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Archive for the 'Selling Wine' Category

Get Real

October 14, 2007 in Selling Wine. 0 Comments

So, I was going off on the ratings system again in a recent post. Actually, it was this rant in the CityBeat blog about the ratings guide called “justwinepoints” that got me started again. I don’t like to call anything “dumb” but, as I’ve said before, I do believe these folks are misguided in the idea that descriptors are an unhelpful bore. Their decision was probably influenced by the overly precious, flowery descriptors that turn up in some columns - some of them are truly nauseating. But, not all of them, and I think we all want to get an idea of what it tastes like. So, I ranted, but I also promised that I wouldn�t come to you with a problem without suggesting a solution.

Wine by the numbers cartoon

Enter friend Abigail, who works here in our tasting room. We were chatting about the whole numerical ratings system over lunch and agreed that scores seem to be too simplistic and don’t allow for differences in taste, but that we also wished the writing was more direct. Here’s a write-up from the Wine Spectator:

“Ripe, rich and full-bodied, with layers of currant, plum, black cherry and blackberry fruit, shaded by spicy, cedary oak and finishing with a long, complex aftertaste.”

Now, reading that without knowing what kind of wine it is, you’d think it was a warm-climate Cabernet, right?

Well, it was an evaluation of a Pinot Noir that got 93 points. Hmmm… Should he have marked it down a little for lacking varietal character or typicity? Or, at least comment that it’s a delicious red wine, if not very Pinot-like? Just wondering…

So, we started brainstorming.

First, disclose your preferences - whether you lean toward big, fruit-forward styles or leaner wines. And, try to tell us what it smells and tastes like in a practical way. You know, besides the emotional descriptors like hedonistic and beguiling or yummy things like truffle notes and wild berry offer some basics. Is it a ripe, warm-climate or leaner, perhaps cool-climate example of the type? Which flavors dominate - or is it a true melange? Is it a big, in-your-face style or something you relish discovering over a period of time? Tannin/acid levels? Is it representative of the type?

Checklist:

Color:
1. Depth
2. Hue
3. Appropriate for the variety?
4. Anything that stands out about it (positive or negative)?

Aroma: which way does it lean?
1. Ripe or lean? Fresh or rich?
2. Big or subtle?
3. Appropriate to the variety/region?
4. Descriptors including which are dominant and whether oak plays a large or small role.
5. Anything that stands out about it (positive or negative)?

Flavor: which way does it lean?
1. Light, medium or full-bodied example of the type?
2. Ripe or lean?
3. Appropriate to the variety/region?
4. Descriptors including which are dominant and whether oak plays a large or small role
5. Tannin/acid levels for the type
6. Drink now? A keeper? Both?
7. Anything that stands out about it (positive or negative)?

Aftertaste:
1. Length?
2. Pleasant?

Overall:
1. Is it a good, representative example of the type?
2. If not, is it still delicious anyway?
3. Is it delicious by price standard?

OK, no one expects these guys to go through the whole checklist for every single wine, but it’s a good reminder of context and to comment when something about the wine is unusual. I think the conclusion Abi and I came to was we want to know if it’s a good example of the type and what to expect in terms of overall character and weight.

We also want to know what the reviewer thinks of the quality to price ratio. For instance, the SF Chronicle included Screw Kappa Napa Cab in their top 100 wines (from the west coast, more or less) in 2006. It’s only about $12.00-$15.00 so, of course, I ran out and got some. It’s a heckuva wine for the price. Do I think it belongs in the company of their other top-rated Cabs? No, I do not. Just my opinion, of course, but these things need to be in context.

So, how did the Spectator do with the Pinot Noir description? They let us know that it’s big and ripe, a warm-climate example - that’s good. Implies the oak is subtle, but it’s not real clear. From the descriptors, they might have called it a Cab-drinker’s Pinot and there’s no indication about the tannin levels. The grape makes me expect low levels, but the description might lead you to think Cab tannins. Do they think it belongs in the company of other Pinots that sell at a similar price-point?

