Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

Forget the wine...Watch the Ratings...then Act

Let me start by saying some nice things about distributors and those who work for distributors.

Some of America's most knowledgeable wine people, the kind of people who understand the market intimately, have a keen appreciation of what retailers and restaurateurs want, and have palates that are built on broad tastings, work at distributorships across the country. Many of them care deeply about wine, where where the industry is going and, just as important, where it has been.

But then there are others who work at distributorships who are so lazy that they relinquish their integrity simply to make life easier on themselves.

Listen to this tale. It's a common one.

Before a distributorship agrees to take on a new winery or producer, they give lots of consideration to many issues: Is the wine good? Will the wines of this new winery fit well with the other wines we sell (Don't want to have too many Paso Robles Syrah). How much work is the winery willing to put into promoting the brand? Is there room in the geographic market we serve for another wine priced at this level?) A number of questions are asked and answered before the paperwork is signed and the distributor takes its first shipment of cases that it will then sell to retailers and restaurateurs.

Sales begin well as new items in a market often do. The distributor's sales people show the new brand as they make their rounds. They are selling the wine based on its quality: "You'll like this wine, we think. It packs lots of California fruit into a tight package with nice acidity. It's concentrated but you can recommend it to diners too."

The distributor is happy because a newsletter in CA gives the wine a GREAT review. it makes it easier to sell. All's well.

Then, the Wine Spectator or Robert Parker come out with a score of 84. Eighty-Four. Seems odd to everyone. This is not an 84 point wine. Nevertheless, within days of the score being published the winery can't get it's calls returned by the distributor. The sales reps stop pushing the wine. Finally, when the producer of the wine that was once fantastic get a hold of their contact at the distributorship and they proceed to hear the following:

"Well, you know, that score makes it tough. We don't know if we can sell the wine. We don't know if it's the right style for our market."

What happened to all the promises and praise?

What happened is something that happens in the wine industry all too often. Distributor sales reps and retailers have relinquished their palates and their opinions to a small group of critics and reviewers who, taken together, make up a schizophrenic collection opinions and palates. Too few sales people will stand up in the face of the opinion of the wine reviewers and demand that the buyers taste the wine on their own merits.

Why? Because they probably have so many other wines to sell they can easily ignore the ones that got a score or review that, while not matching their opinion of the wine, gives them reason to disregard it.

The problem is that with the number of distributors dwindling by the day, and the number of wineries represented by each distributorship rising each day, there is little incentive for a sales person to personally get behind a brand for he sake of selling good wine.

The bottom line is that it is very difficult to do your best work when you over-commit yourself. Distributors have over-extended themselves now for years. The result is that they have become order takers rather than sales people. Few have any public relations people on staff and most of the training of sales people occurs by wineries who pay for it.

What's the solution? There are few. This might be a case of having to wait for the distribution market to become so consolidated that you naturally see new, smaller, more nimble, more committed distributorships spring up who are willing to put their palate and sales skills behind the brands they take on. They will have a number of willing clients. There are probably hundreds of very high quality wineries in CA alone who would give up extra margin to work with a distributor willing to put their backs into it.

"Other States" Wines...The Reputation Grows

I've worked with wineries outside the big three wine states (CA, WA, OR). Let me tell you, it is very very difficult to get a wine writer, let alone writers at the major wine magazines, to give consideration to wines from Michigan, Ohio, Texas and other states where the wines really can be quite good.

Bruce Shoenfeld of The Wine Spectator showed just how difficult it is to get America's top wine magazine to give consideration to "other states" wines when he commented on Missouri wines in a story printed in the Springfield News Ledger on the up and coming wines of Missouri:

"I have some familiarity with Missouri wines. There's no region of the country that doesn't say it does well in blind tests. I have a hard time believing Missouri wines would do well (at tasting contests)....If you have a great meal in Missouri wine country, you want a great wine, not a norton."

This kind of attitude is common. It results from a number of factors. First, for a long time wines from "other states" really were not that good. Second, rarely is there an active promotional body in these states representing their wineries outside their home states. Third, most wine journalists have VERY LITTLE experience with the caliber or scope of wines from "other states". Fourth, because it is very difficult to find Missouri, Michigan, Texas or New Mexico wines in New York and San Francisco, Wine Journalists simply don't write about these wines because they assume access to them is nearly impossible.

Reason number four is one reason why nationwide, legal direct shipment to consumers is probably just as important to "other states" wine industries as it is to California's wine industries. Given the ability to ship wine across the country, Missouri's wines would be perfectly available to wine lovers reading about them in magazines, newspapers and newsletters no matter where they live.

There is every reason to believe that as states begin to allow direct shipping we will see more acknowledgment of wines from a variety of states besides CA, WA and OR. In turn, this will lead to more "wine tourism" in those other states. This in turn leads to a broadening "wine economy" in these states.

Reputations are built slowly and built on the shoulders of quality-minded winemakers. Reputations can be built somewhat faster if the media is willing to look at these "other states" products with an open mind and palate. The reputation of a number of states is growing as we speak. Michigan for one is a state whose wines could grab the attention of a number of wine lovers. Texas too makes some outstanding wines.

I'm hoping we see direct shipping legislation open more markets and more minds.

Average Is Good!

Average is good!

So say the growers who are carefully watching the crop in the vineyards of California's North Coast. The past three years (thankfully from a market standpoint) have been below average. it's been a situation that has helped the oversupply of grapes come back into balance after the downturn in the economy that  so forcefully hit the high end wine market beginning in 2001.

Now, growers are seeing "crop sets" that are in the neighborhood of 20%-25% above last year and even previous years. This is good for growers who would like to be able to sell more grapes.

Can the market handle more grapes? I don't see any fear out there of a lake of grapes and reports suggest that prices for grapes are holding steady. These are good signs for the industry.

