Newsletter Format Question for Subscribers

[Roy Hersh]

Emails are sent out to subscribers and thousands more go out to non-subscribers too. Staying focused on just one point (please), the email version shows a table of contents and every month, there Roy's Current Tasting Notes section appears. Subscribers then go to the .PDF download which includes all of my tasting notes in that section. Non-subscribers don't even get to see this section at all.

I proposed a change to Stewart. I would like to list the tasting notes, in the newsletter to be released this week about 40 TNs in this issue (NOT including all TNs from other articles of which there are MANY too) at least the title of each Port, Madeira and Douro wine for all to see. The balance of the TN and score will not be available except for subscribers as usual.

40 TNs takes up an additional dozen pages or so. Some readers get bleary eyed from all of these tasting notes which come at the end of the newsletter which has averaged 50 pages or so for the past 15 newsletters. So I have come to ask you for your honest feedback. I'd do a poll, but have seen over the years that polls don't get large turnouts and this is probably too important to chance to a poll.

I was considering a suggestion from Derek dating back nearly two years. He suggested (and I liked it) that only the titles be shown to subscribers but that these would be direct links to the full tasting notes. Now that we actually have a TNDB, this is very possible to do (whereas it was not, before -- at least not easily). The good news is that the newsletter would become a more manageable size, and subscribers would have the choice to click on any TN that catches their fancy. The bad news is that it would divert them from the PDF link in the newsletter, away into the TNDB and to get back to the newsletter requires another click and time etc. For someone that reads my tasting notes each month, at least scanning them for key points or scores, this would become cumbersome. However, Stewart brought up a good point, saying maybe few people would care as maybe this is not a section that subscribers really read. I don't know and neither does he.

Additionally, I'd like to show at least the list of what's in the TN section to non-subscribers, so if someone is dying to buy a bottle or case or multiples thereof, this might be worthy of their subscribing to get the full picture. In the case of a Port ... let's just say for example, a 1970 Taylor ... there would be MANY TNs from over the years that they could see ... but this is slightly off topic. Back to the point!

Back to subscribers. Please give this some thought before replying. I will not get rid of my current tasting note section no matter what. However, depending on feedback and further discussions within the team, changes may take place in the format of how these TNs do or do not appear in the newsletter and whether we divert to the TNDB or not. So please provide some feedback as your influence counts. Use it!

Your thoughts?

[Peter W. Meek]

The newsletter is electronic. Cumbersome (or printing cost) is not an issue. I'd say keep the full notes in the subscriber newsletter.

Going away to the online notes disrupts the reading of the NL, and cannot be done at all if the reader is offline.

[Eric Menchen]

+1 to what Peter said. I like to download the .pdf and read it when convenient, which may be at a time when I don't have an internet connection.

[Glenn E.]

Another +1 from me. I usually download the PDF to my home computer, then either read it there at my leisure or copy it over to my phone so that I have it handy to read on the road. For that to continue to be useful to me, all of the content must be in the PDF because I don't always have a good internet connection.

I don't always read all of your TNs, but I do always scan the list and read about the Ports that interest me. I have no trouble scanning past each full TN, so see no need to remove the full text from the PDF newsletter.

I do like the idea of links that go directly to the TNDB, though, and would suggest that you include that new feature even if you make no other changes to the newsletter. Being able to jump directly into the TNDB to see what others thought (and also what your previous TNs were like) would be a great feature.

[Eric Ifune]

+1 from me too.

[Markus D.]

I'd vote for keeping them in too. It's nice to be able to just scroll down and skim the notes and easily read the ones I want to. If I had to click for each one it would probably result in me reading less TN just due to the inconvenience factor. It would also focus me more on the ports I already know or are thinking of (which would be the TNs I'd be looking up).

[Roy Hersh]

Pardon this notion, but it sounds like at least some of you actually do read the TNs ... or at least "glance" at them.

[Peter W. Meek]

Pardon this notion, but it sounds like at least some of you actually do read the TNs ... or at least "glance" at them.

Well, .... y.e.a.h...., I'd say so. Why else are we subscribers?

[Roy Hersh]

For the brilliant articles, Guest Corner features, intriguing websites unearthed, travelogues and learning about what's new in Gaia and the Douro and those occasional things called Buyer's Ops. Outside of that, I have no idea. For you Mr. Meek ... it is coming on Sunday, my grand Tawny report; not to mention a full rundown on all Ports we had together around Christmas!

[Derek T.]

Why else are we subscribers?

To give a little back to someone who has invested huge amounts of time and no doubt money to produce and maintain a site dedicated to a subject we all enjoy.

I won't comment on the question asked here as I tend not to read TNs in the newsletter, here or anywhere else unless I want to look up a specific wine or read others thoughts about a tasting I have enjoyed with them.

Derek

[Moses Botbol]

I am for Derek's suggestion. We both drive Jags....

In all seriousness, I too think the complete TN's are bit much to go through. If I want to read about one, I'd rather click the link...

[Al B.]

I'm one of those who browse through the tasting notes section and always read every one of the VP tasting notes - I'm another vote to leave them in the newsletter. I also download the PDF and then either read it from my phone or print a paper copy and read it when I'm travelling.

Maybe you could do two versions - with and without Tasting Notes? Or perhaps leave them in the PDF version but remove them from other versions?

On your other question, I think it would be a great idea to list out the tasting notes in the email to non-subscribers. That way if there are any wines or ports which non-subscribers are particularly interested in, then they might choose to subscribe.

But why do I subscribe - it is exactly as Derek says. It is to give something back to someone who is passionate about port and has taken his passion so far so as to bring us all together, to form new friendships and to find new port-buddies with whom to share some wonderful experiences...and bottles!

[Roy Hersh]

Gentleman,

You have no idea how much your words matter and I appreciate the vote of confidence!

As to Alex's suggestion ... we think alike at times, as I had come to the exact same conclusion you did and that was evidenced in the newsletter and the mailing which included just the list of 40 names of the 3 categories of TNs.


My sincere to all who replied.

[J. Bradley Rauch]

Hope its not to late to give my thoughts but I too download the newsletter, print it and read it at my liesure, while travelling, in an airport or a cab or sitting in my leather chair with a fire burning and a glass of port. I do not go online everyday to see what people are saying but each month I recieve the email for the newsletter or some stellar deal I just can't pass up, (ie. TODAY as I just recieved the newsletter email ) I do tend to check back to the site to see what is happening.

Roy thanks for all your hard work and one of these days we will run across one another.