Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

A New York/Napa State of Mind

What's the difference between Wine Country and New York City?

The question isn't a set up for punchline. After spending a bit of time in New York again for the Vino 2011 Conference, I've been thinking about this question. Clearly there are many difference between, say, Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley and New York City. But I'm not thinking the key difference between New York City and Wine Country is the number of good Jewish delis, the number of taxis on the street at any given time or number of really old grapevines per acre.

What I've realized is that the fundamental difference between New York City and Wine Country is the density of sensory input a person must deal with in either locale and the impact on one's character and personality from having to confront more or less sensory input.

From a living environment perspective, Napa Valley just doesn't put much stress on our senses. The fact is, this part of the world is pretty nicely and easily ordered: Roads are relatively few. The primary landscape is simple, ordered rows of vines that appear largely the same from a distance. There are few enough people to not worry about hitting a person in crosswalks. Few buildings cause us to bend our neck more than a degree or two in order to gaze at their roof. There is little or no neon and not much actually blinks in Napa Valley to attract our attention. Basically, Napa Valley does not provide its inhabitants with a challenging array of sensory input.

I think this relative lack of sensory input on Napans has an effect on their character and disposition if they live here and experience a reduced amount of daily sensory input. I think Napans will tend to be calmer, experience less stress, be somewhat under-prepared for disruptions to their environment, and be likely to better appreciate the nuance of unfilled space.

New Yorkers, however, are a different breed. What strikes someone visiting a city like this is the great density of sensory input one experiences upon setting foot on the street. Cars moving in all directions and honking and stopping and starting. Angled planes of every measure constantly interrupt one's line of site as remarkable buildings and skyscrapers constantly arrange themselves where every one peers. The density and variety of sound that comes at a person walking down a street is without end. A combination of strange human mumblings, car horns, doors slamming, taxi whistles, music and more constantly blares into one's ears. Add to this the intensity of desire-piquing properties that one confronts as one store front after another presents you with clothes that must be worn, watches that must be possessed, shows that must be seen, bars that must be tried, restaurants that call to our stomachs, storefronts filled with gadgets that give us wonderful ideas for who we might be better people. The possibilities that might result from our desires being fulfilled are endless.

What happens when a human is forced to constantly absorb all this sensory input? Much, I think.

In the first place, I think a New Yorker is much more likely to possess a nimble mind created, partly, out of its practice of interpreting interruption and multiple sources of sensory input. I think a New Yorker is more likely to possess a cultured disposition by virtue of being exposed to a great deal more and widely expressive cultural experiences. But I think too that New Yorkers are likely to possess higher degrees of paranoia as well as stress—byproducts of minds forced to absorb and deal with and interpret higher degrees of sensory input.

I love New York. I want to go back...regularly. But there is something much more attractive (to me) of living in a place that is more well ordered (spatially and environmentally), that has much greater potential to induce on into calm moments, that puts fewer demands (sensory input) upon the mind—thereby allowing the inhabitant (if they are so inclined) give greater space to the unique sort of creative force that results from a somewhat less cluttered mind.

We humans are, of course, amazingly adaptable. Take a lifetime Napan and move them to New York and you will see quick adoption of the mental tools necessary to deal with a life of heightened sensory input. Arranged the opposite personnel shift and you'll see in the New Yorker lessened paranoia, lessened stress and a quick understanding (if not appreciation) of living in a place that provides fewer inherent demands on the mind.

Neither locale is better than the other. Neither produces better offspring. Neither is more beautiful than the other. But I do believe, given prolonged exposure, they will produce different kinds of people.

 

The Italian Cloud Descends Upon Sir Harry

It's always a bit odd for me when I find myself securely in America, yet surrounded by a foreign language to the point of having english squeezed out of the picture.

Of course one is accustomed to and expects this when traveling in another county where English is not the native language. And even in the Napa Valley, one occasionally gets caught in a passing cloud of French when walking down the streets of Saint Helena or Yountville. But eventually the cloud of Le's, La's Ou's and eouve's passes and English shines through.

So it was odd last night when, while sitting at the bar in Sir Henry's at the Waldorf Astoria, I found myself completely surrounded by Italian. The language, with its combination of silky lines and staccato bursts of long vowels, overtook the place as the Italians crowded out English and French and Spanish in preparation for Vino 2011, the three day trade show and seminar devoted to Italian wine.

