This column makes me roll my eyes a bit. I am fairly knowledgeable about wine: I’ve taken a fair number of wine courses (including some levels of the WSET certification), I attended tastings fairly regularly pre-pandemic, I love exploring new regions, grapes, and producers, blah blah blah. But honestly? I think The Prisoner is totally delicious. Of course it is - it’s made to be!
The argument here is essentially like saying that a foodie would NEVER want a burger and fries from a fast food joint, or a big bag of chips, but instead demands artisanal ingredients for every single meal. It’s just snobbery and silliness.
8
Seems to me the equivalent of Pete Wells reviewing McDonalds....
Even though I love wine, I rarely read this column or any other writing about wine. That's mainly because I think tasting wine is the best way to decide what you like. The main challenge associated with tasting new wines is the effort and expense involved. Sure, many wine stores offer free tastings, which I am happy to enjoy if I happen to be shopping at that time. But in my experience, many of the wines being "promoted" through tastings cost more than I want to spend for "everyday" wines to enjoy with meals or during cocktail hour. In general, I don't spend more than $15 for a bottle of wine unless it's a special occasion. I find that I can discover so many wonderful wines within this price range that I have little incentive to spend more. And I'd rather spend my limited discretionary financial resources on other things that give me equal or greater pleasure. All of this is to say that I wish the NYT would focus more attention on wines in my price range. Whether they are mass produced or agricultural is not my primary concern. I want to know if your panel of tasters thinks they are the "best" wines available in that price range. Thanks for considering this.
9
While there is little more to say here I do think it's worth noting that in what could be deemed the most elite of settings, the Master of Wine exam, these wines are commerically relevant and it's important to know them as an expert (or even an enthusiast) to understand what drives the market. Preference is a different animal altogether. Also, I just have to point out that I think the word "manipulation" is misunderstood and should be placed in the broader context of what it means to make wine. If manipulation means using lots of new oak to achieve a certain flavor profile or picking late for increased ripeness (resulting in higher alcohol levels), well then most of the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa Valley, Barolo et al are guilty of that "manipulation". As a wine producer, I can say that everything we do in the winery that's construed as "natural", including farming organically for our estate wine, is done to achieve a style that fits in with our tastes and the kind of wine we want to put out into the world. Everything from reducing yields in the vineyard to harvest timing, stem inclusion, pumpover/punchdown regiment, maceration time, use of press fractions, oak use, I mean it's all manipulation in some way to achieve something we like and that we hope other people will like. Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox, but while I would not enjoy drinking any of these wines, the fact that they are made to please a particular palate isn't a crime.
9
@Amy Christine well said
2
So much talk about comfort, consistency, craft, insecurity, snobbery, mystery, terroir. So little talk about price. It's rare that I don't find delight in better wines, but I mostly drink inferior wines because they are cheaper. If I were a better person, I would adjust my budgetary priorities. But I'm not, and I don't. So I continue my search for that unicorn bottle with the $3 rebate. And await your next column on best buys under $20.
8
I like to say,"They make different colored shirts because people like different things." I can't tell someone that they don't like something when they tell me that they do
2
I guess I'm one of those people who enjoy both the fine wines from Napa, France and elsewhere, and the mass-produced stuff in the supermarket. I've seen Apothic in my local Costco (finally allowed to sell alcohol at one store per county in Colorado), so I'll get a bottle next time I'm there. I regularly get wine club selections from 3 Napa producers; two are mail order only. The other is sold in liquor stores. I have been a wine drinker all my adult life (I'm 65). I'll have to start looking for your column each month.
1
I love reading food and wine columns. Who says every column will appeal to every palate and budget?
Please keep sipping and writing!
3
First, thank you for writing this follow-up column. It helped me quite a bit to better understand who your audience is and how your own preferences compare.
Second, thank you for offering up a few affordable bottles of wine that had the potential to represent good value in a widely available wine. I can't tell you how delighted I was to read the article. I can rarely find the bottles that you usually recommend in Columbia, MO, and, at any rate, would only spend that kind of money on a special occasion. Most of the time, we don't want to spend a lot more for the wine on our table than we did for the sockeye salmon in our oven. So we really appreciate your help finding the diamonds in the (industrial) rough.
5
Yellowtail is the largest selling wine in the world. Coors Lite is a best selling beer. Lots of people like Velveeta and Kraft Mac and Cheese. Get over yourselves, snobbers. It just doesn't matter. The world will go on regardless of whether we imbibe in a great Chateauneuf du Pape or Mad Dog 2020. There are more important things to trigger outrage.
4
I enjoy both fine, small production wines, and keep a big bottle (it doesn’t style itself as a “magnum”) of mass produced Australian Syrah as, how do the French say it, vin ordinaire. I enjoy wine with my evening meals, but have nowhere near the riches to enjoy a top shelf pour each and every night.
On a similar note, some wine friends made faces over my recent trip to Walla Walla, where I found numerous, very good Bordeaux style wines. Drink, enjoy, and learn.
3
Good lord, I basically select wine at the liquor store because of the graphics on the label, so tar & feather me, wine snobs.
5
After reading this article and the many smart comments (and a few maybe somewhat shortsighted), I need to sit down with a bottle of beer and contribute.
Wine snobbery is endemic; but then snobbery is a temptation in any field of knowledge in which some have more than others. It seems to me that Mr. Asimov is trying desperately to drag wine appreciation out of the realm of snobbery, a very difficult project, but we just won't let him.
I'm a relatively ignorant listener to Beyonce and have been treated snobbishly by my Beyonce betters. If I were to take the trouble to really listen to Beyonce, to get to know her musical terroir, to welcome some instruction about the subtleties of her structure and overtones, I would cultivate a very different, perhaps elevated, appreciation for her music. I would see that version of myself as being richer and more aware (maybe more sophisticated) than the current me who just listens to her music as background.
I have a feeling that Mr. Asimov is trying to snag readers who have similarly not been well educated about wine and get across to us that if you really listen (taste) you'll get more out of wine, and maybe see the world as a more complex and interestingly diverse place.
Is Beyonce better than a Mozart quartet? Yes, in some contexts—Mozart's a lot harder to sing and dance with. Given my druthers, and a little willingness to work at it, I'd like to really be able to appreciate them both.
10
The space between appreciating good wine and being able to afford it has narrowed for me.
I've been a fickle fan of Wine School over the years. I haven't been a consistent student, but when I've attended class, I was all in.
Lately, as I adjust to my retirement from full time employment, I find that enjoying $40, $30, and even $20 wines is not good use of my fixed income dollars. I've been searching for good-enough wines in the $10 range. The "supermarket wines" you suggested were available at my local discount wine shop, as CT doesn't allow sales of alcohol in supermarkets. I found these wines to be exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much! Cheers!
7
Mr. Asimov is right to compare these mass-market wines to processed foods. The goal is to please a large market with a consistent product, build a brand, and repeat year after year.
This is a whole universe away from wines that are made a few barrels at a time, which vary from vineyard to vineyard, year to year, and may very well challenge you.
If you have ever seen a large truck packed with tomatoes driving away from a large farm field you know instinctively that those will not compare to the ones from your home garden. The truck's worth of produce is bound for a processing plant and then to a jar of ketchup or pasta sauce in your local supermarket. The category of wine discussed here is exactly the same.
I had lunch with a winemaker who was accomplished in the field of making this type of wine. He could stay true to standard winemaking techniques when the fruit was worthy, or practice the dark arts (his words) when manipulation was necessary to get the desired result. The comic-like graphics on the his labels tells you quite about the wine and the goals behind it.
His wine is a universe away from what I enjoy, and perhaps identity does get come into plays. I think Mr. Asimove put words to the issue quite well.