Here at the winery we’ve talked about a “get-real” approach when it comes to describing our wines and I think it would be healthy for all of us who write about wine to think less about demonstrating how clever we can be with words and more about whether we’re communicating clearly to the reader. Any thoughts about what you’d like to see or how you’d like the reviews structured?

I Can’t Keep Up With This, Either

October 1, 2007 in Selling Wine. 2 Comments

OK, how many of you have purchased a wine because you liked the label or because the packaging made the wine look more expensive than it was? I know I have. With the ridiculous and ever-increasing number of choices we have, you have to make a selection one way or another, right?

And then others bring their copy of the Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator to the shop with them. It’s a perfectly reasonable way to narrow down your choices and try to get the most bang for your buck. And if you’re one of the lucky few who’ve managed to find a publication that’s fairly closely aligned to your personal taste, then it’s all the more reason to go that way.

So, what do you think of numerical wine ratings? Are they helpful for you? I ask because the topic goes endlessly round and round in the blogosphere. Recently, our good friend at Winecast, Tim Elliot, suggested that everyone get together and settle on a common system that actually isn’t numerical. He recommends a five-star system:

Five Star wine scoring

I don’t know about you, but I start having nervous flashbacks to report-card days. Five stars is an “A”. And 3 stars feels like a “C” - kind of the same effect as an 82 from the Spectator - even though that’s not the way it’s described. “I think I’ll pass…” The visual impact is so powerful. And should a flawed wine get any stars at all?

But, I have to say, I love that word “delicious.” We all want to drink something delicious, right? And it reminds me of the wonderful writing team for the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. “Delicious” is their highest form of praise. They use words instead of points. But even there, as they acknowledge, one man’s delicious is another man’s “yuk”, just like some of us love figs (Mmmmm…) and they give others the willies.

Alternative wine scoring

Alder at Vinography, one of the most widely-read winebloggers, uses a 10-point system, although it’s been pointed out, repeatedly, that it’s really a 20-point system because he regularly assigns 1/2 points in his ratings: 8.5, 9.5, etc. I know that those who go with this sort of system are trying to address the very real issue that human beings aren’t sensitive enough to discern the difference between a 91 and a 92.

Which leads us to the ubiquitous 100-point system used by Robert Parker, Wine Spectator and others.

wine score joke

But, as many of us have said ad nauseum, a five-star or 96-point wine for one person is a 3.5-star wine for someone else. Just like movie ratings, just like book reviews, just like restaurant reviews…

In a previous post, I noted that a high-profile Merlot received a 94 from Robert Parker and a 78 from the Wine Spectator. What are we supposed to make of that? All of which reminds me that you can subscribe to something called the Wine Blue Book that “groups the major critics’ average wine ratings, then lists them by price to determine overall value - the Quality Price Ratio for wine.” And there’s a similar consumer driven ratings system. Do any of you find either of these options helpful? Is averaging the answer?

Stars, 10-point scales, 100-point scales… it kinda doesn’t matter. 10=100=5 stars. It appeals to our love of a quick, easy answer. There sure are a lot of people out there trying to help us buy wine. I, truly, cannot keep up!

But does the ratings system perform its mission of assisting consumer in deciding if that’s the right wine for him? Or does it mainly result in a handful of writers determining what sells and what doesn’t? Why am I ragging on this again? Well, to quote Wine Blue Book, “scores drive prices.” Soon: what would help?

Millennials, Gen X and “Rich, Old White People”

February 24, 2007 in Selling Wine, Wine Business and Wine News. 0 Comments

There were a couple of articles this week - one on the demise of Wine X magazine and the other on the purchasing habits of the Millennials– that seemed to be sending the same message in very different ways.

WineX Banner

Of course, theories abound as to why Wine X folded after 10 years. Wine X founder and editor, Darryl Roberts, was quoted as saying ‘The wine industry says it’s interested in young adults but spends all of its ad and promo money targeting the same people it’s been targeting for the past 30 years - rich, old white people.’

