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Wed, 1 Feb 2012 3:09:14
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"So Raymond took out his knife and cut off a piece from a dry pine branch, which lay near him." (c) Shaylyne watermln

Millennials and Wine

Think you know the wine preferences of young adults? What they like to drink and how they get their information? Check out this video, "Millennials Talk Back." Millennials Talk Back

Wine in a Box Still Rules

I've written about wine-in-a-box in this space before, and I'm back to say that -- love it or hate it -- it's here to stay. There are some surprisingly good wines being put into 3L boxes, and sales reflect that. For years now, the 3L box category has been the fastest-growing wine segment by container size. And now wine drinkers are gravitating toward boxed wines for their eco-benefits.

If you want to know more, check out my cover story for the May/June issue of Vineyard & Winery Management http://www.vwm-online.com/magazine/coverstory.asp. (Yes, I know it's still April, but this is a special preview.)

cheers (with a glass of boxed wine)!

Pizza on the Grill

Last weekend I finally tried cooking a pizza on the grill (ours is gas). It was surprizingly easy, and man was that pizza delicious!

Here's how to do it:

- Place baking stone on the grill and turn the heat on high.

- Close the lid and let the grill/stone heat up for about an hour (temp. should be 500-550 degrees)

- Slide prepared pizza* onto the baking stone and close the lid.

- Cook 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden on the bottom.

*I made my pizza dough in a bread machine (it knows when to knead and when to let the dough rest--and I don't have to babysit it). My husband gently tossed the dough and shaped it into a 12-inch pie, then we added a light coating of sauce, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. YUM!

Can't wait to try it again when friends come over for a BBQ!

Oaky Chardonnay: On the Way Out or Here to Stay?

Over the last few years I've read quite a few articles in wine magazines and newspapers declaring that Americans are over those big ol' oaky Chards and are embracing oak-less versions, or unwooded varieties like Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. Could it be true? Well, sort of. If you look at sales growth by percentage, wines like Riesling and GruV are kicking Chardonnay's ass. But when you consider the fact that Chardonnay still has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more market share than many of those unoaked varieties combined, the trend seems far less revolutionary.

A look at the white wines in my sample stash reflects the reality of the market: California wineries are still putting out a hell of a lot of Chardonnay. And they wouldn't be doing it if nobody was drinking the stuff. Mind you, not all of it is over-oaked--but it seems that the higher up you go in price the more oak influence the wines seem to have. ("I paid $900 each for those French oak barrels, damnit, so by god, people are going to taste them!") What I wouldn't give to find a nice bottle of Gruner Veltliner on my doorstep...

You won't be surprised to read that California Chard doesn't top the list of my favorite white wines (too many splinters in the throat can make anyone jaded). But there are some that have won my heart. Namely:

Stony Hill Vineyard 

MacRostie - Carneros or Sonoma Coast

Dutton Goldfield - Dutton Ranch

Marimar Torres - "Acero"

Steele - Bien Nacido Vineyard

Of the Chards listed above, only one (the Marimar Torres) is unoaked. The appealing thing, to me, about the wines is that the purity of the fruit shines through, and isn't overshadowed by oak. It's all about balance, baby.  

My questions for you, dear readers, are the following: Do you think Americans are truly moving on from Chardonnay to unwooded (or less wooded) varieties? And which California Chardonnays (unoaked or otherwise) tickle your fancy?

 

Parker's Bitch: The Movie

Those of you who've followed this blog for a while may remember my little "Robert Parker's Bitch" post from about a year ago. It included a photo of winemaker/blogger extraordinaire Josh Hermsmeyer of Pinotblogger.com wearing a t-shirt bearing the cheeky slogan, which I had made for him and dared him to wear. (He liked the shirt so much he actually wore it to this year's Parker-hosted Bordeaux tasting at the CIA in Napa. Now that's cojones!

In November, I was asked to speak at the American Wine Society conference in Sacramento. I'm not much for giving Powerpoint speeches, so instead I decided to make a documentary about a controversial topic: The wine media's influence on winemaking styles. I think you can guess the title!

Josh appears in the film--and makes some great points--and he was kind enough to post it online so I can share it with fellow bloggers and others in the industry. Here's where to check it out: 

Vimeo (password: parkersbitch) 

And just a note of thanks to Rob Merletti, publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, for letting me run with this.

Now where did I leave that popcorn?

Who's Your Guru?

During a recent conversation with some wine industry colleagues, the subject of "gurus" came up. Some mentioned famous winemakers like Helen Turley and Paul Dolan, while others named respected vineyard experts like Phil Coturri and David Abreu.

For those of you who work in the wine industry, this brings me to the question: Which American winemakers and viticulturists do you most admire? If you could have anyone you wanted on speed dial to answer your every vineyard/winemaking question (free of consulting fees), who would it be? 

 

  

Wine Culture in America: Still Here?

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned; it's been eight months since my last post. Eight months! But rather than dwelling on the reasons (excuses?) for my non-blogging, I'm going to launch right into my topic of choice: The latest wine consumption stats from Wine Market Council.

If you scroll down to my post "Wine Culture in America: It's Here!" (January 08), you'll see that the news was all good: per-capita wine consumption in the U.S. had finally reached 3 gallons (pathetic, really, when you compare it to other countries, but a milestone nonetheless), and consumption by volume had reached the highest point in the country's history. Even more promising for high-end wine producers was the fact that the $15-and-over category of wines showed the strongest growth rate.

