Flexcube

In 2022, I was asked to be a speaker at the Green Wine Future Conference specifically to speak on the Technology of the Globally Patented Flexcube Evolution, the worlds only non-plastisol polymer vessel for aging of wine, spirits, and beer (ok, cider too!). I asked NOT to speak on the Flexcube but on the disconnect between oak conservation science and the topic of #sustainability specific to the wine industry. The organizers of the Conference stated, "yes, Nick, your suggested topic of bridging the disconnect between Conservation Science and wine is relevant, but we only want you to speak specifically on the Technology of the Flexcube. On day 1 of the Conference, I was honored to be present as a supplier of future technologies that possess the capacity to save massive amounts of natural resources while providing incredible and indiscernible results to aging wine in a barrel. There are several keys to this topic that are disregarded by the multiple products on the market suggesting claims but simply become cheaper alternatives to barrels, utilizing marketing gimmicks and 'copycat' language rather than providing viable alternatives to barrel aging. This may be offensive to a few of those plastics manufacturers, but I have tried every alternative only to conclude that I believe it is a disservice to the winemaking community to portray something that simply is just not true. Day 1: Green Wine Future: – Session 5: HARNESSING NEW TECHNOLOGIES & SERVICES TO BUILD GREATER SUSTAINABILITY– 1) The technology revolution in the wine sector over the past decade has been astounding with more data to act upon, resources to leverage, and greater understanding of the challenges we face. 2) These experts will show a series of new products and services that could revolutionize our business as we know it by conserving and reducing resource use, offering better data on which to make production decisions, and helping consumers make better buying decisions. SPONSORED BY: AGROVIN Moderator: Kevin Atticks Prateek Srivastava Ole Nielsen Germán León Nicholas M. Karavidas Marco Bezzi Christian DeBlasio That's the 1-2 punch! I don't sell products to 'sell' things. When I discovered the Flexcube Technology (not the Sales Pitch), I determined to locate only the finest products in certain grape and wine processing functions and offer them to my friends.....this became Flexcube West. We are aging wine in a range from $12,000/ton Napa AVA wines to no-oak north coast Chardonnay & Sauv Blancs to Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel to Paso Robles Rhone blends discovering how to make better wines for much less investment (because of the affordability of finer quality alternative solutions). If you are a winemaker or winery production staffer or owner & want to taste the results of these wines aged in the Patented Flexcube, please reach out to me and I'll arrange for a private tasting. #flexcube #winemakersforum #techtalk4wine #naturalresourceconservation #conservation #winemaker

It's clear inviting visitors to simply belly up to the tasting bar for a wine flight is no longer enough. Love this piece from Kathleen Willcox in The Drinks Business about wineries introducing totally unique experiences to capture the hearts and minds (and palates) of new audiences looking for more. #wine #winebusiness Doffo Winery Damian Doffo Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate Halter Ranch Levantine Hill Estate

Beauty is always near to us. Sometimes we miss seeing how close it is when our vision is obstructed with clutter. So today, No epic scenes of standing on a cliff doing a mule kick, just a quiet simple sunrise in beautiful place close to home.....peace & beauty are always much close than we think. With the heat of the week about to hit us straight on, and the continuing saga of oversupply, and global wine trade ‘adjustments’, it seemed to me we might simply need to cool our jets. Preparing for this next week, it’s full of; 🧪🍷blending trials with EBX - Solutions de Tannins Oenologiques 👨🎨 New label designs for upcoming client contract bottling; 🚢 Finalizing Flexcube order for harvest; 🤝 Negotiating Contracts for new partnerships and harvest equipment orders. ⚖️ Eeviewing case documents for vineyard litigation #expertwitness work. I’m glad it’s a short week! Until then….. Good morning from Wine Country!🍷🌻 #sunrise #contemplation #wine #winecountry #photography

