Star Wine Winners Take Center Stage

We're worried about bank contage, and so a lot going on, um, and of course the labor markets. Right, it's just a lot, NonStop. So we thought we would wrap up with wine. Our thanks to our producer Paul Brennan for that. With us is christ bank Son. He is founder and publisher of Star Wine List. He joins Jess and myself here in a Bloomberg Interactive Broker studio. Welcome, Welcome, Happy Friday. UM, nice to have you here. So tell us Star Wine List.

Not familiar with it, so tell us about it. Sure, it's a guide to great wine bars and wine restaurants. So it's a it's a bit like a restaurant guy, but focused on wine and it's gonna happen. It's a website. And my background is in media and wine and start a few companies in communications and wine. And I thought there's something missing for wine lovers, both pro pros and amateurs.

That you know, there's so many restaurant guys in the world Michelean, etc. But often when you're a wine lover, you go to city and you start asking your friends where should I go, Like I'm going to Berlin with your favorite places, and you trade the lists of these places, right, and so we thought there's a space there we need

to start working on. So that's the original. I said it just before, you know, when you were coming in, and I said, when I was in college a few years ago, I remember this great wine bar down in the village. And then I'm like, are there even wine bars around anymore? Because it's such a great way to sample wines. Yeah, absolutely there are. I mean you have great ones in New York where you celebrate it at a company on Central Street this week, and great wine

bars in New York for sure. Something I was curious about because you were just named the winners of the twenty twenty three Star Wine List of the Year New York who else was on it, So we are organizing those awards, so we're handing out to that and actually the awards started so we're started in the Nordics six years ago and then we're growing country to country with

professionals years and wine writers sharing their addresses. And we started the awards to really highlight the best winalists and the teams behind them, and we've done that in a number of countries around the world. And we were invited to join Vnexpo America this week and bring it there. And we've been talking to Psalms for years. They wanted to have it in the city, said it would be like a good addition to the wine scene, and we said, yeah, Charlotte, we'll did one day, and now it was the time.

So on Wednesday we did it and we had a lot of great finalists, a lot of the best some years in the country joining heading out awards and it was just a great party. So Christian, I've been lucky enough to talk to some some ye and it's just really wonderful to pick their brain and their education and experience. How do you guys figure out who are the winners? Especially in a place like a great city, whether it's Berlin, whether it's New York, where there are just kind of

the cream of the crops. First of all, we have different categories, so best by the Glass list and I love that ideas short lists, et cetera. So a couple of different categories and the judges actually previously we had more defined criteria with you know, with depths and stuff like that, but to this year we changed that because we have a lot of the best so many years

in the world. In the jury ranch par yeah, past into earlier and plast elevens and etcetera, were like, no, let's drink that and just say, okay, vote for the list that you find most exciting because they are the best. So and then they bounced that around the jury and said, well, this is really one of those stands out and for different reasons. This could be going down the rabbit hole of really peculiar choices or being really wide on a lot of fine wines, so it's on the winner list.

This time we had eleven Madison Park the best buy the golf list, yeah, and then a place like Pinch Chinese for the best medium scized list. So you know, it's all the range and diversity that you see in one list in restaurants today, it's really cool. How exactly do you go about trying to categorize in the process of choosing, kind of walk us through that so to make sure, like, if you're going to be the winner, what stages do you go through to choose that this

one would be the best? Yeah, So we invite everybody to submit, and you know, and they sent into the deadline. A couple didn't make it to deadlines, so we'll be next year, sorry guys. And then the jury we divided into the different categories. If you have a large list for the Grand Prix, so more than six hundred references the bigger ones and buy the glass. And we also have a sustainability price, so that's also that's interesting judge

different categories. Yeah, so that category is judging both the list and the wines on them that they are made in a sustainable way, but also how the restaurant works, thest sory involved. And then the jury then scores these and then comes together for a jury discussion and say, you know, okay, well bounce it around and come to a conclusion which were the ones that won the gold starts that we call the prizes here. No, it's interesting, and I do feel like, you know, when we have

conversations about the wine industry or just different vineyards. I mean, it can be very overwhelming. And I think people if you're not familiar, you know, you walk into a wine store or you're looking at a wine list and it's just a lot. What do you think about when you got somebody, maybe it's a friend or a relative, and they're like, so Christal helped me, how do I begin? I always say just begin and just try something. Yeah, that's a great way to do. I mean shops, that's