Fast forward to January 2009 and the picture is a little less rosy. Though wine sales in the U.S. are still growing, that growth has slowed considerably--even more than it did right after 9/11. And the under-$6 wine category has replaced the over-$15 wine category as having the strongest growth rate in the U.S. market. That's no big surprise, given the state of the U.S. economy. Millions of people have lost their jobs, and millions more are adopting a more cautious approach to spending in case the hatchet falls in their direction. People are cutting back on luxuries, and that includes wine. (If the wine industry had done a better job of positioning wine as an everyday, part-of-the-meal drink this might not be the case, but alas...)

So now the U.S. wine industry is faced with the task of offering cheaper wines that people will actually want to drink. Yes, there are wines on retail shelves that cost under $10, but let's face it: They're not very exciting, and many of them are crap. So how do you find the ones that are worth drinking? Since it's unlikely that you'll find many reviews of extreme-value wines in wine magazines like Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate, budget-minded wine drinkers will have to turn to non-traditional sources. You know... like blogs! (There's a whole wine blog devoted to cheapish wines: Good Wine Under $20.) 

Retailer recommendations can also be really helpful, if there's a local wine merchant you trust. And you just might have to venture outside of your comfort zone to experiment with wines in non-traditional packaging--as in Tetra Pak (like juice boxes) and wine-in-a-box containers (For more on wine-in-a-box, with reviews, see my latest column for Wine Review Online) . Higher-quality wines are now being packaged in these non-glass containers, and because they often cost wineries less to buy and transport, the wines can be priced lower than their traditionally packaged counterparts.  

With a little extra effort, we'll all be able to get through this recession with our wine glasses firmly in hand.

So, anyone out there want to share their recommendations for good $10-and-under wines? OK, I'll start:

Wine Cube, California (United States) Chardonnay 2007 ($17 per 3L box): This Target wine comes in a hip-looking cube-shaped, three liter box.  It has a pretty aroma of vanilla and melon, along with crisp fruit flavor and a nice balance.  A tasty wine for a great price.

Cycles Gladiator, Central Coast (California) Chardonnay 2006 ($10): Made by the folks at Hahn Estates, this is a really tasty Chardonnay for the price. It has aromas of peach and butterscotch, along with vanilla and pear notes. The wine has similar flavors, with pear and vanilla notes, and butterscotch on the finish. It's a crisp and fresh wine, with good balance.

Cycles Gladiator, Central Coast (California) Pinot Grigio 2007 ($10): The aroma of this Hahn-made Pinot Grigio has a pretty touch of peach imparted by 4% Orange Muscat. It also has a crisp citrus-kissed aroma of grapefruit. The wine is simple, clean and fresh, with a subtle peachy flavor.

Windy Ridge, Central Coast (California) Chardonnay 2006 ($8): Though the label doesn't say the wine in 'unoaked,' this Chard was made without the aid of barrels.  On first whiff, the wine smells like SweetTart candies, then reveals hints of melon.  Its flavor is similar, with some crisp green apple and lemon peel notes added to the mix.  This is a tasty everyday Chardonnay for people who would rather taste fruit than oak.

 

Enologist Humor

I just returned from the annual ASEV trade show and conference, in Portland. The show has been slowing down over the last few years, and during the 2007 event the organizers announced that 2008 would be its last hurrah. (The annual meeting will take a different form next year, without the trade show part of the event.) As a result, 2008 trade show attendance was painfully S-L-O-W. At one point I spotted a couple of exhibitors watching a TV screen in their booth with rapt attention--only the TV was showing psychedelic squiggly lines, rather than any actual programming. Now that's boredom.

On a semi-humorous note, I overheard an interesting conversation on the plane ride from Oakland to Portland. The woman behind me, who was apparently giving a presentation at the conference, asked her companion to help her come up with a joke about Brettanomyces. They made a few lame attempts, then gave it up as hopeless.

Being the smart-ass that I am, I became determined to come up with a Brett joke, find this woman at the Portland convention center and pass the joke on to her just in time to make her presentation the hit of the show. (I have small dreams.) I never did find her, but here's the joke in case you're ever in need:

Two Brettanomyces walk into a bar. One of them orders a glass of red wine, jumps in, and starts swimming around. After a while he calls out to his buddy: “Hey Brett! Come on in—the wine is fine!” So Brett does a cannonball into the glass, splashing wine all over the bar, and the two friends start goofing around, dunking each other and having a great old time. The bartender looks over, sees the mess they’re making and yells, “Hey you two, quit horsing around! Were you born in a barn-yard?”

 

Yeah, I know: It's pretty terrible. But could you do any better? I hereby challenge you to post a Brett joke of your own. Come on: It's the yeast you can do!

Have Wine Will Travel

The next time you travel to a wine-y destination, don't let TSA regulations stop you from bringing back a couple souvenir bottles. Though you still can't bring wine onto airplanes in carry-on luggage, you can stash a couple bottles in your suitcase.

Yeah right, you say, but what if they break? No need to worry about getting Brunello all over your boxers if you bring along a couple Wine Skins. I first encountered these handy little bubble-wrap wine sleeves a few months ago, at the opening of Souverain's new tasting room in Healdsburg. Just slide your bottle into the wine-shaped plastic pouch, seal it and shash it in your suitcase along with your unmentionables. Even if the bottle breaks--which is unlikely, since the Wine Skin is made of extra-thick bubble wrap--the sleeve is leakproof. Pretty cool, eh? They cost just a few bucks each. Find out where to get 'em at http://www.ftscontent.com/.

If that's too much work, you can do what I did on my last trip to Italy: drag along a couple wine-shipping boxes in an empty suitcase. You won't need to ship the boxes home, just place the wine safely inside the Styrofoam, seal the boxes up and check them along with your luggage. 

Bon Voyage!