Harvey Posert: A Giant On Whose Shoulders Stood Many Successes

“Harvey Posert, Jr., an influential leader in the California wine industry for nearly 50 years, died October 3, 2014 at the age of 84 after a brief illness, with his three sons and their mother at his side.” Read more.

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Harvey Posert was a gentle giant with shoulders broad enough to support many successes.

My story is but one.

Without Harvey Posert Wine Business Monthly, and Wine Industry Insight, would never have existed.

In 1991, when I started Wine Business Insider (the newsletter precursor to Wine Business Monthly), the first person who got really excited about it was Harvey.

Harvey encouraged me and supported the effort.

He  told me that the best way to establish credibility and visibility for my new journalistic venture, was to go to VinExpo in Bordeaux and report on it every day. He said that no one else would be reporting on it, and that it would make an impact if we did.

I had not known Harvey for very long at that time, but my gut level trust in him lead me to spend multiple thousands of dollars to go to Bordeaux and report on VinExpo.

I figured out a way to make sure that the reporting, which I did at the end of each day, went into the mail (this was pre-WorldWideWeb)  to my subscribers the next today.

Harvey was right (of course!) By the end of that week the response was overwhelming.

Without that response and Harvey’s encouragement, I would not have taken things much further than the Insider newsletter. And I am certain that I would never have founded Wine Business Monthly, or the Internet part of that business.

The rest is history because Wine Business Monthly remains the major print publication for the North American wine industry.

Harvey’s encouragement and suggestions also prompted me to start Wine Industry Insight as a digital publication in 2008,, and the daily email newsletter, News Fetch, in 2009.

Much of my respect for Harvey came not only from his sage advice and experience, but also because he always remained a journalist at heart.

Harvey was always about substance and not about flash, glitz, glamor, and over-rated promotion.

Harvey’s absence now leaves a mammoth hole in the industry and in our hearts.

That hole will not be filled.

Nor should it be, because it remains a poignant reminder of a great friend and good man with a deep heart.