Dr Vino's wine blog

Here I am in McMinnville, Oregon reporting live from the International Pinot Noir Celebration! This annual event, now in its 21st incarnation, attracts hundreds of pinot-philes from around the world to the Willamette Valley. They are treated to two-and-a-half days of vineyard visits, talks as well as tastings of the wines made from the grape hailing from not just Oregon but also France, California, New Zealand and beyond.

At breakfast this morning I was standing in line for some delicious local berries and assorted breakfast fare and fell into conversation with a group of six enthusiasts from North Carolina. Bob Crenshaw, who owns Health Habit, a retailer of “natural foods, fine wine” (as his business card states) with his wife Susan, was the most seasoned veteran of the group: he has attended the event an astonishing 19 times. What brings him back, I asked?

“The wine, the food, the people,” he replied. And there you have the IPNC in a nutshell!
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Well, if only that were this morning. Read more…

The annual Gallup survey about the drink preferences of Americans is now out. After edging ahead of beer in 2005, wine has now fallen behind beer by eleven points, 42-31.

Really? I hadn’t noticed. Wine bars are springing up in many cities across the land as are better and better wine shops.

It might be a sign of the weak economy with more people saying they prefer beer, which is less expensive. But polls also bounce around a lot. And they’re simply surveys of attitudes, not actual behavior. It will be interesting to see if 2008 is the sixteenth year of consecutive growth in wine consumption in the US. What’s your bet?

This is my first ever posting from the Apple Store. Sadly, I’ve just stopped by the Genius Bar and the diagnosis for my hard drive was fatal. Sad news to be sure, but it’s still under warranty. Let’s have three cheers for Time Machine backups!

Speaking of cheers and Apple, have you seen the iBeer application in the new App Store? If not, check out the video above for a demo of the #11 most downloaded app to the iPhone.

I’m still waiting for the wine equivalent! (Let’s just hope it’s not corked.)

Dear Dr. Vino,

If you had to take a bottle of American wine to Bulgaria that reflects the most recent trend in American winemaking, what would that bottle be? I want to take a bottle to my key participant in my academic study (who is one of the best winemakers in Bulgaria) when I head out next month to the wild Balkans. If this is an impossible question to answer, forgive my boldness (& ignorance) and please ignore it!

Impossible–never! It’s a great question, actually. I thought about American wines recently for a piece that I contributed to on Forbes.com about ten independent wines from the good ole US of A. I’d probably take one of those. Many of them actually run counter to the trend in higher alcohol levels so I’d point out that they are, in fact, anti-trendy, or the beginning of a new trend, perhaps. And then maybe bring a Turley that I’m trying to get rid of just for laffs.

What about you? Which wine would you bring if you were in this reader’s shoes?

My new book, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink, is quickly becoming the best selling wine book from a non-profit publisher (the University of California Press) to launch while everyone is away on vacation! Let’s sell out this limited production cuvee (in wine speak, only several hundred cases made in the original printing). Here’s a quick roundup of some recent reviews and mentions. If you’ve already gotten the book, many thanks and hope you enjoy it!

The Wall Street Journal ran an author Q&A yesterday with a ridiculously large photo!

Publisher’s Weekly called it “an enlightening volume on a complex topic.”

The Wine Economist, aka Professor Mike Veseth, had a nice review saying, among other things, “I think it’s a blend that will appeal to a lot of wine enthusiasts.”

Gastronomer’s Guide wrote that “after reading this book, a glass of wine will never be the same.”

It’s been a fun launch! Last night at Powell’s in Beaverton, Oregon we had a good discussion (pick up a signed copy of the book through their site). And I was invited on KPCC, the NPR affiliate in Pasadena last and even took calls (fortunately people DID call!). Thanks to those of you who have posted your own reviews and comment to Amazon! And if you’re new to the site, consider subscribing to the site feed.

