Myriad Syrah

[Brian_Tuite]

@Phill.WC

@Brian Tuite

@Phill.WC

By the way, I also don’t get the “we’re a small family owned business” bit.

To me it means, “We don’t have deep pocket investors who we can turn to if cashflow issues come up in the short term so we have to be sure we make all the correct decisions every time.”

The way I see it, a small business can be managed well despite limited resources. You can have a small wine maker trying to price low and barely scraping by and to me that’s a failed strategy. I prefer transparency, “we make really good wine that you love” “therefore we price accordingly and transparently” that makes better sense to me than trying to hide margin in shipping fees and charging a fee at pick up days.

Maybe we should have this part of the conversation in another thread since those things don’t apply in the case of Myriad. I pick up the majority of my wines to avoid shipping fees and have never been asked to pay for pick-up day anywhere. Without looking at anyones books I cannot claim they use shipping as a profit center, at least not with those I do business with. AFAIK everyone I do business with uses fulfillment companies.

[Brian_Tuite]

@Phill.WC

The way I see it, a small business can be managed well despite limited resources.

Here’s a scenario for you. You buy grapes from the same grower every year and get say 4 tons of fruit consistently from your block. Then there is a bumper crop this year and even with crop thinning they bring you 6 tons. Your operation is funded for 4 tons give or take. You have the cost of extra fruit, extra processing costs from the custom crush, more barrels to buy, more more glass, corks, labels etc…

Sometimes Mother Nature throws you a curve. Is that poor business management or just chance?

[R_Nanda]

Happy to support Mike and Leah. Their pricing and order terms are more then fair. Great wine and a terrific value relative to what is in the bottle.

[Bud_Carey]

Ditto!!!

[Phill.WC]

@Brian Tuite

@Phill.WC

The way I see it, a small business can be managed well despite limited resources.

Here’s a scenario for you. You buy grapes from the same grower every year and get say 4 tons of fruit consistently from your block. Then there is a bumper crop this year and even with crop thinning they bring you 6 tons. Your operation is funded for 4 tons give or take. You have the cost of extra fruit, extra processing costs from the custom crush, more barrels to buy, more more glass, corks, labels etc…

Sometimes Mother Nature throws you a curve. Is that poor business management or just chance?

Planning for a bad case scenario is prudent planning for not just the wine business but for any business. Pricing your product/service well (be it a widget, wine or service) provides a business with healthy margin. By the way, my jaded take is based on Littorai and not Myriad. You’re right, probably the wrong thread to debate this but it’s still relevant.

[Vinni_Capra]

If you are forced to buy (6) bottles of Myriad syrah I would say you are smiling later. I’ve kicked myself many times in the past for ordering (3) bottles of syrah. Pricing is in the same ballpark as Carlisle, Bedrock, if you are a buyer of those would you only buy (3) bottles? If you are a buyer already these are value wines (6) shouldn’t be a big deal.

[Brian_Tuite]

@Vinni Capra

If you are forced to buy (6) bottles of Myriad syrah I would say you are smiling later. I’ve kicked myself many times in the past for ordering (3) bottles of syrah. Pricing is in the same ballpark as Carlisle, Bedrock, if you are a buyer of those would you only buy (3) bottles? If you are a buyer already these are value wines (6) shouldn’t be a big deal.

+6

[Albert_R]

+666… I just wish they would offer more variety with the minimum of 6 bottles. Say Syrah and Cabernet… Nevertheless I’m a big Mike & Leah FAN!

[Mstanford]

I bought 6 and will kick myself for not buying a mixed case - if history is a guide. His cabs are coming up along with the Quivet offering in a few weeks…too many choices.

Since RP slapped a 99 on the '12 Elysian Reserve, anybody out there gonna pass on the '13? How would you price the '13 if you were making the call? Ye businessmen out there…

[tburris]

Funny that we are having a discussion about one of the best syrah’s for the money in Calli being unfair in regards to minimum bottle purchase. I always comment to my wife that I need to work a little harder and make a little more cash to make these our daily drinkers. Todd

[gwagner]

Has anyone tasted these? Would love to hear first impressions.

[Brian_Tuite]

@gwagner

Has anyone tasted these? Would love to hear first impressions.

TN: Some '13 Mike Smith Pinot and Syrah

[Phill.WC]

@Mstanford

How would you price the '13 if you were making the call? Ye businessmen out there…

Not knowing Myriad’s all in-costs I don’t know and to be truthful, I don’t know what Myriad is pricing per bottle on this release. If it’s anything like Carlisle I think they could do well at a higher price point. If you’re making a good product, price well. I think those of us who appreciate well-crafted wine would pay the premium.

[Brian_Tuite]

@Phill.WC

@Mstanford

How would you price the '13 if you were making the call? Ye businessmen out there…

Not knowing Myriad’s all in-costs I don’t know and to be truthful, I don’t know what Myriad is pricing per bottle on this release. If it’s anything like Carlisle I think they could do well at a higher price point. If you’re making a good product, price well. I think those of us who appreciate well-crafted wine would pay the premium.

