Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

New Wine Media Popping Up

The wine writing genre is something pretty impressive. At Wark Communications we have a media list of over 400 writers who write often or occasionally about wine. How many consumable products can you find that are so well covered by the press. Know any "Onion Writers" or "Frozen Pizza Writers? I don't. Why wine motivates such devotion is fodder for another post. What I want to draw your attention to here is a nice development in the realm of the wine media.

Popping Corks is a new web site dedicated to gathering wine reviews and articles from across the web. Most of the articles they point to at their website are published both in print and on the net. Yet Popping corks is going the extra mile. They are also listing and linking to posts written by wine bloggers. They've linked to posts at Vinography, Spittoon.biz, Turn The Screw, Lenndevours, VineSugar and Red-is-Life.

It's a forward thinking policy they have over at PoppingCorks!

20 Food & Wine Wishes for 2005

1. My family is healthy and happy
2. 2005 is the "vintage of the century" for all Californian winemakers
3. Wark Communications and its clients continue to enjoy success
4. Great success to my family and friends
5. I get into the finals of the Rock Paper Scissors Championship at Roshambo Winery
6. Anderson Valley get "discovered"
7. Huge Johnson posts more on the state of the wine industry
8. The SF Chronicle adds even another page to their Wine Section
9. The trend toward wines with less oak continues
10. My lovely wife is able to wean herself off Australian wines with cute animals on the label
11. The creation of a vintage chart for California that takes into account the different regions
12. More movies in which wine is treated like something besides a punch line.
13. The continued rise of Fine Dry Rose
14. The mainstreaming of wine & food blogs
15. More dinner parties with friends
16. Finding some Stony Hill Chards from the 60s and 50s to complete my vertical
17. An invasion of wine into the "Red States"
18. A decision by the Supreme Court that states can't discriminate with in comes to wine
19. Finding just the right wine to go with "General's Jerky" (don't ask!)
20. Health, happiness, and fine wine to readers of Fermentations

Tearing into Terroir

I've wanted for some time to address the issue of "terroir" in this blog. But I've not found a real good way to approach what is an interesting, though controversial and misunderstood notion.

"Terroir" is most important because it is the notion that a wine represents a particular place at a particular moment in time that makes it a romantic, mysterious drink. Yet notice, this statement of terroir really says nothing about what a wine tastes like or what its value is.

There are those, and I could be one of them under the right circumstances and after having drunk enough wine, who would argue that the very best wine in the world are those that accurately represent the terroir the grapes were grown in. When in this condition, I'll conveniently forget that the winemaker has far more influence over the character of the wine than the climate, soils and exposure of the grapes to the sun.

So, rather than go on, I thought it important to introduce readers of "Fermentations" to the best article I've come across that discusses the nature of "terroir": Jaime Goode's "Terroir Revisited: Towards a Working Definition of Terroir".

Review of the Wine Media: California Grapevine

This is the second in a series of reviews of wine publications

CALIFORNIA GRAPEVINE

I've been reading California Grapevine for more than fifteen years. The bi-monthly newsletter rarely strays from its charge: Give California wines a good, detailed, technical review along with commentary by the best writers in the business.

California Grapevine is no nonsense and no frills. In each issue, printed in black and white on its beige pages, you will find nothing but reviews of California wines, each described in searing sensory detail. Though I've been a devoted reader of the Grapevine, I've always wished they'd put a bit more context in their reviews. Here is a representative review from the August/September 2003 issue:

"2002 J Pinot Gris
Russian River Valley, ($18)-Medium-light yellow color; attractive, floral, spicy, green apple, white peach and honeysuckle aromas that continued to develop with airing in the glass; medium to medium-full body; tight, crisp, lemony, peach and green apple flavors with an appealing, crisp, clean mouth feel; well balanced; somewhat tight and austere on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. 13.7% alcohol; 5,800 cases; 100% Pinot Gris; 25% Malolactic fermentation; released March 2003 (Group Score: 16 of 20 Points, 4 of 8 first place votes/3 second/0 thirds; My Score: 17 [90 of 100 points], first place)"

No question about it. I know what this wine looks, smells and tastes like. But the review does leave me someone cold without more context. Still a great deal of information is given for each wine reviewed. Toward the end of each review you will find a variety of contextual ratings. In the above review of the J Pinot Gris you learn that the tasting group gave it 16 out of 20 points. For those of you who aren't familiar with the 20 point scale, this is a pretty good score. You also learn how many first, second and third place votes it was given. Finally, "My Score" refers to the palate of Nick Ponomareff, California Grapevine's Editor and one of the most experienced palates in California. But as I said before, the write up leaves me a bit cold. I want to know where on the Pinot Gris style scale this wine sits. I want to know a brief history of J's Pinot Gris production (is this there first, third, 10th vintage of Pinot Gris?).

