ausfart means “exit” in German.

Ryan and I (with my brother in tow) spent the majority of our time at the large ProWein convention. Intended for European wine buyers, this event showcased thousands of wineries and spirits from around the world in a loud tasting frenzy. Sounds fun? It was.

The sheer size was overwhelming. In two days we were only able to cover the Portugal and Argentina sections …and that’s it. We didn’t have time to explore anything else…France, Italy, Austria…nothing. Well, we did enjoy the free cocktails and absinth flying around the “spirits” section at the end of each day.

While a lot of fun and helpful in learning the broad strokes of wine trends, it is a real challenge for importers to find their gems in such an environment. While many small winemakers had a presence by sharing booths, the majority of those represented were the large mega producers and wine marketers. We were sad to see so many booths populated by agents who get paid steep commissions because wineries don’t know how to market on their own. And sadly most agents don’t promote what makes the wine unique.

In such an environment, you simply cannot learn enough about the wine to sell it in the way we believe wine should be sold. We think importers should go to each and every winery they represent. They should meet the winemakers and the workers, see their equipment, meet the staff, touch the soil, smell the air, and feel the sun. When you have these experiences, the wine doesn’t simply smell of sage and taste of honey, you smile with delight when you connect the smell to the herb garden, and the taste to the beehives located close to the grapes. Only then can you know the wine and be able to tell the stories of why it’s special. Wine is not just a commodity.

However, we did find some great leads, but it took a keen eye to look past the flashy signs and cool freebies. So now it is our duty as your wine importers to go to Portugal and visit the wineries and meet the people. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Why Friends and Family Are Imperative to Developing Your Wine and Beer Palate

Ryan and I are home from Europe. During our trip I diligently blogged …in my journal. Internet access, while available, was challenging to find among the grapevines and port tastings. So over the next few weeks I will be blogging as if I were in Europe because I did blog in Europe…it just didn’t make it online until now. Believe me. I know the ending. This
is an adventure you’ll not want to miss.

Ryan and I have been in Europe for three glorious days now, and I have discovered what is now rule number one in Ashley’s Palate Development Mantra:

You Develop Your Best Palate When You Drink with Friends and Family

This doesn’t mean that every time you drink with friends you are expanding your understanding of what makes wine unique. I’ve had plenty of nights where the Carlo Rossi went down far too fast to learn anything about good wine. What I am saying is that when you evaluate wine (or beer) in a sterile environment you may learn a lot about its flavors, textures, and smells, but you do not learn about the soul of the wine. You don’t understand its unquantifiable pizzazz until you drink it with a group of your favorite people.

Ryan and I are in Germany now, but we spent the first few days of our trip in Brussels, Belgium. We were met at the airport by my brother, Adrien, who is living in Germany, and our great friend, Hilbren, who is living in Brussels. We walked off the plane, into Hilbren’s car, and directly into a Brussels pub scene. In a jetlegged haze I learned:

• Belgium beer is as complex and interesting as a great wine.
• Somehow the smell of cigarette smoke in a Belgium bar adds to the enjoyment of its beer.
• Belgium beers are strong. After only a few you find yourself seeing the Grand Place through a delirious fog.
• Belgium beer is very happy. Life isn’t so serious after all.
• My understanding of the depths and flavors of this remarkable beverage sky-rocketed that evening -- not just because I drank it, but because I drank too much of it with three of my favorite men in all the world (my Husband, my brother, and my dear friend) in the city where it was made to be drunk.

Am I saying you must dedicate three bottles of an expensive French wine to a night of drunken fun to understand its greatness? No. Not at all. But would you understand the soul of French wine if you got to partake with great friends in Burgundy – and therefore be a better judge of fine French wine? Absolutely.

Why Argentina?