It's even more remarkable the way all else slipped away to the Italians being in a city like New York, where diversity of color, thought, language, custom and race is raised to an art form.

I liked it.

I think the Italian vintners and marketers know a good thing when they see it and Vino 2011 is a good thing. This is the second time I've been invited to take part in the week's events as a speaker, this time bringing the social media Word to Italian vintners as a moderator the Virtual Vino seminar on Millennials, Social Media, Authenticity and wine. The event is remarkably well managed and the organizers bring (mostly) top notch folks to the show to enlighten, talk and converse.

My take on italians is that they always seem tirelessly dispossessed of anxiety. As I sat and drank my Manhattan at Sir Harry's the organizing italians whirled about, remaking the room in Italian, speaking among one another as they prepared the room for a fest. Those moving table tents about the room, checking that the right wines and spirits were on display and calling on the help to move this or that around, were quick to stop in the tracks, smile, and happily address me as I noodled my way into their paths to ask questions. They have a knack for seeming as though the interruption in their flow is the real reason for their being there.

I'll be meeting a lot more Italian vintners and marketers this week at Vino 2011. I'm looking forward to it. But I'm going to take time to listen closely too. I want to try to pick up that remarkable accent that stops us anglos in our tracks whether it comes through in its native tongue or when it makes the english language sound much more inconsequential than the tongue really is.

Benvenuti a New York...

 

Frank Bruni and the Comic Edge of High End Spirits Marketing

For those with a penchant for doubting the appeal of precious and pretentious marketing, I refer you to today's edition of Frank Bruni's "Tipsy Diaries" column in the New York Times. Today, writing under the headline, "Celestial Come-ons and Other Booze-Selling Ploys", Bruni examines the trend in the spirits business try to differentiate new products by turning them into cartoon characters masquerading as super premium, must-have sauces. If any one knows pretension when they see it, it's Bruni, who served as the Times restaurant critic for five years.

As usual, Bruni deploys his urbane, soft wit to peel back the most absurd layers of his subject matter. In reviewing the new Kentucky Whiskey that was sent his way (in a corked vial, no less) Bruni observes,

"There is, for starters, that name: Angel’s Envy. I’ll try not to type it as often here as I’ve murmured it to myself, chuckling each time at its reach, its sheer celestial hubris. When you call something Angel’s Envy, you’re inviting mockery and sowing the seeds of disappointment, because you’ve basically promised nothing less than liquid rapture: heaven on the rocks. What were the runner-up names? Zeus Juice? XanaDew?

The wine industry is of course fairly adept at shoving products on to the market that are meant to attract our attention with either chuckle-inducing or momentous proprietary names: "Fat Bastard", "Bitch", "Dominus", "Magnificat". The idea, like with "Angel's Envy", is to convince us without having the benefit of tasting, that what's in the bottle must surely be tasted for the sake of not letting a chance at greatness pass us by....or at least to chuckle us into popping a cork.

It appears that the spirits folks are bent on outdoing the wine folks.

And why not? Over the past few years, there has been a decided shift in the spirits industry that has put the focus on "handmade", small batch, limited edition, and specialty spirits that, while sometimes mocking their category, have also produced some momentous products. Americans of a certain type seem to be taking to the notion of super-duper premium whiskey, Rye, Gin, etc.

Today, Bruni is surveying the comic edge of this shift in the spirits business with his report on "Angel's Envy" and Vodkas with the names "Puriste", "Devotion" and "Xellent". But it's not entirely unlikely that tomorrow he'll be surveying the most recently introduced top-end entries in various spirits category that truly do move the needle on quality, but without the pretentious names. Despite the eye roll-inducing discoveries that Bruni highlights today, it is an exciting time to be a spirits tippler who enjoys sampling the products of real artisans. They are coming to market fast and furious.

And if you haven't followed Bruni's foray into the world of cocktails, spirits and New York drinking culture by way of his "Tipsy Diaries" I highly recommend you make a point of it. The column was launched in mid-2010. Bruni's prose, reflections and observations on the spirited world are always great fun to read. He is a very good writer. I know this because I'm always pissed when I get to the end of his column. I suspect the 43,000+ who follow his Twitter stream at @FrankBruni enjoy his observations also.

