The Wine Curmudgeon

Tuesday tidbits

• Nutritional labeling of wines. Yes, you read that right -- just like peanut butter, potato chips and soft drinks. The federal agency that regulates wine wants to add serving facts, which will require information about serving size, number of servings per container, calorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat content. The wine industry isn't thrilled, since nutritional labeling adds cost to the product, and makes it less aesthetically appealing. The image above is a sample, taken from the Federal Register, which seems harmless enough. But smaller wineries, especially regional ones, will probably struggle to meet the requirements. It's one thing, with economies of scale, to put the label on tens of thousands of bottle. It's another to do it when you produce just a couple of thousand bottles.

• Vintners Hall of Fame. Ernest and Julio Gallo (E&J Gallo Winery), Paul Draper (Ridge Vineyards), Milijenko “Mike” Grgich (Grgich Hills) and Sacramento wine merchant  Darryl Corti will be inducted into the hall, sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone campus. Also named as Pioneers are the founders of three of California's most historically important wineries: John Daniel (Inglenook); Louis P. Martini (Louis M. Martini Winery); and Carl Wente (Wente Vineyards). It's especially heartening to see Draper's name on the list. Ridge is among the finest U.S. wineries, and has constantly strived to make zinfandel a socially acceptable grape in a world of cabernet and merlot snobs..

Technorati Tags: wine labels,nutritional labels,wine hall of fame

Why women have better palates

This is not one of those TV psychobabble things, but fact. It's based on a variety of studies at places like Yale University’s school of medicine, where Linda M. Bartoshuk, Ph.D. , is one of the world’s leading authorities on taste. One of her papers is “Chemosensory factors influencing alcohol perception, preferences and consumption.”

Students taste wine -- and notice the difference

My introductory wine students at the Cordon Bleu in Dallas did their in-class tasting on Friday. This is not only an important part of the class, but a big deal for the students. Many of them had never drunk wine before, let alone tasted it in a serious, professional manner.

And, apparently, they learned something.

Wine of the week: Archetype Vineyards Shiraz 2005

The Wine Curmudgeon, as a general rule, does not like shiraz. (It's one of the two main differences between Robert Parker and myself.) I find the wines to be exaggerations of what they should taste like -- too much fruit, too much tannin, and too much alcohol.

So why am I writing about the Archetype? Because it manages to offer shiraz character without tasting like a parody of the grape. It's not nearly as big and as rich as a shiraz, but much fruiter than a California or French syrah. Look for Wonderful bright berry fruit, with balance between the fruit, acid and alcohol.And, at $15, it offers exceptional value.

Technorati Tags: Archetype shiraz,Australian wine

Direct shipping gets closer

A federal court judge threw out Texas' ban on Internet direct shipping yesterday, which means the state's wine drinkers are one step closer to buying product from out-of-state retailers.

The ruling said Texas may not prohibit out-of-state wine merchants from shipping to Texas, since the state allows the shipment of wine from in-state Texas wine merchants. In other words, if I can buy wine from a Houston retailer, I should be able to buy it from a New York City-based retailer. The judge cited the 2005 Supreme Court decision that legalized direct shipping from wineries to consumers, even if the latter lived in another state.

This is a big deal. Theoretically, it would allow any consumer in the U.S. to buy wine from any retailer, something that has been illegal since the end of Prohibition. In this respect, subject to minimum age requirements, it would make wine as simple to buy on the Internet as tennis shoes, books or a computer.

The catch, of course, is whether the decision will stand up on appeal. It's probably too soon to tell. The Supreme Court's 2005 decision did not address retailers, and an appeals court may consider that sufficient reason for voiding it. My guess is that a federal appeals court will overturn it, which will put the issue back in front of the Supreme Court.

Technorati Tags: direct shipping,Supreme court,Internet wine

Tuesday wine tidbits

• The 24th annual Dallas Morning News Wine Competition will be held Feb. 9-10. This is notable because it's the largest U.S. commercial wine competition outside California, and the fourth largest in the United States. It gets more than 3,000 national and international entries. I haven't judged it yet, but I have my hopes. It is known for very competitive non-vinifera categories, which the Wine Curmudgeon really enjoys.

• We're all wine snobs, apparently. A California study found that if people think wine costs more, then they think it tastes better. The subjects' brains showed more pleasure when they were drinking wine they were told cost more -- even though they were drinking the same wines throughout the study. The researcher who ran the study was befuddled, saying: "We were shocked. I think it was because the flavor was stronger and our subjects were not very experienced." He thought wine professionals might deliver different results, but I'm not too sure.

• One of the most interesting people in the Texas wine business, grape grower Alphonse Dotson is included in Saveur's 10th annual list of 100 favorites in the world of food and wine. Dotson, who is also president of the Texas wine trade group, is instantly recognizable thanks to his trademark cowboy hat. He cuts quite a figure at formal events.

Technorati Tags: wine prices,wine studies,Alphonse Dotson,Saveur

A few thoughts on sauvignon blanc

The Wine Curmudgeon loves sauvignon blanc. It’s usually inexpensive, and you can buy great wines for about $15. It’s food-friendly as well as refreshing on its own, something that can’t be said for a lot of chardonnays. Finally, it pairs with a variety of white wine foods, and especially with seafood -- oysters, mussels and even grilled shrimp. And it pairs with almost anything with garlic and parsley. In fact, just writing about sauvignon blanc, garlic and parsley makes me want to reach for a glass.

What causes the differences between the wines? A combination of weather, soil, and the winemakers’ preferences. The geography of New Zealand -– an island in the south Pacific -- is entirely different from that of Bordeaux, off the Atlantic coast of France. And California is completely different from both of them. Throw in winemaking differences –- the French do things differently from the Chileans -– and you have a wine with as many differences as similarities.

With that in mind, here’s a guide to the most important regions, what makes that region different, and some representative wines: