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Great things in store for 2010

January 15th, 2010 by Rick

There is certainly plenty of bad news about persistent unemployment and underemployment, the foreclosure crisis, the unwillingness of banks to make loans to small businesses, and the impending commercial real estate implosion. Add to this the slowdown in restaurant wine sales and the across-the-board retail phenomenon of “trading down” by the consumer. Finally, toss in a reluctance by wineries and importers to reduce their prices on existing inventories and a succession of several good vintages. Take it all together and what do you get?

One of the best opportunities for wine value buying in a decade.

You see, as long as the Earth continues to revolve around the Sun, grape vines will continue to produce fruit. Because the wineries have been sitting on their wines, hoping upon hope that the wine market would shape up (or perhaps for a bad vintage), they now have a prodigious glut of wines in their cellars. And I’m not talking about one vintage, but more like three or four, with the potential for another one (2010) right behind it.

If you are a wine buyer, prepare yourself for one of the best buyers’ markets in years. The best deals will probably be in bottles that would have been in the $30-$40 range on the shelf. These will see reductions of 30-50 percent. (Not silly “nickel” games played in some venues where the price gets raised just to show a bigger discount, but honest reductions.) As time goes by, we may even see items in the high tier ($50+ retail) start to slide, too. For now, the wineries are desperately defending their crown jewels, but with so much erosion coming in the mid-tier, the upper-tier cannot be that far behind.

Plus, the longer the producers wait, the worse the damage will be to their market position.

In the end, we will probably see a sad cascade of vineyard failures and winery closures. It’s likely as necessary as it is inevitable. But in the meantime, drink up! We will see great prices for the foreseeable future. After that, who knows?

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It's Spanish, Jim, but not as we know it

November 17th, 2009 by Rick

The world is awash in Spanish wine. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Spain has offered superb value for the money pretty much from the beginning of its modern-day growth spurt. But one shouldn’t be blamed for wondering if Spain produces anything red other than Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell.

As one of the most ancient wine-growing places on earth, Spain surely does produce much, much more. It’s just that the “big three” are certainly the most prolific (and marketable). Hence, the dominance of only three grapes on retail shelves.

If you’re into trying something new (and ancient), I would direct your gaze to the Cermeño Tinta de Toro. The grape has a lot to offer. It’s certainly got punch with loads to bright red fruit, almost like a Brouilly. But it has plenty of body to boot, unlike its Beaujolais comparison. In fact, the big tannins (which are sweet, not bitter, but definitely pronounced) can make the fruit just a bit hard to find at first. My advice is to either cellar the wine for a few years (like 7 or so), or more likely, decant and let it breathe for something like 3 hours. Really.

This is not a break-the-bank wine, and since we’re getting into hearty-fare season, it’s a great match with stews, game and rich beef or lamb dishes (preferably super-herbed and served with a rich demi-glace).

- Rick

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Wine from the Land of Fire

October 22nd, 2009 by Rick

I cannot believe I’m writing about a Malbec, what with it being all that and a bag of chips these days, but this one caught my eye. The 2008 Humberto Canale Estate Malbec is not your typical Argentine grape juice. This one comes from Patagonia. Why does that matter? Well, for starters, Patagonia is a pretty inhospitable region. After all, there is a line of cold-weather outerwear named after the place. It’s not really where one would expect to find good land for vineyards. Upon further reflection, maybe that’s the point. Malbec always carries the risk of becoming too fruity, even to the point of reminding me of a Dolly Madison blueberry pie. The Humberto Canale, though, is a touch more French. It’s got nice fruit, but there is some tannic structure woven into the fabric, too. The acidity is well integrated, keeping the heavier nature of this wine in balance. I had it with a pot roast last night and it was quite suitable. It probably would have been even better with a juicy steak. The point being: This is a food wine, so be advised. This is NOT your all-too-typical fruity concoction shoved into a bottle with the ‘MALBEC’ epithet emblazoned in big, friendly letters on the front. Salud! – Rick

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Caymus Tasting Aftermath

October 9th, 2009 by Rick

We had a great response to our last-minute tasting notice. I guess the name Caymus still carries some weight! The wines were classic Caymus: Super polished and plenty of plush fruit… with the possible exception of the 2007 Special Selection, which was just way too young to be appreciated. There’s a lot going on there, but tasting such a wine at such an early stage of development is a bit like eating a decadent French pastry before it’s fully cooked. You really have to know what you’re looking for to get anything out of it.

If there was any clear favorite, it would probably be the Belle Glos line of Pinot Noirs; especially the Clark and Telephone. For anyone who enjoys a voluptuous Pinot, this is your ticket. It was showing nicely (and the sales of the item that night certainly reflected it!) Plus, at just a bit over $30 a bottle, it’s certainly in the realm of the purchasable for many people, even if only for a special occasion.

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Treana White – Something for everyone

October 7th, 2009 by Rick

My wife and I shared this wine with some friends of our last weekend. It was a major hit. My wife’s friend is one of those types who can’t drink red wine… which is a bit of a bummer for those of us who really enjoy reds. Well, this was one wine that seemed to please everyone. My friend (a beer drinker more than a wine drinker) actually asked for more!

So what makes this one so versatile and crowd-pleasing? I think it has to do with its stylistic grab-bag of characteristics. It’s got a fair bit of body, which  makes it good for colder weather BUT it also has good acidity, which prevents it from being flabby. The fruit notes are tending toward ripe peach and pear, always a good match for a Sunday afternoon, in my opinion. And there’s even a bit of minerality in the finish which makes the wine practically sparkle on the palate.

And, we scored a killer deal on the wine from our supplier, so the price is right, too. It’s usually around $26 per bottle (putting it in the Caymus Conundrum range) but thanks to the continuing inability of restaurants to sell wine, we’re able to offer it at $19.99. No, it’s not inexpensive, but neither is it stratospheric… and as I said above, you get a lot of wine for your pair of sawbucks. If you’re interested, you can stop by our store (where it’s stacked near the Sauvignon Blanc aisle) or you can order it online by clicking here.

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