Real Business of Wine - How to Wine Webcast

WINE WEBCASTING FOR DUMMIES

What’s here 1. Introduction 2. How to Zoom 3. What to wear 4. Where? 5. Virtual backgrounds 6. Avatars 7. Camera 8. Lighting 9. Sound 10. Eyeline 11. Words 12. Connnection 13. Testing 14. Chat 15. View 16. Shut up 17. Sharing is caring 18. Hosting Zoom sessions 19. Thank you 2

Real Business of Wine Introduction On March 13th, 2020, Robert Joseph was on a London bus talking by phone to Polly Hammond who was visiting her student daughter in Barcelona. They were regretting that they wouldn’t be able to meet at Prowein which had been due to open on the 16th, and discussing the podcast they’d been thinking of launching later in the year. As lockdown loomed across the world, why, they wondered, not do it now? So, with no experience or equipment, questionable broadband connections, and just four days preparation, the Real Business of Wine was born. From the outset, it was an allcast: a mixture of live webcast, YouTube video and podcast, totally focused on the business of wine, bringing together the kind of top professionals who might have met in the flesh at events like Prowein. Over 130 of these have kindly accepted the invitation to appear. People like Jane Anson,* Eric Asimov, Tim Atkin MW, Michael Brajkovich MW, Laura Catena, Elaine Chukan Brown, Scott Eddy, Randall Grahm, W Blake Gray, Karen MacNeal, Joe Fattorini, Alice Feiring, Ian Harris, Maggie Henriquez, D’Lynn Proctor, Mike Ratcliffe, Jancis Robinson, MW, Ronan Sayburn, James Tidwell After 45 hours of trial and error, Polly and Robert have learned enough for a growing list of companies and organisations to be asking them to help set up allcasts for them. So, as we move into Series Two with a freshly-appointed producer, we thought it might be worth sharing a few dos and don’ts. * All links are to Real Business of Wine videos in which the person has featured. 3

Real Business of Wine How to Until March 2020, many of us had probably played around with Skype calls, Facetiming and – for a rather smaller number - maybe the occasional GoToMeeting videoconference. But very, very few had needed to think about doing it well. Then across the world, hundreds of millions suddenly had to rely on the camera and screen of their computer, laptop, tablet or phone to communicate with their friends, family and colleagues. In the wine industry, winemakers, sommeliers and journalists found themselves hosting or participating in virtual tastings for audiences in different time zones. Some, of course, already had experience of doing wine tastings on YouTube and Instagram, and a few had appeared in TV programmes or their own promotional videos, but for most, Zoom was an untrodden path. The difference between looking good on Zoom and looking okay – or ordinary - can depend on a number of factors. In these pages, we try to share some ofthe lessons we have learned from the guests who’ve appeared on The Real Business of Wine. Camilla Lunelli 4

Real Business of Wine What to wear Laura Catena W Blake Gray Gary Obligacion Felicity Carter Going through the 130 or so images of the guests we have had since the first session, few have really stood out sartorially, but there was no way to overlook Laura Catena’s bright red beret and Felicity Carter’s shocking pink jacket. Gary Obligacion’s scarf also caught our eye – as did Tim Atkin’s floral (Paul Smith?) shirt. But when it came to flowers, Atkin was totally trumped by W Blake Gray’s choice of a shirt that seemed almost perfectly matched to the flowers in the background. Zoom recommends that you avoid multi-coloured, vigorously-patterned fabrics, especially if you use a virtual background; in this case, you’d be well advised to choose a uniform colour. If you have a greenscreen, it’s particulary important not to wear anything that is similar to that hue – unless you want to look as though you have a hollow body. Patriotic Irish men and women may find this last advice particularly relevant on St Patrick’s day – as a Fox News weather presenter discovered Lesson 1) Just because you’re on Zoom, doesn’t mean that you can’t strike a sartorial note. Quite the reverse. 5

Real Business of Wine Where? One of the incidental pleasures of Zoom calls is the chance it gives us to spy on other people’s choice of decor, art and reading material. Tim Atkin collects fine art photography, for example, while Ray Isle has interesting old prints and plates and Rebecca Gibb has a flag of New Zealand. Tim Atkin Rebecca Gibb MW Ray Isle When digital marketing guru Paul Mabray spoke to us from his office, Polly thought to make sure there wasn’t any confidential information on his whiteboard that he might not want anyone to see. It was hard not to try to check the titles of the books on sustainable winemaker Dudley Brown’s shelves, and to guess precisely what (flag? kite?) is eyecatchingly pinned to Maggie Henriquez’s wall. Paul Mabray Dudley Brown Maggie Henriquez Finally, we won’t name the distinguished MW who let us see their bed and pajamas. You’ll have to watch all 44 videos and find them for yourself. Lesson 2) Think about how much of your environment you really want to share with the outside world. 6

