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The rule of real estate No, it's not "location, location, location," although that rule of thumb for real estate works well for wine, too. Today we're examining the notion that the more precise and narrowly focused the "appellation" - the legal label designation that describes the geographical source of the grapes - the better the wine is likely to be. According to this rule, a French wine with the geographical name "Margaux" on the label, indicating that its grapes were grown within that favored village, ought to be better than one labeled "Haut-Medoc" or just-plain "Medoc," which may contain fruit from throughout that region; and those in turn might have the edge over a wine merely labeled "Bordeaux," a generic appellation that may encompass wines grown anywhere in that broad area. The same principles apply all over France, of course, and in most of the world's other wine-growing regions: "Chianti Classico," from the center zone in the historic Italian wine country in Tuscany, enjoys a reputation above just-plain "Chianti." In California, a designation from "Stag's Leap District" or "Oakville" may trump the broader "Napa," which beats "North Coast" or generic "California" on the label. Does this rule really work? Like a lot of the other rules of wine, there's some justification for it as an overall guide. Particularly in regions with a long tradition of commercial wine, the theory holds that the reputation of the "best" real estate is built on its track record, and grapes grown in the most-favored villages reflect that history in their quality (and, generally, in their demand-driven price). But as with most wine rules, it helps to know when to keep them and when to break 'em. By paying attention, the discerning consumer can often find value by defying the conventional wisdom, taking a risk on a wine that ignores the rule when the odds seem right. So for today's tasting I tried two modest wines from broad appellations indeed. I felt quite comfortable putting down 10 bucks for Glass Mountain Quarry despite its generic "California" label, knowing this to be a "second label" from the highly regarded Markham Winery and one that I've enjoyed in previous vintages. The other wine, a decidedly low-end 2000 Bordeaux from Chateau Le Mas, was a bit more of a gamble. Although it's a generic "Bordeaux" from an unknown producer, I took a chance because the vintage was generally good across Bordeaux; the wine's label ("mis en bouteille au chateau") indicated that it was grown and bottled by the producer, not anonymous bulk wine; and it was cheap enough that the risk wasn't a serious one. Both wines were worth the price, and the Glass Mountain was a particularly good value, showing once again that it pays to know when to break the rules. 
Glass Mountain Quarry 1999 California Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.99)
This clear, dark reddish-purple wine, a "second label" of Napa's Markham winery, shows pleasant and appealing scents of cherries, berries and aromatic vanilla with an aromatic whiff of cedar in the background. Its ripe and fresh flavor is focused on clean, simple fruit framed by appropriate acidity. Clearly "New World" in style, it's a good, basic and well-made California red table wine for a price that's more than fair. With 76 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it just meets the minimum requirement for varietal labeling; there's also 14 percent of Merlot and 10 percent of Shiraz in the blend. (July 27, 2003) FOOD MATCH: Fruit and acid balance make it a pleasant companion with char-grilled leg of lamb. VALUE: A very good buy for $10. WHEN TO DRINK: Still in current release, this four-year-old vintage ought to hold up well for a few more years, but it's made for immediate enjoyment, not long-term aging.
WEB LINK: The U.S. national distributor, Paterno Imports, has a detailed report on Glass Mountain Quarry at 
Chateau Le Mas 2000 Bordeaux ($8.99)
Inky garnet, almost black, this simple Bordeaux falls on the "green" and "weedy" side of the aroma spectrum. A volatile whiff of furniture polish is offputting at first, but this soon blows off to reveal herbaceous but attractive scents that reflect the characteristic cedary "cigar box" and herbal "lead pencil" aromas of Bordeaux over fresh red fruit. Its rather fat and full flavor comes as a surprise in the wake of the lean aromas, but it's juicy and quaffable, with sufficient fresh-fruit acidity and a smooth but marked tannic astringency emerging in the finish. A lot of complexity here, but some awkwardness too. Might be worth holding for a while to see if things come together. U.S. importer: Ex Cellars Wine Agencies Inc., Solvang, Calif. (July 27, 2003) FOOD MATCH: The wine's herbal character and fruit make it a natural companion for grilled lamb. VALUE: You won't find much 2000 Bordeaux for less than $10, so high expectations aren't reasonable. But it's drinkable and even interesting, making it a fair value for the price.
