In my ongoing effort to, uhm, branch out in the wine world (read: get paid), I’ve got myself involved in a couple more ‘extra-blogger’ activities that I thought I’d share.  They are geared more towards beginner (I know, I hate that term too, but I can’t manage a better one) wine enthusiasts and so I didn’t feel that they were a fit for 1WineDude.com, but some readers might find them interesting (or doubtless you will know someone who might – which might buy you a day or two of respite from those folks asking you for wine advice!).

First, I’ve contributed some wine recommendations to the Fall 2010 issue of Publix® Grape Magazine. My contribution was made so many months ago that I don’t in fact remember what I wrote for them… and I don’t live in a state that has a Publix… so any of you in the Southeast U.S. who can refresh my memory, please feel free to help me out… Anyway, if you live in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or Alabama you can subscribe to receive the magazine for free.  Because, you know, free is a good price.

Second, you’ll start to see my reviews pop up on another iPhone app (also coming soon to Droid and Blackberry), Pocket Wine Assistant, in their new version.  Because, you know, one can never have too much 1WD in one’s pocket, right?   That, and I’m fond of over-extending myself.  Anyway, more to come on that when he new version is released.

Third, I’m contributing (ongoing, this time) to a very cool on-line Philadelphia food & drink publication called Table Matters. I’ll be penning articles in the awesomely-named Planet of the Grapes section (“It’s a madhouse! A MADHOUSE!!!”), the first of which appeared last week.   Table Matters is a Philly-focused publication, so I’ll be covering wines available in the Philly/PA market.  Because, you know, I enjoy a challenge.

Your thoughts, as always, are welcome – including story ideas for the Table Matters column (just don’t expect a cut of my fees…).

Cheers!
(images: publix.com, tablematters.com, pocketwineassistant.com)

Asia, as most of you are already aware, is THE NEXT BIG THING in wine consumption.  China, of course, is the current big thing in Asia, which means that the Chinese market is THE NEXT BIG THING in wine consumption.  So big, it must be stated IN ALL CAPS!

This is not news – it’s all over the place in print and on-line.  Most of the talk of the Chinese market in the wine community is cloudy, amorphous, and short on understanding of the real scope of the potential dollars involved.  And the real scope is real, real BIG.

Here’s a recent quote from Wines-Info.com on Chinese wine consumption trends, to give you some perspective on what a bold, capitalized and italicized BIG represents:

“The current situation in China is that domestic wine production doesn’t meet its market’s need, which has resulted in surge growth of imported wine. Statistics show that imported bottled wine to China has increased 2368% since 2002 to 2009. With bigger number of Chinese enterprises joining to wine importing business, more foreign vintners and wineries from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, U.S., Chile, Argentina, etc. also step into Chinese market, sharing the hope of wine bonanza in China.”

No, that’s not a typo. That’s an increase of over two thousand percent of wine coming in from other countries to fill the demand created by the emergence of a bona-fide middle class in the Chinese economy. In less than ten years. YOWZA.

My bruthah-from-anothah-muthah Jeff Lefevere over at the award-winning GoodGrape.com, recently highlighted some of the Chinese wine market numbers – and they’re similarly downright shocking:

“It’s anybody’s guess how China will impact the domestic wine business, but we know that the existing auction market and Bordeaux futures are largely being driven by the Chinese. According to reports, US wine exports to Hong Kong totaled $49 million in 2009-2010.  And, it’s been said that the U.S. wants to be the number one exporter of wine to Hong Kong and mainland China.”

That’s a fair chunk of change – and an impressive commitment by the U.S.  And one in which I think they should be deeply cautious, because our businesses are so busy looking at the dollar signs that they aren’t seeing the imprisonments, tortures, and executions that made those dollar signs so big…

In my view, China’s is not an open market economy within a Communist government, contrary to what you might be told in the news; it’s a totalitarian regime that is trying to integrate aspects of a free-market economy.

It’s a much larger difference than you might think.  If you believe that using the totalitarian tag is a bit harsh, then you ought to check out the more recent human rights reports on China from Amnesty International.