Real Business of Wine Virtual Backgrounds #1 Polly’s hotel room offered a neutral background (apart from the black & white print). Robert’s office is less minimalist, so he took advantage of Zoom’s ‘virtual background’, using pictures he took close to home – and ones he found online. Simon Woolf Fabien Lainé Alice Feiring Simon Woolf had the cover of his book, and Fabien Lainé made sure no-one forgot his social media identity. Why Alice Feiring had that mouse was never entirely clear. ‘Mousey’ natural wines? Tamara Roberts Justin Howard Sneyd MW Nicole Rolet Wine producers Tamara Roberts, Justin Howard Sneyd MW and Nicole Rolet all chose images that related to their wines – though Justin’s annual production wouldn’t need too many of those barrels. Virtual backgrounds work better with higher qiuality cameras and greenscreens. Lesson 3) Don’t be frightened of virtual backgrounds. They can be a useful part of your branding. 7

Real Business of Wine Virtual Backgrounds #2 If you really care about the quality of your virtual background, you could invest $10 or less on some green material to hang up behind you, or maybe $70 or so on a pop-up green screen. The one Robert uses comes in a 65cm bag and is 150cm high when in use. Note our warning about not wearing clothes with colours that are too similar to the green screen Lesson 4) A green screen could improve the way your virtual background performs – and the quality of the way you look 8

Camera Real Business of Wine Logitech vs iPhone 6 The Logitech c920 Logitech vs Macbook Pro As you’ve probably already discovered, the camera in your smartphone is remarkable. The one in your computer or laptop is less impressive. If you are going to be Zooming with any frequency using one of the latter, it’s worth considering investing $100 or so in a decent webcam. And if you are going to do that the Logitech c920 or c930 are now considered industry standard – unless you want to dig deeper into your wallet to use a DSLR which for what we are talking about, would generally be overkill. The webcam will not only improve the way you look; it will make the virtual background more reliable and help to mitigate lighting issues. The built-in microphones are better than the ones in your computer too, but not as good as external, dedicated models Lesson 5) (Maybe) Consider investing in a webcam 9

Real Business of Wine Avatars Polly Hammond – with and without her avatar Okay, you’re in your pajamas. Your hair is a mess. You’re breast-feeding. Or maybe you’ve just had to switch off the camera, for any of a number of reasons (including low bandwidth). On Zoom, you have a binary choice: be represented by a black box with your name splashed across the middle – or by an image of your face (or the avatar of your choice). They’re easy to get. Just get a free zoom.us account and add a picture to your profile. Simple as that. Adopting a quizzical look like Polly’s, is entirely up to you. Lesson 6) Get an avatar 10

Real Business of Wine Lighting #1 One curly-haired guest – whom we won’t name here – went for the near-silhouette look – though not quite as dramatically as this Master of Wine in another Zoom meeting. Charlotte Read, on the other hand, was perfectly lit by the New Zealand sunshine – with what looked like a very stylish line of face-paint. Charlotte Read Lesson 7) Avoid having too much light behind you. 11

Real Business of Wine Lighting #2 How Robert got his halo An inexpensibe laptop ring light An inexpensive desktop ring light switched off, and in various lighting modes When we started out, Robert tried to make do with no additional lighting. Then he rigged up a couple of desk lamps, before spending the equivalent if $30 on a ring light that sits above the computer, with adjustable colours and brightness. He also bought a less sophisticated mini-version that clips onto the top of a taptop, tablet or phone. The larger one – it’s 25cm across - was one of the best investments in the lockdown period. If you always zoom in daylight with a new iPhone or equivalent , you won’t need any of this stuff, but if not... Lesson 8) (Maybe) invest in a ring light 12

Real Business of Wine Sound Marantz microphone Røde Lavalier Pop filter Bose Noise Cancelling 700 James Tidwell Robert loses his ear The sound quality on most top-of-the-range – and even mid-range, smartphones is remarkable. But a clip-on Røde microphone Lavalier would make an improvement. As – most definitely - would a USB microphone for your computer or laptop. Entry-level examples of these might cost around $70 or less Note that the jackplug that is used to plug a microphone into a phone or tablet does not usually work on a desktop or laptop. A ‘pop filter’ may be more than you need, but it could help reduce or completely eliminate any popping sounds while you speak Headphones or earbuds like the Bose 700 are another (pricier) option, and they can remove the need for a separate microphone, but note that headphones can be tricky with virtual backgrounds. (See Robert’s pic above) Lesson 9) (Maybe) Invest in a microphone 13