I've been predicting a resurgence in the wine market for six months now. I see no reason at this point to believe that positive market movement won't continue. The economy is in better than decent shape. As long as there are no disasters such as  breakdown in the housing market or another economy-affecting event things should continue to move ahead steadily.

For the consumer, I think this means a slight increase in prices, but nothing really outrageous like the price increases of the late 90s when things were...well...just silly. Come the holidays there should be a slew of good wines in the $10 - $20 range and even in the $6-$10 range.

Reminder: Taste What's Next in Pinot

Reminder:

A taste of perhaps the next truly important Pinot Noir growing region happens tomorrow:

THE MARIN COUNTY PINOT NOIR CELEBRATION.
Tomorrow, June 1, Larkspur, Marin County, CA

For tickets: Dutton-Goldfield Winery

For More info: About The Event & Marin Pinot

Attack a Supermarket, Sell more wine??

Winemakers in the south of France are rioting again and destroying public property. They are upset because things just aren't going their way. Sales are down. production is up, imported wine sales are up. So, naturally, they choose to...

-Burn railway crossings

-Rail cars were set ablaze

-Rail communication networks were disabled

-Supermarkets were vandalized with imported wines swept off the shelf

-Tanks at a local distillery were destroyed leaving 13,000 hectoliters of Chilean wine running in the streets.

What doe the rioting French vintners want? Besides amelioration of their woes in the form of tax breaks and the government to purchase more of their wine, it's likely they want the world to back up to the 1960s when French wine was the king of the hill.

This is really the essence of the French problem. The French vintners simply have not adapted to a world in which very good wine at very good prices is now being produced at every corner of the globe. Clearly the French people have adapted as they are buying more Australian, Chilean, New Zealand, and Argentina wine, and less of the French wines.

I'm certain the French vintners know they must change how they market their wines. How could they not? But first, they want financial help to get them through this crisis. But do they also realize they need to drastically improve the quality of their low end wines? This I doubt.

Wine Greatness: Old School vs New School

Can a wine be considered "GREAT" and should it attain a score of 98 or above if it isn't likely to improve with age?

Put another way, given that it is not meant to age, what score would a perfect dry rose garner?

Robert Parker, among other reviewers and wine lovers, reserves a portion of his assessment points for a wine's ability to age. If the wine is, in their assessment, likely to improve and develop complexity with age, it will have more points added to it's score.

This is "Old School" thinking. It turns out more and more aficionados take the position that the evaluation of a wine should be based primarily on the enjoyment it delivers now. If the wine delivers the peak of enjoyment, it is great, regardless of what it becomes. Twenty years ago, maybe even ten years ago, it would have been near impossible to find a knowledgeable wine person take this position. what has changed?

In a recent issue of his "Vintage Experiences" newsletter Dan Berger makes a revealing point on this issue. When all those people ran to red wine after the 60 Minutes story on wine and health in the early 1990s, these new wine drinkers went for the wine they were most familiar with: Cabernet. The problem was that Cabernet had tannin. It was this tannic, astringent quality of red wines, that turned off many people. So, they turned to what was easier to drink: Merlot. The Australians caught on to this trend very early, Berger points out, and began selling boat loads of soft, easy to drink red wine. For many, this, soft Aussie Red and soft Merlot, was their first introduction to wine they liked, wine that was not overly tannic. These people stayed with wine. Some stayed in the $5-10 category. Others moved up, but looked for something better, yet still soft. Winemakers were happy to deliver.

As always, Berger delivers a keen, unexpected and eye opening explanation of the wine world. Still, there is more going on.

Today's hottest wines, whether from California, Australia, France or South America are those with a softer, riper, fruitier, less tannic personality. Critics have endorsed them. Winemakers have found new technology to produce them with less risk of spoilage. Viticulturists have found farming methods and clonal selections that allow them to grow such wines.

The bottom line is this: The definition of quality has changed is rapid fashion. Today, a 15% alcohol, 4.0 pH, Inky black, soft, fruit bomb is regularly hailed as the pinnacle of quality. Will they age? Not likely. But it doesn't matter. That isn't part of the criteria that drives consumers to these wines or drives winemakers to produce them.

Me? I believe I am old school. I've tasted from the well of well-age wine. I used not to be such a minority. Aged wines, though always the province of very few wine drinkers, had far more adherents than they do today. You can find people who have tasted hundreds and hundred of wines, explored every wine-corner of the globe, are able to describe the style of wine produced by numerous winemakers and wineries. Yet, they have little or no experience with well-aged wine and have no need for it.

Will the definition of greatness one day come back to primarily include the ability to age. I think it will. But slowly. And when it does, there will be a number of wineries still producing wine who were around when soft, sweet, big and extracted was not the be all end all of the wine experience. And thank goodness. Because we will have the opportunity to find wines that were made with aging in mind to confirm what the "Old School" of today always believed.

Wine Wholesalers: Holding the Baby Up to Block the Bullets

Claims being made by the the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association, and the Wholesaler supported groups such as "Coalition for Safe & Responsible Arizona", "Florida Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking", and "Coalition for Safe & Responsible Michigan". That claim?

"According to the 2004 National Academy of Sciences report “Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility,” about 10 percent of children who use alcohol get it through the Internet or through home delivery, and that the number is likely to grow. By this estimate, more than a million underage drinkers nationwide may be using the Internet to illicitly obtain alcohol products."
Florida Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking, May 16, 2005

Here's another one:

Based on federal statistics on underage drinking, more than one million minors now get alcohol through the Internet or by home delivery. This number could have the potential to increase greatly if the regulations are eased.
Coalition for a Safe & Responsible Arizona, May 16, 2005

And another...