“An estimated 500,000 people were subjected to punitive detention without charge or trial through “re-education through labour” and other forms of administrative detention. Progress on legislation to reform “re-education through labour” remained stalled in the National People’s Congress. Police extended the use of “re-education through labour” and another form of administrative detention, “enforced drug rehabilitation”, to “clean up” Beijing in the run-up to the Olympics. For an estimated 11-13 million people, the only practical channel for justice remained outside the courts in a system of petitioning to local and higher level authorities, where the vast majority of cases remained unresolved.”

The picture on the Chinese human rights front remains far less rosy than its wine consumption outlook.  Now, my position is a bit biased and I’ve been known to say things like “a copy of the U.S. Constitution – italicized, bolded and in ALL CAPS – ought to be stuffed into every case of U.S. wine bound for China.”  So here are some more interesting – and telling – tidbits from the AI report to help prove I’m not totally insane for my views:

• “Human rights defenders and their relatives, including children, were increasingly subject to harassment, including surveillance, house arrest and beatings by both government officials and unidentified assailants. Lawyers were particularly targeted, and an increasing number had their licence renewal application rejected.”
• “Millions of people were impeded from freely practising their religion. Thousands remained in detention or serving prison sentences, at high risk of torture, for practising their religion outside of state-sanctioned channels. Falun Gong practitioners, Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and underground Christian groups were among those most harshly persecuted.”
• “Cases of domestic violence increased 120 per cent in the first three months of the year — a rise attributed to a greater willingness to report such abuses to the police…”

Still want to give China our wine business?  Let’s take a look at another example that hits closer to home for those of us who fancy ourselves writers – the case of Chinese journalist Hairat Niyaz, from a late July 2010 AI report:

“Hairat Niyaz, a journalist from China’s ethnic Uighur community, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on 23 July 2010. He continues to be held incommunicado and has been denied access to legal counsel of his choice.   Hairat Niyaz  was arrested at his home on 1 October 2009. At the time, the police told his family that he was detained because he had “given too many interviews”…Hairat Niyaz was last known to be held in Tianshan detention center in Urumqi, although his current whereabouts are unconfirmed.”

Arrested for giving too many interviews.  By that account, I’d already have been put away for life.

I know that the economic and human rights situation for both the U.S. and China is far more complex than it appears in AI reports, and that our respective economies are ridiculously interconnected (and that you’d have an easier time with alchemy than you would trying to find a piece of U.S. consumer electronics that wasn’t made in China).  And I fully realize that the first major focus of the wine push is likely to be Hong Kong, which is nowhere near as poor on their human rights record as mainland China (yet).  And that the Chinese human rights record is not the fault of the average Chinese consumer.

But…

Ask yourself this: will the situation change if we don’t help to give the growing Chinese middle class enough reason to demand it to change?  Like, say, giving China less business, and less wine to fill those thirsty gullets?  If you think a wine boycott wouldn’t impact things, I’d argue that you might be thinking too narrowly given the potential product volumes we’re talking about.

At the very least, maybe some Bill of Rights back-labels are in order on a few of those bottles being sent to quench the Chinese wine thirst?

Cheers!

(images: sanooaung.wordpress.com, dailyskew.com)

Fueled by the mysterious “power cosmic” and a recent rise in market share, Constellactus Brands – devourer of wine brands and the largest wine producer in the known Universe – is expected to reach Earth in a matter of days, say world scientist and wine industry analysts.

“At this point, we know Constellactus is coming and we strongly suspect that he is interested in the wine brands of Napa,” Napa Valley Vintners Association Executive Director Linda Reiff told reporters yesterday at a hastily-organized press conference held at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, CA.  “What we don’t know what brands here will survive – if any at all.”

The wine industries in Napa and Sonoma have been sent into near-chaos this week after multiple reports of local sightings of The Silver Surfer, Constellactus’ primary brand ambassador.  It is widely believed within the global wine industry that the appearance of the Silver Surfer heralds doom for the independent wine brands of that local area.  When pressed about whether or not the Sonoma wine industry – which has yet to respond publicly to the coming threat – should also be concerned about the coming of Constellactus, Reiff responded, “I am not aware of a wine industry in Sonoma… but if they are making wine there, then they ought to be very, very concerned right now. All we know is, wherever the Surfer goes, two weeks later that wine industry dies.”