Mapping Out My Cocktails

In SAN FRANCISCO...my right drink is an OLD FASHIONED

In NEW ORLEANS...my drink is the SAZERAC

VEGAS...its all about CHAMPAGNE

PARIS...has always called to me with PASTIS

But NEW YORK...the Center of the Universe...it's all about the greatest cocktail there is: THE MANHATTAN.

I'm looking forward to moderating a panel on Millennials and Social Media at Vino 2011 in New York next week and seeing friends there and trying to understand the complex glory of Italian wines. But in all honesty, what I'm really looking forward too is sinking down into a comfortable cushioned chair with my Kathy next to me in well-appointed, quiet, luxurious New York bar and sipping on a Manhattan.

The epitome of this style of bar I like, where the style is actually made up of substance, the talk hushed, the drinks perfect, the chairs comfortable and the views around the room sumptuous and provocative, is the Campbell Apartment located in Grand Central Station. It's the perfect place for an afternoon cocktail when the place isn't filled. Here I'll take Kathy, we'll sit, have a cocktail, and plan something wonderful, and feel taken care off.

 This trip to New York, however, I need also to finally try the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis. This bar is supposed to be quite plush and it is said to be the location where the Bloody Mary was created. Over the past few years I've started to experiment with this drink, ordering it in a variety of settings. I'm not much of a vodka drinker, but it strikes me that the Bloody Mary isn't so much about the Vodka as it is about the mix. In any case, I'm sure I won't be able to bring myself to order a Bloody Mary here. Here too, we'll sample the Manhattan.

Authenticity, Millennials and Wine Star at Vino2011

"The largest selection of Italian wines under one roof anywhere in America."

The "Roof" is the Waldorf-Astoria, the "anywhere" is New York City and the "selection" is VINO 2011: ITALIAN WINE WEEK.

When I was called and asked to moderate a seminar panel for the Italian producers and wine marketers attending Vino 2011 next week, I jumped at the chance. Having been invited to attend this event before and sit on a seminar panel, I became well aware that the Italian Trade Commission's annual "Italian Wine Week" was among the best organized, swankiest, best attended and best stocked with wine talent of any wine trade event I've attended in two decades of attending wine trade events.

So, I'm impressed. Very Impressed. With that out of the way, let me say a few things about the things I'll be saying and talking about at the seminar I'll be moderating on Tuesday:

“What Emily Post Can Teach You About Social Media, Millennial App-titude and Geo-Marketing”

As you might have guessed, I'm moderating the obligatory "Social Media" panel that we now see at every wine industry gathering. Notice too that we got "Millennial" into the title. Another important buzz word. But what is really interesting about this panel is not just the fine set of panelists nor the buzz-wordiest of titles. What is really cool is that what we will be addressing primarily is how to communicate to a specific demographic in an authentic manner and to best effect. We aren't aiming at explaining Twitter and Facebook and Foursquare and thereby suggest that simply by using these social media tools one is "communicating authentically" with Millennials. Rather, we will examine how Millennials react to the tone and substance of what product and service marketers have to say to them through these tools.

The premise is pretty interesting when you think about it:

The Millennial generation responds best to marketing communications that create interpersonal rapport via messages and voice that are more authentic.

What exactly does "authentic" and "authenticity" mean and how is this kind of communication better achieve by virtue of using social media tools? The first thing that I wonder is can a disembodied voice be "authentic"? That is to say, will a message or communication that comes from an "entity" or "company" and not from an identifiable individual, be viewed as "authentic"? Put another way, why do Millennials respond more positively to "I want you to try this wine" than to simply "Try this wine"?

The complexity of this question probably needs to be addressed by using insights from the fields of psychology, sociology, political science, history, physiology and neuroscience.

The panel I'm moderating at Vino 2011 has a wide variety of skills and talents. But most importantly, they all work in the field of marketing in one way or another. In addition, they all are involved in engagement of the consumer. And they all have worked to focus on the engagement of the Millennial generation. My panelists include:

Talia Baiocchi: Founding Editor and Director of Organic Marketing at WineChap.com and Wine Columnist for Eater.com

Amy Cao: Head of Social Media at Foodspotting.com

Gregory Del Piaz: Editor-in-Chief at Snooth.com.

Jeff Lefevere: Author of the Good Grape wine blog and VP of Client Services for the digital design shop The Basement.

