By Steve Hicks
Six years ago I suggested you run out and buy your champagne and sparkling wines early to avoid disappointment by a millenium shortage. Producers brought extra product to the market to avoid such a shortfall.
Four years later, I was sure the glassy-winged sharpshooter was going to devastate our vineyards. In the end, stepped-up surveillance and detection has prevented any serious infestations.
Last year I predicted Diageo (which owns Sterling and Beaulieu and was buying the Chalone group) would soon be producing their lesser brands out of the same facility. All three Chardonnays I sampled are all now bottled in their Sonoma facility. Beaulieu Vineyard’s Coastal wine is designated as a California wine, which means it could be a blend of grapes from anywhere in the state, including coastal vineyards. Sterling Vintner’s Collection is now made from Monterey appellation fruit. The Chalone we knew that only vinified grapes from single vineyards is now making a Chalone Coastal comprising fruit from the Monterey and Carmel appellations.
When I last wrote I was a tad cynical about the prospects for quality, but I must say I have been pleasantly surprised. The wines all sell for about $10. Granted, they not are single-vineyard quality, but they are quite quaffable and certainly good buys.
The wine big boys keep acquiring one another, and the end is not in sight. The players are now Diageo, Constellation, Fortune Brands, Foster’s and Allied Domecq. Who knows who is next? These conglomerates are intent on acquiring brand-name wineries and making them larger and more cost efficient.
Looking to the future, a constantly increasing number of wineries will practice sustainable winegrowing, a practice that requires the winery to become sensitive to its surrounding enviroment. Wineries will reduce or eliminate their use of pesticides, and organic farming will become the norm, not the exception. The result will be better fruit and cleaner environments.
Last May’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court declaring interstate discrimination against shipment of wine to individuals illegal has opened the gates for all wineries. Restrictive state shipping laws are being overturned. Florida, where it was a felony to ship to individuals, tried and failed to get around the decision. As of Feb. 16, wine can now be shipped to Florida, the second-largest wine-consuming state. Look for all shipment discrimination to end and subsequent growth of wine clubs and small to medium-sized wineries.
I have had a lot of good wines recently and some were even reasonable! We did a blind tasting of Chardonnays under $25 and three stood out: Morgan 2004 at $20, New Zealand’s Stoneleigh and Villa Mt. Eden, both for around $15.
I tasted three wines from Oakville Ranch’s recent release and can recommend them all. The 2004 Chardonnay for $35 is built for food, with the oak just a proper component, as it should be, with good acid balance. The 2003 Field Blend is mostly Zinfandel with Petite Sirah and Carignane to lend spice and smoothness; it is a good buy for $30. Their $100 Reserve 2000 Cabernet is a delicious wine and can hold its own in the company of elite Napa Cabs costing much more.
Reynolds Family Meritage wine Persistence is an interesting combination of all five main Bordeaux varietals plus a touch of Syrah that gives a unique, enjoyable complexity. The 2003 sells for $50.
The Third Annual Pinnacles Wine Festival featuring the wines of the Chalone Appellation looks like a lot of fun and a bargain for $40. Copain, Chalone, Michaud, Tantara and Testarossa are among the wineries that will be pouring, and hors d’oeuvres from regional restaurants will be served.
For more information on the April 29 event, contact the Inn at the Pinnacles in Soledad, (831) 678-2400 or visit www.innatthepinnacles.com.
Steve Hicks is a wine adviser and consultant and partner in a winery. He can be reached at shicksvine@aol.com.