Constellactus is widely feared throughout the known Universe for its seemingly insatiable ability to devour a planet’s entire population of wine brands, in some cases leaving the Profit and Loss statements of those brands a mere husk of their former selves and laying waste to their market positions.

The Surfer was last seen on Sunday, flying low across the sky in the Carneros region which straddles both the Napa and Sonoma American Viticultural Areas (AVA).  At first mistaken to be a plane or some type of experimental aircraft, the Surfer eventually slowed down his flight to the point where it could be photographed and confirmed to be the harbinger of its galactic master, Constellation.  The Surfer was largely unresponsive to the mass of reporters seeking comment and asking questions about the intentions of Constellactus, pausing only on Sunday afternoon to address the media with the cryptic statement, “All the wine that you know, is about to end,” before speedily taking flight towards the East…

The Surfer’s appearance and the imminent arrival of Constellactus sent the on-line wine media world into a frenzy, particularly the website forums of JancisRobinson.com and Wine Berserkers, both seeing an exponential spike in on-line traffic and frequent server crashes as a result (traffic at the eRobertParker.com forums appears to be largely unaffected).  Aside from looking for the latest news and developments after the Silver Surfer’s brief media appearance, forum members speculated heavily as to ultimate destination of the Surfer’s east-bound flight, and to Constellactus’ ultimate intentions.

The majority of wine industry insiders believe the Surfer is headed towards the famous French wine region of Bordeaux, as there is general consensus that the wine styles of Napa and Bordeaux are now so similar that the Constellactus has been unable to distinguish between the wines of both regions. This has fueled additional expert speculation that Napa may not be Constellactus’ intended target.

Others believe that no wine industry on the planet is safe from Constellactus. “Constellactus’ appetite is enormous and unlike anything we have ever seen in the history of our planet,” said Robert Koch, President & CEO of The Wine Institute, an advocacy and public policy association for California wine.  “We may, in fact, be powerless to stop it.”

As Constellactus approaches Earth, several measures to halt his advance have been proposed, but only one idea has gained any real traction among industry experts who have ben working in conjunction with NASA scientists.

“Our only hope may rest on the fact that Constellactus may already be tired from his long journey towards Earth, and sleepy from recently feeding on the wine industries of other, nearby planets,” commented Koch.  “The strongest proposal I’ve heard so far is to use this to our advantage to lull Constellactus into a state of gluttonous slumber.  We suspect that having Bonny Doon winemaker Randall Grahm read excerpts of his book Been Doon So Long, amplified one-thousand fold and projected audibly into space as Constellactus nears our planet, will induce the beast into some sort of prolonged slumber.  This may not be a permanent solution, but it would buy us significant time to determine a longer-term plan to keep Constellactus at bay and save our planet’s wine industry.”

Although the plan involving Grahm’s reading of Been Doon So Long has been described as “extremely promising” by government analysts, and despite the fact that NASA has already begin working on means to project recordings of the reading into space, to-date no recordings of the readings have been completed. A NASA spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the IP that “both the recording personnel and Grahm have been unable to complete a recording because they are all falling asleep before it can be finished.”

NASA scientists are now working on an earplug technology effective enough to be worn by Grahm and the recording experts so that the recordings can be completed before Constellactus and its ravenous appetite arrive at Earth.

Specifically, I offer my recent experience reading Nicholas Joly’s essay-like treatise on the hot-potato topic of Biodynamic viticulture, Biodynamic Wine, Demystified. If this is the demystified version, I’d hate to see it mystified.

I received Biodynamic Wine, Demystified as a gift, of sorts, from the lovely (I know it doesn’t sound particularly manly, but he is a lovely guy) Mike Benziger after a recent visit to his family’s gorgeous biodynamically-farmed Sonoma wine estate.

Frequent 1WineDude.com readers will recall that some of Mike’s comments in my video interview with him caused a bit of a stir and sparked lively comments-section discussion on the topic of soil profiles and biodynamics generally. Those discussions mirrored, in a way, the current love/hate tête-à-tête – ok, and the occasional heated exchange of invective barbs – between biodynamics’ supporters and detractors.