Real Business of Wine Eyeline If you Zoom using a laptop on the table in front of you, or a tablet on your lap, you will almost inevitably end up looking down at the camera – which is not much fun for the people who are watching you. The solution is simple. Raise the device to a height at which you can look directly at the camera lens. Ideally it should be slightly higher than than your eyes (being photographed from above is more flattering, but certainly no lower.) Lesson 10) Look your camera in the eye 14

Real Business of Wine Words To ‘er’ – and ‘um’ - is human Zoom communication is not quite like real life. It’s quite likely that your face when you are speaking will fill the screen and command the attention of everyone watching more directly than if they were sitting around a table. As in any such situation, others will be waiting their turn to speak. Possibly with impatience. Marshal your thoughts (with a written list if necessary) and try to imagine the days when people used telegrams in - which – every – word – cost – money. Lesson 11) Be concise. Make your point(s) 15

Real Business of Wine Connection Unless, you are very, very lucky – or you don’t use Zoom very often, sooner or later, you will have problems with your internet connection. It will run slowly, or drop out completely. One way to deal with a slow connection is to switch off your camera. You may find that turning it back on almost immediately is effective, or you may have to leave it off for a while. Ideally, however, you should also have a Plan B in case you lose access to the internet completely. If you are using your office or home connection, the simple answer is to take advantage of the Mobile Hotspot function on your phone. Robert frequently had to do this during Season One, – but hopefiully his broadband has improved since then. Lesson 12) Switch off your camera to improve a slow connection. Use your phone if your normal means of going online fails. 16

Real Business of Wine Fail to prepare... Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will eventually go wrong. You may have been videoconferencing without a hitch all day and see absolutely no need to check on your camera or sound. And that, almost certainly, for reasons we cannot explain, will be when one of them stops working. Lesson 13) Turn up in time to test your sound and camera 17

Real Business of Wine Chat Pauline Vicard The chat feature of Zoom is hugely useful in the way that it allows the audience to share their views amongst themselves and with panelists. For panelists on a Zoom Webinar (rather than a Meeting), there are, however, a couple of provisos. a) you cannot send a private message to anyone other than the host or another panelist b) when trying to sending a message to a panelist, it is very easy – while focusing on what is being said – to accidentally address it to the wrong person So, it may (really!) even be worth running separate communications through another platform like Whatsapp or Twitter DMs to avoid this happening. Lesson 14) Use the chat function with caution 18

Real Business of Wine View Speaker View Gallery View The way anyone watches a Zoom is up to them. Viewers can either see all of the panelists at once – the way most family Zooms are done – or they can allow the speaker to take centre stage., with the others sitting in thumbnails at the top of the screen. Where there are too many people to fit on one screen, one can simply scroll horizontally to see them. One downside of the Speaker View is that every yawn, distracted or incrdulous look on their face gets as much space – and potentially attention - as the person who is speaking. Lesson 15) For the duration of the webcast, either look the way you are happy to appear – or turn off your camera 19

Real Business of Wine Shut up Gallery View Down at the bottom left of the Zoom screen, there’s an invaluable button. It protects other speakers and the audience from being distrcted when your phone rings, your dog barks or your child shouts from the foot of the stairs Please mute yourself when you are not speaking. But, also, be ready for possible moments of confusion as you and the moderator both try to unmute you simultaneously – and prevent each other from achieving that objective. Lesson 16) Use the Mute button 20

Real Business of Wine Sharing is caring We don’t do much screen-sharing on the Real Business of Wine; we generally prefer conversation. But there are times when it can be invaluable, such as when award-winning label designer, Neil Tully MW, talked through the way in which he’d come up with the packaging for Les Dauphins, and how he might approach creating a label for Robert’s new Georgian wine. Sketches for Les Dauphins Mood Board for Georgia The process of Zoom screen sharing is quite simple. Choose what you’d like Click on the Share Screen button at the bottom of the screen to share Select the file you want to share (having already taken care to remove any words or images you’d prefer strangers not to see). Other participants will now see your file, with a thumbnail of your face at the top right of their screen. When you want to stop sharing, simply click on the red Stop Share button in the skinny yellow bar which will expand to allow you to Resume Share if you wish 21