A Congressionally-mandated report which examined strategies to reduce and prevent underage drinking, warns that the unregulated direct shipping of alcohol through home delivery and the Internet is a new way for teens to buy alcohol. Fully 10% of young people report obtaining alcohol in this manner and the NAS predicts the percentage will grow. The report also suggests that there are valid reasons for states to consider banning Internet and home delivery sales outright.
Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association

1,000,000 young people?  10% of America's youth? This is an extraordinary claim. Where does this number come from? And what is meant when Wine & Spirit Wholesalers (WSWA) says that "the report also suggests that there are valid reasons for states to consider banning Internet and home delivery sales outright."

What it means is WSWA isn't telling the whole story (big surprise there). Plus the 1,000,000 young people number is HIGHLY Suspect.

First, let's look at this report.

The 2004 National Academy of Sciences Report being referred to by the Wholesaler supported "citizen groups" does address Internet and home delivery of alcohol. It says:

"Surveys of underage purchase of alcohol over the Internet or through home delivery show that small percentages (10 percent) of young people report obtaining alcohol in this manner (Fletcher et al., 2000); however, increasing use of the Internet may increase the percentage. Although an argument can certainly be made for banning Internet and home delivery sales altogether in light of the likelihood that these methods will be used by underage purchasers, the committee recognizes that some states may not be willing to curtail legitimate access to alcohol through these means and so recommends, instead, tightening access. Recommendation 9-6: States that allow Internet sales and home delivery of alcohol should regulate these activities to reduce the likelihood of sales to underage purchasers. States should require all packages for delivery containing alcohol to be clearly labeled as such"

WSWA doesn't mention that the National Academy of Sciences Report's ONLY suggestion is to require deliveries to be labeled as "wine". But why would they mention that in their and their minions' press releases? It would undermine their arguments.

But still, what about this 1,000,000 kids or 10% of youth getting wine sent to them direct claim? This claim comes from a 2000 study entitled: "Alcohol Home Delivery Services: A source of Alcohol for Underage Drinkers" from the Journal of Studies of Alcohol. It turns out that this is the only study ever done on youth access to alcohol delivered to the home. But here's the real story about that study from a report commissioned by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

"The only published study of teen use of home delivery found that 10 percent of the 12th graders and 7 percent of the 18- to 20-year-olds reported consuming home-delivered alcohol (Fletcher et al. 2000). A limitation of this study is that it did not ask whether it was the underage youth or an adult who had ordered the delivery of alcohol."

Let me translate that for you: The study is useless! In other words, the wine that kids drank may have come from dad's liquor cabinet after dad ordered the wine legally. And it's not 10% of America's youth. It's 10% of 12th graders!

Yet somehow this translates to 1,000,000 children once the WSWA, Juanita Duggan, and her the groups she supports gets their hands on the information.

Over and over Juanita Duggan has demonstrated she's and her organizations of Wholesaler supported  "citizen groups" are willing to say and do whatever it takes to protect their monopoly on wine sales. If the truth is damaged in the process....Oh well. If family wineries in states across the country are hurt...oh well.

Here's the bottom line: The Juanita Duggan's use of children to advance the cause of wholesaler monopoly on wine sales is akin to holding the baby in front of you to block the bullets.

Wine, Fog, Summer, Good

It's May 26th and it's finally beginning to look conspicuously like normal in this neck of the woods (Sonoma County). I woke up today, dragged my self to the driveway to pick up my newspapers (San Francisco Chronicle, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, New York Times) and notice that it was gray...everywhere gray...

...The fog had returned!

During the Summer months, up and down the California coast, the fog shows a familiar cycle of rolling in over the land, often about 5p or 6pm, then rolling back out anywhere between 9am to Noon the next morning. This natural cooling and limiting of the sun's effect is critical to the slow maturation of our grapes. Without this cycle grapes would ripen too fast and not have the time let flavors develop.

"Draft Law" Allowing Mich. Wine Shipping in Works

Crain's Detroit Business Journal reports that a Draft Bill has been prepared by WineMichigan, a new association of Michigan wineries that has formed quite recently. The bill seems quite reasonable on its face and is described as follows:

"WineMichigan proposes legislation that would allow out-of-state and in-state wineries to direct ship, with limits. Under a draft bill, non-Michigan wineries would have to apply for a state permit, similar to the license that in-state wineries hold. Out-of-state wineries would have to agree to abide by all Michigan laws and regulations, including collecting applicable taxes and remitting them to the state and keeping their records on file and available for state audit at any time, (Donald) Coe said.

"The bill would limit the amount of wine an in-state or out-of-state winery could sell to an individual, and would also restrict the total amount one winery could ship in the state. As proposed, a winery could sell two cases of 12, 750-milliliter bottles a month to a consumer, and could sell no more than 50,000 gallons in all of Michigan. "

It's looking more and more like the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers and their advocate-in-office Nida Samona are facing stiff competition in their quest to kill Michigan wineries by banning all direct shipping."

Top Five Under Appreciated Wine Regions

Northern California winemaker is nearly always talked about in terms of Napa Valley and Sonoma County. That's just the way its. Visitors to "wine country" head to either of these two areas and if they hear about other wine regions besides these, they've probably done their research.

So, in the interest of helping with that research, I'd like to suggest...

THE TOP FIVE MOST UNDER-APPRECIATED,
GREAT WINE REGIONS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

ANDERSON VALLEY
Mendocino County

In my mind among the top three Pinot Noir growing regions in America (Oregon and Russian River Valley are the other two) and America's premier Gewurztraminer region. Located about two and a half hours north of San Francisco in Mendocino County, Anderson Valley is a narrow little valley quite close to the coast, making it among the coolest growing regions in California.  It is perfect for early maturing varietals that need a long, cool growing season.

What makes it particularly attractive however is its raw, rural beauty. We are talking about "out of the way". It's nothing like Highway 29 in Napa or even the much calmer Highway 12 in Sonoma Valley. It is sheltered, rural, nearly pristine. The drive from Highway 101 across Highway 128 into the Valley is one of my favorite in California.