Supports generally describe Biodynamics as having favorable impacts on the vineyard, its grapes, and the resulting wine. for example, Mike Benziger, from the comments to our interview, speaking about why Benziger employ soil analysis and biodynamic farming:

“Commercially farmed soils around the world have become biologically very similar. The use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides over the last 50+ years, combined with aggressive cultivation has homogenized much of the soil life in the topsoils worldwide. Artificial inputs reduce or terminate soil microbiology and thus eliminate points of differentiation from site to site… Vines that grow only in the topsoil that is healthy or not, usually only express the varietal character and don’t express the sense of place that is associated with soils. When commercial fertilizers are overused, there’s no impetus for roots to stretch down deep, because the snack bar is right on top in the topsoil. To express a more complete sense of place, vines need to have deep roots that feed deep down into the regolith and parent material.”

And the counterpoint, from the comments of that same post, from an anonymous commenter who claims to also be a winemaker:

“No doubt that BD has a tremendous feel-good quality that prompts a certain amount of rationalizing. The problem I have with BD is that it is not benign. It makes claims of superiority without real evidence and presents a defense of “there are some things that science just can’t reveal” as a blanket retort. It’s disingenuous and bad for society in general… There are lots of us that make rational decisions about how to do what we do in the vineyard or cellar. But BD says that it doesn’t matter. That all the science that has served us well in the past, in any aspect of life, is wrong. And that rationality is wrong because there’s a way of looking at the universe to reveal a truer truth. You and I cannot see it, but someone can – he’s a clairvoyant named Rudolf Steiner… The wine industry is enough of a dinosaur already, we certainly don’t need a fairy tale to impede real progress. BD exists only in microcosm. Excess wealth and labor usually do produce good results.”

After reading Biodynamic Wine, Demystified, I’m no closer to understanding which viewpoint is right than I was before I’d even heard of the book. Uh-oh…

Let’s start with the Biodynamic godfather, Rudolf Steiner. Steiner is, of course, the founding father, so-to-speak, of Biodynamics – which itself is an offshoot of Anthroposophy, which itself reads like a mish-mash of Buddhism, evolution, and Christianity, with some other aspects of science thrown in for good measure. I’m being kind.

I am certainly happy to entertain that there are fundamental forces at work in nature and the universe that we may never fully comprehend. I don’t think it should stop us from trying, but we have to accept that we might never fully “get it.” But, in my view, the means discovering any of life’s forces / truths eventually lies – at least partially – in the realms of mathematics and science, which are not human inventions per se, but are the language of the universe.  That might sound overly-dramatic but there is general consensus in the scientific world that intelligent life anywhere in the universe would rely on mathematics to reach conclusions about how their world, and the universe as whole, actually “work.”

The trouble I have with Biodynamic Wine, Demystified is that the science appears to be seriously lacking. At times (those times would be “often”), Joly makes pronouncements that are expected to be taken as fact, without offering a shred of scientific evidence or supporting data. The problem is that those pronouncements require some basis in science for most rational people to be willing to accept them. It doesn’t help that such statements are written in what most might consider obfuscated language (I’m being kind). An example:

“These considerations lead us towards a rediscovery of precious laws of resonance and harmony, acting as the bearers of specific, regenerative energies. It is by means of these laws that we can find a degree of release from subjugation to our separate individuality… What is happening here, really, is that human beings or plants are brought back into resonance with the formative plane of energies.”

It’s 150 pages of this stuff. I mean, honestly, what the f—k is this guy on about? Look, I’m not the smartest person you’ve ever met, but I’ve got a Masters degree and I just cannot follow this stuff, presumably because I am way more logical than I’d previously thought.  The trap for me is that once an author starts building on claims that have to be taken on faith but that I cannot accept without some sort of empirical evidence, then s/he has basically lost me for the rest of the argument being built. I don’t think I am alone in this kind of interpretation.

And I want to believe. I desperately want to believe. Having spoken with many BioD winemaking and vineyard properties, I am convinced that none of them are simply going through the motions – they practice BioD because they see favorable results: healthier and more natural farming, higher quality grapes, and better wines. That has to count for something.

