Archive for September, 2009

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to take part in three vertical tastings, where a number of vintages of the same wine are poured for the purpose of comparison. Yet regular readers of Wine Enthusiast will note that we rarely include coverage of verticals in the magazine (or online). The verticals we do cover are pretty much restricted to rare and highly collectible wines that may turn up at auction, on fancy restaurant wine lists or in some prescient collectors’ cellars. So why bother attending verticals at all?

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It was 18 years ago in  1991 : 60  Minutes correspondent Morley Safer  appeared on my television screen  with a bottle of wine on a table in front of him and a glass of wine in his hand . He elaborated in glowing terms about how the health and absence of heart disease in France is directly related to what was “found all in this wonderful glass of red wine , ” which he held out to the camera .  Chills went up and down my spine and I remember as if it were yesterday — wine’s “eureka”  moment had finally come and this “tipping point” was accelerated by this powerful ,  highly watched TV show and its cultured host.

Safer referred to this phenomenon as the French Paradox ,  which indicated that societies that have wine as part of their normal meal lead healthier lives and (probably happier ones as well) because of properties in wine that fight heart disease. This was regardless of the extremely rich diet filled with  cheese and other  highly caloric foodstuffs that the French generally consumed on a daily basis.  Hence the paradoxical aspect of the health of the general population in France.

I mentioned this story to a friend of mine who is a senior executive in the wine business and he recalled exactly where he was when the story ran as vividly as most baby boomers remember where they were when President Kennedy was assassinated.

My friend elaborated on how red wine had to be allocated after this broadcast and that the sales of red wine exploded in the ensuing weeks by more than 40% ,  a testament  to the power of network TV in those days and in particular 60  Minutes.

Do you remember where you were when the French  Paradox  segment  first aired?  Do you think there is anything that could happen on the internet that could  generate a sales explosion  comparable to the one  in the early 90’s  in the wake of the French Paradox story?

Adam Strum is the Founder and Chairman of Wine Enthusiast Companies and Editor and Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

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When an esteemed colleague of mine writes about Chenin Blanc, he can’t resist anthropomorphizing: The Chenin, she is changeable, she is flirty. She requires patience. She reveals her secrets in her own time, and just when you think you know her….

I think we can all agree, that’s quite enough of that. But I see what he means. He views Chenin in a feminine light because it’s a lovely name to pronounce (shuh-NAN or SHEH-nen); because certain women will always befuddle certain men with their unpredictability, their inscrutablility, their je ne sais quoi. (It’s true: Chenin Blanc is a befuddling grape.) But mostly, he just loves a well-made Chenin Blanc. I do too. And if you enjoy white wine with good acidity along the lines of Sauvignon Blanc, you should seek out Chenin Blancs.

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Traveling to emerging wine regions such as South Africa, Greece and Cyprus and tasting wines in New York from everywhere from Hungary to Long Island, I’ve thought a lot about how an under-the-radar region can make its mark in a market flooded with wine choices. Consumers are already accustomed to finding good wines at reasonable prices, and from places they recognize. So how can a country or region perceived as exotic or “foreign” to Americans find a place on domestic tables?

To start, by perfecting and promoting their own unique varieties, and marketing them realistically. This sounds easy enough, but it’s quite a challenge on many levels. The first is financial: it’s tempting for wineries to plant familiar varieties like Cabernet or Chardonnay—wines they know sell in other markets—instead of upholding the indigenous tradition of a Pinotage or Furmint , no matter how noble or worthwhile an endeavor. In their minds, they know there’s a real chance those indigenous varieties won’t ever gain serious, bankable traction in the highly competitive international markets.

I would never fault a smaller winery for trying to make solid business decisions—money is a real issue for these producers and a few missteps could put them out of business quickly. But in general, I think it’s dangerous for emerging regions to jump into the huge pool that is international-style winemaking. I’m not denying that sometimes great mainstream wines come from unlikely places (just try a South African Chenin or Cypriot Syrah sometime) but the real strength of a rising star region lies in its native varieties.

These are the wines that are best suited to the soil and the climate of the region, that in many cases have been made for decades, even centuries, by local winemakers. Found nowhere else, they embody the essence of the place in which they are grown, offering a truly unique experience to wine drinkers often lost in a sea of commercial, homogenous-tasting wines.

Despite this cultural allure of the wines, how do wineries get the message out to the American public? That requires a difficult balance of “unique, but not too foreign.” Blending native wines with mainstream varieties is one way to introduce wine drinkers to an emerging region and its local grapes. Consumers are more likely to grab a bottle of Xinomavro and Merlot because at least one of those words is familiar to them and it feels less like a risk. Eventually, one hopes they will graduate to exploring single varietal Xinomavro and all of the diversity expert producers can offer, but let’s take it one step at a time.

Labeling is important too—the bottle should have character but be readable and distinguishable. And then of course there’s education—tastings at wine stores, articles in wine magazines like Wine Enthusiast, getting the wines on restaurant lists and inspiring servers to learn about them and promote them—all will help wine lovers embrace the unfamiliar. It’s not easy maintaining one’s cultural identity in a market so flooded with familiar, and in some ways easier, wine choices. But thinking strategically, producers can uphold the character and tradition of their own native wines, while at the same time staying in business. What do you think?

While summer technically goes until September 22nd, I really consider the end of the season to be Labor Day weekend. We have a big party every year to celebrate the end of the summer (check it out here) and honestly, after that, nothing feels the same to me. All of the sudden I notice the wind feels a bit brisker, leaves start to take on a touch of red amidst the sea of green and I no longer need to have the AC on to feel comfortable. I love the fall and all of the changes that it brings, but most of all I love the fabulous beer fests that pepper the season with good drink, great places and awesome people.

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I was befuddled this morning when I read a blog post about “shelf talkers”, the printed marketing material associated with bottles of wine at the retail store. Shelf talkers typically contain the name of the wine, a description, and associated ratings. You’ll often find our ratings on these shelf talkers, which are created to aid buyers in their decision making process.

Wine accessory guru Robert Dwyer, accuses Costco of using deceptive marketing by selectively listing higher scores on shelf talkers and also listing scores for previous vintages. Though I respect Robert and consider him a friend, I have to respectfully disagree with his points. Given that his piece received 30+ comments, it seems like an issue with legs.

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This past weekend was Labor Day, one of my favorite holidays to take some time off and enjoy life a bit. Actually, I pretty much use any national holiday as an excuse to celebrate, but this one truly is special. Yes, most of us get the day off work, and yes, it traditionally signifies the end of the summer, so there are two solid reasons to celebrate and get your kicks in while you still can. But Labor Day weekend is also the time of year that my boyfriend and I hold our annual Smokefest… a day of smoking food and drinking with friends.

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In the recent comments on our 100-point scale for rating wines, we’ve received a number of questions concerning the use of “typicity” to award points. I guess the theory goes something like, “If a wine is typical of its variety/region, it should receive extra points.” To which I call, “Bullsh*t.”

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