2
@Scott Newton If a wide market is pleased by them, it's ok, though, right? And if a large market becomes pleased by the agricultural wine, does that become 'processed'? Surely the market size isn't the determinate factor, or we ARE just snobs.
1
The point of Mr. Asimov's column was to compare the most popular mass produced wines, AT VARIOUS PRICE POINTS. I feel like I need to apologize for all of the false outrage by some of the readers comments.
They clearly do not read your column regularly.
Because of your Wine School column and other informative columns, I have morphed from a Meoimi drinker (pre-2015), to appreciating wine as a unique agricultural product. How many other agricultural products are available that are as vast and accessible as wine? You can sample and enjoy the world in a wine glass.
What I suggest to my fellow outraged readers is this. Get a bottle of Apothic, or The Prisoner, or Meoimi, or some other mass produced wine and then get a bottle of non mass produced wine. You don't have to spend much. Delightful wines can be found under $15. Do a side by side tasting. You may be surprised by what you learn. Which is really what loving wine is all about. Learning.
10
That's why there is vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and neapolitan.
3
I think it was quite hrave for Mr. Asimov to have waded into this territory. You can see and taste the same fights hetwwen Bud Lite and craft beers, ales and ciders.
Way back when in culinary school, we had a couple classes on wine and champagne. Many wines fall into the category of vin d'table and learning about the world of wine is one of life's pleasures.
3
Mass-market, too-sweet wines can indeed be gateways to the broader wine world. I started out as a fan of White Zinfandel, back when I was in my 20s and it was the new thing. Since I was already pretty passionate about food, it didn't take me long to discover that more traditional wines add exponentially to the experience of a good dinner.
3
We had many a party with Almaden red & white back in the sixties. I think Aziomov's assignment was a great one. We have graduated since then but still buy wine in the supermarket when we visit Bar Harbor each summer. And it's good.
1
I had no guilt about enjoying Apothic Red before nor after Mr. Azimov's sensible, non snobby observations.
4
This article and exercise could not be more condescending.
7
I have been a fan of Meiomi for years. I even brought it to the homes of others! Now, I feel devastated. What will others think of me? Will my friends still speak with me? Will I still receive invitations to gatherings? Have I fallen a step (or more!) in their eyes? I feel like such a failure!
If I am ever forced to tell my friends that my German car wasn't made in Germany, I have no idea what might happen. I feel like all is lost.
11
This column raised a smile. Werll, more of a smirk, really. "Learning more about wine" distills down to learning the language. That's all. Your "palate" is mostly your imagination. Which is a good thing, because otherwisee we couldn't enjoy food and drink as much as we do.
3
I don't mind supermarket wines nearly as much as the way they're marketed. The cute names are incredibly annoying: Barefoot (yes, that's just the aroma I want to be reminded of when I'm drinking wine), d'Autrefois, Partager, Buttercream, Layer Cake, Cupcake (Cupcake! Someone got paid to come up with this!). The only thing worse is varietal labeling on wines from Europe, so that stupid Americans won't be intimidated. My favorite is Pinot Noir on Burgundy.
5
"Most people" (wine snobs included) just drink wine to get buzzed anyway ,,, so what's the big deal ?
that said, Eric's column was pure rhetorical genius for getting so many folks rankled about industrial and artisinal wines...
4
Keep pushing. I repeat John Cleese's from his DVD "Wine for the Confused": "If you like this wine, then it is good wine"
Not all palates are the same and snobbery gets you a ticket straight to entitled idiocy. Keep teaching and provide examples (yet watch the prices rise!)
6
Wine critics are as useful as the Times' architecture critic. They serve to elevate a small group to make them feel better about what they are interested in. Thanks but no thanks, I am able to decide for myself what I like without a critic's blessing.
In fact, sack the lot of them and put the money into useful journalism.
1
I like cheap wine (Francis boxed to be exact.)!
And I’m happy. And like the author states “that’s all that matters”
3
Thanks for pointing out the snobbery that seems to go with drinking wine...oh the sniffing, and swirling and lip smacking. What a sham.
1
The same bottle of passably potable New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc:
Phoenix Resort $28. Sprouts $14. Costco $7.
I'm all for frugality. But I say ixnay on the Apothic.
2
@Joe Love Costco Sauv Blanc. I only just discovered it when they opened a liquor section in my local Costco a few months ago.
People who buy these specific “brand wines” are looking for consistency over everything else. So many wine purchases end up in disappointment because they don’t fit our expectations or betray the value quotient (“I paid too much for this mediocre wine”). It’s also an issue of volume — by the time you manufacture enough wine to be in nearly every supermarket you’ve turned the wine into a commodity and removed any sense of artisan quality.
1
@Dave
I think you make an excellent point. When I buy a $20 bottle of Meiomi, I know I'm going to like it. When I'm given a $40-60 bottle of Dirty and Rowdy, I have no idea whether I'll like it or not. The bottle of Dirty and Rowdy will certainly be more interesting, but it's an expensive gamble for something I may not even like compared to a known, consistent bottle at a fraction of the price.
The price makes a big difference. Even in this article, the author suggests Anderson Valley pinot noirs as a better alternative, but the cheapest of those is almost twice the price of Meiomi, and even some of the $60 bottles reviewed were not very good. It becomes an expensive gamble to hope to get something excellent at $40-60 when you can get something consistently enjoyable at $20.
I think Eric nailed it. Many wine drinkers think those are good wines, until they taste truly good wine. The more wine you drink, the more you begin to recognize quality traits and flavor characteristics. Many drinkers are initially drawn to sweet, fruit forward wines. Until, that is, they begin to recognize the subtle, etherial and lasting characteristics that make truly great and unusual wines. Sweetness is rarely one of those characteristics. The Prisoner is grossly overpriced and overrated.
4
I follow the Wine School reports with great interest, but seldom find the recommended wines available, even though I shop at an excellent wine shop near New Haven. Your Feb. 6 story sets up a false dichotomomy between sweet, processed supermarket wines and expensive artisanal wines, such as those in the next tasting of Nebbiolo, minimum price of $35. Those of us who drink wine daily at dinner, but can't justify - or afford - $250 a week for wine, are left out by the Wine School. Fortunately, we can look forward to your periodic 20 under $20 lists for everyday wine guidance.
12
Suppose that you've got a discerning palate and you've developed precise opinions as to tannin level, fruitiness, alcohol level, sweetness. It's possible to make a blend that will match your preferences. That blend would certainly count as factory-produced. Why would you not like such a blend?
4
This article draws a sharp contrast between processed or factory wines and agricultural product wines. Aside from any snobbery factor, I try not to eat processed food and I would prefer not to drink wine pumped full of sugar and who knows what else. How is the consumer supposed to know the level of processing a wine has gone through? Perhaps this could be the subject of a column or, if the answer is simpler than that, maybe a few of you could help me out and explain things to me.
11
@Sharon I think that the 'processing' here is mainly finding the combination of juices (grapes) to produce a consistent, crowd-pleasing product, rather than additives.
2
@Sharon
Exactly, how is a consumer not already well versed in wines supposed to know what is a mass-produced, "processed" wine, and what is an agricultural wine?
I'm guessing the answer is to make friends with the staff at your local wine store. Though even that's not necessarily a recipe for success. I'm friends with the beer manager at a local store, but despite liking the same styles of beer I've been disappointed with all of his recommendations so far - his tastes are obviously very different from my own.
I live in France, where admittedly wine is deeply embedded in the culture.
But not every French person is conversant in "wine", and many do not discern the difference between industrial and artisanal wines; many simply do not care.
What I find absolutely shocking about this article are the prices!
I can't even begin to imagine paying $18 to $42 for industrial-strength supermarket wine!
21
In the USA wine is generally seen as a premium product, wis higher price.
