A Start-Up Collection for New Wine Collectors
Issue #1997
- WEALTHY: Wine Appreciation 101 (Michael Masterson)
- HEALTHY: Get 20+ health benefits from a single source (Jon Herring)
- WISE: Andrew Simon on the pleasures of wine
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Feedback Friday: ETR readers on hype in advertising, part 1
- Michael Masterson on the power of compounding returns
- It’s Good to Know… about It’s Good to Know
- Add "oenophile" to your vocabulary
It’s OUR Birthday… But YOU Get the Presents
“My goal is to get you to understand something, remember something, realize something and (ultimately) do something that will make you healthier, wealthier and even wiser.”
With those words, Michael Masterson kicked off the very first issue of ETR back on June 5, 2000… and now, nearly seven years later, we’re celebrating ETR’s milestone 2000th edition by offering you some of our best programs at very deep discounts.
Would you like to earn $375,000 from your own business 3 years from now? Have you dreamed about retiring to a gorgeous second home out in the country or up in mountains? Or for now are you just hoping you could get a 25% raise at your job this year?
ETR is here to help ambitious people like you succeed. Our programs give you the information, the tools and the encouragement you need to get going and reach your dreams and aspirations.
Right now many of our programs are available at up to 65 percent off regular price – that translates into hundreds of dollars in savings.
If you want to be in a better place six months to a year from now, today is the time to get started.
"Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized."
Andre Simon, Commonsense of Wine
Living Rich: A Start-Up Collection for New Wine Collectors
By Michael Masterson
My friends E and B love wine, as K and I do, and whenever we travel together (which is at least once a year) we drink lots of it. B is the wine selector in her family. I do the job in mine. E has been happy letting her make the selections over the years, but recently he redid his house and installed a large and impressive wine room. He needs to fill up the racks and turned to me for some advice.
I reminded him that I am a complete amateur when it comes to wine - that I’ve never taken a course and that everything I know about it has come from reading books and developing personal preferences by drinking it.
"You know a lot more than I do," he told me. "And, let’s face it, I’m not going to read a book. So just give me a list of wine to buy and I’ll do it."
I agreed to create that list - and when I did, I thought I might be able to help you develop your own "billionaire" wine cellar too. So, over the next few weeks in ETR, I’ll be giving you some specific recommendations - along with some of the basic information about wine that I’ve picked up over the past 35 years.
Meanwhile, let’s start with this…
Wine Appreciation Made Easy: Thinking in Categories
I read articles about wine for years without remembering much. Then I read a book by Hugh Johnson (I believe it was an early edition of his Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine) that simplified this very complicated subject and made it easier for me to understand everything I read thereafter.
Broadly speaking, there are five categories of wines:
- Red (made from red grapes)
- White (usually made from white grapes but can be made from red grapes too)
- Pink (otherwise known as Rose; made from red grapes)
- Sparkling (with the bubbles usually developing naturally as a result of the fermentation process)
- Fortified (meaning the alcohol content is artificially heightened; can be especially sweet)
I like the European tradition of matching certain wines with certain foods (although it’s become fashionable in America to ignore it). The general rule is that lighter wines go with lighter foods (light whites with fish) and heavier wines go with heavier foods (Cabernets and Zinfandels with steak and stews). Rose is meant to be what it is: an in-between wine. American oenophiles turn up their noses at Rose, but Europeans are happy to drink a pink wine with lunch or a light meal.
Sparkling wines are good with appetizers and desserts but can also be enjoyed throughout the meal, particularly during warm weather. If you like sparkling wines, you can keep a good number of them in your collection. If you are not a big fan, keep just a few bottles for special occasions.
I seldom drink fortified wines, though I do like a sweet white with pate and, occasionally, a Port after dinner. A beginning collection probably doesn’t need more than two or three of these wines.
Assuming you are open to appreciating all five categories, a beginning collection of, say, 100 bottles might have the following components:
- Red Wines: 45 bottles
- White Wines: 35 bottles
- Pink Wines: 5 bottles
- Sparkling Wines: 10 bottles
- Fortified Wines: 5 bottles
Breaking this down further, you could divide the whites and reds into three categories each: light, medium, and full-bodied.
- Light Reds: 10 bottles
- Medium Reds: 15 bottles
- Heavy Reds: 20 bottles
- Light Whites: 10 bottles
- Aromatic Whites: 15 bottles
- Heavy Whites: 10 bottles
If you can’t find the specific recommendations for each category that I’ll be giving you in ETR, don’t worry. They are just suggestions. What’s important is to stick to the overall categories and learn the characteristics of wines from certain countries and regions and those made from certain varieties of grapes.