While no one would accuse Wine X of marketing to that demographic description, I wonder how well they were reaching today’s up and coming wine drinkers, the Millennials. Perhaps this Gen-Xer has failed to speak meaningfully to his intended market. I think we’re all guilty of thinking that we’re cool enough and smart enough to know how to communicate with and market to younger generations, but we’re probably fooling ourselves. It may be a hard realization for Roberts, but getting old is hell. Ten years have gone by and perhaps he and his staff failed to reach their target group because their leader must be looking at 40 candles here pretty soon and his world view is somewhat different than that of his intended readers.

He certainly evidenced a glaring blind spot by focusing on glossy print media to reach out to this generation. Of course there’s a website, but it has the look of something that’s trying to promote the hard copy. I like to think that these wine-intrigued 20-somethings are reading this blog right now instead.

The evidence indicates that as a generation the Millennials like wine and they’re curious about it. That’s good. But we Californians better wake up and smell the Zinfandel, and soon, because evidently these folks are far more inclined to shop around in other parts of the world for their wine than prior generations. That’s potentially bad. The San Francisco Chronicle stated that “Twelve percent of both Baby Boomer and Generation X wine drinkers bought imports, compared with 32 percent for the Millennial generation…” and added that there are 70 million Millennials in the United States, compared with 44 million Gen Xers and 77 million Boomers.

Now, we can assume that this has something to do with price. The Boomers and increasingly Gen-X will spend more per bottle than the average Millennial because most of us have long since finished paying off student loans and are established in our careers. But attitudes and habits that are developed now are likely to persist as time goes by. If we want these new consumers to shop for fine wine from California in the future we’d better gain their loyalty by offering them a good value and do our homework on how to market and package it right now. My hat’s off to Don Sebastiani and Sons for leading the charge in the under $15.00 range. And Three Thieves has a new brand with a page on MySpace.

Regarding marketing, Karen Ross of the California Association of Winegrape Growers said that “Every major wine-producing country has an aggressive program in the United States, and California needs to make sure there is a California message out there.” She said the association is launching a public relations campaign focused on “informing U.S. wine consumers and wine trade media of the vineyard practices that add value to California wines.” Sounds pretty sexy, huh? Hmmm. We haven’t been very good at this in the past. Can we possibly come up with the wine equivalent of “got milk”?

It seems to me that Wine X had the right concept: make it fun and informal. Lose the elitism and the snootiness. Perhaps they just lost their way. And perhaps there’s some truth to Roberts’ assertions that we’ve been overly attentive to those “rich, old white people” to the detriment of building a future with this new consumer base.

The market potential is there. The challenge is there. Let’s hope we can rise to the occasion.

Generic French Wine: Pourquoi Pas?

February 6, 2007 in Selling Wine and Wine Business. 0 Comments

“Vignobles de France” This is big, if it happens. The French have proposed a new approach to wine labeling that will allow not only a varietal designation, but will permit producers to blend wines from different parts of France together to produce a style of wine that appeals to specific markets. And these specific markets, being mainly new-world markets, will actually be able to understand what’s on the label. That’s huge.

Pourquoi Pas? Picture this: some guy in Duluth, trying to impress his date with his savoir faire, can serve her a French wine (How do they maintain their snob appeal after all these years?), and yet he’ll also be able to select his grape variety of choice and feel that he knows what he’s buying. On top of that the flavor profile may well be targeted to his palate, for instance the Chardonnay may include grapes from the warmer parts of France in order to please the American preference for abundant fruit and soft acidity - probably agood kick of oak, too. Just a few months ago I wrote about some conversations I had with French producers that indicated a possible move in this direction, but I don’t think too many of us thought something so major would come this quickly! It’s not a done-deal yet, but could be implemented as early as this spring.Of course, the producers in the Languedoc are vehemently opposed to the idea because, in tandem with a push to increase quality in the region, they pioneered the use of varietal designations on French labels. They want the Languedoc appellation to get to the place where it commands respect and view this potential for widespread varietal, appellation-free labeling as eroding their considerable efforts. Their marketing savvy has taken this region from one that drew sniffs of derision (the appellation still makes me nervous) to one that is second only to new-world producers (specifically Australia, Chile and the U.S.) as an exporter of wine with a varietal designation. It’s easy to understand their concern.

