Cheers to National Wine Day

This Friday, May 25, 2012 is National Wine Day in the U.S.  Although the origins of the holiday are unclear, the purpose is self explanatory, a day set aside to celebrate wine!

Wine has been enjoyed throughout the world for centuries. The earliest known production of wine dates back to around 6000 BC.  Evidence was found near the boarders of what is now Georgia and Iran.  The oldest known winery was discovered in a cave in the mountains of Armenia.

The earliest wine production in Europe, dates back 6,500 years ago, and was discovered at an archaeological site in northern Greece near Macedonia.

 Wine was very common in Ancient Greece and Rome, playing an important part in religion.  Wine was known as the "Juice of the Gods.” (And rightly so ; )

For the Greeks, Dionysus was the god of wine and revelry.  Dionysus was worshipped from c. 1500 – 1100 BC.  He is a popular figure of Greek mythology and religion, and his festivals were the reason for the development of Greek theatre.

Bacchus was the god of wine for the Romans.  He reigned over the grape harvest, winemaking, and the resulting frenzied festivals that occurred.  Bacchus was believed to be a divine being who could communicate with both the living and the dead.

Apparently the Romans also knew how to bottle wine.  A 1,650 year old bottle of wine, the oldest one ever to be discovered, was found in 1867 during a dig in Speyer, Germany. It was located inside a Roman stone sarcophagus. The bottle has been on display at Germany’s History Museum of the Pfalz for over one hundred years.

During this early ‘wine period,’ winemaking technology improved tremendously in the ancient world.  The wine press underwent great changes and barrels were developed for storing and shipping wines.

 

Even in Egypt, wine played an important part in daily ceremonial life and became a part of the Egyptians recorded history.

By the Middle Ages, wine was the common drink for all social classes.  It was used for the celebration of Catholic Mass, with the Benedictine Monks producing most of the wine for this purpose.  Housewives made their own wines and served them at every meal.  Wine was watered down with 4 parts water to one part wine for everyday use.

Throughout history, Europe has always been known as the premier wine region.  In fact, American wines were looked down upon throughout the world until 36 years ago.  It was during the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, when French wine judges selected, during two blind wine judgings, American wines as the winners in both competitions!! (See Bottle Shock, http://www.bottleshockmovie.com, the movie.) Thus began the serious consideration, and appreciation, of American wines by the rest of the world.

So plan to lift a glass and celebrate National Wine Day this Friday.  Visit Local Wine Events, http://www.localwineevents.com/ to see what’s going on in your area this weekend. Or check with local wineries and vineyards to see if they have any events planned.

Every bottle of wine has a story to tell – so this Friday, listen carefully as those celebrated grapes tell all!  And while you’re at it, rent the wine movie, Bottle Shock and celebrate the arrival of American wines on the worldwide stage – again!!

Enjoy! 

~  Joy

Wine Diamonds Are (Not) Forever

 

If you’ve ever opened a bottle of white wine and noticed small flakes or crystals on the bottom, these are known as wine diamonds.  Also called tartrates by those more scientifically minded, ie: winemakers.

These ‘diamonds’ are actually potassium bitartrate crystals, and occur naturally in wine. These crystals can resemble faceted diamonds, shards of glass or snowflakes in a bottle.

They usually occur in white wines and are completely harmless.  In fact, the wine industry has been the largest supplier of potassium bitartrate crystals for years. You see, in cooking, potassium bitartrate is known as Cream of Tarter!

In Germany, these crystals are known as Weinsteins (wine stones) and are viewed as an indication of a quality wine; One that has been fermented slowly, and crafted from mature grapes, thereby allowing the wine’s personality to develop even more.

While wine diamonds do not adversely affect the wine’s quality or taste, you can find two schools of thought about them.  There are those who believe tartrate dropout is disconcerting, they find it unsightly, and feel that it affects the wine’s mouthfeel by making it ‘crunchy.’ 

Another group views wine diamonds as an added bonus, indicating a wine that was fermented more slowly, resulting in a better aroma and flavor.

Many American wineries find the crystals unsightly and will cold stabilize their wines in order to minimize tartrate dropout in the bottle.  Cold stabilization is the process of cooling a wine down to near freezing, over a short period of time, so that the tartrates fall out more quickly. The crystals then cling to the sides and bottom of the fermentation tank and the wine can be pumped out and filtered to remove any remaining crystals.

