The driving question going into 2008 about wine, for me, revolves around integrity. Wine producers have surprised me this year in their ability to market wines that happened by mistake or the cellar rat mixed two tanks. Oreana’s Red Table Wine, from Santa Barbara (available at Trader Joe’s), the label reads mistake or fate, and then they launch into a tale of two tanks being mixed. Wasn’t that the story behind the Non-vintage Chardonnay from the Paso Robles Winery "Eos" (Novella)?
Regardless of the story behind the wine, the bottom line becomes, is it good wine at a price-point that represents value? The value of integrity continues to be challenged regarding consumers and wine producers. It does not only reflect on the producers. Consumers have their own concept of marketing integrity now believing the best quality can be mirrored at any level.
A good example would be this scenario; the most asked for wine this year was Rombauer Chardonnay. Well not actually - the question usually goes like this, “My favorite wine is Rombauer Chardonnay”. I always reply, “Regrettably, we do not carry that wine” and most often the customer replies with “what do you have at less than $10 that will taste like Rombauer”? My response is always the same, “nothing", at its current asking price of $30 there is a reason I do not sell anything as good at less than $10. The wine is phenomenal and undervalued. Rombauer continues to make wines that represent integrity year after year.
Hands down, the favorite Cab people ask you to mirror would be Silver Oak “Napa
Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon again at less than $10.
If you have asked your wine steward to perform this miracle, there is a reason they have rolled their eyes at you while becoming much more distant in their voice inflection. They are trying to keep their integrity.
The Chardonnay miracle might get close to happening (there are some great Chard’s around $10) but the Cab or for that matter any red wine that will blow away an industry standard (like Silver Oak Cab) at a 66% discount is not happening. Well maybe in Argentinean Malbec and some Chilean Reds, otherwise you are out of choices.
On the other end of the spectrum we have an assault taking place on consumers under the guise of "Hey we made a mistake, you will love it, but buy it now because it was a mistake and it will not be here for long.”
The concept of integrity is challenged when people market wines claiming they made a mistake and now, suddenly, you are the benefactor from said mistake. If the wine is great why market it as a mistake? If it is great, then market it as great wine regardless of the blend.
The qualities of the two wines most people speak of (Rombauer Chard and Silver Oak Cabernet) exhibit the spirit of integrity. These wines, a celebration of creativity by the winemakers and a coveted pleasure to the fortunate few that get to drink them should remain a standard that cannot be mirrored by some new upstart.
Who can blame anyone for finding that one little secret wine that will satisfy their desires without requiring the investment of the wines they revere and respect? As long as that dream is alive in consumers there will always be vintners who will take advantage and capitalize on an uninformed market.
~ Marc Hinton
