Winemaker / Importer Beware!!

Just sort of a PSA for my ITB friends.

After posting a question on FB regarding an experience I had in sending my wines to Leslie Hartley-Sbrocco and still 18 months later never getting a reply to any of my repeated questions to her if she had ever tried the wines I sent. I then asked the question to my ITB friends what their take is. I found through that thread on FB that Leslie did not have the greatest track record in the, disclosure / non-disclosure / being paid to represent the wines she is reviewing, and etc. Had I known of that thread 18 months ago And so it begins - Leslie Sbrocco and collateral damage online - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers , I never would have sent her my wines (at her request) free of charge, paid the shipping and handling etc. In short, I could have, would have used my money for a more beneficial cause.

So maybe we can use this as an ongoing open thread for others who may have experienced someone else in the tasting realm that really isn’t worth sending their wines to for review.

Anyone else?

People who take advantage of others generosity suck!

Thanks.

As I posted on FB, I get TONS of request for free samples of our wines. I try to respond politely, with a link to a local wholesaler if there is one or to Winesearcher. If they want samples, let them buy our wines. I’m not a charity, and I hate these parasites. Them, “bloggers” and worst of all, so-called consultants.

Just a little update. Leslie did respond since I brought the subject up. Told me some sad personal stories (which I am not heartless), I do appreciate that she must have very little time to write a note or answer that she received the samples. I mean all those FB posts, between hanging out with Sting, Miss America, Kathie Lee, going to the Pink concert, playing beer pong, you know all those things and then you know the personal stuff, yea sounds a little harsh of me to have asked for an acknowledgment that she got the wines.

BTW I think I stirred up a hornets nest.

You mean the wine you sent her a year and a half ago?
You are just so heartless Nola.

You need to add her name to the title of this thread

Thought about that, but I think the bigger picture is if others have a negative experience on something similar then they can post it here too.

Re: Leslie though. I am not out to get her… I felt that she was pompous and just thinks the producers are there to pick and choose which ones can benefit her the most. And while that is not such a bad thing (for her), sort of like an odd sort of natural selection in the wine industry. For the producers, it just isn’t right. When she wrote to apologize it was I’m so I travel a lot an my sister has cancer and my husband has cancer. I am very sorry that people close to her are so ill, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? 1st she didn’t apologize to me and take accountability, she chose to apologize and blame it on how busy she is and how sick these ppl are. And 2nd, she didn’t have any intention of responding to me until she got outed. And 3rd, she tried to flip it back on me telling me it was my fault I contacted her. WTF? I mean really? Seriously?

All I can say is my 10 year old daughter has more integrity, grit, kindness and accountability than Miss Thirsty Girl. It is sad actually.

Oh and then she “unfriended” me.

I will vouch for Leslie Sbrocco 100% with my name and company fully behind me. There are two sides to every story and this one definitely has two.

Nola, you should reconsider editing this sentence:

I never would have sent her my wines > (at her request) > free of charge, paid the shipping and handling etc. In short, I could have, would have used my money for a more beneficial cause.

The reason is that you are liable for a lawsuit as this is blatantly false and your liable for defamation of character… Unless of course you can produce the non existent letter or email whereby Leslie wrote you first asking for samples and not the other way around…

Ps; If I still had the bottles I submitted to every writer who didn’t write my wines up after I sent them in (without them asking), I would have a hell of a library.

pss; imagine all the posts here if every winemaker cried when they got a score of 88 or below or better yet, didn’t get reviewed at all! Submitting comes with zero guarantee.

Psss: any other winemaker submit there wines to the NYTimes, Chronicle, LA Times, Mens Health, Food and wine, etc. and expect them to pay for shipping, handing, etc?

Jamie, how is that liable? I did pay for the shipping, handling and the wine was from my warehouse? And she did request them. So how is that Liable?

Ps; you wrote her “introducing” your brand and wines. She didn’t write you. It’s not too hard to understand. You are lying.

Just sent you a pm

Job description for winemakers should read: “Thick Skin Required”

I guess this is the crux of it. I don’t know Leslie, but I know Nola, and would be surprised if her statement wasn’t true

Really? After calling me a liar, I have some real choice thoughts of you right now and it doesn’t involve thick skin. Real classy Jamie.

