Baja Wine Country News for the Second Half of January
with Steve Dryden
STAFF WRITER
Washington Wine Conquers the World
Chateau Montelena winery of Napa Valley beat the best French wines in a blind tasting in 1976 capturing the attention of the world. This year it was a Washington State wine, Columbia Crest 2005 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that gained worldwide recognition when Wine Spectator magazine voted their wine “Best in the World for 2009.” For those of you who have been reading this column over the last four years you might remember that I’ve been talking about the “wonderful world of Washington wines” for several years. So, it wasn’t a big shock to me when the rest of the world began to understand the significant contributions of Washington wine for international connoisseurs and other wine lovers who seek “world class” wines at “super value” pricing. Maybe it’s time we ask ourselves, how can a $27 bottle of wine beat the top competitors who often get over $500 per bottle for their glorious wines? My suggestion is to “cut the fu-fu” and get to what’s in the bottle.
Within the wine world we’re beginning to see a meltdown of “fu-fu” propaganda, misleading marketing and wine cartels due to the global depression, the expansion of wine blogger sites and the enlightened education of wine consumers. When international wine lovers were forced to cut back on their wine expenditures due to the economy, they discovered that budget wines actually have much to offer and are in many cases superior to the expensive “name brands.” For generations there has been somewhat of a global conspiracy when it come to marketing name brands, including the wine industry. But, today wine drinkers are starting to focus on what actually feels good to their own personal palate and not on what Robert Parker, a wine publication or some locally controlled media machine tells them they should like. This is a profound revolution and is long overdue. You don’t need a certificate, diploma, approval or dictation to discover wine, all you need to do is open your mind and palate, and start exploring wine for what it really is. Just drink it and explore how it feels to you on a personal level. So much of what a wine tastes like on any given day actually depends on your mood, location, weather, food pairing, availability, and other factors. It’s about time and place, and your personal preference.
I’m a wine writer and a wine guide, someone who writes about wine in general, a simple advocate of Baja California wines and the wine regions of the United States and British Columbia. I’ve never claimed to be a connoisseur, critic or wine expert, even though I’ve got forty years experience in tasting wine from many regions. My focus has been on sharing the story of the winemakers and capturing the passion and spirit of the individual artisans as they express their creativity via their grapes and wine. I’m not a wine critic, I don’t believe in the 100 point system of scoring wine, in fact, I think it’s a complete joke. For example, if I purchased every 95 to 100 point wine that Robert Parker recommends, then should I drive the same car as he does, wear the same clothes as him, should I drink the same coffee as he, and will I need to marry his wife? Just maybe, I like redheads over blonds, wear jeans and tee-shirts, drink only Peet coffee, and prefer $30 bottles of Washington wine over a $120 bottle of Jean Michel Stephan Cote-Rotle Vielle Vigne en Coteaux. Indeed, I still drive the same 1953 Ford pickup I had in high school because it still gets me from point A to B, and it expresses my style of living, not Parkers. Are you hearing what I’m saying? Basically, take control of your own palate and senses, be your own judge and wine critic. It’s “high time” to let the wine speak for itself and forget all the propaganda on the outside of the bottle and in the media.
I first started exploring the virtues of Baja California wines about 1960 when my father allowed my brother and I to share glasses of jug wines purchased from his Russian friends in Valle de Guadalupe and from Bodega Santo Tomas. The wine was rustic and primitive, but it was what it was (all we had) thus it was drinkable and enjoyable. Later, during my college years in Idaho (1970’s) I discovered Washington State wines, eventually becoming a member of the North Idaho Oenological society in 1992, where we local wine lovers took a serious in-depth exploration of Washington wines. That early exposure to Mexican and Washington wines led me to work for a boutique Napa Valley winery in the 1980’s where I gained experience and knowledge (developed my palate) via tasting wine at the wineries and at various wine events held in California and Mexico. In 1982 I began to exchange Napa Valley wines from Howell Mountain for premium wines hidden in the underground cellars of Pedro Domecq winery in Baja California.
That experience between the wine cultures of Napa, Washington and Baja California eventually led to my moving to Valle de Guadalupe in 2002 with the idea of publishing a self-guided wine tour guide, leading motor coach/van tours from San Diego, and educating US wine drinkers about the possibilities of Mexican wine. Even though I met resistance from a few prominent members of the local wine cartel who had a monopoly on the market and the media, I was able to prevail by being persistent, positive and independent. My “saving grace” was the hospitality and kindness shown by about half of the wineries, Baja California native winemakers (an international mix of people raised in this region) who embraced me in the beginning. This illustrates my point that much of the “fu-fu” and hype in the wine world is misleading, controlled, and pure propaganda. Unfortunately, It’s not always about the quality of the wine in the bottle ~ like it should be ~ it’s often more about making money by fooling the consumers with the names of certain winemakers, wineries and such. In reality, great wine should be only about the quality of the wine in the bottle, that’s the bottom line. In other words, do you like it personally, does it suit YOUR individual taste, is it a match for you at that certain moment in time?
