Winebits 246: Alcohol laws, wine blogging, moscato

• Think it’s bad here? Andrew Jefford in Decanter talks about wine laws in Europe, where there seems to be a more civilized approach than what we manage in the U.S. with the three-tier system. At least, writes Jefford, it’s more civilized most of the time: “The European scene doesn’t smell quite so strongly of market control, but the dream of direct shipment from producers to consumers within the European Union remains precisely that: a dream.” In fact, the state-controlled retailing system in Sweden and Finland doesn’t sound all that different from the infamous Pennsylvania state stores.

• Must-read wine blogs: And, of course, the Wine Curmudgeon is not among them. Fortunately, the compiler has the wisdom to mention the award-winning Italian Wine Guy. It’s a good thing that I have such high self-esteem; otherwise, all this being ignored would send me to a dark room, where I would lie on the bed and whimper. And, as long we’re talking about being ignored, there’s a long story in the Northwestern University alumni magazine about NU types in the wine business – which also doesn’t include me, Medill class of '79. There are some really important people, though, like Stephanie Gallo (yes, of those Gallos) and Dr. Vino.

• Mixing moscato and cognac: Am I the only one who doesn’t understand what’s going on with moscato? Or big booze companies? Shanken News Daily reports that Beam, the multi-national drinks company, is introducing Courvoisier Gold, a blend of Cognac and moscato  -- yes, moscato, the sweet white wine. And they expect consumers to pay $25 for it, too. Here’s what’s confusing: If consumers won’t pay $25 for a bottle sweet wine, and the story notes that consumers aren't buying as much Courvoisier as before, why would anyone buy a blend of the two?

Comments

[BP]

The thing to understand about moscato is the tremendous inroads it has made in the urban market. This is why they experimenting with the blend of cognac (another huge urban category) and moscato. It's going after the same market that will pay $25 for a pretty bottle of Nuvo which is just vodka, sparkling wine and fruit juice.

[What is Moscato Wine]

Blending Moscato with Cognac? Yikes. What has the world come to. Many people don't even know what Moscato is, but I highly recommend trying it on its own. Beginner wine drinkers really enjoy the taste of this wine.