NoBullGrape

Napa and the Supremes

After being forced to fight a far too long battle by the makers of "Two Buck Chuck," the Napa Valley Vintners have finally secured protection of the name Napa Valley for wines only from Napa.  As Dr. Vino describes here wine with a brand name "Napa Ridge" can no longer be sold if it does not contain at least 75% grapes from Napa.  This is a huge victory for all who believe that location matters and that consumers should be told exactly where their wines come from.  Luckily for us, there are many great winemakers that fall into this category.  More importantly, it is a big set back for those who seek to use loopholes to hide the true source of the grapes that are used for their wine.  While there are only a few of these characters... they are very, very big.

Non-EU products to gain EU GI protection

We always talk about the failure of the US and other countries to protect the names of distinct locations.  At the very least they do so in a manner that -- when it comes to wine -- is weaker than the protections that the EU provides.  However, there has long been a problem with EU regulations.  They are not available to non-EU countries.  Places like Napa, Santa Barbara, Willamette Valley and the Finger Lakes could not be assured that their names were protected in the EU.  This is because the EU regulations required non-EU countries to also protect EU products (e.g. Chianti, Chablis, Champagne and a number of non-C places).  As the US and others did no such thing, their products did not qualify for EU protection.  Now the EU is being forced (due to a WTO ruling forced on them by Australia and the US) to open the protection they already offer to 720 of their own products to outsiders as well. 
I am surprised that the EU had to be forced to open their system.  One would think that it would be in their best interest to export the system as much as possible.  Yet, whatever the reason, I hope that the opening of the GI system (expected to be approved later this year) provides opportunities for US wine growing regions to gain protection in the EU.  At the very least, it would assure that no Sonoma's from Austria would pop up.  In the best case scenario, there would be increased pressure on the US government to better protect its own regions (and not force the growers of Napa Valley to go to court to protect their name against wine labeled "Napa Ridge" when it is from some other place).  In either case, the consumer who wants to know where their wine comes from wins.

Starting the new year with Corie Brown

Happy New Year!
After a longer than expected hiatus, we are back. The end of the vacation from the blog (and things like work) is prompted by: a. real life schedule and b. Corie Brown's article on Mendoza and Paul Hobbs in this Sunday's LA Times.  As life is not so interesting, this post will focus on Ms. Brown's article titled "Putting Place in a Glass."

In particular, want to focus on how much impact one person (or even a few people) can have on defining "place" in the wine world.  Mendoza is a perfect example because, as the LA Times story states,

Politically isolated and economically crippled by its tumultuous history of erratic despots, Argentina and its wine industry were frozen in their last hopeful decade, the 1930s. As for the wines, they were pure plonk—oxidized elixirs made in decrepit wineries and sold by the jug for a few pesos. Argentines drank them by the barrel, unaware that wine could taste different, much less better.

Then came Paul Hobbs.  I'm always wary of such stories as all wine growing seems to be a community based activity, yet the LA Times says that Hobbs had a big influence on the changes that took place in what is now one of the most interesting wine growing regions in the world. 

Hobbs, so the story goes, taught them about pruning, oak barrels, oxygenation, etc.  He even sent some of them to California to learn about US winemaking practices. 

In the end, he makes some of Argentina's best wines.  Personally think they are too heavy in alcohol, but that is not relevant as his Los Cobos continues to impress critics year-after-year despite its extraordinarily high price -- $150.   

Yet did he really "Put place in the glass" as the LA Times claims?
By capturing the essence of a particular place, I am convinced that Hobbs clearly makes wines that could only come from Mendoza. 

However, is he the standard bearer for all of Mendoza? I'm not sure for the following reasons:

1. He is not really an industry leader -- I would expect this list of names to include Catena, Archaval-Ferrer, Susana Balbo, and the leaders of Altos Los Hormigas, Terrazas, Salentein, Ruca Malen and even Luigi Bosca. 
2. He makes a tiny amount of wine.
3. His best wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, not the Malbec that distinguishes Argentine wine.  In fact, Hobbs is quoted as saying ""You have to make a great Cabernet to be taken seriously."

So why is featured in the LA Times?
Why not a Catena or some of the smaller Argentine winemakers who are well known yet better epitomize the struggle of making wine in Argentina?  Because Hobbs has made it in the States and is a bit of a hometown story for the Times (Sonoma isn't Orange County, but you get the idea).

Yet, despite its flaws, this story is a great window into the perspective of one winemaker in a new land as well as the massive changes that Argentina's wine region have undergone in the last 10 years... making it one of the great places to watch. 

Couldn't have said it anywhere near as well

Guest columnist Richard Olsen-Harbich of Long Island's North Fork winery Raphael has a great piece on the importance of location -- everywhere around the world -- at the always interesting Lenndevours.

