Life can be so much fun. I was recently at a party with a lot of high-end wine consumers in the crowd, or at least people who think they know about wine. I loved their approach: “Hey Rich, we really enjoy your column in that magazine, but….” Here we go.
But what? All their comments revolved around the fact that I keep writing about low- and mid-range wines and only make derogatory remarks about really expensive wines. After about three seconds of thought, I agreed with them. But why?
Well, I guess I feel wine that sells for $30 and more certainly doesn’t need my help. If it’s really worth that amount, good. It’ll probably be hard to get, which is the reason it’s worth that much. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but generally speaking, very high prices are always related to very limited availability and not necessarily quality. There’s that damn word again.
I keep trying to figure out how to define wine quality, but I can never come up with an answer except that somebody who can spread the word through various channels (read: a wine writer) likes the wine. If there’s anything to the idea of vintage years, being better than non-vintage years then how come the same wineries keep coming up with wonderful wines year after year? I think a little French mentality has wiggled its way into our winemakers’ vocabulary.
Now back to the main point. Why do I always push for taking the BS out of our industry? Get rid of corks in most wines. Forget about a fancy, different, $20 glass for each variety. And keep the price down to where the working person can afford it. I think maybe I’ve figured something out about our current ridiculously high housing costs: We only want winery owners who produce wines that cost $40 and more to be able to buy them. (I’ll admit, the high-tech people are also part of that.) Wine will never become mainstream if we continue the wine snobbery that intimidates the average person.
Wine is consumed in Europe to the tune of about 20 gallons per capita (compared to our measly two gallons), and if you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit Italy, France or Spain and walked into any grocery or wine stores, you’ve found wine that most everyone can afford. I’ve always thought 1.50 euros per liter for a Chateau-la-Box was a good deal. Oh, by the way, most were drinkable. This isn’t to say there aren’t some very expensive wines available that are also very good. I’m just trying to make wine available to everyone.
Yes, I’m probably living in the wrong county to make any headway with my argument—I probably belong in Lodi—but in the big scheme of things, if we don’t have starter wines for the general public, they’ll never graduate to the wines we produce here in God’s country.
To my complete shock, we’re now suddenly hearing advertisements for wine on the radio. I generally listen to sports talk or news stations, and Dancing Bull wines are being promoted with ads that try to take away the intimidation factors. God Bless Ernest and Julio Gallo of Healdsburg, Calif. Also Don Sebastiani and Sons are doing a great job with advertising; even if Kono Buro is a foreign wine with an upside down label, the ads are very clever. Don and Sons has been in the forefront of creating good, sound wines for several years now. My first introduction was Pepperwood Grove, very sound wines that did well at several judgings. Perhaps my favorite is the Smoking Loon (and it’s great cork—you can read it yourself). There’s also Mia’s and another clever one is Screw Kappa Napa.
Does it really hurt the egotistical wine person to have fun with wine labels? Does it take away the beloved snobbery that accompanies being a Robert Parker fan? Oh well, what can I say? I think you need to congratulate me for not using Thunderbird, Ripple or Boone’s Farm as examples (if you remember Red Mountain, I can guess your age). Remember Gaye LeBaron’s great “You are old if…” columns? We could do that with wine…unless you’re a newcomer to God’s gift to people (wine, of course).
It was probably a bad idea to bring up Thunderbird and associate it with wine, because it’s the classic “cheap drunk” that’s used by the people who’re down and out. Why do I bring this up? Because Thunderbird has been a major cash cow for a small, family-owned local winery. Try E and J on for size. Many people don’t know its fortune has been made on so-called “mod” or “pop” wines with the likes of Thunderbird, Ripple, Boone’s Farm, Paisano and Twister (maybe Tyrolia should be included). Of course, the name “Gallo” does not appear anywhere on the labels, only Modesto. Maybe we should look at it as stealing from the poor and giving to the rich.
It’s unfortunate that many of these non-grape “wines” are considered wine at all, but by legal definition, I guess we have to live with it. And certainly, all of the blame doesn’t rest on Gallo alone, since a few of the other big boys do the same thing. We shouldn’t forget Wild Irish Rose from Canandaigua (now Constellation, a very major player in Sonoma County). Mad Dog 20/20 and Night Train (rumored to be from Gallo also) might remind you of times when aspirin wouldn’t help. At least Two-Buck Chuck is made from grapes—am I right, Fred?
On a very serious note, it’s really sad that most of these “pop wines” are even called wines. Maybe it’s a shame that they’re even made and sold. College kids should at least upgrade to Carlo Rossi or Peter Vella. I’m not sure what the homeless would do without Thunderbird (or Wild Irish Rose on the East Coast). Their aromas are all similar—rubbing alcohol. So you can’t miss them. OK, enough of all this nonsense. Sorry, but Thunderbird and Wild Irish Rose don’t count in your homework (a bottle a day, remember?)