In Europe, in general, wine is seen as a everyday product
Something for the author to keep in mind.... This current column is the first I've encountered even though I'm a daily NY Times reader. The referenced one is the second I reads because I had to know what the topic was about. I had no idea the premise of the column was a school. There was no lead in to the first article to let me know this.
I enjoy wine and drink a fair amount. I've no idea really about how I might evaluate a good wine. The terms regarding oak flavors, hints of cranberry, etc are things that never enter my mind when drinking wine. All I know is that some wines affect my taste buds favorably and others taste harsh and make me wish I had a beer. The three wines referenced as being sold by the millions are foreign to me. I've never had the pleasure, or otherwise.
6
I like the article and want to add a couple of comments: First, historically, the most esteemed wines in the world have varied in type. If you go back to the nineteenth century, "Alexandria", a fortified muscat-based wine from South Africa, was the most expensive wine type in England. The standard for what style of wine is best has changed in the past and may be changing now. Second, there is usually a difference in scale between winemaking facilities that produce the "factory wines" and the wineries that produce "artisanal wines" but often no real difference in materials and methods used to produce the wines. There are artisanal wines that are produced with Ultrapurple, Tannin Riche, and other grape and oak derived additives. There are small lot, highly rated pinot noirs that have a little petite sirah. I think another angle on the "supermarket wine style" is that these wines may be following evolving preferences in wine type and style that also impact the artisanal end of the market.
3
Anybody who pays more than $15 dollars for wine they drink every day is not paying enough taxes.
18
Many people enjoy wine but can't afford to spend $50+ on a bottle to accompany a $10 cooked at home dinner. Kudos to the supermarkets that provide a wide array of wines. It's exciting to find a good bottle with a modest price then watch its fame climb as restaurant sommeliers and writers discover it.
Everyone who reads your column is interested in wine, just as we're interested in food in general. Wine snobs are in a class by themselves and self-limiting by only selecting wine by price. Brown bag tastings prove that scoring doesn't always validate price.
11
A fascinating aspect wine is the endless variety. White, orange, pink, red, dry, sweet, full-bodied, lean, fruity, herbaceous and on and on. When one considers pairing it with food the combinations are near infinite. Italy alone has over 1,300 indigenous grape varietals. I’d like to try just 200 of them before I die.
A closer study of wine can become the lens for a study of weather, farming, geography and soil type and of human history; it’s tribes and cultures and the grapes they grew / wines they enjoyed. My wife and I generally find when we travel to a wine area whether the New York Finger Lakes, Texas Hill Country, Burgundy or Alsace there is generally good food, a certain zest for life and a great opportunity to enjoy nature and the outdoors. Few other subjects can combine such a variety of epicurean enjoyment, coupled with endless possibilities for the exploration of the world and its peoples.
Whether you develop this passion, or simply reach for your go-to red or white is an individual choice. I take this as the main point Mr. Asimov is making here. There is absolutely no need to become defensive about your particular relationship to wine. Just enjoy it.
7
I’m fortunate enough to frequent a couple of owner managed and curated stores that are big enough to offer a wide selection. The staff in these stores are among my best wine teachers. My average price per bottle is under $15 and I almost never spend more then $20. The stores are a bit of a drive so when I go I get a mixed case or two so I get the discount. Most all of the wine would be considered “agricultural”. It’s hardly a high end collection but it allows me to keep 50-60 bottles of affordable, decent and varied wine around (90 percent in its drinking window). It’s not a fancy wine room, it’s shelves in a space with appropriate conditions. It requires a little planning but it’s less work than frequent trips to the store for a bottle. There’s the added bonus of having a choice without leaving the house or letting friends pick something out when you have them over. The point is if you like supermarket wines, enjoy but you can also explore and keep it reasonable. After all this is supposed to be fun.
15
I would be curious to see your opinion on organic wines, I have had the pleasure of drinking Couer de Terre a pinot noir from the Williamette Valley. I am trying an experiment to see if my allergies lessen with the consumption of only organic wine with meals.
5
@Juliana James
Hi
Your allergies have nothing to do with organic or non organic wine. Neither are they a result of sulfites. You are allergic to tannin (a histamine like tea and chocolate) which is present in all red wines to a greater or lesser degree depending on the thickness of the grape skin and/or time of maceration. Ask your wine shop geek to steer you towards lighter skinned reds. Schiava, Pelaverga and Grignolino are very pale but have immense character and complexity. If you’re a red lover you will really dig them. And they pair with almost anything.
3
They seem expensive for mass produced wine. Beyond that, California wine used to be a good bargain, when compared to European. Then came the S American and Australian/New Zealand. S African was good and cheap for a brief moment. Now, bargains can be had from Europe. Even France.
note: I don't have a sophisticated palate, so so long as it is not vinegar, I am fine, thank you!
2
I am one of many who won't devote large sums of money to the "daily red". But I do enjoy reading about wine and learning more about it's history, the craft, etc. And I keep a few bottles of something nicer in the basement for special occasions.
I live in the middle ground for practical reasons. And I enjoy the never ending search for an enjoyable and affordable wine. I have found many.
I also do the unthinkable. I blend my own. Sometimes, I will find a bottle of red (sometimes a blend!) that I like but it seems a little too rich, so I cut it with a sharper tasting cab. Another experiment has been emulating the Bordeaux. It ain't fancy, but try your own version of merlot, cabernet savignon and a touch of franc. Fun.
I like Asimov's attitude. He loves his pursuit of wine yet accepts that others just don't care about the details. A huge number of us live in that middle ground. To each his own, please.
4
I follow the Wine School articles and seek out a few the recommendations, aided by a friend who works for an importer distributor and the buyer at my local specialty grocer. I like some, dislike others and have learned what elements of the wine create that like or dislike. But I will also pick up a bunch of $5 or $8 bottles from my local Trader Joe's to have on hand for both cooking, drinking with dinner, or making sangria with fruit from my own backyard garden in the summer or mulling in the winter. In the same vein, my liquor cabinet has single malt scotch and rare Irish whiskeys for sipping, along with bottles of Canadian Club for mixed drinks. I think that there are more people like me out there than you realize.
8
Such silliness! Some years back French wine "experts" taste buds were put to the test. The "experts" claimed that French wines were superior to all others. Someone slipped in a California wine, which won the top prize from "experts". They were horrified.
In another experiment, a glass of white wine and a glass of red wine were served to wine "experts" to get their opinions on which was the better wine. What the "experts" didn't know was that both glasses were the same white wine, with red food coloring in one.
Humans are no better at "selecting" superior wines than they are at telling the difference between a Stradivarius violin and a modern $100 violin, or the difference between a song from a digital source and the same song on vinyl.
We are all prisoners of our biases and perceptions.
Suggestion for all wine "tasters"--take a breath. You're not as exceptional as you think you are.
9
Having written about the subject and visited many corners of the realm, wine is sometimes a snoberific indicator of less than an interest the grape and more about conspicuous imbibition.
While it is true that an attention to the tiniest detail can add more than just knowing about a wine, it is also true that if even a dreadful wine with a high price and a patrician provenance can be given a pass. And sometimes a pauper wine is sadly sidelined.
Thank you, Mr. Asimov, for standing the wall. No, not that wall, the wine wall. It's a challenging job, but someone has to do it.
7
Agree with the comments. My approval of the article is slightly tempered by the only phrase that goes against Asimov's principles is "if people have other priorities, that is fine with me." Is this the best way to indicate one's impartiality? Doesn't it smack of a judgment delivered?
4
I remember at a blind tasting, where at the end people were asked to raise their hand when the wine they liked best was presented, still by number, not price or brand.
One wine, I rated low until the second pass' which let it breathe more and moved to the top of my list.
When presented only about a third raised their hand, but when it was unveiled and shown to be a premiere Cabernet Sauvignon, suddenly twice as many hands shot up!