As he says:

Remember a merlot grape -- the same merlot grape -- grown in upstate New York or Sonoma or Bordeaux will not taste the same even if we used exactly the same processing techniques. It's the terroir stupid!
In our arrogance, we sometimes forget how little influence we have over the natural world. I want to know what goes into my wine if that’s not too much trouble. (And please don’t bother to tell me its organic -- that’s a topic for another post.) But when I’m enjoying wine from another region, I want to imagine what that part of the world smells like, tastes like and what the people drink. Maybe its because I can’t afford to travel there myself so enjoying the wine is the next best thing to being there.

As you think about going to pick up your turkey, take a read here.

Governor goes to bat for Napa and place names

So the Governor of California is in China and -- apparently -- is demanding that the Chinese stop misusing the name "Napa" on wine produced in China.  You go Terminator!

The contrast between the importance placed on protecting place names from the Governor of the largest wine producing state (and the clear position that the Napa Vintners are taking in this piece) and the stance taken by the US government in the recently initialed Wine Accords is quite stark.  Read more from Tuesday's San Francisco Examiner. 

        

Governor working to keep Napa wine designation pure By Albert C. Pacciorini Staff Writer Working to keep wines labeled “Napa” made only with grapes from Napa is on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s list of things to do as he begins a six-day mission in China. The focus of Schwarzenegger’s trip is to promote California products and encourage Chinese officials to crack down on the piracy of copyrighted music, movies and software. He’s also promised to ask about three Chinese companies that may be selling “pirated” wine. California law requires wines with “Napa” on the label be made with Napa grapes. It isn’t just Napa fighting to protect its reputation. The Champagne region of France, Sherry in Spain, Porto in Portugal and the states of Oregon and Washington all have a similar problem. All are working together for a “commitment to the importance of place and place names to wine growing,” said Linda Reiff, executive director of the Napa Valley Vintners trade group. Reiff spoke Monday morning at the beginning of a four-day annual meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network trade group at the Metreon in San Francisco. Tuesday and Wednesday the meeting will move to St. Helena. The network includes Melbourne, Australia; Bordeaux, France; Porto, Portugal; Cape Town, South Africa; Bilbao-Rioja, Spain; Florence, Italy; and Mendoza, Argentina; and works to promote international winery tourism. Reiff gave an outline of the Napa Valley wine industry, followed by representatives of the other international regions, who discussed their locations. At a time with so much friction over differences, wine can provide a chance for people to come together, said event emcee Barry Martin. Napa got its own legal agricultural area in 1981, Reiff said. Today there are 14 subappellations. The Napa vintners, just like their colleagues in Champagne or Sherry, are working hard to protect the use of their regional names, which each feels imparts a level of quality and significance, from wineries in other locals. The trade name Napa is being used illegally in 10 countries, she said, urging those in the industry to join many regions that have signed a joint declaration promoting the importance of place to wine.

Center for Wine Origins in Chicago

We’ve all been talking about the recently launched Center for Wine Origins.  So instead of talking, I went to see what they are all about.

While at the Chicago Wine & Food festival last weekend, I attended a seminar sponsored by the Center. Led by a speaker from the Society for Wine Educators (Lisa Airey), the seminar was all about the terroir of the Champagne region and the Duoro Valley (the group uses Champagne and Port as examples when talking about protecting wine origins). She really knew about these places and brought them to life.  For example, I knew Champagne was chalky and cold, but the Lisa Airey brought soil composition, microclimates, history (Napoleon, WWI, etc.) together in a way that was really informative and – frankly – cool.  She brought the uniqueness of Port and Champagne places to life. 

Of course, the discussion was helpful, but everyone came for the wine… I found the tasting greatly improved by my better understanding of the distinct place where the wine came from.  Sort of like tasting a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon after you have visited Napa.

We tasted two Champagnes that I had never had– Pommery Brut Royal and Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé. I guess I had just passed over them at the stores as they are both relatively available.  In any case, found the Pommery to be somewhat yeasty and quite dry, which called to mind the chalky soil that Airey mentioned. With its higher pinot noir content, the rosé was slightly fruitier and a truly different wine than the first, yet the notes on location, grape type, etc. came in handy when tasting the two.  While different, both blends from multiple places, vintages, etc., it was clear that they were both from this special winegrowing region.

The Center followed the Champagne with two Ports. The first was a Quinta de Ventozelo 10 Year Tawny, which I’ve never had – I don’t think it’s sold in the U.S. The wood aging gave it a really nice full, round flavor and a beautiful color. We finished up with a Vista Alegre 1997 Vintage, which the staff had nicely decanted prior to the seminar. It was a little on the young side, but the contrast between it and the tawny was incredibly sharp – a testament to how greatly differences in the aging process are reflected in the bottle.

I went down to the Center’s booth in the festival’s main tent afterwards and tasted the 1997 Vintage one more time – it really outshone some of the other more standard Ports being tasted at the festival.

