Observations from a novice: Week 6: I need your help!

Published: 08 October, 2008

The time has come for me to call out to any of you out there who may be reading and semi-amused by my venture into the wine industry.

The time has come for me to call out to any of you out there who may be reading and semi-amused by my venture into the wine industry.

Please could you help me with the answer to the following bemusement... how does one get the 'right' wine writer(s) to profile ones wine in the 'right' places? And, who exactly are the 'right' wine writer(s) and what are the 'right' places?

Now don't think me stupid, I am very aware of many of the wine writers and have written to many, but I am not exactly sure what is being referred to when comments about needing 'the right kind of exposure' are made. To my mind, it could be a range of different writers and publications for different audiences but it seems very difficult to actually get a hold on what exactly that should mean in real terms.

Our wine is really excellent and in the past few months, we have managed to make inroads into the UK market by travelling around in a sample laden car visiting with as many people (in a carefully selected category) who will see us as possible. We have grown aware in recent weeks that there are a population of consumers and businesses who are influenced by the recommendations of the great and good.

I look around me and I see publication after publication writing about Argentinean wines and Chilean wines together with various other exciting revelations from new and far flung places and I see tastings booked in exclusive places, people flocking to them in droves but I am still not sure exactly what it is that starts this surge of focus on a particular place. And more importantly, therefore, it is difficult to get an idea about whether Lebanese wines will one day be the new Chile or Argentina. What does it take to get column and people space and which space will be the space that launches a thousand stars for us?

Any ideas from you wiser and more experienced people would be more than appreciated!

Lucy Khoneizer is the owner of new (and hopefully very successful) company, Lebanese Fine Wines.

If you have any ideas for Lucy, please post them here in our forum area.