As you learn more about wine, start checking out publications such as Wine Spectator. The magazine is available at most bookstores, and has a vast online archive of wine reviews and insightful articles. And you might want to pick up at least one comprehensive book on the subject. One I use is Exploring Wine by Steven Kolpan, Brian Smith, and Michael Weiss.
It is also useful to get to know a local wine merchant. Find someone who is truly knowledgeable and passionate about wine. You don’t have to look for a fancy place full of expensive vintages. Here in South Florida, one of the best wine selections and most-well-versed staff are at a chain liquor store.
The most important part of putting together your wine collection is to enjoy it. I love walking into my cellar and picking out the perfect bottle of wine to accompany the delicious meal K has made. If you don’t feel the same way, forget wine and take up a collection of something else that gives you great pleasure.
[Ed. Note: Learn how you can be part of an exclusive group of 25 to 50 ambitious businesspeople that Michael will be leading through an elite 5-day program that can help you dramatically increase the profitability of your business here.]
The Options Myth Every Sore Loser Wants You to Believe
The biggest myth about options is that they are very high risk. But if you trade them properly – with expert guidance – it can be less risky and more profitable than virtually any other investment strategy!
You can invest a fraction that you normally would… for even greater returns. You can leverage small moves into large gains. Your risk is strictly limited. And you can make money whether the markets are rising or falling.
And with options on ETFs you can get all the diversification of a mutual fund with the amazing leverage of options. Click here to see some recent examples of the eye-popping profit potential and pennies-on-the-dollar risk you get with options on ETFs.
A "Magic Pill" That Is Essential to Your Health
By Jon Herring
What if there were a magic pill that could raise your children’s IQ, improve their behavior, and cause them to pay more attention in the classroom? And what if the same pill could improve your cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce inflammation, and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke?
But that’s not all. This magic pill would also reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes, improve arthritis symptoms, foster weight loss, reduce asthma and allergies, increase fertility and improve sexual function, fight cognitive decline, reduce wrinkles, improve skin tone, and increase your overall energy.
It might sound too good be true, but it’s not. All of these health benefits - and many more - are right at your fingertips. But they don’t come from a "pill." They are well-documented benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.
These healthy fats are absolutely essential to life. Your body just won’t work properly without enough of them. And considering that omega-3 fatty acids are in short supply in the modern diet, most people are deficient.
The best food sources of omega-3s are eggs, grass-fed beef and wild game, and fatty fish. (Always choose fish you know to be free of mercury and other toxins.) These sources are rich in DHA and EPA, the omega-3 fatty acids your body needs most. You can also get omega-3s from plant sources, like flax seeds and walnuts, but you’d have to eat large amounts to get close to the levels of DHA and EPA you can get from animal sources.
The easiest way to consume a sufficient amount of these essential fats is to take a fish oil supplement. The brand I use is Carlson’s. There’s no fishy taste, it’s been proven to be mercury-free, and it’s available in just about any health food store.
Feedback Friday: Less Hype, More Value, Part 1
In Michael’s recent ETR article, "A Short Lesson in Quality Advertising," he made the case against "hypey" marketing copy. The article brought in dozens of e-mails from our readers - some agreeing with him, some disagreeing - including these…
"I want to express my appreciation for [Michael Masterson's] down-to-earth, straightforward style of discussing something that is lacking in the advertising world - value, honesty, and integrity.
"I’ve heard it said - it is best to under-promise and over-deliver than over-promise and under-deliver. Exceeding a customer’s expectations provides them with a most pleasant experience. That is one reason why I enjoy reading ads that promise rewards of success and a great income, along with telling the audience that it will take hard work and perseverance - values that have helped shape America’s success, and values that are common to anything worthwhile accomplishing in life.
"I would also like to mention that I appreciate your honesty about the lessons you learned in the school of hard knocks, and that you are passing these lessons along to your readers. This reflects ‘real life.’ I like that. Please keep it up!"
Susan Winston
Batavia, IL
"Thank you for inviting feedback on this article, and thank you for the consistently valuable information you provide. After reading the two memos on your blog, I agree that the first ad is well written. I like the approach of the ad, because I know darn well that there are people succeeding at any number of strategies and pulling in the kind of incomes mentioned in the ad - and if they can do it, I can too.
"The second ad did not resonate at all with me. It was not a matter of hype, but emotion. Christmas is absolutely the time of the year when I go out of my way to be more joyful. I found myself turned off to the ad, and didn’t feel like proceeding to see what solution may be presented."
