Reasoning Theorems of Success

When a zinfandel or merlot (and most red wine) is young, generally within 3-5 years of the vintage date on the bottle, it shows a lot of deep purple color, intensive fruit in the nose, somewhat hot alcohol to the taste and less overall smoothness than it will show later in its life. As the wine ages, the alcohol, tannic acid (from the grape skins and the oak in the barrel) and fruit flavors start to soften up and blend together to present a more smooth and finished wine. Often the differences in taste between young wine and well aged wine are extremely evident and aged wine is very desirable. How do you do that?

Please note that you, the consumer, have very little control over the many winemaking variables that affect wine aging, but have some control over cellar storage conditions that affect aging, namely temperature, light, humidity and vibration.

Out here in California there are darned few houses built with cellars in them. You can “cellar” a wine in a closet or pay big bucks for a temperature and humidity controlled cabinet in which you can store your treasures. If you are interested in and have the personal discipline to cellar some wines over the several years it takes, here is a tip before you start

Some wine does not get better with age, it just gets older. This is particularly true of most white wines and for certain sparkling wine or Champagne. I have shed tears over unopened bottles of excellent French Champagne that were saved in a well-intentioned effort from someone’s wedding 20 years ago. Champagne is meant to be consumed shortly after it is released. It does not improve in the bottle after it is released.

The key to cellaring is to start with something that has the potential to improve. In red wines that usually means a big, well-made and probably expensive cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, zinfandel or merlot or port. In whites a really big oaked chardonnay or a very sweet, rich, dessert wine such as true Sauternes or a German trockenbeerenauslese. I am afraid the “expensive” part of that statement is very true. Cellaring your typical $7.00 bottle of supermarket zinfandel is going to be a disappointing exercise in patience, but if you are able to purchase some massive, oaky, tannic red you will likely have a candidate for aging.

The most important variable in aging wine is the temperature at which it is stored. Not simply the number of degrees, but the RANGE of the temperatures. If you had a perfect situation and could hold your wines at 65F year round you would be set. However, if that temperature fluctuates from 50F to 70F or higher you may just as well drink it now. What happens is the liquid in the bottle expands and contracts with the temperature and eventually pushes around the cork, breaking the seal and allowing air to enter. This starts a chain reaction of microbial actions. Result: spoiled expensive old wine and tears of frustration.

Do I need to tell you to store wine on its side so that the cork stays moist and doesn’t dry out? If you fail to do this see the paragraph above, because the result is the same.

Collecting and aging wine takes money, care, time, money, knowledge and money. If you have got all those, it can be a worthwhile and rewarding pursuit. At one point in the not so distant past, there were French red wines you simply HAD to age, as they were literally undrinkable when first released and were purchased by cognoscenti who would not have dreamed of opening them for at least 10 years! Such winemaking techniques have generally faded from the scene and so most wine is now released ready to be splashed into a glass and consumed. If you find one that could be saved and improved, try to do so, for your own wine education.

About the Author

Paul Kreider, who made his first wine in 1975, is the owner and winemaker of the Ross Valley Winery in San Anselmo, California. Since 1987, with notable success, his small Marin County bonded winery has specialized in transforming modest lots of unique grapes into vineyard-designated wines, each with its own individual character and particular personality. Check our website at www.rossvalleywinery.com.

There are many various multimedia advances happening to the good
old blog. Although the blog is only a few years old, technology
has kept right up there with it. Now, you have the ability to do
a number of fascinating things with it. As the blog owner, this
can mean huge potential dollars in marketing. If you are just a
blog reader, you can now access your favorites online any time
that you feel like it.

There are several areas in which the blog has entered the
multimedia world. Here are some of them to think about.

* Text. Okay, so this isn’t anything new. It is the most
commonly thought of type of blogging. Simple writings that are
done on the blog. * Images. This takes it one step ahead. Now,
you can send images to your fellow bloggers, your family or your
friends. * Video. Even better, the blogs can now come packed
with video from your digital camera or the cell phone that is
video enabled. * Podcasts. The latest feature. It allows
individuals to receive the information that they want, when they
want it. Podscasts allow you to receive both audio and video
over the internet.

But, just because you have the ability to use these various
types of blogging, what happens to it? Does it just sit on your
website in the hopes that someone will actually want it? The
good news is that you can now send these multimedia advances to
individuals on their Ipods or their mobile phones. This means
instant notification when you update the blog and instant access
no matter where they are located. In short, it translates into
dollars through marketing.

New advances in blogging are occurring all the time. Stay
connected to your consumers, your fellow bloggers, and your
favorite blogs. The fact that you can do all of this from your
mobile phone; just makes it even better. More than likely,
you’ll have something to blog right now.