one thing. But I think one cool thing with wine bars and restaurants is not there you have pros psalms, especially wine barts, where you can taste a lot of stuff and get you know, knowledge and pick their brains and find what you like. I think that's very important what you mean, because there's always been a lot about scores and wines. These are the best prestige browns, et cetera. But if it's not to your taste, it doesn't matter. Why do you find it what you like yourself and

go from there. I always find it hard to have any sort of like the cabernets or pino noirs are always a bit too tart for me. I always a lean a little bit more towards like say the reasonings. I was talking with Carol about this earlier. But I mean, what a kind of advice do you have for people who are trying to learn more about that and trying to even if you're trying to pair it with particularly whether you're with a steak or maybe you're eating it

with fish. I was trying to convince just to come over to the red side because I was telling her about some great cabernets with a good piece of beef. Side. Well, do you have a preference? Uh No, I just love too many wines. Well you have a lot of long broadcast. If we're going to go through all that stuff, it's

just too much snow. But I think same thing there, you know, followed, if you find some people out you read and like, you know, stuff to be friends or somebody or a wine writer or you know, a magazine, start trying trying your own way. It's funny that's how

I do, like through friends and family. But it's funny that you know, wine bars I think are just really wonderful and we're gonna you actually bought when you walked in and you brought this bottle and I'm like, oh my god, this is so good and we're gonna open it up and drink it in just a moment. But like San Francisco's airport, they've got some great little, you know, places while you're waiting to get your flight and you

can just try a glass. And I can't tell you how many times I've just kind of taken a picture of a label and it's just a fun way to try something out. Yeah. Yeah, we're talking about trends before, and I think it's just become so many places an unexpected places sometimes at a airport or in suburbs. You know, it doesn't have to be massive lists and all that stuff. A lot of places kind of have really interesting things and we try to find that as well on the guide.

So tell us about the wine that you brought in. I'm gonna maybe start pouring it and then we're gonna come back and talk some more. But tell us about first of all, the able and I'll send it out on Twitter as well. Um, it's a mailback which is just incredible from Argentina exactly, so that was one of the wines we brought a tasting with the Psalms this week and a lot of them really loved it and me too, so we totally really cool. And there were actually people who didn't love it. No, I've never met

anyone who didn't like this. As you mentioned the labels, so it's Katina Argentina, so it's old vineyards in Mendoza at high altitude, and I think it's it's bringing to the others you see on the label as well, the history of the grape that comes from France, ancient from southwest of France and then came, you know, with immigrants to Argentina and become the flagship grape there and it's come full circle and this is um Yeah. I think it's a special wine, so it'll be interested it's here.

You said, that's great. I was just chatting with Carol about how usually when it comes to the reds, I like to have the mail back. So that's exciting that you that's the one that you ended up choosing. It was meant to be. Well, we're going to continue conversation. We are gonna sample this um or I'm going to get to sample it again. Just having had it, which I'm just delighted about. But when we come back, Christer, I want to talk about some of what we're seeing.

You talk about sustainability, and I feel like more and more brands and more vineyards are are concerned about this, even more spirits in general. They're thinking about the climate and just get into some of the interesting things. I also love that there's just newer vineyards I feel like popping up that are just giving us so many more choices. So we're going to continue with Krister banks And he is founder and publisher of Star Wine List. I love

a list. I'm a list kind of person, and we're gonna talk a little bit more about what he's seeing in the industry. Let's get back to our guest. Banks And is with us, founder and publisher of Star Winds, a Star Wine List in studio with us, and I want to talk a little bit more about kind of industry trends if I will, But in the meantime, I am going to open up. It's already been quirked. Right there we go. We're gonna pour some wine, so remind us you you said what we're going to be drinking.

So it's like getting us about malbec at Quentino. So it's really great. Maldbeck from Argentina, from a great producer and mendelsoh, thank you. So talk to us a little bit about some of the trends that are going on in the wine industry that you find our most industry and I'm going to be interesting. Um, we talked a little bit about sustainability. Jess, I'm going to pass this to you. Get a little bit of an assist here, that's okay, Um, sustainability is that more and more important

to most vineyards at this point? Yeah, definitely. I mean it's it's society as a whole, but beverages as a whole and wine as well. And our focus of course is wine in restaurants. We're a you know, a guy to wine bars and wine restaurants. So it's one in

the on trade. And I think, you know, do consumers care because I think about right, just with products increasingly talk about that, people are looking at how things are manufacturing manufactured, how things you know, are impacting the environment. Do consumers think about that? Yeah? I think it's you know, maybe it's a bit of a generational thing, but you know, all of society is doing it, and the one industry there's you know, real impact on everything from packaging and

