Wine drinkers: do you Q?
Imagine an online wine store that is based loosely on the Netflix model, in essence a website where you can very easily queue up the wines you choose for shipment on a schedule that you set yourself. Imagine a site where you can rate and recommend the wines you receive. Imagine also that you can change the quantity or the frequency of your shipments, or even the wines themselves, all by a quick and simple menu or drag-and-drop method. Imagine a site that offers hard-to-find high-quality California wines, many of which are medal-winners, and a blog that announces their arrival.
And now imagine free shipping on orders over $35.
Introducing WineQ.com, a site that I’ve chosen to become a member of because of all these things, and more. I’ve already received my first shipment, and it was a dandy one that included a 2002 Steven Kent Cabernet Sauvignon from the Livermore Valley, a wine that made me feel like I was the very incarnation of a major deity commanding untold Q-less minions from my Mount Olympus throne.
In my next shipment, I expect to receive a bottle of the Escafeld 2004 Petit Verdot from San Antonio Valley, Monterey County, a wine that won a double-gold medal at the recent San Francisco Chronicle wine competition. I love Petite Sirah, too, and so I’m looking forward to trying the Twisted Oak 2004 Silvaspoons Vineyard Petite Sirah from none other than the prestigious El Jefe of elbloggotorcido.com. I’m also eagerly anticipating receipt of the Lava Cap 2003 American River Red.
On the WineQ site, you can read about these wines, and you can review them. In fact, nobody has reviewed the PV from Escafeld yet, so I’m looking forward to perhaps being the first. Did I mention I’ve got at least one bottle of that double-gold PV in my queue for each of my next 3 shipments?
You can do that with WineQ.
As you might imagine, the WineQ business model appeals to the winemakers who make these wines. Elsbeth Wetherill of Escafeld Vineyards has this to say about WineQ, and the ever-irreverent El Jefe of Twisted Oak suggests comparing two wines produced from the same Calaveras County vineyard by two different wine producers who happen to live across the road from each other. El Jefe even suggests a new wine-blogging tradition: Wine Queueing Wednesday. Well, wine not? In my next shipment, in addition to another Escafeld Petite Verdot, I’ll be comparing these two different approaches to this gold country Syrah. And then I’ll review them on WineQ, maybe even in this very blog!
I’d have to say that the only downside to the WineQ experience thus far is the limited inventory of wines. In fact, only 14 California wineries are currently represented. But I think most of us can forgive this of WineQ, since it certainly isn’t an oversight. Being a fairly new company on the scene, but with much talent, vision, and energy in executives Joshua Zader and Marshall Sontag, I believe we’ll see a vastly increased inventory of wines to select from and add to our queues before this Summer’s warmth fades.
What’s more, if you’re a California winemaker who produces 10,000 cases per year, you just might want to Q, too.
March 16th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Wine drinkers: do you Q?…
Jumpin’ Jupiter! The Winehiker jumps on the WineQ bandwagon. I really like the WineQ model, and I’m actively building my queue of top-notch hard-to-find California wines….
March 16th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Hi, Winehiker! Glad to know that you got your first shipment. Mine comes next week with 3 bottles of Escafeld, followed shortly thereafter by 3 bottles of Twisted Oak. For me, once they signed up these vineyards it was a no-brainer. I found customer service great, so was happy to hear the shipping for you went off without a hitch. Also, Joshua and Marshall are very responsive to suggestions, so by all means give them the names of wineries you’d like to see added. And, with all the buzz in the blogosphere recently I imagine it will only become easier for the WineQ folks to sign other vintners up. I figure I’ll be ready to review the Escafeld wine in 3 weeks from today, after the bottle shock wears off.
March 16th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Hey there, Dr. Debs - good to see you here. It was your comment yesterday on El Jefe’s post that got me thinking I should write about WineQ, since I had the Escafeld and Twisted Oak wines in my queue, same as you.
I actually met Josh and Marshall at the recent ZAP Festival in San Francisco and had lunch with them. Before then I’d only been dimly aware of WineQ, but just intrigued enough to talk shop with ‘em. Just this week I suggested to Marshall that he consider talking to Marc at Caparone Winery in Paso Robles and to Annette at Cima Collina Winery in Monterey County. Both offer high-QPR wines, which I know is right up your alley, Doc.
