Charlie Fu's guest appearances

Charlie Fu

Malt Couture

Wine Talks with Paul K.

XChateau Wine Podcast

Carl Tart

Robert Morris

Ella Fitzgerald

Tim Clifford

Jeffrey Shaw

Madeline Puckette

Jane Anson

Esther Mobley

Michael Cruse

Carole Meredith

Michael Caine

Jacki Strum

Billy Hamilton

Greg Thomas

Taylor Wilson

OwlTail

With a lot of economic uncertainty in early 2023, the fine and luxury wine space has remained relatively robust. Charlie Fu, an LA-based lawyer, wine collector, Wine Berserkers moderator, and caviar purveyor, gives us his thoughts on the state of the wine-collecting market. From Dry January, how they find new wines, navigating price increases, and Berserker Day, Charlie provides a good overview of wine collecting from his group's point of view. Detailed Show Notes: Charlie's background - LA-based collector, lawyer, caviar purveyor, and @clayfu.wine on InstagramHe has a few thousand bottles of wine in his collectionWine collecting group~5-6 people meet for dinners in downtown LATotal group ~20-25 collectorsMostly early 30s-mid-40s, mostly maleFocused on Burgundy, Rhone, &amp; ChampagneDry January has become more commonFinding new winesRecommendations from people in the industry, friends (including from IG), other collectorsSomeone they know personally and trustMore guarded response when it's retailers recommendingWine pricingSeeing secondary marketing pricing dip at the top endRetail release pricing keeps going upSecondary premium key to keeping collectors buying a "relatively good deal"He believes incremental price changes are less shocking than large shiftsPeople want to know why the price is escalating; communications are critical to significant price changesThere are thresholds when people stop buying - relative value, secondary pricing, and personal decisions on value"Everyone's always looking for alternatives to Burgundy" e.g., Willamette Valley Pinot and Chard are seen as "Burgundian"e.g., Walter Scott as a white Burgundy substituteWhere people buy wineRetailers w/ an existing relationship where they offer reasonable pricingBrokers &amp; auctions for the secondary marketDomestic wineries mainly bought direct, "as long as it makes sense"Wine.com gets a reasonable allocation of high-end wine, but not flash sale or other sale sitesMailing list/allocation systemsPeople don't like forced purchase quarterly - e.g., the wine club modelThey prefer the optionality of offering systemsToo much choice in an offer gets challenging - w/ no US vineyard hierarchy (vs. Burgundy), it's hard to distinguish between the winesCollecting groups has not shown interest in wine investmentWine BerserkersSite upgrade in Aug 2022 took some time to get used toBerserker Day - 2023 was the biggest everNow two days, Preview day for "Grand Cru" subscribersTips for wineries: Be active before Berserkers Day (e.g., Goodfellow Winery from Willamette Valley was very active and did well on Berserker Day)150+ listings need to have a good offer and stand out with a good description and potentially catchy oneCollecting trendsNatural wines have had their phaseMore small production wineries, often connected to more famous ones, e.g., sons/daughters of prominent winemaking families Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a lot of economic uncertainty in early 2023, the fine and luxury wine space has remained relatively robust. Charlie Fu, an LA-based lawyer, wine collector, <a href="https://www.wineberserkers.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Wine Berserkers</a> moderator, and <a href="https://astreacaviar.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">caviar purveyor</a>, gives us his thoughts on the state of the wine-collecting market. From Dry January, how they find new wines, navigating price increases, and Berserker Day, Charlie provides a good overview of wine collecting from his group's point of view. Detailed Show Notes: Charlie's background - LA-based collector, lawyer, caviar purveyor, and @clayfu.wine on Instagram<ul><li>He has a few thousand bottles of wine in his collection</li></ul>Wine collecting group<ul><li>~5-6 people meet for dinners in downtown LA</li><li>Total group ~20-25 collectors</li><li>Mostly early 30s-mid-40s, mostly male</li><li>Focused on Burgundy, Rhone, &amp; Champagne</li></ul>Dry January has become more commonFinding new wines<ul><li>Recommendations from people in the industry, friends (including from IG), other collectors</li><li>Someone they know personally and trust</li><li>More guarded response when it's retailers recommending</li></ul>Wine pricing<ul><li>Seeing secondary marketing pricing dip at the top end</li><li>Retail release pricing keeps going up</li><li>Secondary premium key to keeping collectors buying a "relatively good deal"</li><li>He believes incremental price changes are less shocking than large shifts</li><li>People want to know why the price is escalating; communications are critical to significant price changes</li><li>There are thresholds when people stop buying - relative value, secondary pricing, and personal decisions on value</li></ul>"Everyone's always looking for alternatives to Burgundy" <ul><li>e.g., Willamette Valley Pinot and Chard are seen as "Burgundian"</li><li>e.g., Walter Scott as a white Burgundy substitute</li></ul>Where people buy wine<ul><li>Retailers w/ an existing relationship where they offer reasonable pricing</li><li>Brokers &amp; auctions for the secondary market</li><li>Domestic wineries mainly bought direct, "as long as it makes sense"</li><li><a href="http://Wine.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wine.com</a> gets a reasonable allocation of high-end wine, but not flash sale or other sale sites</li></ul>Mailing list/allocation systems<ul><li>People don't like forced purchase quarterly - e.g., the wine club model</li><li>They prefer the optionality of offering systems</li><li>Too much choice in an offer gets challenging - w/ no US vineyard hierarchy (vs. Burgundy), it's hard to distinguish between the wines</li></ul>Collecting groups has not shown interest in wine investmentWine Berserkers<ul><li>Site upgrade in Aug 2022 took some time to get used to</li><li>Berserker Day - 2023 was the biggest ever</li><li>Now two days, Preview day for "Grand Cru" subscribers</li><li>Tips for wineries: </li><li>Be active before Berserkers Day (e.g., Goodfellow Winery from Willamette Valley was very active and did well on Berserker Day)</li><li>150+ listings need to have a good offer and stand out with a good description and potentially catchy one</li></ul>Collecting trends<ul><li>Natural wines have had their phase</li><li>More small production wineries, often connected to more famous ones, e.g., sons/daughters of prominent winemaking families</li></ul> <a href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/7472761" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Get access to library episodes</a> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