You will notice wine diamonds mainly in white wine.  They also occur in red wines, but not that often and are not noticeable except at the bottom of bottle and sometimes on the wine cork.

If you find that you have a bottle containing flakes, you have some options – one is allow the crystals to settle to the bottom, then pour your wine carefully, letting the diamonds settle in the shoulder of the bottle.  You can also strain the wine through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove the crystals. 

Just remember, this is a natural process of winemaking.  Wine diamonds will not affect the flavor or spoil the wine.  At a wine festival one year, our winery had a Chardonnay that had developed wine diamonds.  When a festival attendee asked about the flakes in the bottom of the bottle, I held it up for all to see and replied that only the fortunate few get to enjoy a wine with true wine diamonds in it.  We sold out of Chardonnay that afternoon! (It's all in how you spin the bottle ; )

Enjoy!

~ Joy

How to Enjoy a Public Wine Tasting

 

With the arrival of summer, comes a surplus of public wine tasting events throughout the country. Wine tastings are available at wine festivals, wine shops, grocery stores, even convenience stores, and at wine classes.  All of these venues can offer an excellent chance for you to try new or different wines, and to explore wines you are not familiar with.

Wine tasting events are designed to allow the wine lover a chance to try several types of wines at the same time and compare.  They also offer you a chance to discuss the wines with fellow tasters, garner opinions, and learn as you go.  These events are not for the pretentious. Wine drinkers from beginners, to intermediates, to advanced, enjoy these gatherings and love to share information.

You might go to a Cabernet tasting at a local wine shop and get to try four or five excellent Cabs in a seated environment with other wine lovers.  The presenter should be able to answer your questions and steer you toward something you will like.

Grocery stores may offer a flight of wines, ranging from dry to sweet, along with cheeses from their deli that will pair well with each wine.  These are enjoyed at a tasting table with the products available right there for purchase.

Wine festivals abound!  There's Vintage Indiana, the Music and Merlot Festival, the New Orleans French Quarter Wine Festival...  Usually the name will indicate what types of wine you can expect to find. Before heading out, decide what kind of information you want to gain from attending the event. Are you looking to learn more about a certain grape, a type of wine, a wine region, or just looking forward to an outing with friends?  All are great reasons to attend, just clarify to yourself what you hope to gain and make the most of the event.

But before you go there are a few things to keep in mind when attending an event, based on my experience in front of and behind the tasting counter; we'll call these Joy's Ten Suggestions for Attending a Wine Tasting Event.

1)  Eat before you go. Yes, there may be food pairings offered, but these are only samples, and the purpose is not for you to make a meal out of them.  These tiny ‘appetizers’ are there to help you with pairing ideas, and to help your body absorb the alcohol so you can enjoy the event without getting drunk.

2)  No heavy aromas.  In other words, if you really want to taste the wines – no smoking, no heavy perfumes or after-shave lotions.  Don’t wear, or do anything that will affect your sense of smell and taste. And yes, this includes chewing gum, going heavy on the garlic, or chewing tobacco!  (And he wondered why all of the wines tasted like mint….!)

3)  Plan what you’ll wear.  If it’s an outside event, wear something cool and comfortable.  No heels - think about it..., No black – too hot.  No white – unless you don’t mind getting wine stains on it.  (I know, you’re very careful, but the guy tasting next to you, ummm…not so much.)

4)  Keep hydrated.  Wine shop tastings will usually have water available.  If you’re attending a wine festival, carry your own.  Don’t expect the booth to provide it for you.  The water they have on hand is for rinsing glasses.  Grocery tasting?  Grab a bottle at the register.  While you may not feel that you’re getting dehydrated, play it safe by drinking a glass of water for every glass of wine consumed.