And others are against the concept because French wine has always been about terroir. But, do we really want or need the “terroir” of a $12.00 wine from a so-so growing region? I don’t think anyone expects to see a change in labeling practices among wines that come from noble regions. This will be used as a tool to move truck loads of moderately priced wines, not cases of the great stuff.You can see it as kind of meeting in the middle. After the repeal of prohibition California wine was reborn as mostly generic plonk and it’s only now, after decades and decades of study and trial and error blended with copious quantities of blood, sweat and tears, that we’ve evolved to the point where our best wines are indeed beginning to reflect a sense of place. And I don’t think our low-end “California” wines take anything away from our best vineyard designates any more than you’d think that our friend in Duluth has somehow hurt one of the great houses of Corton-Charlemagne by serving a $12.00 French wine called Chardonnay.

Anyway, it looks as if we might have the opportunity to purchase wine labeled “Vignobles de France,” which supplies about as much information as buying a wine with a “California” appellation. Maybe table wine for every day tastes better if it’s blended to combine the best of one region with another. I don’t know.

But I do know that this idea beats the heck out of converting French wine into something that heats their homes or runs their cars. Merde!!

When I wrote before, I said it would be interesting to fast-forward 10 or 15 years to see what happens. I guess I should have said 10 or 15 weeks. Germany is rapidly figuring out how to appeal to the new-world market (stand back!) even if they don’t get as much attention. Stay tuned…

Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant

November 21, 2006 in Selling Wine, Wine and Wine Business. 0 Comments

As kind of a coda to my last posting, “Alternatives to Wine Ratings” in which I suggested you find a retailer you trust, I have to give a plug to one of my very favorite wine merchants, and he’s one I’ve actually never met.

Nouveau Beaujolais

Kermit Lynch has to be the best wine writer on the planet. Every month when his newsletter arrives, he makes me want to buy out his entire inventory. He even has me lusting after wines of a type I don’t generally care for because he describes them so vividly, and with genuine affection. And that helps me to become that more adventurous, independent consumer that I’m always talking about.

It takes more than great writing to create a loyal customer. Over the years, I’ve found that his descriptions, which are not accompanied by numerical ratings, are pretty darned close to what I experience once I pop the cork. He’s not sitting at his desk in Berkeley, ordering out of a catalogue. He and his staff hand-select the wines and buy them directly from the producers, so the quality of the wines is reliable. It was interesting that when Colleen, our proprietor, and I were in Provence and Chateauneuf-du-Pape last month (see post titled “Culinary Getaways a la Provencal ” the name Kermit Lynch was well known, and in one case, a producer asked if I knew how to get his attention. Who, me???

And there’s the bummer. Provence is his springboard for buying wines from all over France, with an occasional sprinkling of Italian wines. I prefer to buy local most of the time, but I can’t resist placing an occasional order with Kermit Lynch. I rationalize by reminding myself that tasting wines from outside my own back yard is important to my work.

Anyway, if for no other reason than a great read, you should subscribe to his newsletter. I tell ya, if I won the lottery, he’d have to buy another truck just to keep up with my deliveries!

Alternatives To Wine Ratings?

November 20, 2006 in Selling Wine and Wine. 1 Comment

You’d think we’ve all read enough about wine ratings by now, but it’s a complex subject and everybody has an opinion. I’ve sometimes lamented that so many of us allow a small handful of powerful wine writers to tell us what to like, and therefore, to determine what sells. I wish we’d all be more adventurous and learn to trust our palates. But, how??? I realize that there are seemingly endless wines out there to choose from, so we all need some kind of guide that we can rely upon.

Wine Rating Just in time for Thanksgiving, I’m grateful to Catherine Rabb of the Charlotte Observer for saying to thousands what I’ve suggested to individuals all these years: Find a retailer you trust and develop the relationship. If you can get to know the retailer, and more importantly, they can get to know your tastes, you’re going to have tons of fun without having to pay a premium for the 90+ score. As the relationship grows they’ll start suggesting unusual wines from off the beaten track and that’s when the fun really begins.