Is it possible that I just don’t understand BioD, that I’m simply not yet capable of properly accepting some of the unknown? Maybe. I do believe in possibility (and therefore the power) of things that we might not yet be able to fully understand through scientific study alone. However… all of those mysterious things that have stood the test of time for me have at least had a modicum of grounding in science. Meditation, for example. Several aspects of the way that Buddhism and Taoism approach the world, for another. Those all have some shreds of scientific evidence to support the possibility that they may be onto something.

BioD is in dire need of such supporting science. Or, perhaps I should say that I’m in dire need of such supporting science to help me get a hande on BioD. Which is why I’ve been glued to the excellent series on the science of BioD currently being published by Tom Mansell. So far, it’s fascinating stuff but the results don’t look all that promising for the scientific support of BioD (I’m being kind).

There is one bit of evidence in support of BioD that cannot be ignored, however: the wine. Biodynamic vineyards are producing some of the finest wine in the world right now. The evidence is in, the jury has deliberated – BioD is fully capable of wine greatness. I’ve tasted way, way too many examples to logically come to any other conclusion than “it works and only a fool would deny it.”

I just wish that I didn’t have to feel like some sort of religious zealot when I say that.

Cheers!

(images: amazon.com, foodiesorganic.com.au)

Sorry – couldn’t resist.  I mean, just look at those cute, furry-cuddly, viciously-fanged mammals over there!

I mean “other badges” of wine reviews, of course – in my case, I’m the late-comer to the wine badge review par-tay masterminded by Vintank; that is, late-comer in terms of getting my badges ready for prime-time (I was part of the “wine badgers” group from the conceptual phase).

What the hell are wine badges? Essentially, they are intended to be a visual way to help you identify a wine that I think has something “special” going on, beyond the quality ‘grade’ and mini-review that I might give to a wine when reviewing it.  Here’s the overview from Vintank brainiac Paul Mabray:

“As with everything the digital arena is transforming everything we used to know about wine.  I am fortunate to watch a group of talented bloggers bucking tradition and judge wine on new merits by creating a whole new movement for scoring wine.  It seems like a small thing, create a category for a wine that you believe in and assign a badge to it, explain the criteria openly and transparently, and only give those wines that you appreciate fit that category a badge.  Simple, elegant, but more importantly a TRUE representation of the quality you admire in the categories you create.  A wine fits or it doesn’t.  A wine earns an accolade or it doesn’t.”

It might help to think of the badges as a cross between a score and a medal, but with more awesome.  The cool thing is that the badges are already in use by Mark deVere, Ward Kadel and Steve Paulo. The badges aren’t yet standardized, which I personally think might come back to bite us in the tushie somehow, but in terms of distribution these puppies are primed for success.  HelloVino, Cruvee.com, and Yourwineyourway.com are already signed-on and using the badges, which thanks to their distro. system are automatically being included in content like winery Facebook pages.  We often talk about on-line technology having the potential to change  things in terms of the wine world – this is an example where the potential is starting to actually be realized.

Some great discussion on the badges available so far has popped up over at Vinotology and at DrinkNectar.com, and I left a comment in the DN thread that sums up my view and vision behind the badges, so I’m reprinting it here:

“If I give a wine an A- or a B+, does that tell you much aside from my view of its quality? Not really. If I categorize a wine as ‘Elegant’ or ‘Sexy’ does that tell you much? It does – it tells you which wine to try if you want to impress someone, or in the latter case if you want to get lucky on a hot date. So, by giving a badge to wines that meet some kind of minimum standard, I’m hopefully telling people a bit more about that wine without them having to read the entire post or review or whatever (unless they are curious and want to do that). I see no conflict between the badges and scores of any kind. I see them primarily as complimentary.”

The main criterion for a wine receiving a 1WD badge is that I give it a “grade” in the B or A range; after that, if I think that they meet the criteria for a particular badge then tat wine will be “awarded” one.

So at this point you’re probably thinking “enough already, what the f—k do these badges look like?!??”