Of all of the wine regions in the world, why on earth did Elemental Importers start in Argentina ? This is a question we were asked a lot at our Arrival Party! (By the way, the event was HOT. See photos and read about it on our website.). Let me answer that question:

Value for money! Up until a few years ago Argentina was one of the most expensive places in South America. But due to some economic troubles it is now a land of incredible values. We are able to find world-class wines that cost a fraction of what other producers are charging. It is a country where we can find wine that will sell for $10 but tastes like a $20 bottle – how can we pass that up?!?

Argentina is full of innovation. I know. What the heck am I talking about? Well, Ryan’s first forays into the world of wine and beer was when he homebrewed beer in his college dorm room. Therefore, it was only natural that our interest was piqued when we heard that a beer homebrew movement was developing Argentina, and we wanted to check it out along with their great wine. Sadly, Argentina needs perhaps 5 more years of beer play before anything is worth exporting. But we did find a lot of GREAT wine. And the rest is history.

Argentineans are Hip. With all the good wine in the world, Ryan and I decided to only represent what is made by cool people. The marketplace is jammed with corporate mega houses that are devoid of personality and spunk. Along with a great glass of wine, we also wanted a great story…and Argentina – the land of the tango, gauchos and a European culture made spicier with its Latin American roots – is as hip as you can get. These people party Americans and Europeans under the table, and they look fabulous doing it. It’s the best of class and sophistication mixed with grit and personality. And only there can you find winemakers who are professional tango dancers, a winery housed in an old mosaic factory, and vineyards watered from canals built by the Incas. What better place to start a business based on the personality and story of the winemakers?

However, Ryan and I are not stopping with Argentina on our quest for wine with personality. This week we’re flying to a kingdom where the alcohol content of regular wine is so weak they insist on fortifying it – Portugal (with a little stop in Germany and Belgium – we told you we like beer). Where port and green wine reign, we hope to find some treasures and meet some cool people. We will be blogging and updating our Facebook regularly. Come join us!

Once a Student - Always a Student

Starting a business with vodka means beginning work with a little hangover. Through a headache and a desire to eat pizza, we confronted an important question: What do we do now?

Being excellent students we did what we were trained to do – research, research, research. Here are some tricks we learned on how to efficiently research a start-up business:

Take Classes at the Nearest University on the Subject…Well Sort Of.
Internet research on shipping, customs, etc. quickly breeds information overload. We needed some direction. The University of Washington offers a certificate program on Global Supply Chain Management. I went to their website, and through a few searches and crafty phone calls, I got the recommended reading list for the classes. I took it to the public library…and bam! A few weeks reading textbooks got us up to date on the latest in supply chain management. Thanks, UW!

The Government Can Actually Be Your Friend.
It is nice to know that the king's ransom we spend in taxes, fees, and licensing can actually trickle down to the small guy. Small business development does get some support– at least for those who look for it. Thanks, Guys! My two favorite programs are:

• Community Capital Development: Provides finances and education to start-ups and small businesses.
• Washington State Small Business Development Centers: This organization hooked us up with Dave Young, a seasoned entrepreneur who is now our mentor. He gives us encouragement, knowledge and contacts. Dave is the man!

Shout Your Intentions Off the Roof Top and Experts Will Come.
Tell everyone about your business. Everyone. And you’ll suddenly realize that your fiancé’s, stepfather and your fiancé’s stepfather’s, brother-in-law worked for one of the largest wine and beer distributors in the country. And they are oh-so willing to introduce you to the current president of that company for an informational interview while spend hours teaching you the industry game. Wow.

Ask Your Friends for Help and They Will Be So Good to You.
Last night we hosted some wine loving friends (and one beer drinker) for a new product tasting party. With a little direction, they showered us with tasting notes, prices, and label ideas. All we had to do was ply them with wine and provide dinner. A great deal!

Off with a Shot and a Business is Born.

This blog started in the middle of our adventure in wine importing. When people hear that we own our own wine importing company, they say, “Cooool! How did you get into that?”. Well, let me tell you the story over the next few blog entries.