5)  Move away from the table after you’ve received your pour.  There is usually a line of people waiting behind you. Please be considerate and get out of the line of action.  You can always get back in line for another sample or to ask a question.  Basic guidelines:  Don’t hog the table and don’t cut in line.  Wine lovers are affable people – as long as you don’t keep them from their wine unnecessarily ; )

6)  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but please make them relevant to the wine and not just chitchat.  This is your opportunity to speak with the wine maker, wine shop manager, or (hopefully) someone who knows something about the wines they are pouring.  Have a question about the wine you just tried?  Get in line and ask.  The pourer may have an answer, a suggestion, or an idea that gives you more ways to enjoy the wine.

7)  Take advantage of the tasting notes offered.  Read the wine’s description and then taste.  Can you find the same flavors described?  Or do you taste something different?  Note on the sheet or in a designated notebook what you experience.  Later, you can discuss your findings with friends who also tried the wine, or remind yourself why you bought three cases of it.

8)  Ask if any ‘specials’ are being offered at the tasting.  Many times wine shops and grocery stores will offer special prices on the wines you’ve tried.  At wine festivals, 6 bottle and case (12 bottle) discounts may apply, along with a percentage off of one-bottle purchases.  It never hurts to ask and you may find yourself with some great bargains.

 

9)  Go prepared to purchase by taking your own wine carrier bags.  You may have decided that you would only buy 6 wines –but once you get there and start tasting, six can change to 12 or 24 very quickly.  At a large event, empty wine boxes can be hard to find because everyone needs one to carry their purchases.  Be prepared and you won’t have to wait for a carryall.

10) Remember the 3E’s!  These are the musts for any wine tasting event – Explore, Experience, and Enjoy!

Even if you don’t live near a large grocery, wine shop, or wine festival location, you can still enjoy a wine tasting.  Attend a Twitter Tasting and take part in the questions and comments as you sip and savor along with other participants, worldwide.

The weekend is coming – now get out there and

Enjoy!

~ Joy

The Three-Tier Alcohol Distribution System

 

Owning a winery sounds romantic and fun, but there is a lot of information that must be understood, considered, and decided on each day for normal business operations.  One such issue involves the selling of your wines.  Unfortunately, this subject is a moving target, thanks to the 3-tier alcohol distribution system. 

The 3-tier system was set up for the distribution of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.  The 3-tiers are made up of the producers (those who make it), distributors, also known as wholesalers, (those who deliver it to the store/restaurant), and retailers (the stores/restaurants that sell it.)  

The way it works is that producers/manufactures (wine makers, brewers, distillers, and importers) must sell only to distributors/wholesalers who then sell the product to retailers.  Retailers (on-premise sales include bars, clubs, restaurants…  Off-premise sales refers to wine shops, liquor stores, grocers…) are the only ones in the chain who can legally sell to the consumer.  (But wineries sell… I know, I’ll get to that.)

It’s been almost eight decades and these jurisdictions are still in control, monopolizing how and what wine (and other alcohol beverages) the American consumer may have legal access to.  This 3-tier system needs to be revamped in order to allow direct-to-consumer wine shipments from wineries and retail shops without the chokehold the distribution system maintains on it.

Studies indicate that consumers spend about 25% or one-quarter more for a packaged alcoholic beverage because of this 3 –tier system, than they would if they were allowed to purchase directly from the producer, thereby cutting out the middleman – the distributors.

The margin breakdown for the producer is sobering.  Although the winery grows the grapes, or purchases the juice, ferments it, crafts it, ages it, bottles it, labels it, pays several levels of taxes on it, and many time delivers it to the distributor, the producer only gets an average margin of 20 - 28%, depending on what type of deal s/he was able to make with the distributor to handle the wine. 

The distributor handles shipping, warehousing or storing the wine, and delivery to the retailer for a margin of 30 - 45%, after shipping costs. 

The retailer then creates shelf space, displays and maintains shelf displays - many times with point-of-purchase materials received directly from the producer because the distributor’s representative did not pass it on to the retailer. (In the distribution business, this is known as ‘trunk-mulch,’ sales materials forgotten about and left in the trunks of vehicles to rot.) 

The retailer also hires employees to sell the product in their stores/restaurants.  The retailer gets an average margin of 30 - 33%, depending on the deal s/he was able to set up with the distributor.  Interestingly, the distribution tier has the least invested in the product, but has the most control over it, and the potential to make the most money.