The Wineries That Make Great Anderson Valley Wines
Adrian Fog
Handley Cellars
Lazy Creek
Goldeneye
Navarro
Copain
Littorai

ATLAS PEAK
Napa Valley

The Atlas Peak appellation overlooks the bottom of Napa Valley and in fact is inside the Napa Valley appellation. It's best known for being the source of average to mediocre Sangiovese. But that happens when you have a large winery of the same name as the appellation. Yet there are a number of other vineyards and wineries in Atlas Peak that are making tremendous Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandels. In fact some of Napa's most famous wineries look to the Atlas Peak appellation for cabernet grapes.

The grapes start growing at about 1200 feet on Atlas Peak. The soils tend to be terribly shallow, the climate quite cold, yet the growing area is above the fog line. It truly is winemaking on the edge when it comes to Napa Valley. The best way to check this area out is to drive up Soda Canyon Road off of the Silverado trail. It twists, it winds and the landscape changes dramatically as you go higher and higher up.

Wineries that Make Great Atlas Peak Wines
Astrale e Terra
Veraision
Pahlmeyer
Elan

GREEN VALLEY
Sonoma County

Green Valley is a small sub-appellation tucked inside the huge and diverse Russian River Valley appellation. It is alongside Anderson Valley the coolest California appellation and the home to remarkable Pinot Noir as well as Chardonnay and a decent amount of Zinfandel planted in its warmer pockets. The appellation doesn't get spoken or written about much because of the fame of the Russian River Valley that surrounds it. Yet it is a distinct region define by the cool fog that regularly blankets the area during the summer growing season.

What I like so much about Green Valley is that it a perfect example of what the "appellation system" should do: identify and define specific pieces of terroir that are small enough and distinct enough to have some meaning. It too is quite rural, studded with hills and rises, hidden valleys and stands of redwood trees that thrive in the fog.

Wineries that Make Great Green Valley Wines
Dutton-Goldfield
Iron Horse
Marimar Torres
Tandem

SONOMA MOUNTAIN
Sonoma Valley

Sonoma Mountain stares down at anyone who tours the Sonoma Valley, yet very few people go up the mountain. There is no reason to if you are looking to taste wine. But up there are a number of vineyards of great acclaim. The wines from this appellation tend to be Cabernet and Zinfandel. I can count on the Cabernets to offer great finesse when in the right hands.

However, for those of you who are adventurous I advise you next time you are in the Sonoma Valley area to seek out Enterprise Road off of Bennett Valley Road. Take slowly, the circular drive that is Enterprise road will take you up the mountain, exposing you to a number of vineyards, great views and some of the most stunning country road driving north of San Francisco. It is a hidden treat.

Wineries that Make Great Sonoma Mountain Wines
Laurel Glen
Benziger Family

Bennett Valley
Sonoma County

One of California's newest appellations is Bennett Valley which sits in the Shadow of Sonoma Mountain between the city of Santa Rosa and the town of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. For many years there was really on one reason for a wine lover to find Bennett Valley and there still is only one reason to head out there if you are looking to taste wine: Matanzas Creek Winery.

However, more and more vineyards are being planted in Bennett Valley led by Kendall-Jackson which purchased Matanzas Creek a few years ago. Prior to that and since then they have planted more vineyards in the foothills that surround Bennett Valley. It is a warmer than the nearby Sonoma Mountain appellation and suited for a number of varietals. Of course Matanzas creek gained great fame for its Merlot and Chardonnay grown here. Bennett Valley Road, which winds its way from Santa Rosa to Glen Ellen is another beautiful, narrow country road that is a find! Vineyards line the road, ponds and old barns are in sight and of course the final destination, Glen Ellen (my home town) is a great place to have lunch then head out for more wine tasting.

Wineries that Make Great Bennett Valley Wine
Matanzas Creek Winery
Sable Ridge
Kendall-Jackson properties

Wine: Doomed?

Mike Dunne, the long-time wine writer for the Sacramento Bee, has written an outstanding, if a bit schizophrenic, article (Reg. Required) on the dichotomies that exist between the large wine brands and companies that appear to be taking over the industry and the small, artisan winemakers who are proliferating today in the industry. The article has so many interesting points and characters in it I just have to comment on a number of thoughts it provides.

Discussing the practice of one winery controlling, owning and marketing an number of brands, such as Gallo and Constellation, Dunn writes: "Gallo, for example, sold an estimated 75 million cases of wine in 2003, more than any other corporation, according to tracking by the trade magazine Wine Business Monthly. Constellation sold 66 million cases, Bronco 10 million."

Dunn Then asks the following questions:

"Is the industry heading toward monopolization by a few massive players?"
The answer is that the industry as a whole is not heading toward monopolization. However, the big players have monopolized the shelf space at grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores and most other retail outlets where commoditiztion and low pricing is the focus. Even at progressive.quality-oriented grocery stores you see BIG corporate wineries ruling upwards of 40% of the shelf space with their various brands. This IS a bad thing IF you believe the wine is a special product capable of inspiring us with its reflection of the diversity of people and places. 

"Will the desire for profits prompt corporations to expand production of more popular wines such as chardonnay and merlot while cutting back or even eliminating styles currently out of vogue, such as chenin blanc and semillon?
Clearly the answer to this question is "YES". However, it is possible for a large corporate winery to choose to capture and popularize the "Chenin Blanc" market. This in turns opens the doors for artisan producers to produce quality examples of the varietal for an audience of consumers that did not exist prior to the big boy building the market for  what would be a formerly moribund varietal. 

Will CEOs who acquire a winery with a revered and limited wine be able to resist the temptation to enlarge production and compromise quality?
LOL...No. 

Is the modern California wine trade, built as much on visage as palate, at risk of losing personality and identity, or at least a key marketing tool, as corporate suits succeed the little ol' winemaker?
Dunne is  really asking, "will the modern, marketing-driven wine industry shut out  the artisan winemaker and their access to the consumer?" No. At the risk of tossing around a cliche, wine is indeed an art..or can be. And there will always be artists willing to take up the brush. 

