State of the Wine Collector w/ John Jackson, Dallas

Checking in on how collectors are weathering current economic conditions, John Jackson (IG: attorneysomm; YouTube: attorneysomm) provides insight into the Dallas, Texas wine market.  From their wine clubs to how collectors learn about new wines and buy them, John delivers deep insight into the Dallas market as of May 2023.  John also details some of his journey on social media with Instagram and YouTube.

Detailed Show Notes:  John’s backgroundAttorneysomm on Instagram (27k followers) and YouTube (7,000+ subscribers)Dallas based collector, lawyer, WSET DiplomaCellar is ~2,000 bottlesDallas Wine ClubsLike a country club for wine loversEach club has ~100-125 membersAnnual dues (~$1,500-2,500/year) and must meet a minimum wine spend through the club’s retailIncludes a wine locker (48 bottles), hosts winemaker and distributor tastings, sells wines through distributors and brokers wine collectionsDriven by TX wine laws - restaurants w/ full bars are not allowed to do corkageGraileys - more focused on celebrities and athletes nowRoots and Water - John is a member, currently 2 locations55 Seventy - opened 1-2 years agoCollector demographics are becoming more female over time from heavily male Dry January is relevant, but interest in wine is increasing Regional buying focusTop 4 regions - Bordeaux, Champagne, Napa, BurgundyIn John’s collection - he buys the most Champagne, but California is #1 in the cellar (due to large prior buying), with Bordeaux and Rhone nextSpain and Italy are relevant but smallerPichon Lalande is popular in Dallas - more expensive in Dallas than in other marketsIntroductions to new wineriesPrimarily through club distributor tastings & winemaker visitsVisits to wine regions (collectors go ~2-3x/year)Social mediaWine pricingIncreases have made people more selective w/ purchasing; some have paused and drinking down cellar, waiting for pricing to come downSome prices are double what they were before, especially BurgundyAuction house reached out soliciting wine to sell, claiming the market is at all-time highsPrice increases in bad vintages (e.g., 2017 & 2020 Napa) are negative buying signalsWine buyingFrom club - ~33%, mostly at distributor tastingsOnline sources - ~33%, for older bottles, back vintages (e.g., Benchmark wine); collectors drinking mostly ‘90s Bordeaux and earlierWinery direct - ~33%, for domestic wines, mostly mailing list/allocation systems, don’t like clubs b/c no control over what they receive; John was in ~15-16 mailing lists, now ~4-5); people culling their lists“Cellar Defenders” - wines to drink that protect wines in the cellar; e.g., Willamette Valley, Rioja (Lopez de Heredia), Châteauneuf du Pape (Pegau)Harder to get older wines than before (e.g., Champagne, Napa)Social mediaInstagram - spends less time engaging and more preparing content; posts more high-end winesYouTube - active wine community, tends to be more value-focused, took a long time to reach critical mass (1st 3 months - 100 subscribers; +6 months to 1,000; 15 more months to 7,000); people want to know what wines to buy (e.g., Top 10 wines under $50)Influencers now need to be more proactive in finding opportunities vs. being actively approached during the pandemic

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