transports and how the vineyards are treated and everything. So I think all chains of that are really looked at a lot throughout the one industry and it's changed a lot in the last just a few years before because they're seeing it firsthand. Yeah, I mean, you live off the earth. It's it's farming, right, you need to be you know, treat the earth with care. And the consumers are definitely asking for it. And some years especially it's

a young and pretty young for profession. You know, you have a new generations coming up and for them it's a given. I mean other ones you don't want to work with it, right, So yeah, it's a younger generation interested in being some oys. Um, I mean it was we have the pandemics just before please please schools. But are they interested in? I wonder? Right, Like that's an interesting It's tough during the pandemic. I mean, first you know,

a restaurant shutting down or you're being furloughed. A lot of people switched career started studying, and the restaurants are struggling through the pandemic and then coming back and suddenly guests coming back wanted to go out, but a lot of people had left the industry, so you know, it's a huge staffing shortage and that's just being picked up a little bit now and it's been a huge challenge for them. But we've seen now, at least in Europe, vising a little bit. People are you know, it's it's

always been an entry level career for people to start out. Yeah, and yeah, thankfully it's or joining there. Can I just say this is magical, it's delicious. Did you like it? Yes, I loved it. It's great. Good bring you over to the red wine side exactly. I was like, I've always been curious about the process to become a small ya. I mean, can you walk us through that. What are the steps that take? What does the course like work to study for this? If you want to be one?

How do you think? Yeah, that's a good question. We're talking about earlier. I mean it's different. I'm based in Europe and of course in different countries, so you have some of your schools or you're studying restaurant schools where it's very you know, formalized in France, et cetera. Another country it's not so much in England. It's more you start from the floor and you work with your way up, or you're an immigrant from France or somewhere you asked.

You have more training programs as well, and I think a lot of them. You start working in a restaurant maybe or even as a chef, and you get the bug. You're like, you take something maybe like this, and you hear from people who are passionate, you think, wow, this is really something, and then you get rolled into that's a little big step of it as well. But is it easy, like can is it fair to say anybody could be one? Or is it there are certain people

that there's just a knack. I think, you know, I think it's like a lot of other careers that's you know, I think most people can't if you're interested. But there are certainly people we know who are just you know, have a gift. But it's also about hospitality and theory and being you know, being taking out of your guests and I'm loving wine as well. Christ one of the things that was interesting too, and I think about during the pandemic. Don't ever want to go through that again.

But nonetheless, you know, we did you know. Funnily enough, we talked about everybody who was drinking a lot and then also if they were home and they could um. But also kind of the increased digitization of access to wine. I know, we ordered stuff in and a lot of people did. Um. What are some of the things that have stayed with us post pandemic. Well, I think the usage of you know, online ordering and delivery and depending on you know, the legal markets, legality of the markets

smaller as a result because of that. Yeah, but alcohol is of course heavily regulated, right, so it's depending on where you are in countries and states you need to follow the rules from that. But and in some places, like you you were allowed to buy and bring home from the restaurant strike. Um. So I think a lot of that has stayed. But at the same time, it's kind of funny all the predictions during the pandemic. Oh, everything's going to change, We're gonna work from home. We don't,

you know, we're not going to go out. I mean we are. We want to meet more afterwards. You want to meet your friends, go out for dinner, have a glass of wine. That's what makes life worth living. On a Frida night, you don't want to say on zoom doing that. One thing I was curious about because we always were talking about inflation prices groceries, but it seems as if wine prices haven't necessarily been keeping up quite as much, and I feel like that might be a

good thing for us. Is that supposed to continue? We had to ask that question in order to justify this interplation. I think the wine producers will be happy for you to say that. I think they're facing a lot of pressure to race prices. And I was talking to just one small, um, you know, artisanal producer and just the glass bottles were double the cost in a couple of months and just getting access to them. It's been really hard through everything. And yeah, so the price is um.

There was a huge build up after the pandemic as well, you know, the shipping and containers in the wrong places and all that and people grabbing what they could find. Um, that's the east. But the pricing has definitely been on a pressure glob so that's will be visible in wireless as well. But it was quite a funny during the on stage this week because the jury discussed the wireless and we have dog frost mass assimilar mustard wine, lives

in the middle of the country. Come in and said, one thing about the wine is New York though, WTF what are these prices? That is interesting all right, needs no interpretation. Christ, Thank you so much. Christ. Thanks and founder and publisher Cash Blomberg. Wall Street Week with David weston tonight at six pm Wall Street Time. David is joined by Equity Group Investments founder and chairman Sam Zell,

a former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. That's Wall Street Week tonight at six I'm Bloomberg Radio.