{"id":2458184,"date":"2020-05-07T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=325359"},"modified":"2020-05-07T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T01:00:00","slug":"the-larkmead-salon-a-virtual-gathering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/the-larkmead-salon-a-virtual-gathering\/","title":{"rendered":"The Larkmead Salon: A Virtual Gathering"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.2631578947368\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-325359-724\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled gallery-container\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-1024x684.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"JIMMY HAYES \/ JBH Photo | The Larkmead winery, site of the Larkmead Salons.\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>The Larkmead winery, site of the Larkmead Salons.<\/strong><br \/>JIMMY HAYES \/ JBH Photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-1024x684.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Larkmead winery, site of the Larkmead Salons.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-1-1024x684.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"JIMMY HAYES \/ JBH Photo |\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>JIMMY HAYES \/ JBH Photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-1-1024x684.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-3-576x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"| Kristen Reitzell, vice president of communications at Jackson Family Wines.\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Kristen Reitzell, vice president of communications at Jackson Family Wines.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-3-576x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Kristen Reitzell, vice president of communications at Jackson Family Wines.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-4-576x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"| Dan Petroski, winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards.\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Dan Petroski, winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/wine-atw-050720-1-4-576x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Dan Petroski, winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/the-larkmead-salondek-a-virtual-gathering\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/the-larkmead-salondek-a-virtual-gathering\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">If you are lucky enough to be an aficionado of the Calistoga-based Larkmead Vineyards, a historic Napa Valley winery in the midst of a 21st-century renaissance, and I mentioned their \u201cSalon,\u201d you might think fondly of their cabernet franc-led Bordeaux blend, the LMV Salon. But the word \u201csalon\u201d also conjures a gathering of individuals, perhaps intellectuals and artists, who come together to discuss weighty issues of the day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Since 2017, Dan Petroski, Larkmead\u2019s celebrated winemaker (including LMV Salon) has assembled a series of wine salons to address the future concerns of the industry. Winemakers, tastemakers, journalist and marketers have occasionally convened at the magnificent Howard Bracken-designed winery on Larkmead Lane to discuss issues like climate change and how the wine world can respond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But, with COVID-19 eliminating the opportunity for in-person get-togethers, Petroski and the Larkmead team recently decided to do what so many of us are doing to replace our group interactions: Zoom it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This past week Petroski hosted a Larkmead virtual Salon, via Zoom, to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on the wine industry.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Moderator Virginie Boone, contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast Magazine, posed questions to a panel that included Master Sommelier John Ragan, director of wine and restaurant operations at Danny Meyer\u2019s Union Square Hospitality Group, and Jackson Family Wines vice president of public relations Kristen Reitzell. Joining were a pair of premier importer\/distributors, Michael Skurnick, whose eponymous company represents over 500 domestic and imported brands, and Suzanne Chambers, president of Chambers &amp; Chambers Wine Merchants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The tone and tenor of the conversation ping-ponged between the devastating and the optimistic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe\u2019ve all surfed challenges from tariffs to price impacts to consumer preferences,\u201d said Ragan, who oversees the wine programs for 20 of the most prestigious restaurants in New York City. \u201cBut we\u2019ve never seen anything like this. We never imaged we would lay off 2,500 people in a day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Skurnick, whose business supplies both restaurants and liquor stores, echoed Ragan. \u201cIt has been a \u2018crises management moment,\u2019\u201d he told the virtual group of over 150 wine industry types who had signed up for the salon. \u201cOvernight we lost 50% of our customer base when on-premise closed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe began to see what was happening a little early because we do business in China,\u201d echoed Jackson Family\u2019s Kristen Reitzell. \u201cBut the issue here is we are not able to see anyone at the wineries right now.\u201d The company has 43 wineries globally and the flagship Kendall-Jackson winery in Santa Rosa is a magnet for wine lovers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cA tasting room is where you make connections for life with a customer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Boone, the moderator, adroitly steered conversation to the opportunities that may arise from the current closures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a tremendous amount of community out there,\u201d said Suzanne Chambers, who has seen a lot since 1973 when Chambers &amp; Chambers was first founded by her father, a former Western Airlines pilot. \u201cWe are getting extended terms and people we work with are engaging and trying to partner up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She said she sees a bright future \u2026 with reservations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt will come back but we may have to adjust and change. I worry about trophy wines (high-end collectables) finding their market. I feel the sweet spot is going to be quality wines in the $30 to $40 range at retail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Ragan agreed that there will be better days ahead but cautioned against a boom in the marketplace: \u201cWhen restaurants open, they are going to be selling what they already have in stock, right? We are not going to suddenly be buying wines. It may be challenging for destination restaurants but I think those that connect, that are a part of the community, will always be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Interestingly, all of the participants concurred that virtual gatherings are here to stay. \u201cIt\u2019s time for wine to take back the narrative,\u201d Reitzell said. \u201cWe need to adapt and virtual tastings are a great way to do that. There are people who buy and even collect wines that have never been to wine country. If we can take them virtually, that is a great way to create relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Regan reiterated, \u201cPeople want to make connections with wines and winemakers and virtual tasting are great for that.\u201d Chambers agreed, noting, \u201cVirtual will add a whole new level of consumer engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThink about it. Ninety-eight percent of the people coming to virtual tastings on Zoom never heard of it before this crisis,\u201d Skurnick said. \u201cThose who can figure it out to create virtual hospitality centers will be successful. This can be a time of great opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Words to drink by.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/magazines\/aspen-times-weekly\/the-larkmead-salondek-a-virtual-gathering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Larkmead winery, site of the Larkmead Salons.JIMMY HAYES \/ JBH Photo JIMMY HAYES \/ JBH Photo Kristen Reitzell, vice president of communications at Jackson Family Wines. Dan Petroski, winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards. Show CaptionsHide Captions If you are lucky enough to be an aficionado of the Calistoga-based Larkmead Vineyards, a historic Napa Valley winery [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2458184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-17 18:21:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458184\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}