Time's regional wine story, one more irritating time

Time magazine's notorious regional wine article has reared its patronizing head again, and just in time for DrinkLocalWine.com's third annual conference this weekend, DLW 2011: Missouri. The Balloon Juice blog, which seems to mix wine and politics, posted a brief item about a regional wine dinner and then linked to the Time story.

Arghhhhh.

More, after the jump.

One of the bad things about the Internet is that something as woeful as Joel Stein's 2008 50-state wine tour has not been recycled with the rest of the 2 1/2-year-old magazines. Instead, thanks to the magic of the cyber-ether, all of the inaccuracies, sloppy writing and let's get drunk snarkiness that drove me crazy the first time are still there for all to see. He misplaced a winery, he didn't know what an appellation was, and he thought all sparkling wine was supposed to be dry.

You can read my original critique here; it's enough for the purpose of this post to know that Stein actually wrote, referring to a Maryland wine, "This might be the first experience I've ever had that made me, even momentarily, want to go to Maryland." There's an enlightened world view, eh?

And the purpose of this post is let Stein know, if he ever wants to do regional wine with an open mind, that he can give me a call. I'll be happy to show him around, tell him what we do at DrinkLocalWine.com, and explain why it's OK for wine that doesn't come from California to taste like it doesn't come from California. Does all regional wine taste good? Nope. But, as the great Todd Kliman always points out, it's not like all California wine tastes good, either.

In fact, I should have invited Stein to the conference. We're doing the Missouri Blind Tasting Challenge, in which we dare wine snobs to tell California wine from Missouri wine in a blind tasting. If you're going to talk trash, then put your money where your palate is.