The individual running the tasting had some words which were profound then and remain so; to me.
They said, don't judge a wine by its price, recommendation, or brand. If you enjoy a low or medium priced wine you will be lucky if your tastes continue to stay in that realm, but the chances are, your tastes will evolve until you are eventually purchasing more expensive wines. Enjoy it while you can.
As far as wines from supermarkets being consumed more than boutique wines, take a look at countries where wine is a big part of their culture. I'm willing to venture more reasonably good tasting 'Table Wines' are consumed daily than 'Grande Cru wines'.
You must be doing a good job with your Wine School column to evoke such a wide spectrum of emotions. Keep it up!
8
Man, I'll tell you, that oak chip/saw dust infused mixed with cherry vanilla coke flavor of many California grocery store wines just makes me ill. I am super gun-shy about this genre of wines. Just awful stuff to my palate. I honestly don't know how anyone finds it to be palatable, but lots of people do! This week I had a nice bottle of Austrian Blaufrankisch for about $18 (same as the Meiomi), that was just bursting with fruit, but also had nice acidity and minerality to balance it as well as some earthiness. It was so good! If you are looking for it, you really can taste a different level of care and finesse in the wine. It's not just about paying more for wine, but about trying new wines from different places and comparing. But if you like Cherry Vanilla Smoky Oaky Coca Cola, have it!
7
Time and again wine snobs have been shown to be frauds.
Given a blind taste test, they will favor the cheaper bottle of wine if it is said to be more expensive. Put a little red food coloring in white wine and they will describe it in words usually reserved for reds. However everybody is searching for validation so I do not begrudge whatever avenue one takes in that pursuit.
7
Many BMWs now come with active sound enhancement. The high pitched turbocharger sound is modified by the audio system to give a cabin sound more like the lower frequency growl of years gone by. So dropping a few pieces of wood in vat of wine ... big deal.
4
You call it snobbery. I call it standards.
6
Nothing but two-buck chuck for you and your elitist brethren come the revolution Eric. And what will happen with all your fine cabernet noirs and chardonnay nouveaux? Why, we will keep it in the commissar's warehouse to, needless to say, share with the masses on appropriate occasions.
3
@Phil S.
Very amusing!
1
Wow ! That’s one big wood chip on your shoulder there.
The man said “feel free to drink what you want. I prefer well made wine”. He’s expressing a preference. You know blonde vs brunette.....and you’re talking about the coming revolution ?
The NYT hoists itself again on its populist petard. Rather embarassing and certainly condescending, to people who care about wine and those who don't. Whichever editor approved this should be required to drink a case of Meiomi before she can have a real pinot noir.
2
"Life is too short for a bad bottle of wine", said the owner of a wine store in Copenhagen in the mid 1990s.
We usually look to wine critics to encourage us to drink those good, even great bottles of wine, however they may be produced and however much they may cost. So long as they do not contain chemical wine, produced in a manner similar to how Kraft produces 'American' cheese, any assistance is welcome.
The drinker of wine looks to celebrate the craft of the producer through drinking its bottle. If a factory created wine can be made with craft (viz. an independent brewery), then such a recommendation should be taken in good faith. Otherwise it's Ripple for which my life is way too short to imbibe.
And were all wines like those many have sampled to their great delight in small local restaurants to enduring memory, we all could cease hunting!
2
I'm with the wine school crowd though I did begin with some processed wines. Like wine, I guess some folks evolve and others don't. And, I'm still evolving (hoorah). I am a fan of Asimov's (even read his wine memoir) but I think the article does come across judge-y, which is okay, just say so.
2
@David
Totally disagree. I suggest you re-read the piece. Asimov establishes himself as a member of one club - the one that delves into the nuances of every bottle and grape.
But he clearly respects those who just put wine on the weekly shopping list along with meat and milk.
3
The most enjoyable wine experiences I remember were the house wines served in small restaurants in Italy and France. These wines are not my favorite wines, they were just balanced and anonymous - perfect with local dishes made in a small, family-owned kitchen. They will never replace the great (and expensive) bottles, but somehow the memory of the linguine con vongole with a carafe of the house white stays with me 25 years later.
21
@ Betsy C Agreed! Sometimes the ambience and perfection of the moment make the experience sublime, despite, or perhaps because of the humble origins of the feast.
5
house wines in Europe = just right for getting a bit hammered and taking the sting out of knowing that you are getting reamed staying at some cr*ppy little pension or funky air bnb that did not look at all like the photos and realizing that you could have remained at home and used that 5 or 6 thousand $ to buy some truly exceptional vintages to really enjoy.......
@Betsy C I agree with that. Its not about the wine itself, it about the situation. The best wine that ever try was a cheaper burdeaux with the girl of my life for my birthday.
1
Well said Mr Asimov. Those of us that love wine that is crafted outside of a factory were reminded why we like these crafted wines over the factory made wines, it furthers our education and palate. Not to mention every once in a while we may find ourselves in a situation where we are faced with grocery store wine or a comparable ‘grocery store’ wine list at restaurant; we have to choose one of these factory wines to drink or maybe we will just have water. But our choice will be enlighten by your column. We all have friends and family that like these grocery store wines, it all makes the world a varied and fascinating place.
9
Nice piece of writing and, yes, I agree with your premise. Like most products wine presents a range of choice -- most consumers choose some version of the wines you identified. Why not try to help them out in your column? It's perfectly reasonable.
I am a CA resident that lives on the Central Coast and have immersed myself in the wonderful wines made out here and, yes, I am a wine snob as well. But I have a complaint -- wine snob wines typically go for north of $30 and it's very common to see wines north of $40 and $50. So being a wine snob carries a price. I frankly have a problem with that. Why is the wine so expensive? I know the arguments -- more care in the fields, biodynamic/organic growing, blah blah.
By contrast, you can buy wines from the Languedoc-Rousillion region (nice blends) for half the price. I know the strength of the dollar has something to do with it, but honestly....??? I was a great fan of the southern Rhone wines before moving to the left coast in 2001. A recent trip to Spain and the Languedoc reacquainted me with these old loves and i haver to say I'm returning to them as much for price as for the types of wine. The region is host to many fine wines for the $20 range that, frankly, are not processed and knock your socks off. What gives with wine snob wine prices? Vive la France!
13
@james russell
I could hardly agree more except to add that that there are terrific wines from Argentina, Chile, Portugal and Spain, and even, on occasion, from France, in the $10 range at outlets like Costco. I have not been particularly impressed by the few wines I've tried from the Central Coast -- at a higher price point -- although I do have some favorites from the Anderson Valley.
My assumption has been that some good wines are dumped on the California market so that overseas vintners can boast about their sales in California -- but you know the dangers of the verb "to assume"; however, if it's "over 90 points under $10", you can't go very far wrong, IMO.
For meritages, there's always Menage a Trois at the low and sweet end (some people like it there) and, for a better every day mass-market wine still under $10, Bogle Essential Red.
2
@GPS
i'd rather drink battery acid then ever let a drop of Bogle touch my lips again............
1
One needs only to read the majority of articles about wine written mainly by non-critics to get a sense of how much anxiety is caused by fermented grape juice. More often than not the author will conjure the image of some fictional wine snob to make their point. If one were to believe it, those of us that choose to spend our time and money in the pursuit of great wine experiences somehow deserve ridicule. Yet all of this comes as little surprise in our present social/political environment where it seems like anybody with even a little knowledge is to be despised.
7
Great article about consumers and marketing and choices and reasonable and ... adjectives! Wow a wine called "Apothic" Here´s a fun q about its etymologyhttps://www.rogerogreen.com/2015/03/23/the-word-apothic/ Hey thanks gang for giving those English grads some fun PR jobs..