Steve Turberville
Gig Harbor, WA
"The analysis and comments by you of the two ads in your blog of 2/8/07 is correct. The only point that I would have added (though it may have offended the person who wrote the ad and peeved the rest of the staff) was that the second ad will have actually offended and turned off too many readers (as it did me) because it offends too many readers’ sensibilities and paradigms regarding Xmas. That ad is not actually where most readers
are at! It is unreal to them, and offensive."
Roger Boswarva
New York, NY
"I got the exact opposite impression you had about the two ads. The first was too hypey and struck me as blatantly straight hard sell. It told me [the same thing as] thousands of other ads I have seen… you’re going to make money… oh wait a minute… you’re going to make a lot of money. It [plays on raw emotion and] gets to the point too quick… like a shyster would.
"The second plays to a great emotion… Christmas time… a time that conjures up great memories to the majority of people. The ad is way too long for my taste, but the approach is softer and much more appealing to me."
Doug Ables
Copperas Cove, TX
"The more compelling your offer, the less it makes sense to even consider the ad through the lens of hype or its lack.
"Think about the original Domino’s Pizza slogan ‘Hot Pizza in 30 Minutes or Less.’ Is that hypey or not hypey? I would argue that it is neither, that hypeyness is not the right lens through which to evaluate the Domino’s slogan. It’s simply a damn good offer."
Jack Krasuski, MD
Hinsdale, IL
Treasures From the ETR Archives - Michael Masterson on the Power of Compounding Returns
[Ed. Note: Our mission at ETR is to help you reach all your goals - and to celebrate our upcoming Issue #2000, we are presenting you with some of Michael Masterson's most powerful, life-changing messages to date. To read each full article, click the link embedded in the text.]
"If you start with just a single penny and double it every day for 31 days, you end up with… $21,474,836.48. More than 21 million dollars in a single month!
"This is an example of the power of compound interest.
"The original penny turned into two, but then those two turned into four, and the four turned into eight, and so on. The growth of your money sped up because not only was your original penny collecting interest - but all the pennies you received as interest also began to earn interest. And so the growth built up… or compounded."
* * * * *
"I have a little gift for you. A simple idea that can make a big difference in your life. It can mean the difference between struggling through an ordinary life or being immensely successful. It is a very small thought that is worth a very great deal to you if (a) you really understand it and (b) you make it a part of your life.
"The great thing about investing in great people is that the return compounds. You see, great people - well-taught and motivated - hire, train, and motivate other good people. And that enlarges a business in a geometric fashion.
"Great people will not only make you rich, they will simplify your life. In the early years of your relationship, you’ll need to spend a significant amount of time on them. But then, they will become independent and operate on your behalf without needing much (if anything) from you. And even when they strike out on their own, they will always be happy to help you out in the future."
* * * * *
"We are all busy. We all have the burden of multiple responsibilities. But success is derived from your behavior. And how you act when you have spare time is a crucial part of it.
ETR Issue #2000 Celebration - It’s Good to Know: About It’s Good to Know
There are more than 900 It’s Good to Know articles in the ETR Archives. Here’s how Michael Masterson introduced this feature in June 2001:
"[In] an effort to help us all fill in what room remains in our intellectual warehouses, I’m introducing a new category of brief today which I’m going to call It’s Good to Know.
"In future ETR messages, you’ll be able to scan It’s Good to Know for bits of information that you should be able to actively and profitably use in your current, actual, and (hopefully) profitable life. All of the It’s Good to Know briefs will focus on relatively minor facts and figures, but they will have the potential (at least) of being useful to you in the near if not immediate future.
"Today, I’m going to give you two of them. One that you will be able to use the next time you travel anywhere and another that will be relatively uninteresting to you until you get to Rome. (But then it will greatly enhance your enjoyment of this great city. So clip it and save it.)"
Read Michael’s first two It’s Good to Know tips here:
Take Charge of Your Future
You don’t have much spare time… you’re not exactly rolling in the bucks… and you’re no Bill Gates when it comes to technology.
We’ve heard you… and that’s why we asked Marc Charles to be our “advance scout” for profit opportunities that you can run from a kitchen table, your desktop, or out on the road.
They’ve got to be inexpensive and easy to start, without a lot of red tape or technical know-how, and still have great income potential.
There’s a reason they call this guy “The King of Business Opportunities”…why not take a look at what he’s got for you?
- Patrick Coffey
Word to the Wise: Oenophile
An "oenophile" (EE-nuh-file) - from the Greek for "wine" - is a person who appreciates and enjoys fine wines.
Example (as I used it today): "American oenophiles turn up their noses at Rose, but Europeans are happy to drink a pink wine with lunch or a light meal."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library, on-sale now through the 28th to celebrate the 2000th issue of ETR.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007
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