Reviews are categorized in flights of varietals. So under this Pinot Gris you will find reviews of 9 other Pinot Gris that were tasted in this flight and their position in the final ranking.

One of the best reasons to read California Grapevine is what's in the back of each issue. For some time Dan Berger has been writing insightful essays for the newsletter; essays in which he deconstructs myths, offers explanations of industry practices, critiques trends, and comments on emerging regions in California. The newsletter is worth the price just for Mr. Berger's essays. Yet in addition, California Grapevine often delivers two or three book reviews written by Bob Foster.

California Grapevine is a venerable publication that deserves more exposure. I'm unaware of any website they maintain. And I rarely see the publication given out at the various wine events throughout the year.

In the end, California Grapevine is for a more experienced wine drinker; someone who understands detailed and even obscure descriptors of wines.

California Grapevine
$40 Per year for six issues
(858) 457-4818

HELP!! Now's the time to Help

The numbers that are being reported regarding the tsunami really can't measure the immensity of what has happened.

Instead of listing here all the ways you can help, I recommend you read Juliette Rossant's perfect post at her SuperChef Blog.

Now is the time to help. Juliette can show you how.

2005 Wine Trends...Who Drives them?

Paul Greggut is a longtime, experienced wine writer from Seattle. His wine column appears in the Seattle Times. Paul has come up with an interesting list of wine trends for 2005

I find two of his predictions very interesting and I hope he's right about them:

-A trend change toward lower percentages of alcohol in dry table wines.
-Renewed consumer interest in un-oaked, food-friendly white wines.

There is an interesting question connected with this issue. Who drives trends in the wine industry? Is it the consumer who drives the move toward lower alcohol wines and less oak in wine? Or is it the trade...meaning winemakers who decided it's time to try something different? Chicken or the egg? Who's the chicken and whose the egg here?

Anyway, my answer, which is not very exciting, is both. I think it's a combination of forward thinking winemakers and the high-end wine drinkers who move trends forward. The unoaked trend for example is something that will be pushed mainly by winemakers and to a degree the press. They do this for their own satisfaction and because they get an inkling from what they are hearing from their best customers and other wine drinkers that such a wine will be welcomed. The snowball builds from there.

I'm hoping the snowball for unoaked, lower alcohol wines gets bigger and bigger as Paul suggests it might

2005 What's Hot in Food...Where are the Blogs?

Over at the Santa Cruz sentinel writer Nancy Redwine (is that really her name?) speculates on what's in and out for food in 2005.

I like these kinds of lists. They make think and I get to measure my own opinions against another's. But in her list what's in and out with regard to food there is a huge omission:

They appear to her to be neither IN nor OUT. Yet clearly FoodBlogs are IN.

Some the best, most original food writing, some great discoveries and some very insightful commentary is coming from the growing list of food blogs on the net. And with the news feeds and aggregators it's easier than ever to construct your own media world filled with the writers you want to read...Including food bloggers.

The list of great food bloggers is very long...to long to list in this post. My best advice is check out FOOD PORN WATCH for a list of those foodblogs that have been most recently updated.

Wine Spectator's Power Shouldn't be Undersold

Let me say up front that I believe the Wine Spectator Magazine is extraordinarily lucky to have Jim Laube at the head of their tasting panel for California wines. Say what you will about preference, big wines, the 100 point scale or the influence of the magazine. The fact is, Jim Laube has one of the best palates in America. My guess is he could make far more money simply acting as a consultant and selling his palate to those who want an experienced set of taste buds sampling their wine. Mr. Laube clearly loves what he is doing now.

However, I think he understates the power of a great rating from the Wine spectator. Mr. Laube wrote the following in "90 or bust", an article that appeared online yesterday:

But there's so much more involved in achieving long-term success in the wine business than a mere rating. A high score is worthless unless the winery has an effective business plan, and a business plan is an empty shell if there's not some core conviction about wine character behind it. One winemaker acquaintance put it well: those who live by the scores, die by the scores.

Having worked in wine promotion for a number of years and having followed the impact of high numerical ratings both as a publicist for wineries and at an auction house I can tell you that:

1. A high score is far from useless no matter what the business plan of the winery is. It turns out if your first wine out of the blocks is scored a 95 by The Wine Spectator you will sell it out, and sell it out quickly, assuming it is priced decently and there are less than 5000 cases.