How close our souls are to what we buy to consume, to show friends...
My, oh, my. Read the piece first, folks. Then comment. Maybe read it twice. Advice applies to anything and everything online. So many quick, throat-slashing attacks on most everything. Asimov was clear with the first column, which was great. But this second piece is also excellent! Thanks, Eric!
13
I worked in wine for several years. I would say half of my local friends work in the wine/beverage business as bar tenders, sommeliers, or sales people. We get together several times a month with other friends who are wine-curious, spend a little more money than we probably should, crack open bottles, make food, and taste. We have a lovely time comparing notes, disagreeing, and learning from each other.
I understand there are people out there who, several times a month go to sporting events, where the rising prices of tickets and merch. often cause them to spend a little more than they might want to given their income. They get together with family or friends, go to the concession stands, and enjoy watching and talking about the game they have spent a lot of time learning the nuances of.
If I'm not mistaken, there are a lot of sports columnists who dissect every element of professional sporting events, a gazillion dollar industry. I imagine they can be annoying to those outside the cognoscenti. Personally, I don't resent their passion or their expertise, or those of the fans that read them.
Thank you, Eric, for taking the time to share your expert knowledge, reflections, and tasting notes. I learn something every time I read your column.
32
I thought that a couple of important things were missing from this essay. Perhaps most important, was explicit recognition that decent quality is not only about price. Some of the comments (I haven’t read all of them) talk about how it’s possible to get good, inexpensive wine in Europe. But much good wine is available in that range here as well. Kermit Lynch, Neal Rosenthal, Joe Dressner are just a few importers with portfolios that include “agricultural-product” wines at both ends of the price spectrum and plenty in between. Eric Asimov himself includes multiple lists each year of wines in the price range of those featured in this column that are not mass-produced.
Also missing from this column were the usual quotes from readers about the wines: did any readers think they were delicious? As one of the small group of consumers (according to Mr. Asimov) who enjoys wine and food at all ends of the price spectrum—I care only that I find it to be delicious—I would have liked to read the comments of readers who were deeply satisfied (or appalled) by the taste of these wines.
2
Always budget-minded, upon retirement we moved from glamorous wine selection to scouting out the supermarket shelves, gradually recognizing the best of the $20 box wine was comparable to the $15-20 per bottle. We settled in on Black Box Cabernet or Red Blend.
Now we favor, really favor, Fronterra (Concha y Toro)Cabernet-Merlot blend, 1.5 L bottled. It's $7-8 750 ml, and when on sale at Winn-Dixie $7.99 1.5L
We still do celebrate with a glamorous California Cabernet, or a fine Ribera del Duero(SP), as we did when a suspected malignant lump in my lung was diagnosed benign, a "leftover scar" from a 14 yer old massive encounter with pulmonary embolisms.
Fine wine, Fine occasions.
Regular wine, regular occasions
20
Is there any hope for boxed wine? Specifically red? I've tried several, because I like one to 1.5 glasses of red in the evening with a meal and/or sipping. I don't like to open a bottle and leave half for the next day, and yes, I'm on a budget. They say the boxed wines keep for awhile, but I've yet to find one I'm enthralled with. Any suggestions for me, or should I just become a tea totaler?
4
@KCSMITH Had access to a box of Target Pinot Noir a year ago. It was absolutely drinkable. Not sure about their other boxes. A spray can of argon might do you well also - I've heard that it's the best way to save a bottle, as it sinks to the level of the wine, forming a layer between the wine and the oxygen. And finally, there are relatively inexpensive red wines that are pretty darn good a day or two or three later, although these do take finding. Grocery store wines with minimal tannins and acidity tend to oxidize very quickly.
@KCSMITH
Same here. I usually buy bottles with a screw cap for that reason. They last 3 or 4 days no problem. In Canada pretty much every bottle under 40 bucks comes in a screw cap.
1
Also, refrigerate the leftover wine. It slows down oxidization in my experience.
5
After reading this I withdraw my accusation of wine snob to Mr. Asimov as I misinterpreted the thesis of the wine school column. I would argue though that the manipulation of wine through artificial means has been going on since time immemorial, the addition of pine resin to make greek retsina being but one example, the addition of brandy to wine to produce port wine is another. And let us not forget that both these methods were used to stabilize the product so that it could be sold and shipped as part of the wine industry.
8
Missing from this reaction is the reality of the retail wine market- both retail and at wineries. The horrific marketing of grossly overpriced wines with no capability for aging or real quality that are the equivalent of the “processed” and “manipulated” mass-market wines excoriated in this article is the real scandal of modern wine “culture.” Taste Napa, the Willamette Valley, Mendoza or any contemporary wine region and what you’ll find are a minority of high quality wines crowded out by overpriced bottles mimicking the flavor profiles of mass-produced, industrial wines. And consumers led to small volume, “artistic” vintages that usually mimic industrial wines at 4-10 times their price.
Whether at a winery, a dedicated wine shop or your local grocery store, finding a quality, balanced and well produced bottle of wine is a challenge disproportionately weighted towards whatever is the latest wine fad. A 20 year old Riesling, an appropriately aged Barolo, an elegant chablis or a cost effective Bordeaux? A breakthrough New World red from Chile? Good luck finding any of these at your wine seller. Instead expect to be sold an obscure label with a taste profile maybe one step removed from the “manipulated” wines in this article at 3 times the price. And, conversely, expect consumers that can’t differentiate the difference between an immature cabernet needing to be decanted or aged further and an over-alcoholic and overmanufactured fruit bomb cabernet at $100 each. Caveat emptor.
6
The snobbery would fall like a rock if more "agricultural" wines are priced affordably. Millions of wine drinkers are middle class wage earners who are daily wine drinkers and just could not afford to spend $40 or more on a bottle of wine.
21
Europeans can enjoy decent wines on a daily basis for under 10 euros per bottle. They also produce a lot more wine per capita.
US - population 325 million - wine produced 24,000 hectoliters
France - population 67 million - wine production 46,000
Italy - population 60 million - wine production 49,000
Spain - population 46 million - wine production 41,000
13
@Paul
There are tons of "agricultural" wines that are absolutely affordable and similarly priced to the "grocery store" wines he tries here. NZ sauvignon blanc, cotes du rhone, cru bourgeois bordeaux, lots of entry-level white burgundy, many wines from the languedoc/roussillon, chianti classico, many german kabinett rieslings, etc etc etc are fantastic, are between $10 (apothic) and $18 (meiomi), and are absolutely these "agricultural products" Asimov is talking about. It doesn't have to be a class issue at all. Sure you can spend infinitely more, but you don't have to to drink the wines he's discussing here.
4
@Expat Steve
Good point. Also keep in mind that a lot of wines produced in Italy, Spain and France are being exported!
1
So who and where is the Ferran Adrià of wine, slouching towards the dark wine mills with wild ideas on molecular vinification?
3
The actor Michael Caine observed that the difference between Americans and Brits is that four Americans at a restaurant table will order the most expensive bottle of wine and sip it throughout the meal, while a table of Englishmen will order four cheap bottles and drain them all. I’m not a wine enthusiast, I do like reading this column to learn some things, but why be so derisive about wines for the common working joe? They remind me of the cheap house wines you can get at cafes in Europe that are no more expensive than sodas or mineral water. I don’t think folks over there get poetic about every bottle they open, either. It’s not a bad thing that wine is so common in America now that there are cheap easy drinking bottles for the masses.
11
@Joshua Krause fine, but those wines aren’t worth writing about. You want to read about those wines go read some ad copy.
1
The Apothic trademark belongs to Gallo, Meiomi belongs to Meiomi and The Prisoner belongs to Franciscan Vineyards (both Meiomi and Franciscan appear to belong, in turn, to Constellation Brands).