Kent Wilhelm: Senior Manager of New Media and Marketing at Astor Wine & Spirits and the Astor Center


The Seminar will be live streamed on Tuesday, January 25th at 2pm eastern directly from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The link to the live stream will be found here:

http://www.italianmade.com/vino2011

Other social access points to the Vino2011 event are:

Twitter: @vino2011ny
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/virtualvino
Vino 2011 Blog: http://www.italianmade.com/vino2011/blog

Ignorance, Bias, Hipocrisy, Self Service—Wine Wholesaler Style

It's so rare that opponents of regulated consumer access to wine are so willing to demonstrate their ignorance, bias, hypocrisy and self serving intentions. Yet, thanks to Paul Mabray's VinTank interview with Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association President Craig Wolf we get more than a glimpse into these commonplace foibles.

In the interest of clearing up fallacies, setting the record straight, correcting historical inaccuracies, and giving my readers a glimpse into the sometimes bizarre conclusions and positions of wine wholesalers who oppose regulated consumer access to wine, I offer a very short response to some specific statements of Mr. Wolf.

1. "The 21st amendment gave states the authority to create alcohol policy, largely unfettered, by the courts"
The 21st Amendment did no such thing. In fact, the 21st Amendment makes no mention of courts of any kind. The 21st Amendment repealed national Prohibition and gave the state the right remain dry or go wet under their own set of laws. However, nothing in the 21st Amendment comes close to suggesting that state alcohol laws are exempt from judicial oversight or may violate the U.S. Constitution.

2. "The problem with litigation is...it creates uncertainty. You don’t know how a judge is gonna come out with alcohol policy."
Actually, litigation creates certainty. After a judge rules and after all appeals have been played out, one generally has absolute certainty on what's legal or Constitutional and what's not. The fact that you don't know how a judge is going to come out with alcohol laws only means you aren't clairvoyant.

3. "At the state legislative level...the representatives of the people of the states make the decisions, not an elected judge making a decision for alcohol policy for an entire state."
Judges don't make any policy. They tell states what kinds of policies are unconstitutional when there is a dispute. Once a judge makes this declaration its up to the state legislature to fashion laws that comply with the U.S. Constitution. This happened after the Granholm Supreme Court decision that ruled state-based discrimination in wine shipping laws was unconstitutional. It was the state legislatures that then corrected their laws. In fact, it was wholesalers who, after the Supreme Court decision, went to the state legislatures to argue that no shipping should be allowed, but rather all wineries should be at the mercy of wholesalers to introduce their wines to market.

4. "The 21st amendment wasn’t enacted in a vacuum. It was enacted because of the problems states had enforcing their laws pre-Prohibition"
No. The 21st Amendment was enacted because Americans tired of Prohibition and because repealing it would have a significant positive impact on the then depressionary economy. The fact is, the 21st Amendment simply allowed states to operate exactly as they were operating just prior to Prohibition's onset.

5. "[HR 5034] should be passed because we want to basically make GRANHOLM the high level watermark for this type of policy [Direct Shipping]. And let states make their decisions based upon GRANHOLM but no further."
Everyone understands that Wholesalers want THEIR IDEA OF WHAT GRANHOLM MEANS the basis upon which state direct shipping laws are judged. The problem is that the Wholesalers idea of what Granholm means IS WRITTEN INTO HR 5034. If passed is would allow laws that descriminate against winery direct shipping in effect and it would allow states to discriminate against wine merchant direct shipping in any way they want—essentially stripping wine merchants of their commerce clause protections against descrimination. No Congress and no Founders ever imagined such a thing every coming into being.

6. "we don’t believe that the [Supreme Court] decision [Granholm v. Heald] at all created any type of authority for retailers to go outside the system."
In other words, the Wholesalers believe that some un-noticed, un-written, magical disappearing set of words that exist no where in the Constitution, in the Granholm decision, in its 21st Amendment or in any Congressional act tells us that PRODUCERS can't be descriminated against, but WINE MERCHANTS may be descriminated against? HUH?

7. "The bill [HR 5034] has been characterized as the monopoly protection act, and you know, we take offense with that. We certainly disagree on policy on the issue, but to somehow imply that wholesalers are monopolizing the market...is absurd."
Incorrect. Actually HR 5034 is commonly referred to as the "Wholesaler PROTECTION Act".