2. It doesn't matter what the core convictions are of the person behind the wine. If the 95 point or better score comes those convictions can be anything from "I just wanna be vintner who has fun" to I want to make the greatest wine in the world". It doesn't matter. The wine will sell out.

3. The character of the wine is of no importance if it is scored 95 points or better by the Wine Spectator. It will sell out if it is thin and acrid. This is a reflection of the consumer's trust in the Wine Spectator and the retailers and wholesalers reliance upon the magazine's ratings.

The Wine Spectator and Robert Parker have both done something very impressive. They started out as publications that only hoped to offer good solid information to consumers. Consumers were comfortable with their approach. This in time resulted in both publications becoming extraordinarily powerful. I don't think either ever sought power. But with their scores, they have it.

Having that kind of power can only do one of two things to a person or organization. Corrupt them or push them to greater heights of integrity. The Spectator, Mr. Laube and Mr. Parker have all demonstrated integrity. But I think Mr. Laube understates the nature of his impact.

Dollar vs Euro=Sparking Wine for New Years

New Years Eve is going to cut into the' pocket book more than usual this year...that is if you insist on toasting with Champagne rather than domestic sparkling wine.

It's about the historically low value of the dollar versus the Euro. The dollar has declined more than 20% this year and hit historic lows. That means Champagne is going to be more expensive than usual.

How much? These are prices from K&L Wines in San Francisco:

1996 Dom Perignon: $100
Krug Grand Cuvee: $100
1996 Pol Roger Brut: $50
Veuve Cliquot Brut: $33
1995 Salon Blanc de Blanc: $130

The low dollar is certainly going to help exports of California wine as well as domestic sales as some look at the rising cost of imports and choose to drink on the home field. If the dollar falls further you can bet the big American wine companies will be doing all they can to take market share from european producers. In fact, I've been surprised for a while now that some winery hasn't undertaken a "patriotic" ad campaign: "Drink California—You can count on us"

For those of you looking for a good domestic sparkling wine for New Years and beyond consider:

Roederer Anderson Valley
Schramsberg
Handely Cellars Anderson Valley
Domaine Carneros
Domaine Chandon Etoile
Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee

Cheers...

High End California Wines Set To Rebound Strong

It appears the stars are aligning for the market in high end California wines to soar.

Though it is unlikely this surge will equal the staggeringly ridiculous run up in prices for California wines seen between 1998 and 2000, it appears that the economic ground has been laid to see the sales and prices of high end luxury wines increase.

Consider the macroeconomic factors at play. Home values as well as the stock market have continued to rise throughout 2004, with the stock market beginning its real run in the summer. Add to this reports that luxury goods have done very well this holiday season, continuing a trend that started well before the shopping season began. It appears that those who drive sales in luxury goods, the wealthy, are spending.

Fine dining is up. Sales of luxury vehicles are up. The major auction houses have had an outstanding year. Consider the stock prices of the Champagne producers. They have outperformed the CAC-40 index of French stocks by a considerable amount.

And, consider that just today, the Consumer Confidence Index soared after being in declined for 4 months. Add to this the instability that is no longer out there surrounding who will be the president over the next four years.

There are other indications from within the wine industry itself that the future of high-end wine is looking very bullish.

The gulf between supply and demand of grapes has narrowed considerably as the excess wine is being slurped up by low end brands and as grapes have been ripped from Central Valley lands. Fine Dining receipts are up across the country. Recently, Winebid.com, the largest online wine auction house announced it will move to weekly auctions, doubling the number of auctions it holds in 2005. In December we saw a number of wine auctions that sold well over 95% of their lots, many at record prices. And who can forget the bottle of 1847 Chateau d'Yquem that sold in LA earlier this year for over $70,000--a record price paid for a bottle of wine in the Untied States.

Finally, supply for the best wines will be slightly down after three consecutive vintages in California of lower yields.

The combination of a healthier economy (at least at the top of the economic ladder), a more stable political environment, the perception that the economy is moving, fewer supplies of bulk wine on the market and the rich spending at a fine pace and you have the development of a boom in the highend California wine market.

Based on this, I can predict the following:

-More difficulty finding the high end wines that seemed to have sat on shelves the past 3 years.

-Slightly increasing prices for wines in the $40+ range

-Increased interest in well-cellared, older California wines

-Pressure on the "2-buck chuck" type wines as the surplus of grapes disappears from the Central Valley and elsewhere.

-Continued acquisition of well-known premium wine brands producing 50,000 cases or more.

-Increase in advertising pages in wine publications

It is always possible the unseen events can derail a trend. However, given the circumstances currently in place, it appears that high-end California wines are back in the saddle.