At the end of the day, I think I learned two things about the Center:
1. They are passionate about location.  While Champagne and Port are clearly their primary focus, complaints by others that this is some sort of scheme by the Europeans to attack the US, etc. are unfounded.  The Center goes out of its way to talk about location being important for all wines – one of the main themes of this blog.
2. They are the real deal.  Instead of just another association pitching a theory, they had smart, engaged spokespeople at the seminar and the booth who were willing to spend time talking about wines, etc…. not just handing out glossy materials (or dressing in red spandex with little to say like those trying to get us excited about Wines of Rhone….).  In addition, I found them very focused on the consumer -- not trying to  just be a voice for the other Ports and Champagnes that were displayed at the event.

Overall, found the Chicago Wine & Food event interesting.  A bit of a pourathon, I still found lots of smart, interesting people who care about wine and are excited about telling potential consumers about their wines.  All in all, a good sign for the future of the US wine market. 

Names, location talked about everywhere!

Tom over at  Fermentations makes some very good points about the previously mentioned Center for Wine Origins.  By the way, they seem to have launched a very nice web site since we last spoke about them.

I highly recommend reading Tom's piece.

In addition, Daniel Sogg of the Wine Spectator does a great job outlining how the California Supreme Court (protecting the name Napa against the Fred Franzia's of the world who want to use the words on bottles that do not include grapes from Napa) are in direct opposition to the position of the US Government (read Wine Institute) in the Wine Accords.

In the end, all 3 -- Sogg, Fermentations and the Center for Wine Origins -- come to a similar conclusion.  Place names matter and semi-generics should cease being used.  As Fermentations makes clear, these names do not inherently guarantee quality, but -- whether it is a truth-in-labeling issue or time for everyone to stand on their own two feet -- they certainly should only be used by these particular regions. 

The impact of Big Wine!

Others have pointed to this article, yet I am so astounded by these three simple points made by Hoyt Hill in the Nashville City Paper that I must repeat them...

Thirty percent of the wine sold in the United States is distributed by one wholesaler, Southern Wine and Spirits, and, in the states where Southern Wine and Spirits actually does business, they distribute more than 70 percent of the wine sold?

Approximately 80 percent of the wine produced in Australia is made by three companies? Approximately 70 percent of the wine produced in California is made by five companies? And that Foster’s is one of those three Australian companies and one of those five California companies?

One man, Michel Rolland, is the winemaker at more than 200 wineries?

And those stats don't even talk about Constellation and Gallo!

Big is not inherently bad and some of these companies/trends ensure that more US consumers are introduced to wine.  Yet, the inherent homogenizing effect that these big companies can have -- be it compromising quality in the name of "scale," undermining key wine making areas that could have wonderful futures if supported or focusing heavily on the latest marketing trends as opposed to the long-term investment that great wine requires -- must be watched.  Mr. Hill is right to highlight a few of the better known importers as sign posts for quality wine. 

Yet, consumer groups -- and maybe it starts with the small community of wine bloggers -- need to hold these companies accountable so that there is always an environment for quality wine.  Fermentations' work following the Michigan shipping issues is  a great example of this.  Their opposition to proper use of place names, their efforts to weaken (as opposed to maintain or strengthen) US vintage dating rules, their weakening of quality wines that they acquire (I've heard this is the case with Gallo's purchase of Louis Martini in Napa, yet have not witnessed anything myself) or the limited selection of wines carried  by distributors like Southern are just a few places where they need to understand that they are undermining the future of a great industry.  Finally, I do not believe that this is merely a fight to protect small producers against "Big Brother." I believe that such watchdogs actually have the shareholders (at least in Constellation's case as Gallo and Southern are private companies) long term best interests at heart. Happy to pitch in on this and am open to good ideas that can launch such an effort.  If the world Mr. Hill describes is allowed to continue to grow, we all could lose.

Learning about harvest via wine blogs

The Northern Hemisphere harvest season is in full swing.  It is a great time to learn about what goes into your wine.  This year it is even better as there are a number of cool blogs run by vintners that give you unparalleled access.  Remember, winemaking is VERY HARD WORK.  Therefore, don't give up on blogs that don't post much as they have their hands full right now.

Here are a just a few of the ones I like (and I'm sure there are many that I have yet to discover):
Domaine de la Gramiere -- The first harvest of a US family seeking to make organic wine in Languedoc
Anomaly Vineyards -- Napa vineyard that is about to start picking.
Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate Grape Vine Blog -- Great photos, insight, etc. on the situation in her part of California

Terroir, Napa Declaration and Terry Theise

Great entry on the Dr. Vino blog that ties together past events that we have discussed here, future conferences and the excitement that one of the better importers of quality wines finds from the impact that unique places have on wine.