The Wine Curmudgeon

Winebits 144: California harvest, vin de merde, Dollar General

• Cold, cold cold: The Wine Curmudgeon does not usually run harvest reports, which he considers about as dull as dull can be. But the 2010 California grape harvest is worth noting because the weather has been unseasonably cool -- cold, even, in some places. What that means is that the grapes will be less ripe (though still ripe). Which means less sugar in the grapes to convert into alcohol, which means that, all things being equal, the 2010 vintage should produce lower alcohol wines, and which is why the 2010 harvest is noteworthy. Having said that, seeing will be believing. I firmly believe California's winemakers will find some Dr. Frankenstein technique to continue to produce the high alcohol wines they love to make but that drive so many of us crazy.

• Beaujolais doesn't stink: Or so reports the great Elin McCoy. The region's reputation has suffered so much, thanks to scandals, fraud and lawsuits, that many people thought vin de merde wasn't far from the truth. But times have changed, she writes: "The wines combine succulent fresh red fruit, earthy minerality, floral aromas, juicy acidity, and seductive, smooth textures. In short, they have everything, even the ability to age, unusual for all but a few of these drink-me-now reds."

• What kind of wine does a dollar store sell? No, this isn't a joke, but a question that discounter Dollar General will soon answer. A company spokesman said Dollar General expects to eventually offer beer or wine in half its 9,000 stores, but declined to say where the stores already selling alcohol were located. Not quite sure about the need for secrecy, but the decision is quite intriguing. The typical Dollar Store customer doesn't exactly profile as someone the wine business has paid much attention to.

California harvest, Beaujolais, Dollar General, wine sales

Wine quality: Can it be regulated?

One of the most pressing issues facing the regional wine business, especially as it grows in popularity, is maintaining quality. Making 3,000 cases a wine of year is much easier than making 50,000 cases, a problem that any business in any field faces when it grows quickly. In addition, regional wine must deal with the grand metaphysical question of its existence: If a regional producer makes wine with grapes that aren't from the region, is it still regional wine?

Complicating matters even more is that the two questions are related. If business is so good that you need to make more wine, and California grapes are so cheap (which they are, thanks to the recession), then why not make your regional wine with California grapes? Who will be the wiser?

This is something that Russ Kane addressed over the weekend on his Vintage Texas blog, calling for the creation of a Texas Wine Quality Alliance to give Texas wines a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. It is not a new idea; wineries in other states, including Pennsylvania, have considered something similar. And there is much to be said for the proposal, since poor quality and regional wine made with non-regional grapes are among the biggest problems facing the regional wine business.

But it's an idea that probably won't work. Read why, after the jump:

Expensive wine 17: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV

The Wine Curmudgeon held out as long as he could. But the most important special occasion of the year was coming up, and the fact that Ruinart's price, thanks to the weak dollar and the shortsighted Champagne business, had increased by 16 percent in 18 months was no excuse.

Sometimes, even I have to admit that spending a lot of money for a bottle of wine is worth it. The Ruinart ($84, purchased) was everything it has always been, and even a little more. The bottle was gone in 45 minutes, despite our best efforts to make it last. And I swear that the wine changed at least three times during that period. It was bit tight but still excellent when we opened it, becoming more caramel after 20 minutes or so. And then, when there was but two glasses left, it delivered bright and amazing pear fruit followed by some kind of lemon something or other.

This is sparkling wine to celebrate with, even at this price. Highly recommended. And the food pairing? Popeye's fried chicken, actually. It worked quite well (as I always told my students it would). And if Popeye's isn't what it once was, it's still worth reckoning with.

Champagne, sparkling wine, Ruinart, expensive wine

2011 Vintners Hall of Fame ballot, and the next big wine controversy

The 2011 Vintners Hall of Fame ballot has been released, and it is certain to make a lot of people unhappy. And that's not because there are no women among the 22 nominees, or that one of the nominees is controversial farm labor leader Cesar Chavez.

It's because two of the nominees are Two Buck Chuck inventor Fred Franzia, the man Napa loves to hate, and wine writer Robert Parker, the most important person in the wine industry. And the Wine Curmudgeon will predict now that Franzia -- despite how much he is disliked -- will get in and Parker won't. And how much of a stink will that be? More, after the jump:

Wine of the week: Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Buying wine sight unseen is not easy. Store shelves are packed with too many bottles, too many of which lure consumers with clever labels that makes what's in the bottle seem an afterthought. Those wines that do offer a glimpse of what's inside usually do so in winespeak so convoluted that even professionals get dizzy. Eight dollar cabernet sauvignon does not have hints of mocha.

