Comments on: What New World winemakers SHOULD be doing http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/ A Wine Blog Dedicated To Terrior Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:07:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: admin http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/#comment-124 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:08:11 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/#comment-124 Phig- In using the Big House red as an example, I realized that I was opening a good-sized can of controversy. In general, I agree with your assessment of Bonnie Doon, but frankly, I've also had far worse wines from California. My point in using Big House Red is that at least BD is doing its own thing. BTW, if you haven't tried Olde Telegram, give it a whirl - I thought it was pretty solid, but also certainly pricier than most other BD wines. 100% with you on the second point as well...unfortunately, the California/Australian wine industry has created a monster of a sugar/fruit/flab consumer. If you give more authentic wines to folks weaned on these syrup wines, you hear descriptors like "thin" "light" "sour" "bitter"...but then again, if you were raised on Spaghetti-Ohs and Pizza Hut, and you went to Abruzzo and your hosts were laying down plates of puntarelle and snails with asparagus tips and mint, you'd also be pretty confused...Like I've said in other posts, too many people are drinking wine for the wrong reasons, and I am NOT in the camp that says "People drinking bad/fake wine is better than people not drinking wine at all". For me, there's a certain level of commitment to really UNDERSTANDING what wine is, and if you're not willing to take the time, I'd advise you to stick with Tab or Tang. Though I've never played a round in my life, it seems to me that being a "casual" wine drinker is akin to being someone who "dabbles" in golf; i.e., if you're not going to give the pursuit X amount of your attention, you're best off just leaving it alone. TOM CIOCCO Phig-

In using the Big House red as an example, I realized that I was opening a good-sized can of controversy. In general, I agree with your assessment of Bonnie Doon, but frankly, I’ve also had far worse wines from California. My point in using Big House Red is that at least BD is doing its own thing. BTW, if you haven’t tried Olde Telegram, give it a whirl - I thought it was pretty solid, but also certainly pricier than most other BD wines.

100% with you on the second point as well…unfortunately, the California/Australian wine industry has created a monster of a sugar/fruit/flab consumer. If you give more authentic wines to folks weaned on these syrup wines, you hear descriptors like “thin” “light” “sour” “bitter”…but then again, if you were raised on Spaghetti-Ohs and Pizza Hut, and you
went to Abruzzo and your hosts were laying down plates of puntarelle and snails with asparagus tips and mint, you’d also be pretty confused…Like I’ve said in other posts, too many people are drinking wine for the wrong reasons, and I am NOT in the camp that says “People drinking bad/fake wine is better than people not drinking wine at all”. For me, there’s a certain level of commitment to really UNDERSTANDING what wine is, and if you’re not willing to take the time, I’d advise you to stick with Tab or Tang. Though I’ve never played a round in my life, it seems to me that being a “casual” wine drinker is akin to being someone who “dabbles” in golf; i.e., if you’re not going to give the pursuit X amount of your attention, you’re best off just leaving it alone.

TOM CIOCCO

]]> by: phig http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/#comment-123 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 17:53:01 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/#comment-123 I like the general gist of the comment but have to say that if a snake-oil salesman like Randal Graham gets included in the mix I have to object. He is a media-sharp scam artist making fake wines in every imaginable category. If you ask me, they all taste like bubblegum. Good wine, even excellent wine can be made in the 10-15 range. It demands picking before the grapes are dead (leaving sufficient acidity for liveliness and lower levels of alcohol), using wild yeasts instead of cultured monsters, and staying away from excessive extraction, maceration, oxigination, fake wood tannins and acidifiers, etc. Originality can only come once basic solid non-interventionist winemaking is going on. In other words, real farm products versus "Whole Foods." I like the general gist of the comment but have to say that if a snake-oil salesman like Randal Graham gets included in the mix I have to object. He is a media-sharp scam artist making fake wines in every imaginable category. If you ask me, they all taste like bubblegum. Good wine, even excellent wine can be made in the 10-15 range. It demands picking before the grapes are dead (leaving sufficient acidity for liveliness and lower levels of alcohol), using wild yeasts instead of cultured monsters, and staying away from excessive extraction, maceration, oxigination, fake wood tannins and acidifiers, etc. Originality can only come once basic solid non-interventionist winemaking is going on. In other words, real farm products versus “Whole Foods.”

]]> by: NickG http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/#comment-122 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:52:35 +0000 http://terroir.winelibrary.com/2006/12/19/what-new-world-winemakers-should-be-doing/#comment-122 A related question for New World winemakers: How about some food-friendly wines in the $10-15 range? I suppose this is not going to happen anytime soon if they can keep selling those Bordeaux and Rhone varietals for 5 times that price. Most of my wine purchases are for the everyday glass or two with dinner. I haven't found many New World wines that can come close to French and Italian wines in either QPR or food-friendliness in this price range. So, I've also become an Old World fan. I did recently have a Pitch Cabernet from Washington State that I enjoyed. Be happy to hear other suggestions. A related question for New World winemakers: How about some food-friendly wines in the $10-15 range? I suppose this is not going to happen anytime soon if they can keep selling those Bordeaux and Rhone varietals for 5 times that price. Most of my wine purchases are for the everyday glass or two with dinner. I haven’t found many New World wines that can come close to French and Italian wines in either QPR or food-friendliness in this price range. So, I’ve also become an Old World fan. I did recently have a Pitch Cabernet from Washington State that I enjoyed. Be happy to hear other suggestions.

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