From these questions, Dunne jumps to the question that hard core wine lovers think about, writing: "When it comes to the potential corporate impact on wine styles, however, industry insiders and observers are more nervous. They fret that popularly priced wines - $10 and less - where the giants of the industry are competing most fiercely, are being reduced to one of a kind, with little variation in flavor and structure from one brand to another.

This is essentially the contention set down in the movie "Mondovino" that argued corporate winemaking was ripping the soul from wine. There is no soul ripping going on. However, it is true that finding a uniquely flavored, complex wine at $8 is something of a chore. But let's remember, few people buying $8 wines really want to take up that chore. They want an $8 bottle of wine that has fruit flavor and alcohol in it. 

But then there are those who argue that blandness has entered the high-end, artisan area of the market. Dunne quotes one of America's greatest wine writers, Bob Thompson, who retired from writing about 8 years ago or so. Bob argues, 

"My overall sense is that marketing has taken over, and as a result you get all this machine-tooled stuff meant to get a high score from one of two sources, and nothing else matters. There's not as much character in wines today. There's still some individuality in a handful of wines, but overall there's less of it."

Again, this is an opinion best expressed recently by Jonathon Nossiter in "Mondovino". There is a consistency of style at the high end today, particularly among Cabernets from Napa, Shiraz from Australia, from Bordeaux garagistes and even among many New World Pinot Producers. However, Thompson and others aren't taking into account the impressive increase in small artisan producers that has occurred of late and the really unique wines they have brought to market. 

Dunne gets to this points: "Almost to a person, however, they(industry types) are encouraged by another thread running through the industry. While the growing visibility and power of the nation's largest wine companies are generating most of today's wine-news headlines, a significant though largely unrecognized parallel development is under way - the proliferation of small, family-owned wineries."

Dunne underlines his analysis by getting a quote from one of California's most savvy wine industry analysts, Vic Motto: "The number of small wineries is exploding. It's more than doubled the past 10 years. Over the past four years, despite the state's slow economy, the number of wineries has grown 24 percent, and that growth has been driven by small wineries."

Dunne let's Randal Grahm, owner of Bonny Doon Vineyards (and other labels) sum up the point: "There is a dichotomy between artisanal winemaking and corporate winemaking. One is calculated, profit-driven and largely a marketing exercise. One is an expression of a personal aesthetic. Megabrands live in their own world. Small artisanal brands live in a totally different universe, and we don't communicate at all. They have the money, we have the soil."

Dunne finishes up with his own comment: "In looking at the names on wine shelves and wine lists, it's just difficult to tell who is who sometimes."

This final statement from Dunne is certainly true. And it is where wine journalist (and dare I say bloggers) come in. It strikes me that if you are going to write about wine, in any form, the best service you can provide is to point consumers to those wines they may not come across on the grocery store shelf; wines that might take a little searching. This is how writers can help assure that corporate, same-tasting wines don't overtake the industry and the shelves. 

New York Readies Wine Bill

As expected, New York is the first state to step up and begin the process of freeing its local wineries from restrictions on shipping out of state that have slowed their economic growth. 

Today, Gov. Pataki introduced a bill that would essentially put New York into the "Reciprocity State" column. Out of state wineries could obtain a license to ship wine to New York residents, but ONLY if their state allows New York wineries the same shipping privileges. The new law would also demand that common carriers such as FED EX and UPS obtain a picture ID at the door.

It all strikes me as perfectly reasonable.

SURVEY RESULTS: Wine Reviews are...OK

The results of the FERMENTATIONS' "How do you like your Wine Reviews" Survey are in. We had 99 respondents. The results below are rounded off. Thank you to EVERYONE who took this survey!!

1. How often is it that a wine review is the main reason you purchase a wine you've never tried before?
Almost always    3%
Often    31%
Occasionally    48%
Rarely    15%
Never    3%
Clearly reviews play a role in my readership's wine buying decisions, but it's not a decisive role, is it.

2. Where are you most likely to read wine reviews?
Wine Magazines like "The Wine Spectator" or "Wine Enthusiast"  19%
Wine Newsletters like "The Wine Advocate" or "The California Grapevine  16%
Newspaper Wine Columns  12%
In grocery stores on those little "Shelf talkers" under the wine  8%
On Wine Blogs  22%
On Internet Wine forums  21%
I guess it should be no surprise that more than 40% of respondents report they get their reviews somewhere on the Internet. What's interesting to me as a marketer is the small number reporting that shelf talkers play a role in where you see reviews.

3. What do you consider the most trustworthy and objective wine reviews?
Wine Magazines that take advertising  5%
Reviews at Wine Magazines that don't take advertising  28%
Reviews in newspaper wine columns   12%
Reviews on Wine Blogs   38%
Reviews on Internet Wine Forums   18%
This question should have come with a "And explain why" caveat. Why is it that Blogs are considered the most trustworthy and objective among 38%. I suspect it has something to do with the perceived intent of wine blog reviewers.

4. What do you consider the least trustworthy and objective wine reviews?
Wine Magazines that take advertising  67%
Reviews at Wine Magazines that don't take advertising  0%
Reviews in newspaper wine columns  15%
Reviews on Wine Blogs   9%
Reviews on Internet Wine Forums   10%
I guess this makes sense...67% finding advertising-supported magazines the least trustworthy and objective. My experience is that there is no support for the underlying suspicion.

5. Which rating system do you prefer to accompany a wine review?
The "A - F" rating system  12%
The 4 star/glasses/puffs rating system  11%
The 100 Point rating system  43%
The 20 point rating system  12%
No rating at all  21%
The big surprise to me is that 21% know what the 20 point rating system is. Only one wine publication I know of still uses this system, originally dubbed the "Davis" System. No surprise about the 43%.