March 16th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Its good to see that WineQ is getting publicity. I really like Josh and Marshall and I’m glad to see that they are getting their just due. It might take a little while for some of the wineries to come around, since wineq is new and relatively advanced as far as technology is concerned. But they will come I’m sure. Winehiker, good to see that you are feeling better and blogging again. Hope to see you at Rhone Rangers if you are going…
March 16th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Shoot, Ryan, I’d go to the Rhone Rangers tasting this weekend if I didn’t already have my calendar filled. I’m leading a winehiking tour in the Sonoma and Bennett Valleys Saturday and leading a really tough volunteer hike to Murietta Falls (in the South Livermore hills) on Sunday.
Ah, green hills and red wine, and the ability again to see both!
March 16th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Sounds like fun; looking forward to reading about it…
March 17th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Poo. You always avoid the tastings I come to…;-) I guess you’ll have to try hiking in Calaveras County!
March 18th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Good to ’see’ the Winehiker is getting out and about again!
And I do agree WineQ is a great idea. I suggested to Marshall that they add Thomas Fogarty and Martella, so I hope that happens. Have been meaning to write a post about it myself, one of these days.
March 18th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
*Jaw drops* That just might be the best review of WineQ, ever! I just might have to feature it on our blog very soon… We are thrilled to receive such enthusiasm, and we look forward to your ongoing participation in helping us build and improve this new, innovative wine club.
As Dr. Debs rightly points out, we warmly welcome all suggestions, whether it’s a feature idea you think of, or a winery whose wine we absolutelymust have. I have already been following up on Debs’, Russ’ and farley’s winery suggestions. More wineries are on their way, along with some really cool and useful features, so stay tuned…
Thanks for your warm and enthusiastic comments, guys & gals. You can keep up with our ongoing progress with new wineries and website features via our RSS feed, if you’d like. Oh, and stay away from Calaveras County, Russ — You will end up smashed off tequila and lost in the ghetto!
March 19th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Hey thanks, Farley, I ‘look’ forward to ’seeing’ your post!
Marshall, have you seen the latest “customized wine club” methodology from Vinfolio? At first I thought you might have some competition - that is, until I investigated. I remain convinced that WineQ.com has a firm lead here, at least technology-wise; the inventory will follow.
Oh, and Jefe? You can rest assured that I’m not avoiding you. I think we both just have our weekends booked until the latter half of the century. But I promise to be in Calaveras County in late September.
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:26 pm
[…] If you’re the kind of guy that finds sheer joy in braving miles of treacherous wilderness and laughing in the face of danger, you just might enjoy WineQ. At least, that’s the message we’re getting from a very glowing review by California Wine Hiker Russ Beebe: Imagine an online wine store that is based loosely on the Netflix model, in essence a website where you can very easily queue up the wines you choose for shipment on a schedule that you set yourself. Imagine a site where you can rate and recommend the wines you receive. Imagine also that you can change the quantity or the frequency of your shipments, or even the wines themselves, all by a quick and simple menu or drag-and-drop method. Imagine a site that offers hard-to-find high-quality California wines, many of which are medal-winners, and a blog that announces their arrival. […]
May 11th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
[…] At WineQ, it is our mission to revolutionize the wine club by restoring this missing social experience, using state-of-the-art technology. WineQ, in it’s current form, is based on an entirely customizable wine queue that’s prompted many people to label us “the Netflix of Wine.” As many of our members have pointed out (Winecast, Winehiker, Dr. Debs, Wannabe Wino, Twisted Oak Winery, Escafeld Vineyards, Vivi’s Wine Journal), the Q has proven an excellent tool for regularly receiving wines that excite you in a busy world where regularly going shopping for wine has become a rarely-afforded luxury. (And with free shipping, WineQ is even more affordable!) […]
May 15th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
[…] At WineQ, it is our mission to revolutionize the wine club by restoring this missing social experience, using state-of-the-art technology. WineQ, in it’s current form, is based on an entirely customizable wine queue that’s prompted many people to label us “the Netflix of Wine.” As many of our members have pointed out (Winecast, Winehiker, Dr. Debs, Wannabe Wino, Twisted Oak Winery, Escafeld Vineyards, Vivi’s Wine Journal), the Q has proven an excellent tool for regularly receiving wines that excite you in a busy world where regularly going shopping for wine has become a rarely-afforded luxury. (And with free shipping, WineQ is even more affordable!) […]