8. "So what happens is, when you open the door [to regulated direct shipment of wine], you create a shadow market – a black market, if you will – of product that cannot be traced or monitored."
Only if you want to. It's easy to stop. New Hampshire, for example, has a policy where once they see an unlicensed winery or retailer shipping into the state, they tell the common carriers about it and the common carriers are fined if they deliver another package from this source. There are simple fixes to these issues. But addressing the issue with common sense doesn't seem to be the goal of Wholesalers. The goal is to keep as much wine and profits flowing through wholesalers as possible, despite the burden that restrictive system places on wineries, consumers, retailers and regulators.

9. "What’s going to happen is...some kid at college is going to order a bottle of Everclear, they’re gonna put it in their punch, kid’s gonna get drunk, go out and kill somebody. And then, the regulators are gonna look and this and go, ‘where was the industry on this issue?"
This scenario is far more likely to occur with a minor getting their liquor from a brick and mortar store. Why are the Wholesalers not calling for the Brick and Mortar sales channel to be completely shut down? (That's a rhetorical question).

10. "And the fact is that UPS and FedEx usually can’t distinguish, you know when the boxes come through, who is shipping and who is not."
This must be news to UPS and FedEx. Can it really be that the drivers don't see they are at a wine or liquor store or winery or wharehouse with cases and cases and cases of alcohol? This statement is either a result of ignorance or duplicity. But it's most definitely insulting to FedEx and UPS.

11. "If you’re a state like Delaware for instance, and you allow direct shipping from out of state, how are you going to possibly regulate 50 states’ worth of wineries and retailers? You can’t do it?"
Yet somehow their neighbor, New Hampshire, has found a way to do it just fine. Is Mr. Wolf intentionally insultng Delawarans.

The Founders v. Wine Wholesalers: The Audio Version

I listened to Vintank's audio interview with Craig Wolf, president of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America. You have to give Craig credit for sitting down and outlining the views of America's wine wholesalers on issues of consumer access to wine. And you have to give Kudos to Paul Mabray of Vintank for making it happen.

I knew the interview was coming and I was hopeful we would see Craig deliver some appreciation for the concerns and interests of American wine consumers as well as its producers and retailers.

But what I learned was this:

1. Craig Wolf and the WSWA are trying to sell snake oil and demonstrate a supreme lack of knowledge when they suggest the the 21st Amendment gave the states the power to interfere with interstate commerce.

2. Craig an the wholesalers mistake the three tier system of wine distribution for being a constitutional principle when it is nothing of the sort. They ignore the fact that while the Commerce Clause resides in the Constitution, the Three Tier System is no where to be found in that document. The idea that the protections against state based barriers to interstate commerce that businesses and individuals derive from the Commerce Commerce clause are somehow stripped away by three tier systems can't be justified.

3. They play a two faced game when complaining about litigation that challenges discriminatory state laws: They complain when retailers and wineries used the courts to knock down discriminatory state laws but say nary a peep when wholesalers do the very same thing. Wholesalers used the courts to knock down laws in Texas and Kansas they they didn't like. Where was their outrage then?

4. They are seeking to assure that consumers only have access to imported (French, Italian, Australian, etc..) wines that they can find at their local wine store and never have access to to the thousands and thousands of wines that can not be purchased locally but can only be purchased on-line from out of state sources.

But what's consistent about all these positions is that they represent the interests of wholesalers and greater control of the flow of goods by wholesalers, while completely snubbing their nose at consumer interests, retailer interests, producer interests and the primary motivation behind the writing of the U.S. Constitution: To create a single economic union that would not be undermined by trade barriers erected by states.

In the course of his interview with Vintank's Mabray, Wolf confirmed that wholesalers are coming back with both barrels blazing this year in their attempt to pass HR 5034. This bill would give states a right they have never before had in the history of this country: The right to interfere with interstate commerce in wine. Specifically, it would allow states to constitutionally erect bans on the shipment of wines to consumers from out-of-state wine stores for the singular purpose of erecting trade barriers for protecting in-state businesses.

For those of you unfamiliar with the creation of the Constitution, with subsequent Supreme Court cases and with the history of Congressional legislation concerning alcohol, it has always been the policy of America's founders and its subsequent leaders that trade barriers of the type that HR 5034 would allow have no place in American economic system. Such barriers to interstate trade in wine have always been opposed. An entire founding document was created to assure trade barriers do no carve up and balkanize America into economic fiefdoms.

