n January 1995, Peter Granoff parlayed two decades of experience in the fine food and wine industries into a position as the first Master Sommelier of the Internet. As co-founder of Virtual Vineyards, a World Wide Web site, Peter rates and recommends an ever-changing variety of wines, and answers email questions from around the world addressed to the self-proclaimed "cork dork." A visit to Virtual Vineyards feels like a trip to the wine country with the consummate insider. Peter has strong, informed opinions about which wine goes best with each food, what to look for in a particular wine, and how to have fun learning more. Wine makers, impressed by his credentials -- and his growing customer list -- are eager to be included on Peter's home page.
"Having my wine listed in Virtual Vineyards means having an endorsement from a Master Sommelier, the equivalent of a doctorate in wine," says John "Woody" Woodward, marketing manager at deLorimier Vineyard in Geyserville, California. An estate winery on 54 acres in the fertile Alexander Valley, deLorimier produces just 8,500 cases each year.
John likes the approach Peter uses in positioning special wines. "We distribute our wine through people who carefully sell it to the appropriate customer. Minus the hand-to-hand exchange, this is exactly what Virtual Vineyards does."
While all kinds of merchants are using the Net's online billboard approach to selling their wares, Virtual Vineyards isn't just another shopping outlet on the Web. It's a showcase for Peter Granoff's personal selections. He takes a commission on each bottle sold, but wineries can't pay to have their products represented by Virtual.