State of the Wine Collector w/ Charlie Fu, Los Angeles

XChateau is a podcast about all things wine, from vine to your glass. We tackle the business of wine and keep you up to date with new and exciting developments so you always know what goes into your bottle.In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Charlie Fu (Instagram: @clayfu.wine and Wine Berserkers moderator: c fu) about wine collecting and the impact of social media. Robert and Peter discuss how Charlie got into wine, his engagement in Wine Berserkers, and how he uses Instagram and Cellar Tracker to discuss and engage with other serious wine lovers about wine. Other topics covered in this episode include:Charlie’s background - “Attorney by day, wine drinker at all other times”The “epiphany wine” - 2003 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet SauvignonFavorite wines - Burgundy, Northern RhoneInstagramStarted with photos of his dog, food, then went into wineSplit out a wine-focused IG pageInterested in talking to people who are serious about wineThe importance of honesty and candidness of wine opinionsPuts wine notes into IG, migrates to Cellar Tracker, and posts some to Wine Berserkers for discussionWine Charity AuctionDuring the protests around police brutalitySold raffle tickets for donations and auctioned off wines donated from collectors’ cellarsRaised $60k in 42 hours, plus other contributionsMoney donated to NAACP Legal Defense FundLeveraged Wine Berserkers (largest contributor), Instagram, Reddit, Facebook Wine BerserkersFounding - an offshoot from the Robert Parker web forumUser base - &gt;27,500 users, ~3 million posts, upwards of ~2,400 online at a single timeMostly maleMed age - ~late 40s/early 50sSerious wine collectorsWell educated, high incomeBerserkers DayAn annual event where producers sell their wineCan offer anything, but usually interesting wines at a special priceSome wines balance their budget on that dayBerserkers business accountsAnnual serviceBusinesses can advertise and promote their winesHelps with server costsGrand Cru CruAnnual subscriptionNo adsPriority access to Berserker DayBlurbs on avatarVariable payment (min $25/year)Tips for wineries -&gt; join the communityBeing a “wine influencer”Doesn’t accept wine for freeDoesn’t want taking wine to tarnish his opinionWilling to buy wine and review itIf you loved this episode, we would love for you to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, cheers! Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