But Meiomi was started by Joe Wagner (Caymus Vineyards' Chuck Wagner's son) and sold to Constellation in 2015, which vastly increased production. However, the Winespectator liked the 2015 a lot, and it was presumably made prior to the sale. So if you can get your hands on a 2015 or earlier bottle, try comparing it with a contemporary bottle.
4
The argument is pretty much the same for beer.
1
I don't think you can change human nature in one column. Nice try, though.
4
Some 20 years ago, I tried to educate a friend, a white zin fan. I brought a red and a white, both “agricultural” wines in Eric’s terms, to a party. Both were decent, $20+, non-corporate bottles. She wasn’t impressed. I stopped trying to educate her. A couple years later she had a chance to share a really good red Bordeaux, well aged. She told me she loved the wine and, “OK, now I get it.”
3
To be honest, I never read your column before the one that sparked such pearl-clutching outrage. But hey: I tried two of your recommendations (the Prisoner is too pricey for me), and I liked both of them. So thanks very much for allowing me to peek inside a club whose members, it seems, look down on me. I, for one, look forward to your future columns
13
Several years ago, we hosted a "brown bag" wine party. We got bottles of house brands from Aldi, Trader Joes, and a couple of others and did a blind tasting. What was fascinating was that there were clear differences, with a split vote on "favorites". We then tasted the "winners" against a $15 dollar bottle of top shelf grocery wine, and the discount bottles compared favorably. Its about what you like.
4
If your experience is cheap beef cooked well-done a perfectly cooked wagyu rib steak will be an overpriced undercooked disappointment. If a breakfast biscuit from Hardee’s is your preferred way to start the day a sublime croissant from the typical bakery in Paris will be just an overpriced pastry. There are qualitative differences and personal inexperience is not a reason to discount the amazing wines outside the mass-market flavor profile. Especially once you realize your “taste” has been manipulated and processed by big corporations. Processed foods and processed wines: there are alternatives.
13
This discussion has had a distinctly negative on my enjoyment of a hitherto pleasant 11$ bottle, an Italian from TJ’s called “Casone”.
What the heck happened?
4
@RjW
I had a pleasantly surprised expression when I opened a gift bottle of Casone a few days ago. I had to search online to find it was from Trader Joe's (forgot who gave it to me, so I couldn't ask where it was purchased). Immediately went and bought three more to share with my friends at the Super Bowl party.
Great find!
Nothing finer than a box of California Red
2
@Rolloffdebunk
How about a open fermented wine made in large beeswax coated terracotta urns ; Old Pompeii.
Better known as Mas des Tourelles
I do not know wine, but I will say that the corner bistro can ruin a burger with its creativity (most often meaning blue cheese and guanciale), and Minetta Tavern's "Black Label Burger" is a scam. The good faith of artisinal producers is not above suspicion.
6
@Patrick Minetta’s Black Label burger is insanely good.
3
Chill out. Eric loves wine, probably more than most of us as it is his profession. I love wine. We don’t love the same wines. We haven’t enjoyed the same wines. If he loved every wine he tried his column would be awfully boring. Eric, thank you for expanding my horizons.
18
Asimov must have missed the part where choice of wine stands in for class status, and thus, of course he was going to send people off their rocker by suggesting that they be seen buying and consuming something indicating lower social status.
4
I have a brother who is genuinely fearful of drinking from my bottles because he enjoys his "$5 Walmart bottles" and doesn't wish to bear the expense of an improved palate. What are you gonna do? Some people prefer Kraft singles to English Farmhouse.
14
@Kevin
Awesome.
3
The very best part of my day, every day, is lounging about on the sofa, sipping wine, reading and writing comments to the NYT. The Husbands gone off to bed, the TV is on low for background noise, it's calm. Just the perfect way to relax, and prepare for sleep.
Happy dreams.
12
If you want interesting well made wines look for imported by Kermit Lynch on the bottle...
8
I prefer grape juice to most wines: all the taste without any of the bitter attitude.
3
Absent from this column is the main predictor of wine choice -- cash. I would love to drink a complex "agricultural" product on the regular but I can't rationalize spending $40 for an "affordable" bottle of wine. And yeah, I kinda resent a dude whose job is paying for his wine to not even acknowledge this most obvious barrier.
16
There is plenty of agricultural wine out there for under 15 to 20$, mostly non USA.
8
But there are plenty of readily available wines (not necessarily ‘agricultural’) in the $10-$20 range that are way more interesting than the three wines he wrote about. Nowhere does he suggest that you have to spend a lot of money to explore a little.
2
Glad I wasn’t the only one turned off by that first column. After the latest piece, especially after a jump to the Anderson Valley wines, I’m done. This stuff is for the one percent — of Times readers — notwithstanding that old get-out-of-jail-free card of quoting two opposing views and implying a 50-50 split. The restrained condescension, the dog-whistle calls to the elite, the complete detachment from fiscal reality, add up to nothing worthwhile for most of us who enjoy a glass.
7
Any effort that encourages people to drink wine, as opposed to coolers and other such alcoholic horrors, is to be applauded. Nothing at all wrong with mass produced wines sold in supermarkets and much to commend them -- they are affordable to more people, and they enrage snobs.
4
I selected this column out of curiosity about the headline, whose terminology suggested to me a hint of refreshing, confessional honesty about the subject. After a few judicious moments indulging in the opening sentences, I settled down to consume the full composition and comments, while casually indulging in a meal of reheated pasta and leftover salad. Upon completion of this essay, I found that my thirst for opinion was quite quenched. The column, while somewhat heady, was a little overly dry, with notes of subtle hurt and defensiveness, and a slight touch of lingering bitterness. Disarming, yet resentful. I would recommend serving with a grain or two of salt.
32
@The blind lady with the scales - AWESOME post!
4
I don't normally read your column; only reading it this time because of your father. Reading this I can't help but reflect how your well reasoned prose and acceptance of other opinions (if not their validity) reminds me so much of his reasoning. The association between your writing and his... will probably force me to read this regularly and drink the wine you mention to better follow your conversation.
Have you previously formulated The Three Laws of Wine, and I missed it?
3
@Chris He is Issac's nephew, not son.
3
@Joseph Oh thank you, I was indeed wondering! Asimov is not a common name and I figured there was a connection with my favorite author.
Well done Eric!
If the only wines that were consumed were those of the “wine school” genre the wine industry would be very smaller if it existed at all. 35- 40% of all wine is sold in the grocery channel so it’s amusing that you took so much flack over what are arguably wines on the cusp of being finer wines. It’s not as if you said go get a real grove wine like Yellow Tail or Cavit Pinot Grigio. I also applaud you for pointing out that there’s no such thing as gateway wines. Those of us in the wine trade make this argument when justifying the “lesser” items in our portfolios to suppliers, banks and backers. As you noted, in fact folks drink what they like without regard for our pronouncements. Btw, Meiomi didn’t start out as an industrial brand. The first vintages were well made Pinot Noirs and would be hardly recognizable next to today’s iteration! Thanks for a great column and discussion!!
3
A few decades ago I was a subject in a study that compared the descriptions of different wines by wine amateurs (like me) and wine experts (people who reviewed and rated wines). The experts were found to agree quite well with one another in the descriptive terms they independently applied to various unidentified wines. We amateurs not only did not agree with each other but did not even agree with ourselves when unknowingly tasting the same wine twice. Conclusion: wine amateurs do not know what they are talking about. From this I gather that people who like wine and believe they have some discrimination should either (a) acquire a modicum of expertise by trying to detect the subtleties wine experts identify (a rather expensive education) or (b) just go with what they like and don't pay much attention to what experts say.