Even in our Napa backwater, there’s a warehouse-style liquor store with a wine bar that’s open every day! Quite often they offer flights so you can try an ounce or so of several wines. There’s no substitute for tasting to develop and begin to trust your palate. Make a point of talking to the person behind the bar about what you like and don’t like about the wines and he’ll become a good advisor for you down the road.

Of course, a really fun way to try a bunch of different wines is to visit a wine producing region! You can try a substantial number of wines in just a few days and discover some hidden gems that may not be available at home.

Take advantage of the wine-by-the-glass progams offered by so many restaurants now. And if there’s a good sommelier, pick his brain or just flat-out take his suggestions if you’re feeling adventurous. You may make a new discovery (who knew you liked Grüner Veltliner?) and the sommelier actually appreciates intelligent interaction as opposed to just selling another glass of Pinot Grigio.

My favorite option: form a tasting group. Meet every month. For each month you can select a variety and vintage and try a number of examples. You can have a global Chardonnay tasting or just try Long Island Chardonnays this month. You can do anything you want, and the beauty of it is you get to try maybe a dozen examples for the price of one if there are twelve members in your group, sharing the cost. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you become opinionated about the attributes of warm climate vs. cold climate Sauvignon Blanc, or whatever the variety. Plus, you learn a lot from your tasting buddies and have a blast doing it!

And even the wine ratings, used judiciously, can be of some use. They’re much more valuable if they’re accompanied by apt descriptors. Instead of detecting “sweet woodruff” or some other esoteric descriptor, I love the writers who try to communicate a sense of what the wine is actually going to smell, taste and feel like: fruit-driven vs. earthy or mineral; light, medium or full-bodied for the type; no or minimal oak vs. splinters in the wine…

The numbers are tricky because, as Gary Rivlin of the NY Times pointed out, “A rating system that draws a distinction between a cabernet scoring 90 and one receiving an 89 implies a precision of the senses that even many wine critics agree that human beings do not possess.” Yet, we know that the 90 sets off bells and sales and the 89 leaves the wine sitting lonely on the shelf. Also, aside from the fact that many publications accept advertising revenues from wineries, a growing number of those rating the wines are also selling wine. I call that a conflict of interest.

But, maybe you can find a publication that’s aligned with your taste. You may agree with the conclusions of the Wine Enthusiast more often than the Wine Spectator. Myself, if I read about a wine that has a great score and a good price to go with it, I don’t run out and buy a case. I buy a taste or a bottle and try it. If I agree that the wine is delicious and a great value, then I can go back and get that case.

We all know we’re our own best judges. Let me know what you think. How do you go about buying wine minus the numbers system?

Ain’t Nothin’ Simple

November 14, 2006 in Observations, Selling Wine, Wine, Wine Business and Wine Education. 0 Comments

That’s what my Dad always used to say…

Our growers often drop by with friends, or just to taste the latest and see what’s new. In this case, Geoff Gorsuch, our Winemaker, specifically invited a grower in to try a wine that was coming along especially well. He wanted the grower to literally taste the fruit of his labors–the absolutely delicious wine we made from his vineyard.

Head down, concentrating, he smelled and tasted. He paused and looked up at Geoff. He smelled it again. Smiled. He took a few more sips and suggested “…you know, it would be a great idea to give this wine a vineyard designation.” which translates to us as “he knows this is good stuff and wants his name associated with it.” It’s a happy thing for both parties.

So, I’m working on the back label for the wine and Geoff tells me about this conversation. He’s totally in favor of it. He loves the fruit that comes from this vineyard and, probably more importantly, he really likes and admires the grower - kind of an old-time, authentic, Napa Valley hands-on farmer. Nothing pretentious about him. Grows great fruit with lots of care–salt of the earth kind of guy. Geoff’s thinking this is a done deal.

Wishing to keep my job, before I add the grower’s name to the label, I run it by David, who co-owns the winery with Geoff. Got an e-mail back: “Let’s discuss”.

Hmmm, I think. What’s to discuss? Single vineyard wines are hot, and the vineyard designation seems to take the wine up a notch in the eyes of the consumer. It makes it appear more limited and upscale. What’s David thinking?

