As of this writing in August, summer is still on track to produce a good, sound crop. Yields look very good, but not great, which is OK. It’ll help alleviate the impending shortage that many were predicting and keep prices from going through the roof again. As in all agriculture, once people find out you can make a buck, they’ll immediately flock to it and we’ll go from a balanced market to a surplus situation. Along with getting back to somewhat normal, I hope we don’t lose all of the really good, inexpensive wines that are currently available. We’ll probably learn that, between South Africa, Argentina, Chile and the rest of the world, we’ll always have a supply of everyday drinking wines for us poor slobs who can’t afford—or refuse to pay—exorbitant prices.
It’s interesting to step back and look at the marketing situation in the wine world. There are a few humongous players such as Gallo, Constellation, Franzia and Bronco that gobble up the shelf space and fill the lower-end wine selection along with a few mid-priced wines. Do I need to remind you that price doesn’t equal quality, only availability? On the other end of the spectrum are all of our artisan wineries that attempt to stay afloat with complete direct marketing. This includes Internet sales, tasting room sales, wine clubs and any other ingenious idea that will let them sell their products at full retail. Remember the general rule of thumb when selling wine through the three-tiered system is that the winery receives only 50 percent of the suggested retail price.
One good reason winery tasting rooms can offer sweet discounts is because even a 30 percent discount is still 20 percent more than they’d get through a distributor. However, not being a marketing wiz, even if you did go through a distributor, your chances as a small winery of getting any exposure and sales are slim to none. The big ones, only about three of which are still around after consolidations, all like the magic word “volume.” Little guys don’t stand a chance. This one fact probably explains why Healdsburg has become a runaway train with close to 20 tasting rooms within about a six-block area. Why wait for the public to come to you? Bring it to them. So much for the idea that the ambiance and romance of the tasting room at the winery and in the vineyard are important sales tools.
Since the world is in constant flux anyway, here are a few other things that are changing within the industry. I’ve already mentioned the use of the Internet, which certainly includes social media. I’m not a Facebook user, since I really don’t care about you just having taken a shower or the fact that your dog just crapped on the carpet, but to each his own. If it works, do it!
Another change, which coincides with the increase of younger wine drinkers, is the emergence of aromatic wines like the astronomically popular, sweet, fizzy Moscatos. I’m also hoping that Rieslings (dry, please) will also come around again, since there are some wonderful ones available. And while you’re trying new things, please don’t forget about the large numbers of rosés being produced. Dry and chilled, they can be wonderful. Merryhill Winery in Washington has a wonderful rosé of Sangiovese I recently tasted. Locally, there are some wonderful ones also but I’m afraid I’d miss one and be struck down by the local wine gods, so I won’t mention anyone in particular.
Sparkling wines are somewhere between holding their own and seeing some renewed popularity. Australia is even coming out with a screw cap bubbly, but it’s usually ahead of us, anyway. Once the bubbly people come up with some sort of meaningful classification, it might help. I still can’t figure out why “extra dry” really indicates some degree of sweetness. And is “Brut” really a brute? We all still love to hear the corks pop at celebrations, but the real challenge is to make bubbly an everyday drink, not just for special occasions.
Probably the single biggest change over the recent past is the rise of Pinot Noir as at least a prince, if not a king, in the red wine world. Those of you who know me will understand how hard that was for me to say! Someday, technology will let winemakers make great Pinots from grapes that cost less than $4,000+ per ton—and maybe the average wine buyer will be able to afford it. (Maybe they’ll remove the brett and/or cherries-tutti frutti also and I’ll drink it.)
One of the biggest discussions is which type of closure is best. Worldwide, the trend is toward screw caps for all but the most expensive (hard to get) red wines. Consumer-friendliness is an important sales point. I should also throw in there that six-bottle cases should become a norm. The beautiful ladies who buy a large percentage of wine would definitely appreciate that and, as I get older, so would I. We’re beginning to see more and more screw caps but, as usual, we’re slow to make the change—even if the consumer wants it.
One of the newer changes we’re just beginning to see is the use of alternative packaging. More and better wines are showing up in bags-in-a-box, pouches, tetrapaks and even individual size servings (if you can call 187 mL [6 ounces] a serving rather just a whistle wetter.)
Environmentally, the industry is trying to put on a good face but we still see bottles that are thick enough and heavy enough to require two people to pour them. A big, thick, ridiculously heavy bottle, rather than being something that shows class and is perceived as high quality, is a waste of money, very environmentally unfriendly, with absolutely no redeeming factors—unless stroking the owner’s ego is important.
Well, let’s pray for a good harvest. And, by the way, have you tried your homework bottle of Mendocino County wine yet? How about a good, dry rosé this time? And find me a good, dry Riesling also.