6. For you, what is the most informative part of a wine review?
Description of the aromas and flavors  49%
Notes that suggest foods that will go with the wine  11%
Indication of how well the wine will age and when to drink it  8%
Information in the review about the producer and vineyards  24%
The accompanying rating  8%
Yea...I guess this is why we read reviews. I would have chosen "information about the producer." I want context in my review. I want to know why the wine tastes like it tastes, what the producers is going for, who they are, etc.

7. What is your gender?
Female  11%
Male  89%
No Surprise. But what do we have to do to attract the ladies to FERMENTATIONS?

8. What is your age?
21 - 30  20%
31 - 40  31%
41 - 50  28%
51 - 60  16%
61 or older  5%
This is a pretty good spread. We know that blog readers tend to be a younger group. But dedicated wine drinkers tend to be an older group. This equal the readership out I think.

9. How long have you been drinking wine?
1 - 5 years  17%
6 - 10 years  23%
11 - 15 years  8%
16 - 20 years  19%
21 - 30 years  23%
More than 30 years  11%
Another good spread...I'm glad

10. How much wine do you drink?
Daily  58%
A few times a week  38%
Once a week  3%
Rarely  1%
FERMENTATIONS' readers are drinkers aren't they!!. Who said "rarely".

You can get these same results with graphs and bells and whistles by clicking HERE

Travel to Oregon Wine Country on 100 Words or Less

All you writers/wine lovers...now is your time to shine...and win a free trip through Oregon Wine Country.

Willamette Valley Vineyards is sponsoring the "Why I love Oregon Pinot Noir" contest. Describe your devotion to Oregon's rendition of this fine grape in 100 words or less and win yourself a trip through Oregon's wine country.

Entries will be judged on their "originality, expression and quality of content."

To enter go to the Willamette Valley Vineyards website.

My personal claim to fame was winning a "Why You Want To Be a Mason" writing contest when I was ten years old. After running away with that victory I hung up my pencil. This contest could bring me out of retirement.

Pinot Noir's New Paradise

Pinot Noir lovers are well aware of regions and appellations like Carneros, Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Anderson Valley, Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia Highlands and Oregon. They are recognized as being the sources of America's best Pinots. Yet, there is a move afoot to find recognition for a region that seems to be remarkably well suited for this grape that needs cool temperatures and loving producers.

Marin County is squeezed between San Francisco to its south, Sonoma County to its North, San Francisco Bay to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its east. I grew up here and know the county well. People still remember the bad rap the county got in the 1970s for being the home of very eclectic people. What many don't know about Marin County is that it is a place of amazing beauty, particularly its western reaches where dairies once ruled the day, where a shoreline including Point Reyes National Seashore is unmatched in its wildness and beauty, and where a group of very savvy vintners are establishing Pinot Noir vineyards.

A Celebration of Marin County Pinot Noir
The first-ever tasting of Marin County-grown Pinot Noir wines will happen on Wednesday June 1 from 5pm to 8pm at the historic (and rarely open to the public) Escalle Winery at 771 Magnolia Avenue near downtown Larkspur, only minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. Among the wineries that are making Marin County Pinot Noir and who will be on hand to pour them are Dutton-Goldfield, Niebaum-Coppola, Pey-Marin Vineyards, Pt. Reyes Vineyard, Stubbs Vineyard, Sean Thackrey and Vision Cellars. Benefiting the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, A Celebration of Marin County Pinot Noir cost $20. Tickets can be purchased at the Dutton-Goldfield Website.

Anyone who is familiar with the western part of Sonoma County and the Pinot that is grown there would look at the green rolling hills of west Marin, feel the cool breezes that rush across those hills from the Pacific and think, "Perfect for Pinot". It turns out that Marin once had thriving vineyards in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The first vineyards were planted in 1817 when the mission arrived in  what would become the Marin city of San Rafael. These vineyards were eventually lost to Urban expansion.

MARIN COUNTY'S TIGHT-BUNCHED PINOT NOIR

Today about 150 acres of mainly Pinot Noir, Riesling and Merlot are planted in Marin. A number of different microclimates exist, which suggests that a number of different varieties could be planted. What will hold off development of more vineyards is the cost of land in West Marin. However, as more Marin County wines are produced and as their quality becomes recognized you will probably see more vineyards developed. I was told by the owner of Pey-Marin Vineyard that Chalone recently planted some acreage in Marin.

Artisan Pinot Noir producers tend to be explorers and risk takers. They are just the type of people who are constantly looking for a better piece of land on which to grow their notoriously difficult grape. Marin seems just the place for them to branch out. The best-known winemaker to stake a claim to Marin Pinot is Dan Goldfield of Dutton-Goldfield winery, one of the best Pinot houses in America. I highly recommend you go the Celebration of Marin County Pinot Noir and taste his 2002 Devil's Gulch Vineyard Pinot Noir. It is remarkable!

The Segregationist & the Wine Wholesaler

Wine, Technology and Shipping

The most common reasons given to oppose direct shipping are 1) it will make alcohol more accessible to minors, 2) taxes will not be collected, and 3) the state loses control over it's ability to assure the integrity of the product.

Number three hasn't been a problem since, well, since I don't know when. When was the last time you heard of any state agency discovering a wine that was harmful to one's health. Reason number two is legitimate. Reason number 1 must be dealt with. It's sort of like having earthquake insurance on your house in Texas, however. While it's highly unlikely that minors are going to try to have wine shipped to them, when it does happen you'll be happy there is a system in place to deal with the consequences.

A company called IDology that provides age and identification confirmation services has developed technology to address the issue. Wine.com used the IDology system and is apparently very happy with it.

I'm aware of another system similar to this that works in the same way and was developed specifically to deal with alcohol sales.

Perhaps technology will address the bogus issue that technology originally spawned.

Marketing Wine...in 100 Words or Less

Last week three particular writing projects occupied much of my time: A handbook (40,000 words), a press release (500 words) and back labels (100 words each). Any writer will understand when I note that it is the short little wine back labels that are by far the more difficult task.

