“Without a sense of place, wine soon becomes a commodity…” Jancis Robinson 12Mar21. The greatest joy I get from wine (other than sharing it with friends) is exploring new regions, new varietals and different styles of wine. I bought an Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon (2014 for about $15) the other day and was pleasantly surprised – it made the discovery that much more interesting. Annie was in Iowa recently and had some of their local wine (of which they are very proud) and she liked it. I looked up the wines and it turns out the vines are hybridized to survive the cold winters in region. I’ll be going to Iowa with Annie this summer and I’m looking forward to trying their wines. On the way back from Austin last week, we picked up a bottle of Texas Tempranillo (the grape used in Spanish Rioja). Over the last 5 years, Texas wines have improved significantly (especially for a hot weather grape like the Tempranillo).
The largest sellers or Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon produce tens of millions of cases (not bottles, cases) of wine every year. To make that much wine, it does become a commodity and tastes the same all the time. There are countless amazing taste sensations out there from a Riesling from New York State, to the snap of a New Zealand Sauv Blanc, to the zing of an Assyrtiko from Santorini, to the full fruit ripeness of a Zinfandel from Paso Robles. They are usually sitting on the lower shelves rather than eye level so you may need to scooch down to take a look.
Yes, the huge wine conglomerates are the safe choice and they make good wine. For me though, wine has to be an experience. If I spend $15 on a mass produced bottle and I already know what it will taste like, I’ve lost an opportunity to explore and grow. So next time you are wandering through the wine aisle, walk past the mass produced Chardonnay and try one from Oregon, Washington State, South Africa, or Chile. You might stumble across something you really like. There is a whole world to explore.
Until next time, Love the wine you are with!
Featured Image by: Elle Hughes PEXELS
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