Good Grape Wine Company

March 13 2009

Anything but California & Robert Parker’s Bitch

Everybody is familiar with many people’s favorite wine called “ABC,” or “Anything But Chardonnay,” a disdain for the blowsy over-oaked style that has become predominant over the last 15 years.

Many people associate that populist, affordable, ripe, buttery style with California white wine, and an equal number lash back against that style.

And, if it is not buttery chard, there are other divisive stylistic flashpoints – high alcohol, ripe, highly extracted wines that function equivalent to the Triple B—Blonde Bimbo with Boobage, wallet chaser or point-chaser style, as the case may be.

I wonder, though, while California fights its self-created demons, if the tortoise is catching up with the hare.

After reviewing the annual Wine Business Monthly list of wineries by state, now totaling over 6,100 nationally, it might not be long before we are asking for, “Anything but California.”

Simply, while California engages in the equivalent of partisan political squabbling, other states are sneaking in the back door and wooing the constituency for votes. 

Consider that the number of wineries OUTSIDE of California outnumber California wineries by 2-1.

Then consider that the preeminent places to make wine not named California are Washington, Oregon, New York, Virginia, Texas, and Michigan.  Those wineries numbers total 1466 to California’s 2219.  And, those numbers are fluid, as well.  This LA Times article has Washington wineries at 602 and Wine Business Monthly notes just 511, so that number gap in between California wineries and elsewhere may be closing even more rapidly.

A winery contraction based on the recession notwithstanding, I do not think it is unreasonable to think that by 2014, the next five years, there will be more wineries in those six states then there will be in California, with a reputation for quality increasing on a commensurate basis.

In addition, not only is quality increasing, but the ripeness and alcohol levels, save for some isolated Washington wines, are restrained and downright normal.  Stylistically, non-California wineries can bring some balance to our national wine scales of justice.

Forget Gen. Y for a moment, the excitement they bring to the wine industry, and the notion that they prefer the ripe alco-pop style. They have already proven they are not loyal to any particular region or area.  One senses the balance of power ever so slightly moving in favor of a “balanced” domestic wine sensibility.  The notion moving from California, with an “oh, yeah” Oregon and Washington throw-in, to being more of a democratizing situation.

Still, there are obstacles.  Surely, no small distributor is going to stick their neck out to start carrying “Anything But California,” at least not now, but I would not be surprised to see it in the future.

We may never be France, but we are not too far away from being a nation of wineries, with California being a component in our domestic wine conversation and not the beginning, middle and end of the conversation.  Ultimately,  that is a good thing.

Robert Parker’s Bitch

In a similar vein to the re-occurring demons that plague California wine styles ala “Anything but Chardonnay,” Tina Caputo, Editor-in-Chief at Vineyard & Winery Management magazine has produced a nicely done do-it-yourself mini-documentary on alcohol levels in California wine.

Using the fun and flip title, “Robert Parker’s Bitch” Tina explores the subject of high-alcohol with winemakers like Randy Dunn and wine notable Karen MacNeil. 

It is a fun piece of viewing.  Grab a glass, turn up the speakers and nestle in for 25 minutes or so.

Robert Parker’s Bitch from Josh Hermsmeyer on Vimeo.

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