There is little doubt that eLearning has not achieved the success it promised some ten years ago, even though the primary benefits in terms of cost and flexibility remains extremely attractive. Some of the mistakes that have been made are:

1. A Lack of an Holistic Approach
Elearning was viewed as being a replacement for traditional training methods. To be successful, elearning should adopt an integrated approach to human resource development. This means integrating Performance Assessment with Training Needs Analysis, with Personal Development Plans, with Continuous Professional Development records, with elearning blended with other training resources, learning methods, and corporate learning programmes.

2. A Failing to Understand the Elearning Medium
Much of the reason for making Mistake 1 is the problem of thinking about elearning as a substitute for face-to-face training just delivered cheaper and faster whenever employees want it. While computers bring strengths and opportunities to the learning experience, it must be remembered that they also remove some of the critical components of face-to-face learning, such as audio-visual; peer discussion; and the social environment.

3. A Belief that the Audio-Visual component can be replaced by Elearning
Many companies designing elearning programmes have engaged expensive programmers and invested in heavy duty programmes and equipment in order to enhance the elearning experience. Students end up being entertained but come away learning little.

4. Blowing the Budget on a Technology Solution
The problem with mistake number 3 is that it is expensive. Spending 1 million on an elearning system is not unusual. Neither is finding out that the initial spend is only part of the expense. There are updates and maintenance to consider. Heavy duty programmes require heavy duty equipment and software to download. As a face-to-face trainers, we can alter training notes, handouts and session content very quickly and inexpensively. Try doing that with audio-video content.

5. Failing to Link Elearning with Business Needs
Traditional training should flow from the organisation’s business strategy. Elearning is no exception. Whilst elearning may be a new delivery method, it does not change the fundamentals of business strategy, manpower and HRD planning, individual performance reviews and training needs analysis; nor learning programme design, progress monitoring, programme evaluation and learning verification.

Like other learning methods, an elearning programme must flow from, and be driven, by the organisation’s business development objectives, and therefore elearning should also be monitored and measured.

6. Unrealistic Expectations
How many projects have failed for want of a realistic assessment of time, resources and expectations? Many would point to Total Quality Management (TQM) as a pretty good example. When a project involves a new discipline and particularly when that discipline involves new technology it is very common for management to overestimate short-term expectations and underestimate the time and cost needed before benefits can realistically be achieved. If this is doubted, then ask any project manager. As a result, initial enthusiasm is soon replaced by despair. Like TQM or any ‘flavour of the month’, elearning has many substantial benefits but it is not a magic wand, and it is not a substitute for sound management.

7. A Lack of Management Involvement
Elearning is no different to any other form of training. It might work in the classroom or on-line but the measure of its transference to the workplace is totally reliant upon the involvement of the line manager. The special problem with elearning is the number of technophobe managers who can hide behind ‘I’m not an ‘IT’ expert’ excuse for not getting involved in the learning goals of their staff.

The Answer?
Having woken up to the fact that elearning on its own is not the answer, we now are presented with a similar sounding - Blended learning. Blended learning however, whilst sounding similar is completely different, and it works. It is a way of getting the best from a number of worlds. It addresses not only the preferences of different learners but also seeks to maximise off-site time to improving skills, leaving knowledge acquisition to a more economical method of delivery.

Blended learning incorporates face-to-face delivery with online study; skills workshops; assignments; assessments, and workplace coaching.

You do not need to spend millions on trying to replace traditional learning methods with an elearning platform. Treat elearning as just an addition delivery channel which gives you more flexibility. Research shows that students can only absorb 15/20 minutes of elearning at a time anyway which is why a well designed blended learning programme will usually deliver study tasks in small bites. It provides the option to more effectively use the training budget whilst keeping a tight control on who is studying what; when; to what level; whether the manager is involved or not; and ultimately how the learning is being applied.

Far from being dead, elearning has emerged as an important element in the successful blended learning approach to people development.

Business & Training Solutions Ltd holds the franchise for the http://www.HRDworldwide.com online learning system which they use as part of their blended programmes. BTS can be contacted on http://www.btsolutions.ie

Frank Salisbury is a highly experience motivational speaker, and inspiring business coach, particularly to the sales profession. Frank is recognised as a leading authority in the field of sales - including sales process design, sales performance, and sales coaching.

He strongly believes that whether we work in the public or private sector; whether our organisation is commercial or non-commercial; that we are all in sales. His favourite quote, which has become his maxim, is from Robert Louis Stevenson - ‘Everything in live is selling’. He has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars where his style has received popular acclaim for a speaker with a passion for life, and achievement.

He is Managing Director of Business & Training Solutions Ltd - a sales consultancy based in Ireland and the UK. He can be contacted at frank@btsolutions.ie. 28 Rye Close, Banbury, Oxfordshire. 0044 (0)1295250247