Well, my friend, read on for the badges and their explanations…

Crowd Pleaser A wine that will make everybody happy at your next party, whether they’re wine-geeks or not.  Bring more than one bottle because it will probably go fast. Be prepared to be viewed as a rock star for bringing this wine to the shin-dig (maybe literally, if you’ll be playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band during the party…).
Elegant A wine that tells you, based on one taste / sniff, and in no uncertain terms, that it has boku amounts of class. These are the wines to grab when you want to impress the boss, a date, your date’s parents, etc. If you’re a fan of balanced, more subtle but excellent wines, these are for you.
Kick-Ass A wine that totally and utterly kicks all kinds of ass.  I mean, really, do I need to explain this one? Typically these will be “bigger” wines than those in the elegant category, but the essential element is that they are full of intense awesomeness.
Overachiever A wine that over-delivers quality and taste for its price-point.  These are the wines that offer mad levels of QPR (quality/price ratio). When looking for a bargain, grab these wines as the market tendency for this kind of wine usually goes something like this: Wine gets reviewed –> wine gets attention because it’s great value for money –> wine gets popular –> wine’s price goes up –> bummer.
Sexy Like Kick-Ass, this category hopefully doesn’t require a ton of exposition. A seductive, supple wine that beguiles the senses. Wanna get lucky on some sumthin’-sumthin’ with that special someone after some dinner?  This is your wine.

The badges were designed in conjunction with Mofunsun Enterprises, LLC (a.k.a. design rock-star Jeffrey Sun), who did the artwork and brought my (very, very) basic design ideas into stunning and vivid reality (thanks, Jeff!!!). You’ll start to see the badges getting used on 1WineDude pretty much immediately.

Would love to know what you think!

Cheers!

(images: virginmedia.com, Mofunsun Enterprises LLC)

It’s not really a deep freeze, of course – it’s simply been a wet and (very) mild Summer in Northern California.  Just about anything with leaves that produces fruit was weeks behind schedule in terms of ripening. If you scan the ‘global interwebs’ on the topic, it might strike you that the sky is about to fall with a thud on the entire wine business in Napa and Sonoma.

But most of the Napa and Sonoma vintners to whom I’ve spoken in the last few weeks don’t seem all that worried.  Which is a good thing, since the rest of the wine world was worried enough for all of them put together.

Certainly grape growers, already under pressure from the economic downturn, are feeling the heat (so-to-speak) about the late ripening, even if most of California’s residents aren’t.

Here on the Right Coast, we were baking as if in an oven for the better part of the Summer of 2010, and I enjoyed the cool breezes that came in recently on the heels of some long-overdue rainstorms; and with them, a breath of fresh air about the whole N. CA 2010 vintage doomsday prophesies, courtesy of Ed Thralls over at WineTonite.com.

In a (fairly) recent post, Ed did a little bit of comparative analysis on the 2010 vintage thus far, and came up with an interesting conclusion…

The emphasis is mine, by the way:

“I noticed that for Napa, 2010 is looking very similar to 1998 in terms of the degree days accumulation to-date.  In 1998, Napa had weather and disease pressure including late rains in May and June and unusually cool weather due to El Nino.  This caused delays in budbreak, early vine development and bloom.  However, the vintage ‘recovered’ due to a warm and dry “Indian Summer” in October allowing the fruit to completely ripen with excellent flavor development.”

Ed, my man, I think – and hope! – that you might be onto something.

Is it so bad, after all, that Napa and Sonoma might have to pick their big red wine grapes a little less, well, big?  Will lower brix spell doom for the vintage of 2010?  Unlikely.

I’m pretty sure that Napa and Sonoma 2010 wines will have plenty of detractors and possibly lower-than-normal scores in the press, primarily due to the negative buzz around the concerning Summer weather (marketing will, no doubt, explain to us that optimal ripeness was achieved anyway).  BUT…

Has anyone out there tried the 1998s from Napa and Sonoma in the last year or so?  Some of them are drinking beautifully right now, and the majority of them that I’ve had the fortune of sampling were far, far from being duds.  In hindsight, they were bargains since their lower scores drove discounted prices.

Might we be heading for a similar situation in 2010?  Ed seems to think so.

And for the sake of my wallet, I sure hope that he’s right!

Cheers!

(images: northstateweather.com)

Besides Tom’s normally laugh-out-loud funny and on-point commentary, the post is worth a read (and a click-through to the article) if only for this well-meaning but (in my view) misguided quote in the P-G piece, regarding the expansion of the “automated” wine kiosks to more grocery stores throughout the state (emphasis is mine):

“I’m all for it,” said Marsha Cuffia, a member of American Wine Society of East Pittsburgh. “We should be up with the modern world.”

