The National Wine UnClub
Newsletter

April/May 2004

Crossover Wines

It has become quite obvious to anyone closely associated with the subject of wine that wine styles have changed dramatically over the last 20 years even in the bastions of the most staunch traditionalist wine regions of the world. Bordeaux isn't what it used to be, neither is Chianti, or Rioja, to name a few. For the most part, this change is a good thing indicating increasingly modern regulatory wine laws, vineyard management and winemaking skills. However sometimes what is left behind is more than just a sentimental taste preference!

The concept of producing wine that will age gracefully and actually gain character over the time in barrel and bottle is one of the elements of traditionalist winemaking that we should mourn. If you've ever tasted a '66 Latour (Bordeaux) or a '64 La Tache (Burgundy) you know how monumental wines of this nature can be. These days most Bordeaux or red Burgundy that you buy can be consumed within a couple of years of its vinification without much of a problem with unresolved essences.

Great wines of the past, even some white wines, needed time to show their full glory, and consumers recognized this. The father would drink the wines his father cellared for him and he would purchase new vintages to cellar for his son. That was the reality of wine buying for centuries. Of course now everyone who wants to enjoy wine doesn't own a cellar or want to own one. We are blessed with a profusion of eminently drinkable wines that we buy and drink in the same day. That is a good thing, both for consumers and vintners (who value the quicker cash flow!).

The one problem with 'fruit-forward, drink-now' wines is that more serious styles of wine that are still made in the world today are not as appreciated or understood by the growing number of wine enthusiasts appearing on the scene. The assumption is natural that if the wine doesn't overwhelm with its fruit profile immediately upon opening the bottle then it's a deficient example of what is currently fashionable in wine circles.

Therefore if you place a restrained, mineral-laden Puligny-Montrachet (Chardonnay from Burgundy, France) beside a voluptuous, fruit-driven Australian Chardonnay in a comparison tasting the choice of most tasters would be the Aussie wine. It's a preferable taste for most wine enthusiasts because this style of wine fits modern taste parameters perfectly - chunky fruit tones on very little structure. Nothing wrong with this, mind you, but should we discard the Puligny Montrachet just because it's not the ideal stand-alone cocktail wine? No, of course not, because with the right dish (Dover Sole, for instance) the Puligny wine will absolutely outshine the overweight New World style.

There's no 'right' or 'wrong' to wine preferences; we who love wine all have them, and they are what keeps the wine world multi-faceted and interesting. My point here is that we shouldn't 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'  by blindly accepting the New World wine style as best before we've allowed ourselves the chance to experience what classic tastes there are in this field. Once we've had enough tastes of what's available in this regard we'll know certainly which way we should move forward in our wine world explorations.

Introducing new enthusiasts to serious, classic wine styles is a major challenge for sommeliers and wine merchants. It's much easier just to give these folks the taste they're most familiar with, which (in the US) is typically the rather candied, pop-like wine styles so commonly seen in the market these days. This is OK for those who want this particular taste and shouldn't be denied anyone when their request for such a drink is a firm order. However, when a new aficionado is seeking a more sophisticated wine not having been properly introduced to this style, a 'crossover wine' might be the appropriate choice.

What do we mean by 'crossover wine'? This simply is referring to a wine selected to help a   novice make the transition between commercial, fruit-forward styles to the more challenging, hand-crafted, Old World style of wine. The best examples of this sort are made by Old World producers who are creating softer, more approachable styles in traditional wine regions. These wines give the nod to New World taste preferences while still retaining much of the character of the Old World, classic style.

The next best level of 'crossover wine' offerings are those made by New World vintners that respect Old World sensibilities, resulting in wines that are well-structured with fruit finely balanced against alcohol, oak, sugars, and tannins. Because these bottlings are typically made from very ripe fruit (Australia, California, Argentina) they rarely tend to be too 'hard' on the 'newbie' wine lover's palate.

Some regions of the wine world, both Old and New World regions, have become notable for producing a vast array of 'crossover wines'. South Africa's Cape District is a good example, as is Argentina's Mendoza wine region. In Europe, look to the south of France, Tuscany and Sicily in Italy, Bulgaria (yes, Bulgaria!) and the profusion of new wines from the region called 'Tierra de la Castilla y Leon' near Madrid, Spain.

Thankfully there are many well-made, delightful 'crossover wines' made around the globe. Check with your favorite consultant who can easily assist you in finding a wide range of offerings of this sort. These wines aren't about to go away as there are too many oenophiles seeking these more serious, transitional styles as they continue, step by step, in their advancing appreciation of good taste in this glorious aspect of the culinary world.

Cheers! Donald W. White