Good thing I checked. He’s thinking like a business man. He has no problem with putting the grower’s name on the label, but we need to sign some papers first - a long-term contract with pricing and quality standards. As it stands, with a year-to-year agreement, putting his name on the label is like running a full-page ad for the grower in the Wine Business Monthly. We can’t be the only ones to recognize the quality, and if another winemaker tastes the wine and is similarly impressed, he’s just a phone call away from trying to outbid us for the fruit. But not if he doesn’t know who the grower is. As we look to build brand value and recognition for Goosecross wines, growers look to build vineyard designations. Both designed to improve the bottom line with potential conflicts.

Everybody brings a different perspective to the table, even at a very small winery like Goosecross. Geoff (being a farmer himself) was being emotional, and wanted to honor the grower. As a wine educator, I was thinking of the great story I could tell about this little vineyard off in the hills. But clearly, the thing to do is to go with David’s recommendation. Wine is perhaps more of a romantic business than most, but it’s still a business. Gotta get that long-term contract signed and then give the grower that place of honor on the label.

When we get to talking about what goes on the wine label, guests at the winery are invariably surprised and somewhat amused to find out that there are regulations behind the statements we make about vintage, location and varietal content - and restrictions regarding what we can say to describe the wine. At first glance, everything seems simple.

Wish I could share the name of the mystery vineyard and wine with you, but I’m not sure we’ve dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s yet. For now, it remains a mystery…

By the way: in the USA, a vineyard designation requires that at least 95% of the grapes come from the named site. Click here to read about some of these regulations in understandable terms.

Times, They Are A-Changin’

October 16, 2006 in Observations, Selling Wine, Wine, Wine Business, Wine Education and Winemaking. 0 Comments

As I wrote earlier in the Culinary Getaways a la Provencal entry (I know… when is this woman ever going to shut up about Provence, already??!!!), Colleen, our proprietor, and I have recently been slurping up as much wine (and food!) as we possibly could in the limited time we had in Provence and the southern Rhone. What a time…

In the course of events we had the opportunity to sit down with a few vintners over a way-indulgent meal and really get to talking. You just can’t beat sharing a meal for bringing out what people really want to talk about compared to the polite discourse of a winery visit.

Anyway, Colleen and I noticed that every owner, producer, distributor, whomever we talked to volunteered that the French really need to pull themselves out of the Dark Ages in terms of marketing and labeling. They believe that even the French find the labels too complicated to understand.

One vintner, Allan Wilson of Chateau St. Esteve de Neri, put it in terms that rang a very familiar bell with me. I was unaware that some quality producers have begun de-classifying themselves from the top-of-the-line AOC classification to “Vin de Pays” (three rungs down on the 4-rung French-classification ladder) in order to produce 100% varietal wines, or to blend as they please and very importantly, to put the varietal name on the label.

What this means, from a practical standpoint, is if they call the wine Cotes de Provence they are limited in their choice of grape varieties, viticultural and winemaking practices and may not put a varietal name on the label. So, they say “the heck with it” and de-classify either to express themselves artistically or have a fighting chance of selling it or both. They know that most new-world consumers, who they very much want as their customers, are going to walk in to their local retailers and ask for a Chardonnay or a Syrah and that it will be the exceptional consumer that asks for a Chateau d’I-can’t pronounce-this, from “Les-never-heard-of-it” vineyard.

The deal is, that unless you’re one of the top chateaux in whatever region, you’re probably having trouble moving your wine. It’s very ironic that the stratospheric price of 2005 Bordeaux futures from the top houses is the subject of outraged, incredulous debate while lesser known producers fight for shelf space and some AOC producers in Bordeaux are even having their wine converted into fuel. C’est terrible.

It’s complicated. The French are drinking less wine, for starters. The new world has flooded the market with attractive, well-made, very affordable wines and Spain and southern Italy are coming on strong as competitors. The dollar is weak compared to the euro making the competition yet more difficult.

I don’t think anyone believes it’s a quality issue. Every wine-producing region is guilty of putting out some yucky stuff, but the French no more than anyone else.

It seems the two main forces at work are government regulations regarding both production methods and labeling laws that may no longer serve the interest of the majority of French producers and complacence regarding marketing. Among some producers the attitude is that “it’s enough to be French” and that its reputation will carry the day.