More isn’t “better”. 30-40 years ago, it was possible to view a good portion of the film and content media that was being produced. Today, it isn’t reasonable to view, let alone digest, all of the major player film and content media developed. Soon, the word ‘influencer’ will be relegated to impossible to consume silos of topic matter and the new “influencer” will (maybe?) a digital cranial compressor of information that we’ll plug into to update our frontal lobe digitizers. In the meantime, there’s a large handful of forward thinking content developed by those who have committed decades to the betterment of wine and its systems. Not my words, but this. Read at your own risk to digitally transform yourselves. #digital #marketing #branddevelopment #winemakersforum #DTC #digitalmarketing

When I first met Greg Burns 24 years ago, this own-rooted Carignane vineyard was already 91 years young! At 115 years old, the vineyard is vibrant, healthy, and very much in balance in its deep-rooted Tokay series sandy loam soil. As part of an organized objective to raise awareness for the protection of Old Vine Vineyards, Sonoma Winemaker & Consultant Lisa Bishop Forbes is walking this historic ground as a possible addition to her private and now evolving eclectic portfolio. The leaves are cool to the touch showing that these vines are happy in moist ground far below the soil surface on this 90 degree summer day. Old vines in California are threatened by the massive oversupply of grapes in California and will only survive if winemakers, such as old vine lovers like Lisa Forbes, Randy Caparosa, Greg LaFollette, and Tegan Pasalaqua embrace and promote these ancient chroniclers of time & character. #oldvines #winemakerslife #lodi #techtalk4wine #EBX #winemakersforum #winemaker Lisa Bishop Forbes Evan Damiano Tegan Passalacqua Randy Caparoso Jason Haas HISTORIC VINEYARD SOCIETY

Establishing meaningful relationships and meaning work is NOT what we do for revenue. It’s these relationships that really are the life-blood of our successes…or our failures. Every day we have the opportunity to build upon, repair, refine existing relationships or develop new ones. Here pictured is taking a little time to say hello and learn a little more about brewing at Firestone Walker Brewing Company with my friend and colleague Kurt Almond who heads up special projects there. When we take the time to learn what is important to others we work with and see exactly what their passions are, the work that we do becomes so much more meaningful. Wine, and the Bev-alc industry in general, is a business encapsulating the very best of and most challenging sectors of industry, and relationships are how we stear though the maze of details and complications. * 🌾 Consider the challenges specific to Agriculture - the very foundations of independent agriculture are being challenged more today than ever in history. Other than the “dust bowl” (no, I’m not talking the brewery in Turlock) Dust Bowl Brewing Co., or plagues of Biblical proportions, but that the global agricultural trade is more treacherous and unforgiving today than any time in history. * 🚢 What about International Trade - With a strong American $$ and foreign subsidies supporting the wine trades in Europe and other countries around the world, pricing wine both inside and outside the US is challenging at best. Advantage….importer, retailer, wholesaler. Not that it’s easy or simple around the world for international Bev-alc supply businesses, considering global oversupply with decimating effects in Australia and the EU, with each nation vying for the largest wine consuming markets with exporting attempts to ‘right their ships’. * 🛍️ Direct to Consumer? - The obvious need to be data driven in the wine trade is no more apparent than the DTC market. Understanding best practices is a game for experts like Sandra Beals, from DTC Wine Workshops or Connor Widder or Cathy Huyghe from Enolytics. * 🚛 3-Tier Distribution - Operating in the archaic post prohibition system of alcohol distribution is not only incredibly expensive, but of the 11,000+ wineries (not to mention the myriad 1000’s of Ne’gociant brands competing in the same markets), only a handful control 80+% of the Is national grocery shelf. * 📈 Marketing to New Generarions of consumers is a new ball game. The new consumer isn’t swayed by the Burma Shave signage and Hollywood romance commercials like our forefathers (there’s that sexist term popping up it’s ugly head!) There is no end to the danger, excitement, diversity, or technical details and that, my friends, is a business of romance! So, the moral of this story? Keep your friends close…and prioritize your relationships! #brewery #winemakersforum #techtalk4wine #internationaltrade #wineindustry #winemakerslife