Real Business of Wine Hosting Zoom sessions The aim of this little ebook was to help guests and panelists to appear at their best on Zoom sessions. Hosting online sessions, whether it’s a virtual tasting or a discussion, can be totally straightforward – just send everyone an invitation and get on with it – or fraught with problems, as we have discovered over 45 hours of learning on the job. The key decisions to make are whether to host a Webinar or a Meeting, and whether to require participants to register and get a password. We prefer registration because it protects us from Zoombombing. You might like to read this useful set of tips on the subject Apart from being free, the advantage of a Meeting is that all participants can see and interact with each other. This is great for family chats, and internal company meetings, but potentially less so for a presentation. Zoom Webinars are ‘view-only’, with hosts who control who is visible and audible to the entire audience. Hosts and panelists can talk privately to each other via the Chat function, but not with the other participants who can, however, chat (textually) among themselves as a group. If you are happy to have fewer than 100 participants and limit your sessions to 40 minutes and don’t need the webinar features, or to record in the cloud, the free Zoom option is probably ideal. Otherwise you need to sign up for a monthly subscription. You may want to look at alternatives, such as GoToMeeting which have its fans. We chose Zoom because it has become the industry standard and a growing number of people are used to it. But we’ll keep an open mind in the future as the various platforms evolve. Can we help? Over the last few weeks, we have been approached by a number of sizeable wine organisations and companies, looking for assistance in running online events. We have been happy to help them on a consultancy basis – that’s what Polly and Robert do when they’re not running the Real Business of Wine – or to run the event from scratch, including the invitations, registrations, transcribing what is said, and the possible creation and editing of video recordings, podcasts and ezines/ebooks. Please don’t hesitate to contact Polly or Robert directly, if you’d like to discuss our helping you to run a Zoom meeting 22

Real Business of Wine Thank you Finally, Robert & Polly would like to thank all of the people who made Season One of The Real Business of Wine happen Evan Alexander, Marilisa Allegrini, Jane Anson, Eric Asimov, Tim Atkin MW, Rico Basson, Roberto Bava, Michael Brajkovich MW, Bernhard Bredell, Jane Brooks, Duncan Brown, Dominic Buckwell, Jacques Carroget, Felicity Carter, David Cartwright, Laura Catena, Anna Chilton, Elaine Chukan Brown, Marcello Copello, Philip Cox, Arnaud Daphy, Daniel de Vecchi, Cameron Douglas MS, Erica Duety, Josh Dunning, Scott Eddy, Elizabeth Else, Joe Fattorini, Alice Feiring, Rosie Finn, Ian Ford, Ken Forrester, Liz Gabay MW, Adrian Garforth MW, Rebecca Gibb MW, Justin Gibbs, David Gleave MW, Nicolas Glumineau, Nayan Gowda, Randall Grahm, W Blake Gray, Nigel Greening, Stephanie Guth, Lulie Halstead, Ian Harris, Maggie Henriquez, Sonal Holland MW, Sorcha Holloway, Rebecca Hopkins, Justin Howard Sneyd MW, Louise Hurren, Diana Isaac, Ray Isle, Dan Jago, Birte Jantzen, Soma Jennings, Stevie Kim, Hein Koegelenberg, Fabien Lainé, Rodrigo Lanari, Jono Le Feuvre, Amber LeBeau, Adam Lechmere, Isabelle Legeron MW, Tom Lewis, Simone Loose, Camilla Lunelli, Paul Mabray, Andre Mack, Karen MacNeil, Didier Marcelis, Axel Marchal, Brent Maris, Carolyn Martin, Edwin Massey, Elin McCoy, Giles McDonagh, Andrew McInnes, Dmitry Merezhko, Tony Milanowski, Victoria Moore, Jim Morris, Jasper Morris MW, Lucie Morton, Suzanne Mustacich, Gary Obligacion, Cecilia Oldne, Anton Panansenko, Sergey Panov, Tom Parnell, Francis Perrin , Rod Phillips, D'Lynn Proctor, Gavin Quinney, Jose Rallo, Mike Ratcliffe, Alain Raynaud, Charlotte Read, Phil Reedman MW, Andre Ribeirinho, Tamara Roberts, Simon Robinson, Jancis Robinson MW, Nicole Rolet, Rajeev Samant, Ronan Sayburn MS, Elizabeth Schneider, Richard Siddle, Amelia Singer, Reva Singh, Stephen Skelton MW, Logan Stevens, James Tidwell MS, Anderson Tirloni, Tanisha Townsend, Julia Trustram Eve, Vladimir Tsapelik, Neil Tulley MW, Pauline Vicard, Monty Waldin, Tobias Webb, Damien Wilson, Simon Woolf, Doug Wregg, Terry Xu Polly Hammond Robert Joseph

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