Good Grape Wine Company

February 23 2009

Field Notes from a Wine Life Pt. 2 – Fat Tuesday Edition

More mental driftwood from the wine life fieldbook …

Biggest Small Town in America

I have seen hard data reports, heard anecdotal reports, and spoken to people with a first hand report.  Simply, most wine enthusiasts are NOT BUYING LESS wine; they are buying LESS EXPENSIVE wine, in the same quantities.

This is an unfortunate, but sad state of affairs for smaller wineries – more exclusive boutiques with lower production and correlating higher prices; they are getting pinched.

These cultural gems, small, unique and interesting, the indie bands as counterpoint to Top 40 radio, the off the beaten track destinations as a cultural balance to Disneyworld, are hurting.

My town, Indianapolis, is often referred to as the “Biggest Small Town in America.”  And, it is the largest city in the country in terms of incorporated size.  Circled by interstate 465, it is approximately 53 miles around.  It is big.

Under the best circumstances, Indianapolis is not a “sexy” place to live.  It pales in comparison on the hip factor to just about anywhere within 75 miles of the coast in California.  It pales in comparison to other major cities.  It is conservative, culturally a year or two behind the times, and, frankly, not all that exciting.  Sometimes I get wanderlust about what it might be like to live somewhere with a faster pulse, a joie de vivre and a vibrant backbeat.  My wife and I like to take weekend trips just to get out of the sameness, the spec. builder homes and the chain restaurants.  I have talked to several Chicago ex-pats who, delicately, indicate that, yes, they are getting acclimated to Indianapolis and the things it offers, and more importantly, what it does not offer.  “Great cost of living,” they always say attempting a “save” to the conversation.

Yet, the city (and its ‘burbs) are eminently livable – affordable, safe, a reasonably stable economy and all of that good stuff.

Right now, in this particular time in life, Indianapolis is a darn nice place to be.

The daily expectedness is comforting.

This “big” small town versus “Sexy” lifestyle comes to mind, particularly related to LESS EXPENSIVE wine, because I have been enjoying cheaper wines – Toad Hollow Chardonnay, Edna Valley Chardonnay, Mark West Pinot Noir and a host of others – large production wines that are good, but not fantastic – comfortable, familiar, and satisfactory instead of sublime.

These are solid, reliable, not particularly ponderous, risk adverse types of wines and they are satisfying like a big bowl of macaroni and cheese made with Velveeta. 

A year ago, I would have forsaken them for something with a little bit more sizzle, something that offered a bit more pizzazz, something that spoke to me on a higher level, something that offered a weekend trip in a bottle.

But, today?  Nope. Solid, safe, and satisfying is okay for me.

These times will not last forever and I know my wine tastes will return, and so will my cultural wanderlust.  After enough Velveeta Mac n Cheese you hunger for the goat cheese and gruyere version.  I just hope the small, unique gems will be waiting. 

The Wine Tool Belt

Somewhere along the way, in the last couple of years, I became old enough that I lost touch with current slang.  As it was pointed out to me recently, the word “tool” has been replaced as pejorative du jour by the decidedly more graphic, “douche.” It is a reference point for somebody that is hopelessly uncool. 

Got it.  That’s too bad, though, because it ruins my “tool belt” pun.

I was pondering my trip to a tasting event and thinking about all of the accoutrements that you can take these days – and there are enough items now that it can require a tool belt, even if most of the items are not for those that that are aware of their own affectations.

Consider, you have wine wipes to wipe the red wine stains from your teeth.  There is the Vino Chapeau to place on top of your tasting glass to concentrate the aroma’s.  There is SanTasti, the palate cleanser.  There is the wine glass necklace to hold your wine glass.  The truly wine savvy take their own Riedel, both a red and a white to better enjoy their tipple, and, of course, I can’t forget the tasting notes notebook to archive your thoughts.

The only thing missing is the pocket protector and the tape on the bridge of the glasses.

If you see me at a tasting event with a wine tool belt and all of my accessories, please leave me be, I’m busy tasting and jotting.  But, please do not call me a douche.

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