I've probably written upwards of 200 back labels in my career as a public relations and marketing consultant in the wine industry. More than any other writing project they make you appreciate the power of words. The back label exercise is one of making few words say a great deal.

In the particular case of last week's back label, I was presented with a specific amount of space into which the following ideas had to fit:

1. The winery takes an artisan approach to its winemaking, both in the vineyard and the cellar
2. Its focus is on making wines of a particular region
3. The winery is a small, decidedly family affair
4. A description of the character and attributes of the wine
5. Placing the location of the vineyards and describing what makes them unique.

All these ideas were not merely to be mentioned, but explained...in 100 words.

Unlike a press release which has a generally accepted format to follow, the wine label does not necessarily demand  any particular writing style or format. So, there is a more stylistic creativity I can indulge in. Additionally, and again unlike the press release, a back label need not necessarily follow the conventions of proper grammar. The only requirement is that you deliver the message.

My approach to writing a back label is to first ask, "where is it most likely to be read? In a store where it will be purchased for later drinking, or on a table in a restaurant where it will be consumed immediately." In the former case the back label should help make the sale. In the case of the restaurant purchase the back label should reinforce the decision of the diner as well as keep the focus on the purchasing decision that has already been made without the help of a back label.

It is not as uncommon as you may think for a wine to be produced with the intention that it will be consumed primarily after having been purchased in one of these different types of environments. A number of wines, for example, are made with the intention that 80% to 90% will be purchased  from a wine list. I prefer writing these kinds of back labels. They tend to be less oriented to "close the sale" than to educate, explain and entertain. As your conceive and write these labels you imagine dinner companions passing the bottle around the table, sipping the wine, and talking about what they are tasting, smelling and reading. I almost always tend to focus on the actually wine in the bottle and what  makes it unique (a vineyard, a cellar technique, a person, a history).

Writing a label for the store shelf is different. In this case I ask myself, what can I say about this wine or producer that will help them choose this wine over the other they have in their hand as they stand, wondering and pondering in the wine section of the grocery store. I'm selling. One way to do this is to create back copy that helps the buyer WANT to BE where the wine was made or WANT to BE the people who made the wine: "Adoption by Desire."

The labels I was working on last week were likely to be sold equally on the shelf and in a restaurant (SIGH...).

When this is the case I tend to default to a in-store purchase mindset with a little more emphasis on making the copy more personal. One way to do this is by writing in the first person, rather than 2nd or third, which is often done with back labels for wines meant to be sold primarily in a retail setting.

First person writing on a back label is a powerful style illustrated by the following two sentences:

1. "Domain Wark's 2004 Cabernet is crafted with artisan techniques in the winery's small Sonoma Valley cellar."

2.. "Our 2004 Cabernet is a wine I made using the simple artisan techniques I lend to all the wines I produce in our family's small Sonoma Valley cellar."

The problem with the second sentence however is that it uses far too many words. Twenty-eight to be exact. But as the writing process begins that doesn't matter. As I start the process of writing the back label, knowing the points I need to make, I simply want to get the ideas on paper in a relatively attractive and complete way. Then, when finished, I'll count up the words. No doubt there will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 140 or so. Of course I always to go the label designer before I start to re-write and ask, "Can't we fit in an extra 40 words?"  They always say, "Sure, if we redesign the label."

So, now the process becomes one of tightening. Saying the the same thing but taking out a third of the words.

In the end, it took a good 2 hours of writing and editing to complete this back label of 100 words (it actually turned out to be 97 words). In that same time, I completed and edited 1000 words of the handbook I was also working on.

Words remain the most powerful tools of a literate, civilized society. Crafted and combined well, they have the power to move a nation to action, induce tears among an audience of 100s, slow down a road filled with drivers, or sell an unknown bottle of wine.

Michigan Wine Witch Steps Back From the Brink

Dancing and praying for the sake of the grape

CT May Get Wine Shipping Right

The state of Connecticut has announced it will be formulating new legislation in response to the Supreme Court's decision on wine shipping that takes into account the issue of minors access, free trade as well as the State's own family-owned wineries.

This is the kind of measured, thoughtful response that you would expect any chief executive of a state to take when there are a number of different interests involved and it points to the glaring lack of imagination that Nida Samona, Chair of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, showed when she immediately announced she would push for a ban on all shipping, essentially kicking her state's very impressive wine industry straight in the teeth.

The Connecticut legislation has not been drafted yet. However, prior to the Supreme Court Decision SB 122 was flying through the legislature and addressed this very issue. The approach it took was to allow a winery or retailer outside of CT to ship up to 24 bottles of wines per month. However, the law as proposed demands that the wine be shipped directly to a retailer, where it is then picked up (or delivered?) to the consumer who ordered the wine.

This is a very unwieldy way of getting a wine directly to a consumer. However, it is direct shipping of a sort and it doesn't deem necessary that the wine goes first through a wholesaler before it gets to the retailer where the consumer then retrieves the wine it ordered.

However, keep in mind, the legislation referred to in this announcement today may not be the same as is in SB122.

Closing the Survey...take it..Quick!

The FERMENTATIONS Survey 2.0 on wine reivews and how we use them is goingi to close down soon.

Please take a moment to fill out the short (1 minute?) survey and help us understand better why we read wine reviews, where we get them, which we trust (and don't trust).

To take the Survey 2.0 click HERE

And Now for Something completely different

Wine Shipping: What's Down the Road?

Nida Samona: Taking Sides with the Wholesalers in Michigan

Are Wine Wholesalers Ready To Dump Juanita Duggan?

Minors Get their Wine From Wholesalers

Direct Shipping: What Now? CFT Explains

Complete Supreme Court Ruling Here

VICTORY FOR WINE LOVERS-Supreme Court

Wine Blogging 2025

It's a great place to blog

Mesmerized By Jewels and Booty

Wine Reviews: The Good, Bad & Ugly

As many readers of FERMENTATIONS knows, we try to refrain from offering reviews of wines. However, we are very interested in wine reviews.

