The Wine Curmudgeon

2009 wine sales: Don't expect much

The Wine Curmudgeon thought he would follow up his look at what’s going to happen to prices and sales this year with some better numbers, courtesy of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, a California company that tracks sales.

In 2008, its research found that U.S. wine sales increased less than one percent, compared to four percent in 2007. That was the smallest increase this decade. The big winner was regional wine, up 3.4 percent, and the biggest loser was imported wine. It fell nearly 3 percent, thanks to the weak dollar. Said analyst Jon Fredrikson: "Frugality suddenly has become hip as consumers face uncertain economic times."

Actually, as I noted in my two-part series, frugality has been hip for a while. It’s just that the people trying to sell us pricey wine didn’t want to believe it. The more I think about this, the more I’m convinced that the recession will give the wine business a chance to remake itself in a more consumer-friendly direction, focusing on value and quality instead of scores and bloated, overpriced wine.

More on the Gomberg report after the jump:

Wine tasting season starts today

When this posts, I’ll be tasting 2006 Bordeaux, the first event of the 2009 wine tasting season in Dallas

During the wine tasting season, which will run for the next three months or so, I could go to a lunch or tasting three or four times a week. This is the the time of the year when producers and winemakers make the rounds to plug their products, and are forced to answer the same questions and endure the rigors of travel in the post-modern U.S. They have the Wine Curmudgeon’s sympathy. I wrote about wine tasting season -- and its ethical implications -- last year, in case anyone has any questions.

The season is starting a couple of weeks earlier this year, which may be a coincidence or may be part of the recession. Regardless, I’ll have updates, reviews, reports and probably a podcast or three over the course of the next several months.

Technorati Tags: wine tasting,wine writing

Wine review: Bonny Doon Vineyard Dolcetto Ca' del Solo 2006

Randall Grahm is one of the Wine Curmudgeon's favorite winemakers, and not just because he used to make great cheap wine. Today, the slimmed down version of Bonny Doon makes great $20 and $25 wine, delivering more value than many wines that cost $10 and $20 more than that.

The Dolcetto (about $22) is a prime example. It’s an Italian grape that isn’t much grown in this country, but in Italy, it’s the grape of Piedmont. There, it produces dry, earthy, fruity wines with less acid than many of the Italian wines we’re used to in the U.S. Grahm’s version of Dolcetto has brighter fruit than the Italian version, yet retains the grape’s earthiness. Frankly, I don’t know how he does it.

Serve this with any Italian-style meal (save seafood) or roast meats. It’s probably too pricey for Monday night spaghetti and meatballs, but it would be good.

Technorati Tags: Bonny Doon,wine reviews,red wine,California wine,dolcetto,Randall Grahm

Wine of the week: Hayman & Hill Meritage 2006

Just when the Wine Curmudgeon laments the influx of poorly made $15 wine, I find one that is worth $15. The Hayman & Hill is a fine introduction to what the English call claret, the French call red Bordeaux, and I call enjoyable. (California uses meritage, a term that is best left undiscussed.)

This California wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot, petite verdot and cabernet franc. It has some cabernet oomph, while the malbec and merlot soften the cabernet and the petite verdot and the cabernet franc add some interest. It’s not especially fruity, jammy or oaky, though the tannins aren’t quite as refined as they could be. Still, it’s a fine example of this style of wine, something that is almost impossible to find at this price.

It’s definitely a food wine; in fact, it’s not going to be nearly as enjoyable if you drink it on its own. It’s just too big. I had the Hayman with mushroom barley soup on an especially cold Dallas night, and I was surprised and pleased at the pairing. It should also complement any red meat or red sauce.

Technorati Tags: wine reviews,wine of the week,red wine,Hayman & Hill,California wine,red blends

Tuesday wine bits 62: South African wine, Wine.com leaves Michigan, cheap wine gold medal

• Good news for South African wine: And from Eric Asimov at the New York Times, no less. Asimov, who has seen many of the same problems with South African wines that the rest of us have, writes that “I want to tell you straight out that South Africa, of all places, is one of the greatest sources for moderately priced cabernet sauvignon on the planet today.” This is, as Asimov notes, big news, since the quality of South African wine has traditionally been spotty. He recommends the cabernets from De Trafford, Rust en Vrede, and One Stroke One.

• Direct shipping takes a hit: Wine.com, the biggest Internet retailer, says it won’t sell wine in Michigan, a result of a new state law that bans retailers from shipping wine directly to consumers and prohibits UPS and FedEx from delivering wine. In this way, Michigan retailers and distributors found a way around the Supreme Court decision that made direct shipping easier. And, though it’s disappointing news for those of us who want direct shipping, it’s not surprising. Michigan’s retail and distributor lobby is powerful, and the state has some of the most draconian liquor laws in the country, including state-set prices.

• Box wine wins best of class: Corbett Canyon’s non-vintage merlot, which comes in a three-liter box and costs about $10, won Best of Class for Merlots below $15 at the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. In fact, the results were surprising in many ways, with top honors going to New Mexico and Long Island wines.

Technorati Tags: South African wine,direct shipping,Eric Asimov,Corbett Canyon

Wine trends 2009: “$10 wine is the next $100 wine,” part II

This is the second of two parts looking at wine prices and consumption this year, and how they will affect those of us who drink cheap wine. Part I is here.

Talk to the experts and parse the numbers, and it doesn’t look like wine will suffer during the current recession. Some high-end wineries may fail, some cute label imports may go away, and prices may drop a little, but otherwise, all will be well. Consumption remains at an all-time high, Americans are more knowledgeable about wine than ever before, and the industry has done an excellent job of marketing its product. Wine isn’t seen as nearly the luxury that it used to be.

And maybe this is all true, and wine will ride out the recession with, at worst, minor losses. But this is what makes me wary. U.S. wine consumption has increased every year since 1994, topping out at around 3 gallons per adult last year. Not coincidentally, we’ve only had one recession since then -- the short, sharp slump around Sept. 11. And this period of almost unparalleled economic growth may be skewing a lot perceptions.

Wine trends 2009: "$10 wine is the new $100 wine"

This is the first of two parts looking at wine prices and consumption this year, and how they will affect those of us who drink cheap wine. Part II, which with my take on the situation, is here.

It isn’t very surprising, given the economic doom and gloom around us, that wine prices and consumption will shrink this year. What is surprising is that most of the people I talked to don’t expect wine to suffer as badly as housing, the stock market or any of the other parts of the economy that have collapsed since last summer.

Their thoughts: First, that we’ll will drink less expensive wine, but not appreciably less expensive. This is what the business calls trading down. Second, consumption probably won’t decrease, although sales might – since we’re drinking less expensive wine. Third, prices for imported wine, and especially French wine, will decrease slightly, and we should see that by the second half of the year. Fourth, there will be a shakeout among producers, mostly but not limited to Australia and California. Low-end wineries will go out of business Down Under, while we’ll see California wineries making $35 and up wine close.

In this, so far, the numbers bear out their predictions. The Wine Market Council, an industry trade group, says sales gained 1.5 percent in 2008, compared to an earlier projection of 2.1 percent. Not bad, certainly, but is it the entire picture? Maybe, maybe not. I’ll offer my thoughts on Monday.