Interesting trend?

More on the historical perspective:

As Tom pointed out, in the late 1970s there was something of a rebellion among wine critics against the high alcohol wines that were coming out of California. Frank Prial and others observed that wine's major role is not as a liquid to be sipped and then spit out into a bucket--wine's first role is to accompany and complement food. These critics questioned whether the high-octane wines that were winning all the points, stars, and medals could be paired with any meals.

This criticism started a fashion for less alcoholic and overbearingly concentrated wines that would make a better pairing with food. The marketing term "food wine" was coined. Of course, some producers used "food wine" as an excuse to release insipid, flavorless wines with no character.

Robert Parker from the beginning decried the "food wine" fad for precisely the reason I outlined in the last paragraph--he wanted his wines, especially the ones that the consumer pays top dollar for, to have strength and character. As he gained influence with the 1982 Bordeaux vintage, we saw the pendulum in American wine trends swing the other way, back toward the overly alcoholic fruit bomb end of the spectrum.

-Paul W.

Paul
Indeed this is excellent context, unaware as I was of historic trends in California.

regards

Ian

As Tom pointed out, in the late 1970s there was something of a rebellion among wine critics against the high alcohol wines that were coming out of California. Frank Prial and others observed that wine's major role is not as a liquid to be sipped and then spit out into a bucket--wine's first role is to accompany and complement food. These critics questioned whether the high-octane wines that were winning all the points, stars, and medals could be paired with any meals.

This criticism started a fashion for less alcoholic and overbearingly concentrated wines that would make a better pairing with food. The marketing term "food wine" was coined. Of course, some producers used "food wine" as an excuse to release insipid, flavorless wines with no character.

Robert Parker from the beginning decried the "food wine" fad for precisely the reason I outlined in the last paragraph--he wanted his wines, especially the ones that the consumer pays top dollar for, to have strength and character. As he gained influence with the 1982 Bordeaux vintage, we saw the pendulum in American wine trends swing the other way, back toward the overly alcoholic fruit bomb end of the spectrum.
-Paul W.

Pretty much right on from my reflection on the history of that era (by crackey), Paul. I don't think the winemakers intentionally released "insipid/flavorless/characterless" wines. They just made what they thought the public wanted, as told to them by the wine critics....wines w/ less alcohol, less extraction, less oak.
I'm not sure I'd give RP that much credit for reversing the trend. The marketplace spoke w/ a loud/clear voice and rejected the wines. The winemakers didn't like to drink those wines. And eventually common sense reigned, as it always does (most of the time).
Tom

I really don't post much here because truthfully you folks intimidate the heck out of me. I'm a rank amateur though I drink quite a bit of wine and enjoy it very much. But I don't have a trained nose or palate... I couldn't identify pencil lead or the various kinds of berries. I don't know about extracting or much of the techniques discussed here. But I do know what I like and I can tell if a wine is too sweet for my taste, or too acid or too jammy for for some other reason I don't like it. I read the forum regularly because I pick up some knowledge and some suggestions on things I might try but a lot of the discussions go right over my head. I buy the majority of my wine at a small local wine shop where the owner knows me and my tastes well and knows what I would like. But one thing I think I do know is that it doesn't do much good to be arguing about personal taste. If nobody liked the "big" wines, people wouldn't be making or buying them. If people prefer more restrained wines, somebody will make them and sell them. I really don't believe that most people, even amateurs like me, can be fooled by reviews for long because no matter how good a review is, if you don't like the wine when you get it open at home you aren't going to buy it again no matter who says they like it. And if you don't have enough confidence in your own personal taste to know what you like, there is really nothing anyone can do to help. I do know there is one hell of a lot of wine out there of every imaginable type and style... more than I can try in a lifetime and I am old enough that trends mean little or nothing to me. So if reviewers are now favoring more European style wines with more restrained styles.... great.... but it won't really affect what I like and drink one way or another. And I think that is possibly true for a lot of people.

And thanks to everyone for educating me on a daily basis.

Glenn

Glenn,

Don't feel intimidated. Most of us don't bite.

And every one of us started out as a newbie.

You bring up a good issue: "If nobody liked the 'big' wines, people wouldn't be making or buying them." Yes, but wine has fashions, and fashion trend-setters, just as clothing and other consumer goods do. There are people out there who will buy whatever <insert fashion designer's name here> comes out with, just because that designer's name is on it. Similarly there are those who won't buy a wine unless it gets more than X points from a particular wine pundit. And it's a very easy trap to fall into when starting out in wine appreciation to feel insecure and not to trust your own palate--to assume that there must be something wrong with your taste in wine because you don't care for this wine that got 90+ from an important critic.

It will be interesting to see how this shift in wine criticism away from the big fruit bombs plays out.

-Paul W.

Thank you, Paul....

What you say is certainly true for some people. It may because I am a rapidly aging baby boomer who has been drinking wine for a long time that I have mostly gotten over the herd mentality. I really don't care all that much what "everyone" else is drinking or what is in fashion. But I do concede that people starting out might be more influenced by what is in "fashion." I am indeed an amateur in relation to the in depth knowledge of many who post here but I have been drinking wine long enough (over 30 years) to feel secure in my own tastes. Or perhaps what saves me is that other than this forum, I read very few reviews at all.

Thanks again,
Glenn