So interested are we that we want to know what you think about wine reviews, how you use them, where you read them and what you like and don't like about them.

Hence: "FERMSURVEY 2.0: How You Like Your Wine Reviews" is up and running.

CLICLK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

It won't take more than a couple minutes and the results will be published here for all to see.

Water into Wine

John Andrews, writing in the latest issue of The Economist, delivers a brilliant review of the stylistic movements of the California wine industry and the technical and regulatory enabling that allows the State's winemakers to pursue its BIG wines.

Andrews has keyed in on one particular winemaking practice that affects the grower as well as the style of California wine: watering back. Watering back is the practice of adding water to grapes that have been left on the vine to dehydrate, loosing water content but creating concentrated flavors. If water were not added back in after harvest the winemaker would wind up with wine of extraordinarily (unsellable) alcohol levels or wines that could not finish fermentations and would be sickeningly sweet.

Andrews considers this practice to be the dirty little secret of the California wine world but concludes it is very unlikely to hurt the State's image. He's right.

The 2004 vintage will have seen more water added back into wine than ever before due to the practice catching on as well as due to the grapes skyrocketing sugar levels that occurred after a nasty late season heat range. Even the water that was certainly used to bring the wines back into balance will not prevent many reds and whites from the North Coast of California reaching 15.5 and 16 percent alcohol levels.

Will we see any sort of backlash against high alcohol wines? I think we will. As I've mentioned before, by 2007 when the 2004 wines really start to dominate the market I believe we will see a number of winemaker lamenting the trend toward bigness in terms of extraction and alcohol. The media will likely follow in their path.

The Andrews article is one of the best I've read on the reasons for and impact of high alcohol, high extract wines from California. It's a great contextual article too, looking at California winemaking and grape growing practices in contrast to those of other countries.

More Good Pinot News

I never should have waited so long to make this post. One of the goals I've set for FERMENTATIONS is bringing great wine writing to the attention of this blog's readers.

So, I was very happy to learn a while ago that Greg Walter's PINOT REPORT was won the award for “Best Newsletter Writing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant and Nutrition," at the annual and prestigious James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards.

I've previously written about the PINOT REPORT, Walter's Sonoma-based newsletter that speaks to all things pinot noir and often alerts readers to new producers doing exciting work.My bias toward the Pinot report is two-fold: not only to I love the idea of the and execution of this pinot-inspired newsletter, but it is also a home-town production from right here in Sonoma Valley.

If you love Pinot Noir of all price ranges, if you have an interest in events and news concerning Pinot Noir and if you need a reliable source to help you sift through the hundreds of west coast pinots released annually, get the PINOT REPORT.

Tastes like Napa, Smell like Napa, Must be...

I'm a big believer in the ability of sub-appellations to help better define my expectations of a wine's character. I also believe they are great marketing vehicles in a world where the ever growing number of wineries makes it difficult to stand out.

Sub-appellations are those smaller, better defined regions that are carved out of larger, generally useless  appellations that found their origin more as a result of political wrangling among an area's vintners than in any concern for a consistent terroir that helps define the character of the appellations wines. Examples of the sub-appellations I like are Green Valley inside the Russian River Valley, Atlas Peak inside Napa Valley, Yorkville Highlands inside the Mendocino appellation.

A new, but old, sub-appellation has emerged on the promotional scene and it's doing a great job of getting out the world about its potential and its members: St. Helena.

The St. Helena Appellation was approved in 1995. It's pretty new. Yet it's promotional arm, the St. Helena Viticultural Society, was first founded in 1876. It was founded way by when by some great Napa Valley pioneers including Charles Krug and H.W. Crabb. The organization eventually faded away but has been resurrected by a number of current day St. Helena vintners and growers.

Now, of course the question is, what does it mean when you see "St. Helena" on a bottle of wine? What can you expect from the wine. The only way to determine this is to taste through a number of such wines and look for that common thread.

Here is your chance:

ST. HELENA VITICULTURAL SOCIETY STAGES ‘ULTIMATE’ OPEN HOUSE

When:             Sunday, June 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where:            The historic Crocker Estate in St. Helena, 415 Dowdell Lane
Who:               Thirty wineries who produce wines grown within the St. Helena appellation
How:               Tickets are $25.00/person and can be purchased online at www.sthelenaviticulturalsociety.org or at the door of the event. The $25 cost includes a $10 tax-deductible donation to St. Helena youth groups, including the St. Helena High School’s Future Farmers of America program and Boy and Girl Scout troops.

The line-up of wineries that will be on hand to pour at the Open House is impressive:

Abbey-Luce Wines, Anomaly Vineyards, Ballentine Vineyards, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Bressler Vineyards, Broman Cellars, Calafia Wines, Casa Nuestra Winery, Chateau Boswell, Corison Winery, Crocker & Starr Wines, Duckhorn Wine Company, Edge Hill, Ehlers Estate, Freemark Abbey Winery, Fulton Winery, H. Posert & Son, Hall, Hayne Vineyards, Heitz Wine Cellars, Hourglass Wine Company, James Johnson Vineyards, Leaf & Twig Vineyard, Leonardini Vineyard, Milat Wine Company, Napa Valley Reserve, Parry Cellars, 1275 Vineyard/Allen Price, Rancho Otranto), Red Wing Vineyards, Revana Family Vineyard, Ruston Family Vineyards, Rutherford Grove Winery, S.E. Chase Family Cellars, Salvestrin Vineyard & Winery, Schrader Cellars, Sequum, Spottswoode Winery, Stanton Family Vineyards, Titus Vineyards, Trinchero Family Estates, Vineyard 29, William Cole Vineyards and Wolf Family Vineyards.