7
I think Eric makes a really good point here. To summarize:
1. Fans of mass-produced wines are looking for consistency and don't want to spend much time/effort thinking about wine.
2. Fans of wines as agricultural product are more interested in the variety that wine offers. Consistency isn't just something that they focus on, it is actually the OPPOSITE of what they find attractive about wine.
How many wine connoisseurs want to drink the same wine all the time? I'm going to guess the answer is virtually none. They value variety, and understanding that variety (what causes it, how grapes and regions and producers and processes and weather and climate influence it) is part of what they enjoy.
19
@Adam Excellent post, and the one that most precisely echoes my feelings toward wine. Well said!
1
Many of the comments here seem to positively reinforce some of the points that Eric made - that if you like it, that's what should matter.
We can all point out wines that we 'like' or feel 'are better' - but these are individual, subjective viewpoints which pretty much tell others that they are 'wrong' for liking what they like.
Look, if you feel that $20 is too much to spend on a bottle of wine, then don't do it. You may never know what you're missing, or you may have already determined that, to you, you don't find enough 'value' or 'enjoyment' over this level.
And for those who do enjoy those wines, great - but others who do not are not 'wrong'. And it's not that they don't 'get it' - they just prefer not to drink these wines.
One of the important points that Eric made was that many assume that these supermarket wines, and other wines like white zinfandel, are 'gateway' wines, and that you'll 'grow out of them' with experience and exposure. This is not necessarily true - and I need to 'correct' folks all of the time in my tasting room who believe it is.
Drink what you like - and please, wine industry and other wine consumers, do NOT make anyone feel bad or wrong for drinking and enjoying what they do . . .
Cheers.
8
It has been more interesting reading the response to the article than the article itself. I did enjoy reading the article to learn more about that category of wine, though personally I don’t drink those wines. What’s interesting is the response which has little to with Mr. Asimov’s reason for writing the article in the first place. I’m amazed at how many responses by readers going straight to price as the starting point for a discussion bashing expensive wines, or completely putting the whole discussion down by saying inebriation can be achieved with a shot of vodka, so who cares. To those people, why are you even looking at The Wine School articles in the first place? For those of us who enjoy wine, and reading about wine, price is never a reason to get angry. I understand the drinking Petrus nightly may not be economically possible, but I love the fact that wines like that exist. Just because I love wine does not mean I drink DRC nightly. Good wine can be frightfully expensive and very affordable at the same time. I enjoy Wine School articles and will frequently do a tasting based on what I read, as I consider it fun. If I decide to spend a little on a bottle of wine, it does not make me wasteful, as I’m sure many of the readers who were putting down expensive wine, have hobbies that they waste money as well. I can’t wait for his follow-up article to supermarket wines, I’ll pour a glass of Crémant di Bourgogne ($18 a bottle and delicious) and sit back and wait.
10
We've had the $50 bottles of wine (very good) and also the $10 - $15 bottles of red and white "table" wines, including Apothic. (We like the red, but their white wine is pretty bad - too sweet.) Table wines were just about all we drank in Italy. They were inexpensive, had a pleasant taste, and went well with our meat, pasta, and fish dishes.
My father was a pretty advanced collector of wines and over the years, he introduced me to some truly outstanding reds, particularly Paulliacs. But he also introduced me to inexpensive but tasty German white table wines, mostly Rheingaus and Moselle wines that were dry and not sweet. And delightful reds from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa (and one of my favorites from Napa, Grgich Hills '89 and '95).
Different wines for different tastes. Apothic is nice with a steak or pasta out on the deck on a warm summer night. I'm primarily a beer drinker, but I can digest Apothic without much trouble, something I can't do with some single-grape vintages.
it's all good! Drink what you like and enjoy the meal.
3
The best Eric Asimov column? 20 for under $20.
Wish he would do it twice a year.Not every wine he recommends is widely available however I enjoyed most of whatever I could find.Thanks Eric
15
@Marcus
Thank you for reminding us about Eric’s great “20 under $20” column. It seems many of the outraged commenters are not aware of that column, and I agree it would be great if that theme could be revisited on a more regular basis.
On another note, there are many affordable “non-processed” wines made in Europe. However, by the time the shipping costs and the multitude of US wine distribution costs are taken into account, this unfortunately raises the end cost to the retail consumer considerably.
6
As a wine lover, I cannot understand why the author doesn’t think that he sound snobbish.
I live by the dictum from the first wine tasting class I took: There is no good wine or bad wine, drinkable or unpalatable wine. There are wines that I like or don’t like.
I have participated in blind tastings where one of the two favorite wines voted by the group was an expensive vintage while the other was a so-called “supermarket wine”.
Wine isn’t like water, which is either potable, or non-potable and can make one sick. Drinking wine is not essential to life. The term “drinkable” is a matter of personal preference and could depend on a person’s finance and other circumstances. To me, the use is the word “drinkable” to describe a wine just sounds snobbish.
14
Yes! You've summed up the impact of this column perfectly. He seems unable to,recognize the purely subjective nature of criticism. A critic might write a glowing review of a movie I found dull, sappy...whatever. That doesn't mean the movie was 'bad.' I just didn't like it.
2
At the end of the day ( cocktail hour) experimenting with various wines from different countries will lead you what you like.
For me variety itself is the secret sauce.. If I drank my top pick wine three days in a row I’d get tired of it.
Going from France to California to Italy to Spain keeps it interesting. Just when I
it seems I’ve found a favorite area or varietal, something new and unfamiliar tastes even better. Then, for verification and nostalgic pleasure it’s back to a basic Bordeaux, Rioja, or Napa. Variety is the spice of this strategy.
6
Of course I would enjoy a $50-100 bottle of wine. But I will never pay for such a bottle. It wouldn't break my bank but it would break my values of what is worth it and what is not. I stopped buying "special bottles" a long time ago and decided that $12 is about all I want to pay, and that's that. I'll spend a few extra bucks on a bottle I give to a dinner host. Anything more than that feels like an extravagance to me. It *is* about snobbery and class, if a person is disparaged for enjoying what one can and chooses to afford.
17
@Craig My father lives near Asheville. A few months ago he replaced his "working fine" late model sedan, with a new car, and a monthly payment of probably $450, where the car he traded in was paid for.
We were out at a wine shop together, and I was looking at some of the exorbitantly priced bottles. My dad expressed the same sentiments you do - he'd enjoy such a wine, he COULD afford it, but never would pay that much - at which point I mentioned "some people budget $400 a month for great wines to drink, and other choose to spend that monthly on a new car payment." I think he understood! A teachable moment.
2
I am a part time sommelier. I do beverage consulting and I drink a lot of wine. I think the major disconnect I see from people is that many think wine is wine.
It’s not. The author fails to explain this distinction well enough in either article.
Grapes picked by hand, sorted for quality fruit by trained eyes, then processed on site without travel time at an estate vineyard, fermented in French oak barrels, and aged on premises for years, simply costs more than industrial produced grape juice picked by machine and irrigated to produce maximum volume. If yellow tail Chardonnay retails for $4.99 the consumer makes the mistake thinking it is a similar product to a Louis Jadot Macon village. They both might be Chardonnay made overseas but they couldn’t be further apart as a product.
This is wine that is only 5-10 dollars apart in price. Take the same example and switch to reds and people don’t understand the cost structure that goes into a $40 bottle of Anderson valley Pinot noir.
One isn’t better than the other, they are not remotely the same thing.
In addition to not understanding why good wine costs more people also fail to understand the increasing cost of doing business the wine industry under. In 1990 Napa wine could be fantastic for $10-20 dollars a bottle. Today that simply isn’t possible due to rising labor/land/marketing costs. The same wine your parents had for cheap in the 90s costs twice as much today. If this is wine school I would start with these lessons.