The bottom line in this 3-tier system is that it restrains and drastically reduces the consumer’s access to a more diverse selection of wine (or other alcohol beverages) by limiting the consumer’s choices to only what certain distributors carry in certain regions.

In the past 30 years, distributors or wholesalers have decreased in number by over 75%.  This is mainly due to a few large distributors buying out, or forcing the smaller, local and regional wholesalers to close.  Currently, the ten largest distributors control over 60% of the liquor market in the United States.  These are the companies determining what is available on the shelves in your region for you to drink.

In the U.S., there are over 7,000 wineries – at least one in every state.  But the top 50 large wineries produce more than 90% of wine for this country.  Less than 17% of all wineries have national distribution.   If you are a small winery (or brewery) and a distributor does not think that your line of wines will be very profitable to their company, they can refuse to carry your product.  This now limits your wine sales to only those who come in your door! This decision not to carry a winery’s product is usually based on sales numbers, not the quality of the product. And the coup de grace; in order that distributors not end up in direct competition with each other, the winery usually has to give the distributor exclusive rights to distribute their product within a geographical area.

There are various exceptions to this system – such as a winery that produces its wine, can then sell that wine in its tasting room. But only 2% of all wine produced is actually purchased by a consumer at a winery.  And even the allowance for a winery to sell its own wine can become convoluted, as some states have tried to require that a customer must first have visited that tasting room in person and signed an affidavit to that effect before they could order those wines online.   The next concern; will the state that the winery is located in allow them to ship outside of their state’s borders? And finally, will the state the consumer lives in allow for those wines from the winery’s state to come into the consumer’s state?

C’mon folks – all of this legislation for….wine?!

To make it even murkier, some states like Utah, Mississippi, and Vermont are considered alcohol beverage control states.  This means that an ABC state maintains a monopoly on the distribution tier; they act as both distributor and retailer. The state’s ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) board runs the package liquor stores known as ABC stores. These stores control both high alcohol beverages, (Whisky, Gin, Vodka) along with low alcohol beverages (wine and beer.)  According to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, there are 19 monopoly states controlling alcohol distribution and/or retail sales in some manner.  About one-quarter of Americans live in a monopoly state.

Regardless of the distributors rhetoric, this is NOT about the possibility of selling alcohol and it being delivered by Fed Ex or UPS to minors – those under the age of 21.  That is another touchy issue to be considered another day. But it is interesting to note  that distributors and their political groups spent over 60-million dollars in a six year period, from 2000 - 2006, in state elections to maintain this status quo.

But wine consumers and wine producers are fighting back.  The voters and consumers in the state of Washington voted last year to do away with the three-tier system in their state.  As of June 2012, retailers may bypass distributors and purchase directly from producers.  They can then store the product themselves and negotiate volume discounts that can save the consumer money, while still paying the producer a favorable amount for the product.

Free the Grapes! http://www.freethegrapes.org is an organization that supports both winery owners and wine consumers.  It represents over 2,000 wineries in the U.S., and a countless number of wine lovers who simply want the right to purchase wine from a favorite winery across a state line or across the country, without needless rules and legislation.  As stated on their web page, “We believe wine lovers, not special interests, should choose which wines to enjoy”.

Another group is the Specialty Wine Retailers Association SWRA)
http://specialtywineretailers.org which represents the wine retail industry and its consumers.  They support the unrestricted movement of wine across state lines, both for producers selling to retailers directly, and for consumers purchasing from retailers.  In other words, an adult consumer should be able to legally purchase wine from any retailer in the country.

As an American wine drinker and former winery owner, I do not agree with individual states regulating what we can and cannot drink.  Nor do I fathom how a structure like the 3-tier system is still in operation in the 21^st century.  Maybe it’s time for a grassroots movement made up of consumers, wineries and retailers – all seeking to remove state restrictions that still prohibit consumers from purchasing wines directly from wineries and retail shops - to form.

All across our country there is a movement to Occupy Wall Street http://occupywallst.org – maybe its time we now Occupy Wine Street and take back our rights as wine consumers to purchase what we want, when we want it, from where we want it, at a fair price to enjoy anywhere we are!

Let the wine revolution begin!

~ Joy

If you’re interested in finding out where your state falls in regard to Control States, alcohol laws and consumer rights, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_the_United_States_by_state