And since you sent me a private message here with part of the IM conversation I had with Leslie through Facebook a year ago in April, let me give you the rest of it. The part where she asked me to send the wine.



Yes, I did send her a message introducing her to our region and my winery, big deal. It is the same intro letter I send to every wine writer, critic, retail shop, potential distributor, etc… she asked me to send her the wines. I didn’t say “Hey Leslie, Please, please, please, try my wines.” Yes, I did say we would love to get you here…TO THE REGION! Again, big deal.

Conversation started April 24, 2012

4/24, 1:22am
Nola Palomar

Hi Leslie, I 'm sure you get lots of messages like this, but I would love to introduce you to the wines of the D.O.P. Granada. Our winery is > http://www.dominiobuenavista.com > and we’re located in the remote little white villages on the South side of the Sierra Nevada, Spain. I could say so much more but sometimes less is better. We would love to entertain the idea to get you here! Best, Nola

Bodega Dominio Buenavista
http://www.dominiobuenavista.com
Letter Veleta Wines.docx…

April 26, 2012


4/26, 12:49pm
Leslie Hartley-Sbrocco

HI nola, thanks for your lovely note. > i’m a huge fan of spanish wines and would love to taste your wines> . who is importing them? best, leslie


4/26, 12:50pm
Nola Palomar

I am. My import company is JNJ International in Dayton, OH


4/26, 12:51pm
Leslie Hartley-Sbrocco

fantastic. please send to my office: LJS Productions, 921 Transport way suite 5 petaluma CA 94954> . look forward to it. cheers


4/26, 12:53pm
Nola Palomar

muy bien. My husband is returning to the States next week and I’ll have him send them out to you.

Good luck… Cra Cra

I’m with you, and if I had to guess I’d say it isn’t Nola that is defaming anyone here. Seems like a low-blow post.
That Nola contacted Leslie first doesn’t make her a liar, defamer, or liable as to what she described. Obviously Leslie can and probably did get word from Jamie about the topic and since she knows the details first-hand SHE can come call Nola a liar.

But the bigger picture IMO is that it’s bush to not confirm with someone that you received them and tried them. Obviously a critic needn’t feel compelled to positively review, or even publicly review the wine at all. But geez it’s rude to not even respond that you received it and tried it. That some OTHER critic or reviewer did it to some OTHER winemaker doesn’t make it right or acceptable. In fact even if Nola HAD asked Leslie if she could send her some wines to taste, it’s wrong of Leslie to use that as a reason to not acknowledge that she received them and tasted them. If I made wine I’d want to know that someone behaved like that, and unless it were a major critic, whcih Leslie is not, I wouldn’t send them my stuff. You want to send your stuff to everyone regardless of whether they reply, and regardless of whether they are pompous, that’s fine and that might be an acceptable business practice to you. Everyone might not share that view. Perhaps the world would be a better place if people DIDN’T have to have a “thick skin” over the inappropriate actions of others.

I’ve actually been the beneficiary of wines sent to this area to be tasted by Nola on two different occasions. She’s obviously generous AND a good member of this community, though I’ve never met her. If you’re going to accuse her like that on the board, I’d think you’d ought to have a better case than what’s been said or few people will believe you and IMO you’ve made yourself look bad. IMO, it’s a losing proposition to not let Leslie do her own debating.

I see no reason to get into some of the unpleasant stuff in this thread, so I’ll keep it brief and factual. Some months ago I was emailing with Nola, and she offered to send some wine for people here to try. I organized a blind tasting of her wines, and John and his wife Mary joined in the fun. I collated the group’s evaluations and sent them back to Nola.

I don’t solicit “free samples,” but if a winemaker wants my opinion and sends me samples, then I’ll certainly acknowledge receiving the wine (at the very least) and will try to give them some feedback. It seems like the least I can do.

Bruce

I just love the out-of-the-blue “please send to my office” before any actual offer of free samples had been made. I wonder if this can work for the rest of us?
“Dear M. Villaine - big fan of your wines. please send to my office…”
“Dear Mr. Musk - your car looks great. please send to my office…”