HR 5034 will have a new number when it is re-introduced into Congress. We will all have to get used to calling it something new. However, anyone who believes that a level playing field ought to exist where commerce is concerned, anyone who believes wine merchants ought not have their constitutional protectinos stripped, anyone who believes that the Founders were correct in assuring that a system of state-based trade barriers ought not be erected to protect those who have the cash to buy laws, anyone who thinks congressional legislation ought not be up for purchase by the highest bidder and anyone who believes that consumer interests ought to be as highly valued as wholesaler interests will want to continue to oppose whatever this law will be called in this new Congress.

Profiling Robert Parker's 100 Point Wines

Yes, the 100 Point rating scale is not perfect.

OK, with that out of the way, I find the 100 point rating system fascinating on a number of levels. Most fascinating of all is the degree to which it effects those wines that receive very high scores. Even more fascinating is the degree to which a wine that receives the elusive 100 Point rating is helped. Much more fascinating is the degree to which a 100 Point Robert Parker rating helps a wine.

Quite simply, a 100 Point rating from Robert Parker guarantees a wine not only sells out, but sells out at an extraordinarily rapid pace. With this in mind, I thought I'd take a look at this breed of wine.

Using eRobertParker.com's Advanced Search engine, it appears that Mr. Parker has bestowed 100 Points on a total of 224 wines. This is a minuscule percentage of the total wines he has tasted. So we are talking about a select group.

ORIGIN OF 100 POINT PARKER WINES
The region has produced the most 100 Point Robert Parker wines is the Rhone Valley in France with 69 such wines. Bordeaux is second with 53 wines, followed closely by California. Interestingly Champagne has produced a total of Zero 100 Point wines. Champagne is accompanied in that distinction by Oregon, New York, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina, and Austria. See the accompanying chart for regional sources of 100 Point Parker Wines.

CURRENT MATURITY LEVEL OF 100 POINT PARKER WINES
Robert Parker gives a range of years during which a wine will be drinking at its best. Depending on how deep a wine is into this range or how far outside the range it currently falls based on its age, Mr. Parker will describe that condition with a simple word.

Of the 224 wines that have received 100 Point Scores, currently they are at this level of maturity:

Young.....31 Wines
Early.......89 Wines
Mature....28 Wines
Late........12 Wines
No Maturity Given.......48 Wines

COLOR OF WINES
White/Dessert: 28 Wines
Red: 196 Wines

VOCABULARY ASSOCIATED WITH 100 POINT PARKER WINES
Of course no 100 Point rating is complete without a description of the wine. Parker's descriptions of 100 Point wines tends to be elaborate and complete in every way. What was interesting, however was too look at the frequency with which particular descriptive words were used in reviews of 100 Point wines.

"Rich" is the descriptive word that appears to show up most often in a wine that receives 100 Points from Robert Parker. 101 of these wines have this word in the review. This isn't a surprise and I'd be willing to bet that most reviewers would discover the word "rich" appears quite frequently in their highly reviewed wines.

The term "Intens" (as in "intense" or "Intensely") also shows up frequently to the tune of in the description of 64 100 Point wines. "Concentrate" follows with 63 wines having this word in their review. Again, this isn't too surprising. And for those who are curious, the very Parkerian term, "Unctuous" appears in reviews of thirty-four 100 Point wines.

See the accompanying chart for a fuller picture of the frequency of use of particular descriptive words.

OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS

Oldest Wine: 1811 (d'Yquem)

Least Expensive Wine (Listed Price): $59.00—1995 Chateau La Graviere Tirecul Vendange Tardive Cuvee Madame

Most Expensive Wine (Listed Price) $57,666—1811 Chateau d'Yquem

Winery With Most Wines Rated 100: Chapoutier (13)

Wine Rated 100 Points Most Often: Guigal Cote Rotie la Mouline (9 Different Vintages)

Vintage With Most 100 Point Wines: 2007 (27 Wines)

It should be noted that I understand the meaning of the phrase "Lies, Damned lies and Statistics". Yes, statistics can lie. However, they can also tell very compelling stories. I honestly am not sure what story this set of statistics and items tells. However, this I know. As long as Mr. Parker continues to enjoy his work and continues to rate wine, his 100 Point rating will be among the most coveted third party endorsements any wine can ever receive.

 

Wines & Vines' Good News Index

I have great hope that 2011 will see a significant shift in our economy. I'm hoping we see a trend toward hiring and a significant reduction in unemployment. A forward moving economy is good for the wine industry. That means its good for my business and good for my friends and colleagues in the wine industry.

