By the time you read this, I unfortunately will be down under and suffering through Christmas on a beach and New Years in the pool, since it’s our biennial trek to visit grandchildren and family who live in Adelaide, South Australia. While attempting to clean out my desk, I’ve run across several items I’ve collected to pass on to you, my faithful readers. I don’t regularly read a lot of blogs and such, but every once in a while, something catches my eye—so here are a few.
From a news item on wineindustryinsight.com, I spotted a headline that stated, “Wines with organic labels are valued less.” The article simply says that once you add an eco-label—“made with organically grown grapes”—the price of the bottle falls 7 to 10 percent, even though without the added label it’s deemed premium wine. The study found that out of 13,424 wines, from 1,495 California wineries, vintages made from organic grapes were judged superior to non-organic—grape for grape, year for year—and would command an average premium of 13 percent per bottle—until the eco-label was applied. I wish I could explain this, but it bucks a trend with other higher-end products, where people seem to be willing to pay more for generally lower quality but organic products.
OK, item two: I recently coordinated an International Women’s Wine Competition, where I had two different panels judge the same wines with different code numbers. I have long wondered what would happen, and thought there’d be some major differences. To my great and pleasant surprise, the results were very encouraging, with 38 percent both giving the same award, and another 38 percent only one medal difference (one gave a silver, the other a bronze or gold and so on). Only about 20 percent were two votes different and only 3 percent went from gold to no award—quite remarkable when one thinks of the subjectivity of wine judging. I should also state that all 25 judges were female and had varying degrees of a wine background, but all were from the industry in various capacities. (The judges had no idea we were comparing panels, by the way.)
Another interesting website (sometimes) is slate.com. How about this for eyeball grabbing: “Why you should be drinking cheap wine.” It’s impossible for me not to agree. One statement that should sound familiar to you is, “The key here is that higher prices don’t reliably reflect quality.” Some extremely interesting facts are given regarding our wine purchases now and in the past, and are compared to Europe, which consumes three to six times more wine than we do, and pouring a €1 Tetra Pak for guests is very common. (They don’t have the obsession with corks that we seem to have thanks to the BS publicity the Cork Alliance produces.) The Germans pay just $1.69 on average for a bottle of wine. In 1995, 59 percent of wine purchased in the United States sold for less than $3 per bottle. During the period up to 2006, that share dropped to 29 percent, and wines costing more than $14 quadrupled.
A story told many times is about an old Gallo sales trick that poured two glasses of wine and told the potential consumer that one cost $0.05 and the other cost $0.10. The consumer invariably chose the higher-priced one. Fact: It was the exact same wine. I’ve actually done this in class a few times, and I’ve learned the very same thing. We’re all programmed to think that something that costs more is inherently better—and the wine industry plays this ploy to the hilt! Some vintners say they have to charge at least $20 or more just to break even, but since when did buying wine become a philanthropic adventure? We’re under no obligation to buy expensive wines just to keep vineyards afloat. Inexpensive (cheap) wines are good and soundly made and there’s no need to be ashamed of liking a cheap wine. Besides, you can afford to drink more. My thanks to Brian Parker for telling it like it is.
Regardless of price, I ran across another column in the Huffington Post, an Internet newspaper, under Huff Green (November 4, 2011), that discusses the multitude and varied uses of wine besides just drinking and enjoying. Space doesn’t let me elaborate on all of them, but I found many to be very interesting. The more common ones are self-explanatory, such as making a marinade, jelly or reduction sauce, or flavoring sauces and making vinegar. But how about these other uses?
Using red wine as a fabric dye (warm some diluted wine, put fabric in, and the resulting color will always be a surprise). Red wine is also purportedly used in Europe as a skin softener, toner and brightener when used for washing. Dry white wine is used for a kitchen disinfectant on all surfaces except granite. An Oregon State University study shows most bad pathogens are killed with wine. The same study says white wine is also excellent for washing and cleaning fruits and vegetables. We all know white wine (or vinegar) is great for cleaning glass and windows. Using white wine to clean up red wine when spilled is familiar to all wine drinkers, I think. Pouring some wine into a glass and covering it with plastic wrap with a few small holes will make a wonderful fruit fly trap when your bananas start to rot. I also like to freeze wine into ice cube trays and then use them for a great number of flavoring tricks. I have to add that it also helps your heart, can relieve heartburn, boost brainpower and slow the aging process. Maybe that’s why I only feel 68 while I’m 70?
I hope your new year is starting well and one of your resolutions is to continue your homework assignment. And it’s OK if the wine costs less than $5 and comes in a box or a pouch.