My personal experience tasting wines is based on palate sensation instead of commercial marketing, which tends to make me feel that this century will continue to highlight and focus on the quality wines coming from Washington State and British Columbia. This viewpoint is somewhat tainted due to the fact that I’m an experienced natural resource manager trained in the Pacific Northwest and have a feel for that their specific terroir. One particular element will have a major impact on the entire global wine culture within the next several years. Specifically, the National Academy of Sciences estimates that by the year 2100 (90 years from now) the production of grapes in North America (including Mexico, after an upcoming, short spike in growth) will shrink by over 80 percent, due to weather changes and water shortages. Yes, I understand that those who focus only on short term capital gain (at any cost) will argue about this, but it does give an opportunity (tip) for those who want to pass down the family winemaking tradition to future generations something to think about. And, closer to home in Napa Valley, Sonoma county, and even in the water soaked State of Oregon, vintners are running out of water. In fact, many growers are ripping out valuable vines to build ponds and water shortage tanks, hopefully to get them thru the early frost season and the longer, drier summer months. In all probability, the future of the global wine industry (and human survival) will be dependent on the northern regions of the planet, in many areas that were formally judged as inadequate to grow quality grapes for wine production. So, even if you don’t agree with my perspective on wine tasting and wine quality based on your personal palate vs commercialization, it might be a good time to start exploring the wines of Washington State. Someday, it might be one of your only options, and don’t worry, the wine is wonderful and affordable at this time. Try it for yourselves and let your palate be your guide.
Lately, I begun to suspect the concept of a natural phenomena (spoken about only the wine world) commonly known as terroir. It is a real thing or just another marketing hype? For example, when was the last time you went to the market in search of oranges? Did you look for oranges from Valencia, Spain, grown specifically on Garcia Mountain, in Jose’s orchard, and managed by Pedro Sanchez and given 95 points from Orange Spectator magazine? Or did you just buy the current vintage of young, fresh oranges for the sake of eating an orange, that tastes like an orange? If you were very specific in your selection, did your orange have mineral notes from the soil, ripe fruit from 1200 units of sunlight, flavors of vanilla from three days in oak baskets, or subtle hints of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, red fruit, blueberries and cranberries? Yes, I believe that terroir does make a different, but haven’t we stretched the truth a little? And, is wine drinking becoming so poetic and intellectual, that you’ll soon need a Ph.D. in Philosophy to enjoy it?
I see many new and inexperienced write writers and wine critics who now consider themselves advanced experts after taking a class or sampling a few local wines. I feel they are making a mistake by trying to copy critics like Robert Parker. Being a pompous, arrogant, wine snob, is not really a good thing in today’s new world where individuals are seeking personal freedom, individual choices and expression. On a global level, more and more regular people are coming out of a state of coma and aren’t blindly following leaders down the road of destruction and delusion anymore. In our new world of more personal choices with freedom to express and experience on our own, the 100 point system of judging wine is an outdated farce, often dictating false information to wine consumers. Mexico is an intelligent, emerging wine culture where many people are transitioning from a beer and tequila culture towards the art of wine drinking. This newly discovered wine experience should be all about education, exploration and personal enjoyment. It would greatly benefit our wine culture and industry if we don’t continue with the “fu-fu” tactics here, you can leave that to the French, British and the Americans. Everybody has a right to judge for themselves on how they feel and what they like, because we’re all very unique on an individual basis. In reality, the best wine in the world is the one you love the most, for whatever reason, regardless of how much it costs, where it’s grown or made, and what others tell you. Thus, don’t be fooled, many contemporary wine critics and wine writers don’t have a clue on what is a good wine or not. Like skilled politicians, they continue to cram their philosophy and perspective down our throat, usually for “personal fame, power, ego gratification and capital gain.”
Let your own personal wine selection, slowly and gently cross over your palate, allowing your senses quality time to decide what is good and right for you. Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, foolish critics and bogus marketing scams. Personal empowerment seems to be the trend in 2010 whether it be about your choice of wine, personal expression or who dictates and controls your personal freedom. In the end, it’s really all about personal choices and preferences. And, now that a $27 bottle of Washington Cabernet Sauvignon has outperformed many of the top wines of the world, savvy wine consumers might be asking themselves if any wine in the world is really worth more than $30. My motto for 2010 is, drink what you like, think for yourselves, eliminate the “fu fu” ~ get real, and enjoy the New Year.
Steve Dryden is a wine, food and travel writer, living in Mexico’s premier wine country where he guides wine tours. He can be reached at: sbdryden@hotmail.com