Elemental Importers was born during a time of great struggle for the newly engaged Ashley & Ryan. I won’t go into the details, but we came face to face with the evils of the ability of humans to thoughtlessly harm others for personal gain. “The Man” stuck it to us, and while our natural instinct was to turn tail and run we gathered together and resolved to grow stronger. We decided to not stick it back to “The Man” but rather rise above “The Man” and never think of him again.

So, puffed up with optimism and determination, we did a rather stupid (or brilliant depending on your perspective) thing…we pledged with a clink of vodka-filled shot glasses to start our own business. Sometimes God doesn’t allow you to see the whole picture in the beginning, because if he did, you wouldn’t want to be part of the show. Completely unaware of what was to follow, we rolled up our sleeves and dove in.

Looking back, I consider the moment I felt that cold burn of vodka rushing down my throat as the bravest and greatest moment of my life thus far – I guess except for the moment when I married Ryan a number of months later – of course.

Our Honeymoon Love Child

One of the biggest concerns for a wine importer is the condition of their bottles after they make the long journey from winery to warehouse. Of course there are precautions to minimize the risk (proper packaging, thermal wrappers, insurance), but when the wine importers are newlyweds that give as much love and attention to their business as they would a honeymoon love child, they tend to be a bit nervous.

Did many of the bottles break? Did the red wine of broken bottles dribble onto the pristine labels of the other bottles? Did the container sit in the scorching heat for too long? My nightmare was a container full of broken bottles with red wine cooked from the sun flowing out of every crack. For those who don’t know, wine can go bad in the bottle if it sits in too much heat or too much cold. And our baby sat in a Mexican port for two weeks…

Luckily my nightmare did not come true. Our love child was delivered with only three broken bottles out of 12,000 (anyone want to buy some wine?). And last night we tasted our first bottle: Domados (name of the wine) Bonarda (grape type)…and it was perfect. It was an interesting, complex, mineraly, fruity, smokey and downright damn fine wine (that will retail for about $11…a total steal).

The wine is good! Thank the Lord Above! The Wine is Good!

Our Orange Prom Queen Made Its Way From Argentina

Our container came in!

For close to a year we have worked, sacrificed and struggled to get out first container of wine from Argentina to Seattle, and now it is here! Is the wine out of the container and ready for purchase? Well, no. But we are so very close.

This is the journey our wine made:

1. The wine was produced, bottled, and labeled in Mendoza, Argentina.
2. The wine was shipped from the winery to a consolidation warehouse in Mendoza.
3. It was packaged into a shipping container and placed on a truck.
4. An Argentinean driver drove it across the Andean Mountain range to Santiago, Chile.
5. It was loaded onto a ship called the "Hamonium Paladium".
6. Hamonium Paladium cruised slowly up the coast of South and Central America...passing by vacationers on the beach and perhaps a whale or two.
7. Hamonium Paladium dropped our container off in a port in Mexico where it sat for a couple weeks waiting for its connecting ship. (And you think a 3 hour layover is bad...)
8. Our container was then loaded onto a ship called "Gloria 906". Ryan and I believe in omens. The fact our container came to Seattle in "Gloria" is a very good omen.
9. It cruised slowly up the coast of North America waving at the movie stars in Hollywood and the techies of Sil Valley.
10. It was then unloaded at the Port of Seattle where is stayed over the weekend waiting for a truck that finally drove it to our warehouse in Kent, WA.

The epic journey took over two months. Two month!

This afternoon we went to see the container that made this long journey across the world. To our everlasting joy, the container that we have thought about and dreamed about for almost a year was bright orange. No drab grey for this couple. Like a confident high school girl who wants to make a big impression at the prom, our wine was dressed in the loudest color ever...orange. This wine is destined to make a huge splash in Seattle.

P.S. For the enviro-conscious in the group, shipping by boat leaves a very small carbon footprint. It’s slow, but it's better for the environment than flying.