Call me crazy, but I don’t see how the use of technology equates to being modern, especially when it doesn’t go hand-in-hand with modern common sense.

For example, wouldn’t it make more sense to get “modern” by catching up with some more basic items than the technological marvel of the wine kiosk?  You know, lower-tech things like the free market system, and increasing profits across the state.  Before dumping money into a technology that requires over ten steps, a breathalyzer test, and takes two-and-half minutes to make a single purchase, I mean.

I know, I know… I’m a real pimple on the ass of progress, right?

I’m just not a fan of throwing tech (or money) at a problem when there’s potentially lower-hanging fruit.  Like being more profitable, offering more consumer choice, improving customer service, and (last but not least) getting a bit more in-line with the U.S. Constitution…

The facts, such as the are, support the view that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board have largely failed in what they purport to be the primary reasons for their existence.  During a fairly recent post on the PLCB subject, I had the following exchange in the Comments section, which I thought was worth highlighting in light of the kiosk-expansion news.

First, the commenter’s view:

“…for all of you who wish to abolish the PLCB, just remember this … 2008-09 fiscal year:
TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE TREASURY
6% State and Local Sales Taxes=$109,490,825
18% State Liquor Tax=$266,332,120
Profits Transferred=$125,000,000
TOTAL= $500,822,945
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?op…
Now assuming that all of these private companies pay their taxes, the first two line items can still be recouped. However, losing a quarter of a billion dollars every two years in revenue can never be recovered… unless …you raise taxes, and I’m sure you are all in favor of that as well!(sarcasm for those who don’t recognize) The PLCB store that I am manager at currently has approximately 5000 wines alone! Not to mention the 10 of thousands of wines that are also available via Special Liquor Order. Would really love to know the store in which Cab Franc does not exist. I’m guessing it was a small store somewhere. Sadly, currently there are no listed codes for Cab Franc which simply means you must go to a premium Collection store of which there are 67 (I believe). Currently, there are 26 Luxury Items that are designated Cab Franc, and are available in select store, as well as another 38 available SLO. This does not include Chinon’s 9 luxury items, 19 SLO Items, Saumer’s- 6 luxury items, 8 SLO items.”

And my response:

With reference to the $500m, to get a complete picture the operating expenses of the PLCB (quoted by Lew at http://noplcb.blogspot.com/2009/01/reason-13-their-hand-is-in-your-pocket.html ) need to be included, which in the fiscal year ending in `07 was over $335m.

So in a way we’re really talking about **$165m**, or thereabouts, not $500m (depending of course on the OE for for the `08-`09 fiscal year). Part of this expense seems to be in keeping under-performing stores open ( http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08028/852743-85.stm ) which I’d offer isn’t a sound business model.

Not exactly chump-change, but couple it with the facts that Pennsylvania’s underage drinking rate remains above average for the 50 states ( http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/stateUnderageDrinking/underageDrinking.htm ) and the fact that the Commonwealth remains above average in DUI fatalities per mile driven ( http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-12-07-drunk-driving_N.htm#table ) and it’s tough to blame PA residents I think, if they conclude that the PLCB isn’t delivering on all of its promises or potential value for money.

No doubt the buying power of the PLCB allows some discounts to the consumer, but I’d be willing to pay a bit more for unrestricted choice and competition.

As for the potential drop in revenue if the PLCB is privatized, PA House Republican Whip Mike Turzai has already offered legislation this year ( http://www.pahousegop.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=8783 ) that predicts that PA would see more revenue, not less (“new revenues from taxes that new businesses would be required to pay and will recoup revenues that are currently being lost due to Pennsylvania consumers leaving the state to purchase their wine and spirits”).

So… while it could certainly be argued that my personal view on the kiosk concept is far too subjective, given my love/hate-but-mostly-hate views on the PLCB, it’s worth noting that I’m also a tax-paying PA resident and therefore there’s a high probability of me running into one of those wine kiosks in the future.  And maybe even trying to make a wine purchase (fancy that).