Last year, I was loving the serious 2005 Beaujolais from many of the ten “crus,” or sub-zones of the downtrodden region. I’ve tasted a few 2006s (and look forward to more) and wanted to highlight this excellent duo.

Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2006. $21 (find this wine) Importer: Kermit Lynch.
This beautiful wine comes from Marcel Lapierre, one of the qualitative leaders of the region known for a long period of barrel aging. This extended élévage, as it is known, provides the wine with complexity and the ability to better combat oxidation since Lapierre bottles without sulfur, an antioxidant commonly used for stabilizing the wines during shipping. This vintage is particularly succulent and Mrs. Vino had the good sense to demand that I buy more of the wine after her first sip. I happily obliged. The wine will make a good gift not only because of what’s inside but also because of the handsome presentation–along with the wax cap. I’m a sucker for wax caps.

IN the glass, the wine is light in color and actually tastes like a really superb gamay as opposed to many of the best Beaujolais that end up tasting like pinot noir (hey, I’m not complaining, just observing). But gamay has such alluring fruit, lively acidity and smooth tannins when done right that it is hard to refuse. The traditional food pairing is dried sausage but it’s really hard to go wrong since it is so food-friendly.

Of note, Marcel Lapierre is one of the qualitative leaders in the Beaujolais. Check out this excellent article from the Saveur archive on Lapierre and his damascene conversion at the hands of Jules Chauvet.

Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie, 2006. $20 (find this wine) Importer: Louis/Dressner
This wine is darker and more concentrated, a twist on the traditional reputations of the “masculine” Morgon and the “feminine” Fleurie appellations. The concentration does not sacrifice the overall tastiness and, although rich, the wine still has good acidity. I brought it to some friends’ house and they were rapturous in their praise. And to think I got it for only $16! I’ll definitely buy this one again–and look for the Cuvée Tardive, which is more age worthy. Yes, age-worthy Beaujolais! More on that in a future post.

Could it really be true that David Beckham bought his wife Victoria (fka “Posh”) a winery in Napa for (only) “seven figures” for her recent birthday? So reported the Sun in the UK. Apparently the couple got into wine while he was playing for Real Madrid and, now living in California, may have taken the plunge. However, the fact that it remains unobserved in wine circles makes me skeptical that it really happened. But let’s talk about it anyway!

A columnist on MSNBC later reported on other reporting, looking for a motive:

“David feels like Victoria needs something to do other than shopping and going to parties,” a source told Full Disclosure. “He is hoping she will get into the wine business and settle into some kind of regular routine.”

Ouch! SFLuxe.com throws cold water on the idea of their buying a property, instead suggesting they bought into The Napa Valley Reserve. A $150,000 deposit buys the right to purchase wine, from a half a barrel to three barrels. Members can be as involved as they like, picking grapes off the vine (in stilettos?) or punching down the cap.

What should be the name of their wine? The Sun suggested Chateau Posh, describing it as thin bodied.

If they do buy a winery, they would be the latest celebrities to buy one. Brangelina recently signed a long-term rental in Provence and Johnny Depp bought Venssa Paradis a vineyard there as well.

If you’ve never picked up a copy of Wine & Spirits magazine, the current issue (that landed in my mailbox on Saturday) provides a lot of bang for six bucks. The special issue, “Rebels that rock the best in the world of wine,” has great articles about natural winemakers around the world, profiles of 10 wine revolutionaries, best new American vineyards and wineries, four escapes to wine country USA, and some best dishes in restaurants. Contributors include David Wondrich, Fiona Morrison, Alice Feiring as well as the usual great staff.

I also contributed a story on “innovations in wine retail,” which came out well on a two-page spread, complete with time line.

But if you can’t wait to get two the newsstand, you can take a sneak peak at two of the revolutionaries on the Wine & Spirits website. Paul Grieco of Terroir and Hearth in NYC (see our Q&A with Paul) interviews internet retailer phenom Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library. Then they turn the tables and Gary interviews Paul. No swirling or spitting in the video–and no Jets dump bucket.