The National Wine
UnClub
Newsletter
December 2007
Holidays '07
Tis the season! Once again we are faced with the madding crowds in the marketplace scrambling over bargains on everything from trifling trinkets to HDTV 60" plasma screens. Can we ever get enough stuff? There's always something more that we crave even though we probably don't really need the item in question. Following the Thanksgiving festivities where we are reminded to be thankful for what we have, modest as our list of possessions may be, we tear into the Christmas Season with a burning passion to get more!
There's an interesting dichotomy to the range of attitudes we see over the Christmas Holidays; some just love the season and others dread it. Not a lot of in-between here! I believe that those who feel they must have more and better 'things' are the ones who experience more depression and disappointment than those who just carry on with the Thanksgiving theme of counting one's blessings. The 'giving' of the gift of our love to one another seems to be called for...more than the giving of 'stuff'.
In the world of wine, vintners are forced to make the most of what the harvest may bring; those who are adept in their winemaking skill can turn out a fine drink even from a challenging harvest. In some instances, there is no harvest and the winery must rely on reserve stocks of last year's wine or they must purchase grapes which they vinify to earn their yearly income. Mother Nature reigns supreme in this field.
This fact is sometimes forgotten or ignored by the folks who consume wine; and the assumption that their favorite wine will always be available is dashed when wine merchants can't provide the wine in question. Thankfully, when one region is devastated by an ugly turn of weather (as was the case in the southern Cotes du Rhone in 2002) the wine enthusiast of this type of wine (Grenache, Syrah) has many options to find similar wines from other regions (Australia or California for instance) not affected by such inclement weather patterns.
Fiscal responsibility seems to be catching on with consumers a little more these days even though we still are bitten by the incurable shopping bug! People are shopping, but they're looking for bargains or they're not buying. When it comes to brands of HDTVs one can trade down to a lesser model or brand and save money on a unit that will serve quite well without perhaps all the most fancy options. That's a smart move in my book.
When it comes to wine, most enthusiasts know that their favorite brand at the high end of the spectrum will vary little in price from store to store. If you have an inside connection you might get a deeper than average discount from your friendly wine shop merchant. That is, if he/she has the wine in question!
A better approach (mentioned above) might be to look for an alternate brand that provides the same level of quality you've become accustomed to with your choice in wine. Take the Bordeaux-blend (Meritage) brand known as Opus I for instance. This Napa Valley label, introduced by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild in the late '70s, is perhaps the best-known and most expensive wine of its type in the States. You could easily drop $200 on this label even for a mediocre vintage!
Alternatives are available left and right for labels like Opus I as there are many quality producers in California who turn out lovely Meritage-style wines at much lower prices. Try the Mount Veeder Reserve for instance. At around $80, I would challenge any average wine enthusiast (or even the experts!) to pick the better wine out in a blind-tasting. The fact is that they're both excellent wines, but you'll pay for the brand status the Opus I possesses.
Another worrisome issue for value-conscious wine buyers these days is the weakening American dollar versus the Euro, the new currency of the European Economic Union. In just the last five years our dollar has gone from being worth $1.10 Euro to today's rate which is hovering around .60 Euro. That means, in simple terms, that if you buy a wine for 10 Euros you're paying about 14 dollars. Wines from the European countries of France, Italy, and Spain for instance all are potentially costing 40% more than they did five years ago!
Large wine importers (and even large producers) are not raising prices quite this drastically as yet as they are absorbing much of this exchange rate differential in-house. Yet, the price increases on your favorite Burgundy, Barolo, and Rioja are just around the bend if they're not here already in your neighborhood shop! It makes good fiscal sense to go to your favorite wine merchant who is a smart shopper to get the best quality for the lowest price.
Being frugal doesn't mean going without! The abundance of excellent wines at decent prices in this country is truly amazing. We wish you the merriest of holidays as you remember the joys of the season with your loved ones. Have a glass of something special to celebrate the true gift of your loving family and friends!
Cheers!
Donald W. White