Mike’s pricing philosophy is to avoid alienating good customers with unnecessary price increases. This is how he makes his living and every decision he makes that affects his customer’s brand perception/purchasing habits/loyalty is calculated. What’s better, sitting on 400 cases of wine that many people are priced out of or selling through? Unsold product costs more than it ultimately makes.

[Bruce_Rudman]

This discussion is so off base. Myriad is a small operation run by a husband and wife. Good people. great wine. They make about 1,500 cases of wine. No matter how you cut it, there is not a hell of a lot of profit in that. When they ship for flat rate shipping at $x a bottle part of the cost is subsidized. At six bottles the cost probably comes closer to the actual shipping/fulfillment cost, at a case they probably break even, and for three bottles they probably lose money on the overall order. It is probably smart business to have the minimum rather than tell you your three-pack will cost $10/btl to ship. That would start another thread. And that is not to say their juice would not be worth the surcharge with the higher shipping.

The point is that bashing a small business model is just stupid. If they made 200,000 cases, no one on this board would be talking positive of them (case in point, Caymus). And I think even Carlisle is at 20,000 cases which make a difference in economies of scale. - look it up if you don’t know the term. Buy six, shut up, Or, perhaps call Leah and offer to pay the higher shipping cost. But the naysayers would never think of such a preposterous thing. Not saying that they’d go for it but to bash their business model because your YEARLY allocation of wine must be at least six bottles is nuts.

[Margot_N_i_n_e_b_e_r_g]

@Bruce Rudman

This discussion is so off base. Myriad is a small operation run by a husband and wife. Good people. great wine. They make about 1,500 cases of wine. No matter how you cut it, there is not a hell of a lot of profit in that. When they ship for flat rate shipping at $x a bottle part of the cost is subsidized. At six bottles the cost probably comes closer to the actual shipping/fulfillment cost, at a case they probably break even, and for three bottles they probably lose money on the overall order. It is probably smart business to have the minimum rather than tell you your three-pack will cost $10/btl to ship. That would start another thread. And that is not to say their juice would not be worth the surcharge with the higher shipping.

The point is that bashing a small business model is just stupid. If they made 200,000 cases, no one on this board would be talking positive of them (case in point, Caymus). And I think even Carlisle is at 20,000 cases which make a difference in economies of scale. - look it up if you don’t know the term. Buy six, shut up, Or, perhaps call Leah and offer to pay the higher shipping cost. But the naysayers would never think of such a preposterous thing. Not saying that they’d go for it but to bash their business model because your YEARLY allocation of wine must be at least six bottles is nuts.

I couldn’t agree more! For what it’s worth, when I visited with Mike in August he asked me what I thought about a 6 bottle minimum for the Syrah, because he was actually losing money on shipping the smaller orders. His wines are very reasonably priced to begin with, and I have absolutely no problem purchasing a few extra bottles, especially if it’s supporting one of my favorite winemakers. Mike and Leah work hard, and I would rather shell out my money for his wine as opposed to a big corporate winery that could care less. Anyway, that’s just my two cents.

[Phill.WC]

@Margot N i n e b e r g

I couldn’t agree more! For what it’s worth, when I visited with Mike in August he asked me what I thought about a 6 bottle minimum for the Syrah, because he was actually losing money on shipping the smaller orders. His wines are very reasonably priced to begin with, and I have absolutely no problem purchasing a few extra bottles, especially if it’s supporting one of my favorite winemakers. Mike and Leah work hard, and I would rather shell out my money for his wine as opposed to a big corporate winery that could care less. Anyway, that’s just my two cents.

Exactly my point, Mike makes great wine and as folks who appreciate well made wine by good people we wouldn’t mind paying a bit more.

[Bruce_Rudman]

I’m confused, Phil. My comments were based upon your rant against small business. You seemed to fault Myriad for their policy in prior posts.

They make great Syrah. Let’s leave it at that.

[Greg_Smith]

This thread has really drifted. Started out (I thought) as more of a commentary on buyers feelings on the increase in minimum orders (not just with Myriad but everyone) and then went crazy. Since this thread is titled Myriad Syrah, if anyone has not had this before it is great juice at a good price from good people. If Mike had to raise the minimum just to maintain profitability, that’s a good enough answer for me. As a buyer, I would always prefer no minimum but will continue to buy their wines…especially their Myriad and Quivet Cabs.

[Mark_Y]

@Bruce Rudman

This discussion is so off base. Myriad is a small operation run by a husband and wife. Good people. great wine. They make about 1,500 cases of wine.

Not saying that they’d go for it but to bash their business model because your YEARLY allocation of wine must be at least six bottles is nuts.

Just a couple of quick fact checks… I thought Mike made around 6K cases? (myriad/quivet/carter/etc combined)?

Also it’s not an annual allocation of 6 bottles… it’s more like annually 18 bottles b/c there are 3 releases…

not saying upping the minimum from 3 to 6 is wrong, it’s his business and he’s free to do as he wish. Personally i skipped b/c i only want 3-4 bottles, and 6 is too many Syrah for me as i barely drink syrah at all though i love his las madres… but i’m in the minority… and will continue to support the cab