WHEN TO DRINK: As noted, it might benefit from a year or two in the cellar, but I wouldn't count on more. New at WineWeb.com: myWineWeb. Build it Your Way. Now.
WineWeb.com Adds Personalization The WineWeb, one of the oldest and largest wine sites on the Internet, announces myWineWeb, a service for personalizing the Internet wine portal to a consumer's interests. Visitors to wineweb.com can search from over 12,000 wineries across 53 countries, and can now specify their interests including countries and grape varieties to create their own customized home page.
The home page can display the preferred way to access The WineWeb to more quickly find specific wines. It even shows new wines and wineries that have been added to The WineWeb - and just the ones that match the visitor's interests. Visitors can also see the latest winery news and can receive an email when a new wine or winery is added that matches their preferences. Getting started with myWineWeb is easy. Just click the myWineWeb Info link on The WineWeb home page at http://www.wineweb.com. Since its inception in 1995, The WineWeb has built a huge database of winery and wine information that allows consumers to search using criteria such as winery location and type of wine. The WineWeb has integrated links to all known winery Web sites worldwide and provides additional functions around those sites. The WineWeb also allows access to online merchants and services that stock wines from each winery and that can ship to a specific location. This week on WineLoversPage.com Here are links to some of our recently published articles and features that I hope you'll enjoy:
• Red wine with fish? Well, sure! James Bond's fictional advice in Goldfinger notwithstanding, it's OK to break the rules, columnist Natalie MacLean suggests. For some ideas about when it makes sense to match red wine with fish - and when it doesn't - see her article, "Finding Your Solemate," at
• There's a lot to like about Umbria, Italian wine expert Tom Hyland says. A bountiful climate, wonderful foods, and distinctive wines have made it one of his favorite Italian regions. And then there's Sagrantino, an indigenous red grape that makes distinctive wines. In a column from his Italian Wine Guide, Tom offers his thoughts on Umbria's unusual reds, plus a bonus report on a great new wine bar in Rome: • MoCool! The oldest and largest annual gathering of online wine lovers, the MoTown Cooperative Offline, is less than a month away, with a weekend full of wine and food events luring a crowd from around the world to the Detroit and Ann Arbor area in Michigan. I'll be there, and I hope you will, too!
This year's theme is "California Dreamin'," with the wines of California being the focus for an exciting Friday dinner, Saturday picnic and Sunday brunch. Mark Aug. 22-24 on your calendar, and for all the specifics, click to the MoCool Page on WineLoversPage.com, Save up to $60 per gift with The California Wine Club!
Sure it's summer and sure holiday shopping is the last thing on your mind but The California Wine Club has something that just might change that! You'll receive 2001 prices on any holiday gift ordered before August 31, 2003. Plus, there's no billing and no shipping until December 2003.
It's Santa's Summer Sale and it's the perfect opportunity to save money, get some shopping done early and actually enjoy the holidays this year. Call 1-800-777-4443, mention The 30 Second Wine Advisor, and they'll send you a set of Wine Charms just for ordering! For more information visit Sponsorship Opportunities There is no quicker, better or more efficient way to deliver a wine-related message to wine lovers around the world than WineLoversPage.com. Because we're not encumbered by the costs of producing a print publication or television program, our operating costs are relatively low, and this benefits our advertising partners in the form of rates that the traditional media can't deliver. And because we've been around the Web longer and enjoy wider readership than any other online wine publication, it's no surprise that advertising partners who've tried the competition tell us that the results - even from the big names in the wine-magazine world - simply don't compare. If you're in a position to give advertising a try, or if you know someone who might, I'll be happy to provide more information. Just drop me a note at wine@wineloverspage.com. Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• Tasting the alcohol (July 25, 2003)
• Indiana hybrid (July 23, 2003)
• Salad days (July 21, 2003)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Lamb burgers (July 24, 2003)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, July 28, 2003 |