Hey, PA – want to really get modern?  How about getting wine lovers out of the stone age when it comes to choice, customer service and direct shipping before making us breathe into the wine store equivalent of the HAL 9000.

Just sayin’.

Cheers!

(images: motivatedphotos.com)

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
- The Byrds

Let’s play a little game of word association.  I say “Carneros” and you say… ___________.

Budding wine geeks and geekettes out there would likely answer “Pinot Noir” or “Chardonnay” or “Sparklers” or “Unimpressive-In-Recent-Vintages.”

But the answer we’re looking for today is… wait for it…

Cabernet Franc.

Yes, way.

Our story today not only involves Carneros, it also involves turns, banks, and several groan-worthy, near-pun plays-on-words.  Oh, yeah, and some very good wine as well (you didn’t think I leave that part out, did you?).

A couple of weeks back, I dragged my worn-out and slightly-hungover bones over to the fine Farmstead restaurant in St. Helena to meet up with former investment-banker turned wine brand owner (and first-class personality dynamo) Emily Richer.  Over a “light” lunch of amazingly fresh garden produce made into phenomenal but artery-clogging, buttery delights, Emily and I chatted (and chatted, and chatted – we’re both talkers) about her new wine venture, Virage Napa Valley.  Emily had come with a preview, label-less bottle of Virage’s inaugural release.

It’s from Carneros.  But it’s not a Chard, a Pinot, or a sparkler.

It’s a blend made primarily from Cabernet Franc.  And it’s pretty damn good.

Is Emily nuts for trying to establish a new brand in today’s hostile market – especially when she’s banking on a variety that still isn’t relatively well-known to most wine consumers (and even to some wine store employees)?  Her backers don’t seem to think so…

If it seems odd to be making a Right Bank Bordeaux style blend out of Napa, most of your trepidation should dissipate after a taste of Virage; it’s a solid wine with a lot of personality.  Lush, of course, as Napa Cab Franc is sure to be, but it doesn’t shy away from Cab Franc’s spicy side, either.  No one is going to confuse it with Cheval Blanc anytime soon, but it’s definitely got enough cache factor to get sommelier’s heads turning when they’re looking for a tasty-but-out-of-the-ordinary-red to pair with the chef’s new flank steak.

Virage is, of course, French for turn – think a banked turn, as in a racetrack.  Which is where our cheesy bank wordplay begins.
Emily used to work in banking, though she’s been in The Valley for several years, working for folks like Karen MacNeil and producers like Quintessa – where she met Virage’s winemaker Aaron Pott.  Aaron is an actual Right Banker, having cut his winemaking teeth in St. Emilion.  When Emily was looking for a turn in her life (virage also means a change in orientation – I told you, it’s gonna get worse before it gets better) towards wine, she turned (ouch!) to the “Alta” Carneros – an area just inside the Mayacamas foothills, near Highway 12 just before the Highway 29 turn (hey, at least I didn’t italicize or bold the last one, okay?).

According to Virage’s PR material: “this unique and hilly corner is protected from the cool winds that sweep through the Petaluma Gap across much of Carneros, yet because it sits just above the Bay its temperatures never reach the daytime highs of inland Napa Valley to the north. Neighbors include Hyde and Hudson Vineyards, longtime champions of cool-climate winegrowing.”  It’s a spot where Cab Franc (and Merlot, the other substantial component in the Virage blend) get nice, slow, and relatively long ripening periods.  According to Emily, when a winemaker friend toured the vineyard with her, he advised her to purchase it before he did.

Virage is a big, juicy wine.  Early on, it’s fighting a battle to see if the red or black fruits will dominate.  The mouthfeel is silky but the tannins are a tad tight.  I found myself wanting to get on a spaceship, approach the speed of light, and come back a minute or two later, which would have been like four years in Earth time, to see how the wine developed.  In any case, the spiciness and acidity mean that Virage should be be pretty fun to throw at a meal, though you’ll need something meaty to tame it right now.
Emily’s plan is to release Virage’s first bottling this fall, in the relatively affordable range of low-to-mid $40s.  Seems like it’s going to be well worth it.

For more on Virage, check out Emily’s blog, and features on Virage at the CabFrancoFiles, GoodGrape.com, and Corkd.

Cheers!

(images: .viragenapavalley.com)