So many really cool things going on in the wine trade today! It’s not that single serve is something new, but working the bugs out of single serve has been ongoing for more than 10-15+ years. AND, I have to say, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again!”. In the myriad of attempts, this particular aseptic packed pouch has nailed it! I tasted a Margaux red last night with these guys that was in this pouch for 9 months. The wine was brilliant, super expressive, soft and elegant, and totally blew me away! I’ve seen a lot of attempts but It looks like we’ve finally worked the bugs out. The cats out of the bag, sustainability is vastly improved and it’s going to make such a big difference for the future. Kudos Alex & Jamie! Job very well done!!! 💥Extremely light weight 📈Super efficient packaging 🔥Proven shelf life 🍷Winemaker approved!!! #sustainability #visionaryleadership #winemakersforum #techtalk4wine #winemakerslife #branddevelopment

I have to repost this as everytime I view Mason Moreland 's video I get giddy. Hey Brian CHEESEBOROUGH ! When did we start this conversation? A FermForge and #USAmedee Collaboration Supporting Texas Vine Country and #TexasWines Thank-you again Mike Moreland for your encouragement Thank-you Stéphane RADOUX for your pursuit of excellence in enological oak products and CONGRATULATIONS to us Brian!! EBX - Solutions de Tannins Oenologiques AMEDEE - l' Arôme du Bois

Ma femme me dit toujours : "Le rosé, c'est la vie !" 🍷 Et elle a bien raison ! Le rosé est un vin complexe et délicat. Sa réussite dépend, entre autres, d'une protection optimale dès la vendange. Nos copeaux #LaRecette - #VendangesFraîcheur spécial #Rosé apportent une fraîcheur, une minéralité et une tension remarquable. Ils révèlent des notes fruitées agréables tout en protégeant la couleur, pour un rosé cristallin et limpide qui dure dans le temps. Constitués de petits copeaux de chêne français et américain, avec divers degrés de chauffe, ils sont conçus pour une interaction rapide et sont appliqués sur le jus juste débourb��. Résultat : un rosé tout en finesse, sans sensation de bois, à la couleur intense et stable. #oenologie #vinification #rosé #innovation #Harvest #Vendanges

Shock Factor ~ 🎬 We are living in a world where “news” is an activity of attention grabbing bites to hold our attention until the advertisers attempt to have their way with us is satisfied in the way of “a sale”. The reality is that you may have a product or service that is excellent but getting in front of a buyer takes more than just a little persuasion, it takes: 1) An impressive opening line; 2) Striking presentation; 3) A rock star team; 4) Performance beyond good. A few days ago I ordered a glass of Merlot from a famous name winery in Sonoma. It was a young vintage so maybe it needed a little time to ‘open up’….so I swirled for several minutes and gave it some time. I was blown away, not by the excellence of this wine with a multi-generation family history, but by its pyrazine bitterness, its lack aromatic beauty, its defeating palate breadth, and its short-stifled finish. All I could think of (especially in an oversupply market) was, “how could the winemaking team allowed this wine into the bottle. It had a great brand name. The wines were historically lush, perfumed, juicy, and lingering. That’s the lesson, right? A name is only a name until the wine shows itself to be ‘honorable’ on its own, blind. But is a brown paper bag with a $45 price tag going to move it off the mark? Today, it better be a $45-$50 value at $24….or less. The point is that the US and global wine markets are struggling with consumer embrace. Personally, I think it’s the lack of so many grocery shelf wines being mediocre with a great label. (And many times the labels are simply cheesy). Ok, so “The Narcissist” Wine Brand. Shock factor….is that all it is? I look at what I just wrote above and I’m scared to death that I could fall into the same “cellar-palate” trap that my ‘big family name Merlot’ has fallen into. The kind of wine that gets trashed on “B” rated wine flicks. Oh, and the photo? One of my favorite spots in California wine country to catch both sunrises and sunsets! Today, it’s Sonoma. Canon 5Diii Canon 16-35f2.8 @ 25mm F1 Monopod held 1/60th Sec ISO 200 #photography #wine #winemakersforum #winemakerslife #sonoma