That certainly wasn’t the opinion of any producers we met. If what we saw (and it was a handful of people) is a reflection of the general attitude among French vintners then you can expect to see big changes in the way French wine is marketed and perhaps labeled in the near future. I’m not talking about the great houses. But, there’s room for movement in the mid-price Vin de Pays, which make up a significant part of French production. The proposed changes will allow producers to be more responsive to their environment, consumer preference and market conditions.

Major problem: Some important regions, like Bordeaux and Burgundy don’t allow the Vin de Pays option. Probably a matter of pride. So, a war is brewing in an effort to change that. It’s not going to happen easily. And the INAO has promised to become more restrictive regarding labeling regulations, not less. If they have their way, you’ll be able to buy a wine called Chardonnay from the Languedoc, for instance, but not if it’s from Burgundy, it’s venerable home. Ouch! This makes my head hurt!

If the laws don’t change, you can bet the producers will. People always find a way. As Allan said, it’s already starting to happen. This whole de-classifying business sure brings to mind Tuscany in the 60s and 70s. Great producers like Antinori became frustrated with hand-tying DOC laws and just labeled their made-as-I-please wine Vino de Tavola. Of course, we now know them as Super-Tuscans and they get quite a premium for their “table wine.”

Some quality French producers have already gone that way. They source grapes, choose their varieties and blend almost as they see fit (within the Vin de Pays regulations for the region) and call it Vin de Pays or even Vin de Table. Of course, to get any kind of respect or remuneration for these wines the producer must have a fine reputation already. But these respected producers, as they were in Italy, are the trail blazers. Guess what’s happened in Italy since the Super-Tuscans came about? The laws have adjusted.

It would be fun to fast forward 10 or 15 years, to see what happens, but it should be interesting in the meantime. Stay tuned…

Dumbing down of wine labels and wine?

September 18, 2006 in Observations, Rants, Selling Wine, Wine, Wine Blogs, Wine Business and Wine Education. 0 Comments

I’ve been (casually) following the discussion on blogspot.com regarding new-world vs. old world, and something Trish said in New World vs. Old World Part Deux caught my attention. She was troubled by her own observation: “People want at-a-glance labels, suggested pairings, critters, playful names and specified grapes. They don’t want micro-appellations, regular-size appellations or any appellation, for that matter. They want wine. Just wine. So many people don’t really care where it comes from or about the traditions and geography behind it.”

I think it depends upon the consumer. Representing a high-end producer here in the Napa Valley, I find that our customers care very much where the grapes came from, want to understand viticultural practices and are fascinated to know what part of Europe the variety hails from so they can draw the comparison.

The folks who want and need simplified labels are entry level consumers and I don’t blame them. This is a complicated subject, even for those of us who like to think we know something about it - just think of the first time you tried to decipher the label on a German wine or a bottle of Burgundy! Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to simplify the label and make it kind of fun by way of using critter labels or whimsical names for wines under $15.00 or so.

My opinion has always been that all roads lead to Napa Valley Cabernet (my own personal bias - you could just as well say all roads lead to fine Bordeaux). I’ve heard people make fun of White Zin drinkers, but not me. I say “Go for it!” I figure they’ll get bored eventually and maybe try a glass of Pinot Grigio and begin to move on.

Recently, I hosted a delightful young couple from Scottsdale who said they didn’t know much about wine, and yet they’re interested enough to have watched all 2 hours of Mondovino (oy!). We spent probably a good 10 minutes talking about the threat of winemaking becoming globalized and wine character homogenized. We came to the conclusion that while there’s some evidence of it in the low end, and there are even fine wine producers who care more about getting a 96 from Parker or the Wine Spectator than they do about producing a style that’s uniquely their own, there will always be small, artisan producers who try to capture that wonderful and mysterious sense of place.

And the really encouraging thing is to read about the Millenials, who are characterized as a generation that wants to know where its food and wine comes from and doesn’t mind spending a bit more for quality. That can only be good for the future of small producers with high standards and fortunately, while we may not produce much volume, we proliferate all over the world.