Which brings us to the Line 39 ($9, purchased). The Wine Curmudgeon was having a shrimp boil, and I was poking through the wine section at a major national grocer looking for something new to serve. This bottle was stuffed on a lower shelf, more or less hidden by the usual grocery store suspects. I'll confess: The first thing I noticed was the screwcap. So I picked up the bottle, and gave it the once over.

• California wine from Lake County, a lesser known appellation that produces decent cheap wine. That was good.

• 13.5 percent alcohol, which was OK. Most inexpensive California wine all seems to be 13.5 percent alcohol, thanks to the wonders of science.

• Back label was sort of informative, though the business about lines of parallel was more than a little confusing. And the "Salut!" and winemaker's signature were corny, which almost made me put the wine back.

But I'm nothing if not adventurous in the cause of cheap wine, so I bought it. Turned out that was the smart thing to do. The Line 39 was more than I expected -- a bit of lime citrus, a sort of stony, unmarred finish, and clean and crisp throughout. It paired well with the shrimp, and the guests liked it (which is always the important thing). It's a simple, well-made and  uncomplicated wine, of which there isn't nearly enough.

wine reviews, wine of the week, cheap wine, $10 wine, inexpensive wine, Line 39, white wine, sauvignon blanc

Winebits 143: Wine lists, alcohol taxes, wine bans

• What makes a quality wine list? San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonne has a thoughtful piece up about restaurants that don't do enough to make their wine lists relevant. "What set off a real debate," he wrote, "was when I suggested that the biggest failure of ambition lies in lists populated with supermarket brands -- meaning mass-market wines you can easily find on a shelf -- as well as some well-worn labels that represent the prior generation of wine drinking." This is a subject that comes up often around here, given how the Wine Curmudgeon feels about the minimal effort that so many restaurants make with their wine list. What's especially interesting is that Bonne isn't taking chains to task; he is criticizing some of the best restaurants in one of the best restaurant towns in the U.S.

• Raising alcohol taxes: Cash-strapped states have been trying to find a way to raise booze taxes, some of which haven't gone up in decades. Resistance has been fierce, not only from the various and powerful liquor lobbies, but from consumers. We don't, obviously, want to pay more for a bottle of wine. But, asks the Los Angeles Times, what if raising taxes made the world a healthier place to live and saved lives? "Adjusting those taxes to account for the inflation that has taken place since Ronald Reagan's first term in the White House would not only make alcohol more expensive; it would also prevent between 600 and 800 deaths per year, according to the July 23 study by researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville." This is a powerful argument, though I don't see it as something that state legislators will bring up. "My honored colleagues, we must raise taxes to save lives." Can't you hear the hooting from the audience?

• Russia bans Moldovan wine: Talk about curmudgeonly. Russia has banned shipments of Moldovan wine for quality and health reasons, and one Russian official said the wine was so bad that "it should be used to paint fences." No doubt there are other, not-wine-related issues going on here, given that Moldova used to be part of the Soviet Union, and the Russians have been throwing their weight around in regards to their former property (be it invading Georgia or cutting off natural gas shipments to the Ukraine). Because that's an especially harsh thing to say since the Russians have had their own wine quality problems and fraud problems.

wine lists, restaurant wine, alcohol taxes, wine fraud, wine quality

Competition update: Denver and Indianapolis

The two competitions couldn't have been more different. The first, in Denver, was to pick the wines to be served at a major event for the governor. It was the first year for the tasting, and was much less formal than many I've judged. The second, on the campus of Purdue University, is one of the most important competitions in the United States -- complete with lab coat.

You can read my reports for Denver and Indianapolis (results here). Generally, the quality of all the wines was quite good. It has been several years since I tasted in Colorado, and the wines are getting better. The state's winemakers are figuring out which grapes work best with the area's high altitude and unpredictable weather.

Indianapolis was, well, Indianapolis. I was in Wine Curmudgeon heaven for 2 1/2 days, sifting through flights of things like seyval blanc, steuben, and sparkling honey wine. How much fun was it? It was so much fun that I hope I get invited back next year. I should also note that chief judge Christian Butzke does a nice standup act, and that it is apparently quite an honor when he comes over and fusses at you during the judging. It will serve me right for tweeting.

wine competitions, wine judging, Indy International, regional wine, Colorado wine