Weighing in with articles from two heavyweights this week: Wine Spectator’s 11/30/15 issue and a recent article from the New York Times on great value wines for around $20. [level-members]
WS starts with a bang. The cover line is “FBI – open the door!” Wine fraud may be a huge problem, but it isn’t a problem at all for most of us or most of our customers since it affects only the highest of the high end of the industry. Still, it’s an interesting read and worth staying on top of since not all of your customers will realize that this probably doesn’t affect them.
More research points to wine not being harmful when consumed in moderation. (Moderation being defined as one drink per day for women, two for men.)
California Merlot is bouncing back, according to Matt Fish, with 2012 offering “plush flavors and rich fruit.”
Bruce Sanderson’s column tells the tale of Domaine Laroche which has switched back to cork after a decade of screw caps. Among the reasons, changes in the cork production industry, changes in their own wine production methods, and their own blind tasting and testing.
In the New York Times, we find a list of wines appropriate to the fall season for about $20. As the article is quick to point out, cheap doesn’t necessarily equate to good value, and a good value isn’t always cheap. The list is refreshingly inclusive – lots of bottles beyond the usual suspects. You can read the full article here.
[/level-members]