Since moving to Minnesota seven years ago, I have looked for local wineries to support. Through a friend I found Schram which I wrote about in Vol. 1 No. 4, and I am still very fond of. I visited one other winery in the vicinity that is really just an event venue with mediocre wines which shall remain nameless. However, the other winery that every time I tried to visit was Parley Lake Winery, finally I was able to visit it on Saturday.
First impressions are important but can cloud your perception. Thus when I tried to visit it before I notice an old barn with some old barrels on a rack outside and so I didn’t feel I had missed much…that is until I started talking to people in wine shops and a writer in the Minnesota Star-Tribune, Bill Ward. When I arrived there were quite a few cars in the lot and when I reached the winery I heard music coming from a pergola down the hill in the vineyard, and when I entered the winery I saw that it was not a run-down barn but a nice tasting room maintaining the barn interior but very nice.
There was a long tasting bar and it seemed pretty crowded but when I looked around I saw a small bar with just three people there. I walked up just as they were leaving and handed the man my card. Immediately he said you need to talk to one of the owners and pointed to the next room. A woman was seated drawing portraits and it turned out she is a sculptor and the wife of the winemaker and partner, Steve Zeller. She is very accomplished and has several bronzes in the area, some of which are rotated to other wineries and locales.
I introduced myself to Steve and he gave me a tour along with barrel tastings. They have quite a string of medals locally and from nearby states, as weel as the New York/Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and the Indiana – INDY competition, but this year Steve decided to submit several to the annual
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting, and Steve was pleased to receive two golds, a silver and a bronze. There are 60 judges and dozens of classes. Steve’s won the following:
Artist Series #14: GOLD for Merlot dominant wines… the other gold was to Markham. Steve used Napa Valley Merlot in the blend!
Frontenac Gris: GOLD for hybrid white wines. This wine was developed at the UMinn and is one of five since they just released a new one: Itaska. They have been cloned as vitis vinifera hybrids.
Marquette 2012 Ltd Edition SILVER in Native American hybrid red wines. This is a wonderful grape now evidenced by the fact some California growers are planting it.
Barn Quilt Red received a SILVER in Native American hybrid red wines.
Pretty impressive given that the wines were dominated by California, Oregon, Washington, and dozens of other states. Congrats to them on the effort!
They also make some fun wines so as not to take themselves too seriously that are very enjoyable such as Parley Vu Rosé, class that it becoming more appreciated and has been the fastest growing segment of wine sales (still only about 1% of total), for two years. This is very reminiscent of a Rhone style Rosé. Their limited edition wines also include a Frontenac red, Frontenac Blanc and La Crescent. A very nice palette of wines. You can get a wine flight and glass of your favorite for $10 or a single glass for $6. Sounds fair to TB~
©2017 Traderbillonwine.com
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traderbill
How did Trader Bill originate?
It was conceived by me as a way of providing information summaries of global financial markets so that friends and associates could bring themselves up to speed on events and changing market conditions upon their arrival at work. In addition, it provides information on speakers and economic releases that day with consensus estimates and level of last release so that the reader is prepared to react, or knows how the market might react upon the release of information.
Who is Trader Bill?
Initially any reference to me was as ‘i’. This is to remove the aura of ego and to suggest that i am but a humble reporter, albeit with 35 years of investment experience. Investments are demanding of ego, however, or one would not feel that he was qualified to manage someone else’s money in the first instance. Therefore i needed an ‘alter-ego’. Like Winchell and Mahoney, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy and especially Trader Vic and Mai Tai’s! Why Trader Vic? Because he was a likeable man who delivered pleasure to his customers and knew exactly what their desires were. The reason for the alter ego became obvious once I introduced Trader Bill into my commentaries: people started asking what Trader Bill thought. They had never asked me what I thought before, but suddenly they wanted to know what TB thought! Now mind you they KNEW that I was Trader Bill but for some reason he became bigger than life. Maybe it was the small ‘I’?
What does Trader Bill try to do?His goal is to educate from his years of experience. Consider that most of the traders and people managing investments weren’t even around in 1987 for the crash! Consider that Graham and Dodd, and even Warren Buffet are not relevant to them, too old hat. Their historical perceptions of markets and fundamentals (earnings, price/earnings ratios, bonds, debt service coverage) are irrelevant in this fast moving world. This is the NEW ECONOMY, or is it?
How did your style originate?Years ago i found that i had a knack and talent for writing. In addition, i developed an ability to analyze market news about 15 years ago. It took the Crash of ‘87. Prior to that i was just listening to what others said about the economy. But bond yields had been soaring in ‘87 yet the stock market just kept hitting new highs. That was when i began to learn about markets. i have both a dry and witty sense of humor (some call it inane!). Therefore i
attempt to make even the worst news somewhat amusing: whether it is the absurdity of an economic release, or the comments of a CEO. This is trading desk humor (or gallows humor). It isn’t politically correct but it does ease tension. Ironically, it is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (in the Navy they say: it’s always darkest before it’s pitch black!), that allows you to be more objective in your analysis, as bad as a situation is there will still be a tomorrow! You will see that i practice three-dot journalism, a style made famous by San Francisco reporter Herb Caen, whom i idolized. At least to me it is effective.
What is so special about your analysis?Frankly, i don’t know that it is special, but at least it beats “the market closed down today on profit taking.” What i do know is that most of what you read is spat out without considering whether or not it is rational, like the above statement. Is it right? Sometimes yes and sometimes no, and that is the key to what is different about my analysis: it is meant to make you think. Is Dan Rather right or is Trader Bill right? If it causes you to stop and think about it, regardless of whether you agree, i win! Because THAT is my goal…not to have you think i am a guru, got that? Bet you never heard that ANYWHERE before in my business! Instead they want you to think just how smart they are but remember in this business if you are right 60% of the time you ARE a genius! Another thing that is different is when i am wrong on an analysis i will tell you, not hope you forget what i said. So now you have the tools to do what the speculators and hedge funds do: challenge authority, and if you make money it is because YOU did it not me. i was just a tool, your flunky to do the grunt work and let you decide…course you could be wrong too but at least you looked at the big picture. But the goal is also to have fun! This shouldn’t be a business of hushed tones and grim faces. It is a living, breathing thing and nowhere else in the world do you have the odds as much in your favor as here. Just beware of the guy who wants to put his arm around you and tell you he is your friend.
So there you have it. I hope you select me as one of your sources for market information. If you do I promise to work my best for your financial success.
Trader Bill
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