XChateau is a podcast about all things wine, from vine to your glass. We tackle the business of wine and keep you up to date with new and exciting developments so you always know what goes into your bottle.In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Charlie Fu (Instagram: @clayfu.wine and Wine Berserkers moderator: c fu) about wine collecting and the impact of social media. Robert and Peter discuss how Charlie got into wine, his engagement in Wine Berserkers, and how he uses Instagram and Cellar Tracker to discuss and engage with other serious wine lovers about wine. Other topics covered in this episode include:<ul><li>Charlie’s background - “Attorney by day, wine drinker at all other times”</li><li>The “epiphany wine” - 2003 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon</li><li>Favorite wines - Burgundy, Northern Rhone</li><li>Instagram<ul><li>Started with photos of his dog, food, then went into wine</li><li>Split out a wine-focused IG page</li><li>Interested in talking to people who are serious about wine</li></ul></li><li>The importance of honesty and candidness of wine opinions</li><li>Puts wine notes into IG, migrates to Cellar Tracker, and posts some to Wine Berserkers for discussion</li><li>Wine Charity Auction<ul><li>During the protests around police brutality</li><li>Sold raffle tickets for donations and auctioned off wines donated from collectors’ cellars</li><li>Raised $60k in 42 hours, plus other contributions</li><li>Money donated to NAACP Legal Defense Fund</li><li>Leveraged Wine Berserkers (largest contributor), Instagram, Reddit, Facebook </li></ul></li><li>Wine Berserkers<ul><li>Founding - an offshoot from the Robert Parker web forum</li><li>User base - &gt;27,500 users, ~3 million posts, upwards of ~2,400 online at a single time<ul><li>Mostly male</li><li>Med age - ~late 40s/early 50s</li><li>Serious wine collectors</li><li>Well educated, high income</li></ul></li><li>Berserkers Day<ul><li>An annual event where producers sell their wine</li><li>Can offer anything, but usually interesting wines at a special price</li><li>Some wines balance their budget on that day</li></ul></li><li>Berserkers business accounts<ul><li>Annual service</li><li>Businesses can advertise and promote their wines</li><li>Helps with server costs</li></ul></li><li>Grand Cru Cru<ul><li>Annual subscription</li><li>No ads</li><li>Priority access to Berserker Day</li><li>Blurbs on avatar</li><li>Variable payment (min $25/year)</li></ul></li><li>Tips for wineries -&gt; join the community</li></ul></li><li>Being a “wine influencer”<ul><li>Doesn’t accept wine for free</li><li>Doesn’t want taking wine to tarnish his opinion</li><li>Willing to buy wine and review it</li></ul></li></ul>If you loved this episode, we would love for you to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, cheers! <a href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/7472761" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Get access to library episodes</a> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Wine Influencer: @clayfu.wine - Charlie Fu

Wine maven and Wine Berserkers moderator Charlie Fu joins the Malty Boyz™ to drink and talk about anything but beer. That's right, NO BEERS ALLOWED in this episode. Alex tries to flex and impress Charlie with his whiskey and wine selections. Michael and Stephen go for a more refreshing route. Head to our Patreon for weekly Small Batch episodes! DontDrinkBeer.com Patreon.com/DontDrinkBeer Instagram.com/DontDrinkBeers Instagram.com/MaltCoutureDDB Twitter.com/DontDrinkBeer DDBquestions@gmail.com

Wine maven and Wine Berserkers moderator Charlie Fu joins the Malty Boyz™ to drink and talk about anything but beer. That's right, NO BEERS ALLOWED in this episode. Alex tries to flex and impress Charlie with his whiskey and wine selections. Michael and Stephen go for a more refreshing route. Head to our Patreon for weekly Small Batch episodes! <a href="http://DontDrinkBeer.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DontDrinkBeer.com</a> <a href="http://Patreon.com/DontDrinkBeer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon.com/DontDrinkBeer</a> <a href="http://Instagram.com/DontDrinkBeers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram.com/DontDrinkBeers</a> <a href="http://Instagram.com/MaltCoutureDDB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram.com/MaltCoutureDDB</a> <a href="http://Twitter.com/DontDrinkBeer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter.com/DontDrinkBeer</a> DDBquestions@gmail.com

Batch 62: Anything But Beer with Charlie Fu