Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Wein am Limit: The “German Gary Vaynerchuck” Hendrik Thoma Moves on, Germany

Picture: Hendrik Thoma and Christian G.E. Schiller in Hamburg

Two years ago I had the pleasure of participating in the production of one of Hendrik Thoma’s TVINO shows. He has now left TVINO and has started a new show – "Wein am Limit".

Hendrik Thoma and TVINO

Hendrik Thoma is a trained wine sommelier who has become a – as he calls it - Web 2.0 Sommelier. He launched in collaboration with the wine retailer giant HAWESKO the internet TV series TVINO about 2 years ago.

With Hendrik, there were on average two shows per week. With the backing of HAWESKO, they were very professionally done and very entertaining. Hendrik typically did the show either by himself, reviewing a couple of wines, or with a guest, tasting the wines with him or her. The guests included such giant wine makers as the Antinori brothers from Italy, the German top wine maker H.O. Spanier from the Battenfeld Spanier Estate in Rheinhessen, and the French actor and super star Gerard Depardieu, who also produces wine.

Picture: Hendrik Thoma

The TVINO show in which I participated was the first TVINO Late Night Show, produced in Hamburg’s red light district. It had very illustrious guests: a famous German travestite actor, a star sommelier from Berlin, and the owner of Hamburg’s top restaurant Old Commercial Room, who grew up in the red light district.

Wein am Limit

At the same time as leaving TVINO, Hendrik has launched his new internet video show – Wein am Limit (Wine at the Limit). In contrast to TVINO, Wein am Limit is not backed by a financially strong wine retailer. But over the years, Hendrik has made a name for himself so that I am not worried about the future of Wein am Limit.

Picture: Hendrik Thoma and his Wife

Hendrik speaks English – in fact, he met his Trinidad and Tobago born wife while he was working in California and he is well connected in the international wine world. I hope he will give his show an international touch. All the best Hendrik.

Interview with Hendrik Thoma

I recently interviewed Hendrik Thoma via Skype:

A Master Sommelier became a Web 2.0 Digital Sommelier- An interview with Germany's Hendrik Thoma (Part 1)

A Master Sommelier became a Web 2.0 Digital Sommelier- An interview with Germany's Hendrik Thoma (Part 2)

Wein am Limit in Hendrik Thoma’s Words

Here is what Hendrik has to say about his new show – in German:

“Wein am Limit ist ein unabhängiger interaktiver Video-Wein-Blog mit dem erklärten Ziel, das Weintrinken nicht zu einer olympischen Disziplin für bornierte Snobs, Besserwisser und Fachidioten werden zu lassen. Im Gegenteil – dieser Blog ist die beste Möglichkeit für Nichtprofis wie Profis einen authentischen Blick auf die Weinbranche zu werfen.

Bei Wein am Limit wird aufgeräumt mit Weinlatein, Halbwissen und einer lebensfernen Welt. Niemand, der sich hier engagiert, soll vor verschlossenen Türen stehen. Wein war und ist immer ein Geschäft, das von persönlichen Beziehungen lebt. So soll es bleiben. Wir sehen uns ganz in dieser Tradition.

Doch die Kommunikationskanäle verändern sich. Das Internet mit seinen fantastischen Möglichkeiten ist das geniale Verbindungsstück, um zeitnah und offen mit Zuschauern und Fans zu kommunizieren. Lange wurde es in dieser Beziehung nicht ernst genommen, dabei hat es sehr gefehlt und wurde einfach unterschätzt. Vorbei sind die Zeiten, in denen Informationen von oben nach unten durchgereicht wurden. Wir arbeiten mit eingebautem Rückkanal.” 

schiller-wine: Related Postings

A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach – An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

1.International Riesling Symposium

Impressions from the Riesling and Co World Tour 2010 in New York

When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

No comments:

Post a Comment