But while we have significant indicators of the past, current and future state of the American economy, one has too look a little harder for wine industry trend reporting that acts as indicators, forward and trailing. The current leader in delivering wine industry economic trend information is Wines & Vines Magazines.

Currently, in every issue, they are publishing THE WINE INDUSTRY DATA CENTER. W&V in collaboration with folks like Symphony IRA, WineJobs.com, and ShipCompliant are delivering three very interesting sets of tracking data:

1.Month By Month, Off Premise Domestic Wine Sales

2.Month By Month Direct To Consumer Sales

3. Month by Month Job Listings at WineJobs.com

Currently, these three measurements published by Wines and Vines might be called the Good News Index.

For the last month published on line (October), we see that Domestic wine sales were up 6% over October 2009, that the value of direct to consumer sales are up 31% over October 2009, and job listings on WineJobs.com are up 28% over October 2009.

The next issue of Wines & Vines, February (coming out in late January to coincide with the Unified Symposium will have updated numbers through December 2010 that show how these metrics compared with December 2009. I'm hoping for continued significant gains.

What's cool about these three indices is that one gives a picture of the health of large wine brands, one gives a picture of the health of smaller wine producers, and the jobs index gives a sense of the needs and optimism level of the wine trade going forward. These are very important indicators for planning purposes.

I'm heartened to see that that listings of wine related jobs up 28% in October 2010 over October 2009 and will be watching closely to see how these numbers fair in December 2010 and, particularly, January 2010.

 

 

Anti-intellectualism and Wine

There are many reasons why America is not the kind of nation and Americans not the kind of people that can be singled out as a "Wine Drinking Culture". You can look at our country's early religious experience or our proximity to the sugar plantations of the Caribbean and the subsequent cheap rum it provided early on or the inability of traditional wine grapes to do well in the Colonies in the 18th Century or numerous other reasons.

But I was reminded recently that an important reason for America not developing any significant culture of wine drinking is the prominent streak of Anti-rationalism and Anti-intellectualism that has and continues to run through our culture.

I recall early in my intellectual education of appreciating historian Richard Hofstadter for providing me with a brilliant explanation for what I saw around me in his "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life". This book, published in 1963 but that I first read in 1986, was extraordinarily influential in my education. It explained me—a child of the progressive Northern California culture that had travelled and adopted an appreciation for "culture"—why most folks I met outside my native California had a particular disdain for the things I thought worthy of reverence, or at least interest.

Recently, I had a chance to read Susan Jacoby's "The Age of American Unreason", a 45-year hence ideological follow up to Hofstadter and a current look at Americans' tendency to express disdain for "elites" and higher education, express distaste for any form of materialism, look suspiciously at those capable of uttering a well-formed sentence—particularly one after the other, become suspicious of items or ideas embraced by the "Old World" and, lean toward an appreciation of the simplest, loudest and least nuanced explanations of world events.

It struck me that there is much about wine and the culture of wine drinking that has and does put its appreciation well beyond the capability (or desires) of the classic American Philistine. More importantly, there is something about wine and the culture of wine drinking that operates for the American Philistine as an important symbol of all that is wrong with America: Elitist Americans of a secular and european bent.

Jacoby's current explanation of the American Anti-Intellectual is an important read for committed wine lovers, if only for the committed wine lover to locate a clear rendering of those people likely to have no use for them or to discover what the purest anti-intellectual thinks of their likeliest political ally—the well to-do, well-educated economic conservative with a moderate view of social policy. Those of you wine lovers that fall into this political category should be aware of what your non-wine loving political brethren bring with them to the table and to their view of you.

America ranks somewhere around 50th in the list of wine consuming countries per capita. If we are moving up this list, it's a pretty slow jog. America drinks more wine than most other countries, but only because we have a lot of people over here. And the real heavy lifting is done by the "core" and "super core" wine drinkers that drink the vast majority of wine.

This is all to note that we may APPEAR to be a wine drinking country, but we really aren't quite so good at it. And this is just fine with most Americans, who appear to be, in general, a decently enlightened lot who would probably listen to just about anyone who wants to be President of the United State, with the exception of any candidate who 1) professes Atheism or its milquetoast cousin Agnosticism or 2) admits to being a wine geek.