57
Buying small batch, carefully grown and produced wines is a great pleasure. Like produce from the farmers market or ethically sourced meat it tastes better and it’s better for you and the land. I love meeting the producers and I appreciate the care that goes into these products. Living in B.C. we have access to some really wonderful small growers in the Okanagan if you get a chance to try their wines you should! There is so much to learn about wine and so many to try it seems a little dull to have the same experience with every bottle. I love learning from these articles and a writer who really loves his subject. In high tax Canada even the plonk is pricey so we just have to look a little harder for those great wine experiences and maybe drink a little less.
7
I've lived abroad four years including a year in Italy and often returned to visit friends there. This whole exercise would be greeted by gales of hilarity from my Italian friends. I've shared many a bottle with them; a few have been miminally palatable alone and okay with food. Others, often from local wineries, have been quite exceptional. None ever cost more than $6-8. I've been drinking wine for 50 years and there are a few wines for which I'm willing to spend $30-$40 on special occasions, but I've had some wretched expensive wines at the table of well-to-do friends. If I'm allowed to choose the $9-$12 wines, I'll be glad to give odds that most "sophisticated" wine drinkers would not be able to consistently tell, for example, my favorite South African Sauvignon Blanc ($10) from a California Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc at $100 a bottle.
My wife and I have a glass and a half every evening with dinner and, while we are comfortably middle class, we would find it obscene to spend $40 every couple of nights (over $7,000 a year) .
I agree with several letter writers that the NYT increasingly seems to cater (restaurant reviews/vacation hotels/fashion, etc. ) to a clientele living along Manhattan's 5th Avenue between E 64th and E 65th where the median price of homes is $36 million.
And when products are pitched to the wretched masses making less than a million a year, they are often accompanied by condescending comments. This is not America, folks.
63
@D Carter Well, it is the NEW YORK Times... and a $40/bottle is $8/glass - less than the cocktail before dinner at most restaurants.
1
Wine is just another way to consume alcohol. Any discussion beyond this is a debate on the best recipe for presenting it to your palate. My local Kroger's, in addition to the three bottles discussed here, has a locked cabinet featuring a number of wines priced above $200 a bottle. They must have some recipe! A small glass of extremely chilled vodka (very dry martini) has the same effect on the frontal cortex and with a much more efficient use of funds.
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@L D Fraley
Thanks for the excellent analogy - i feel the same way about substance transferrence - reminds me of the past when i figured out that a couple of bong hits had the same effect on the frontal cortex/cerebral cortex as a nice blast of heroin.......
I drink Surf Swim Chardonnay almost everyday. $13 a bottle at Publix. After the first glass I couldn’t tell the difference if you switched it on me. Life is too important to take expensive wines seriously.
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Here, I guess, I the problem. This column assumes (as does quite a bit of Times content) that Times readership implies a degree of intelligence. So far, so good. But it then extrapolates this into an assumption that this mental capacity translates well into earning power and disposable income. I have imbibed wines across at least some price and quality spectrum, and indeed I do wish I could afford to be drinking $20-50 bottles with my evening meal and while savoring a nice afternoon out on the deck. But... that's not my life, and I don't think that it's the life of that broad a segment of subscribers. Talk about one-percenters! I have no interest in telling Mr. Asimov or his employers that they may not publish valid content that nicely supports that cohort of well-heeled, discriminating readers. But I still need to fill my basement rack with the best that can be found in the $10-15 range, and find these far better than drinking no wine at all. I wish very much that this publication could support my needs as well without considering doing so to be bowing to the wishes of the unwashed masses. If there needs to be a place here for those who can make a regular place for the best and near-best, can we not assign someone with less demanding sensibilities to help the rest of us do the best we can?
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@KS
there is plenty of delicious wine in the non-branded "agricultural product" category Asimov discusses for $10-15. Base level white burgundy, most cotes du rhone, chinon, NZ sauvignon blanc, cava, prosecco, beaujolais, lots of cru bourgeois bordeaux, etc etc etc is between $10 (apothic) and $18 (meiomi) so it's not like he's saying you have to spend $100/bottle to get that type of product. If you think he's exhorting you spend tons of money, i think you're misreading the article.
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@KS literally nowhere does he mention price as an arbiter of quality.
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@KS If you know what you want and where to buy it, you don't need this column - and for $10-$15 a bottle you can experiment on your own and within a meager budget - I do, usually, and sometimes try to seek out some other wines he has written about.
Supermarkets are convenient and appropriate for mass marketing and low pricing. I have had better luck going to a local competitor to Whole Foods. The store had the sense to hire a knowledgeable person to run their wine dept. I recently bought Terlan Pinot Grigio Traditional at $17/bottle on his recommendation, and will pick up another 4 on my next trip. The wine is soft, approaching a good Gavi di Gavi, for about 1/2 the price.
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@GP
The "Terlan" you are referring to is perfect example.
Terlan is an cooperative from Südtirol. While cooperatives were established in 19th century in Europe as instruments against bitter hardship of vintners owning small plots many of them are decent reliant suppliers for all kinds of wines in many quality classes - even top ranks - nowadays. (No wonder, they are sending their kids to wine universities and use the same methods like top estates do.)
Proceeding is generally restricted by EU terms.
It´s "decent basic" in Terlan´s own assessment system. See the great "identity card" here:
http://www.cantina-terlano.com/en/wine/pinot-grigio/2017/
Exemplary.
You see: Lot´s of features and conditions for "basic", but this is part of the specific quality strategy of this specific producer and this is how it ought to be. According to this your wine is not "proceeded".
Even those cooperative offering different quality categories - thirst quenchers for instance where mechanized processes for the cultivation and harvesting are used - have similar quality lines. This is not unique at all.
Few basic wines of Terlan and some of other European cooperatives with similar quality philosophies are availaible in my local suburb supermarket here - standing side by side with slightly proceeded wines according to much tighter EU terms on oenological practices and processes. This is a useful entry-level - but only then.
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Loved the article Eric as you DO have a way with words!
I have watched the price of The Prisoner go up considerably over the past two years, much to my dismay. I am now going to avail myself of the other two wines you wrote about!
Regards,
JC Skidmore
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I have been enjoying wine for four decades. The longer I do, the less I spend on average per bottle. It isn't easy to find a carefully crafted
"agricultural product" that is as pleasant as a mass produced wine at the same price.
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White Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio and now Pinot Noir. Meiomi is like K-J. It’s a recipe at a price that appeals to many. There are hundreds of better wines out there.
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The local liquor store sells wines called Naked Cowboy and Naked Cowgirl. I'm no wine snob (I drink Walmart's Oak Leaf wine) but I wouldn't touch Naked Cowboy or Naked Cowgirl with a ten foot pole. Names ought to have at least a little bit of decorum. Although I do like Cardinal Zin and Seven Deadly Zins just for the names.
5
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Wine reviewers are in a tough spot. They are forced to argue over matters of taste, and this means trying to establish universally recognized benchmarks with regards to wine. Hence the various (and often mocked) descriptors of wine. More embarasssing for them, blind taste tests show that most palates, even the experts, cannot distinguish between expensive wine and cheap wine (this is how "new world" wines even got into the game), so the markup on expensive wines as well as the awards/reviews handed out are viewed as fraudulent.
Maybe it's true, the new processed wine is so unpalatable that anyone could tell the difference...yet telling the difference and actually liking/not liking a wine are still two different things.
I say blind taste them all, processed vs expensive vs midrange, with experts and non-experts, and see what wines are liked, and disliked, and see if the pattern is anything other than a scatter plot.
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Both of my grandfather's made their own wines. Neither, in the retrospect provided by decades of drinking wine since, was anything to sing or dance about, but they taught me something about what fermented grape juice could be -- or not. I don't judge anyone by which wines they choose to drink -- and neither should any of Asimov's readers. Enjoy the wine for what it is and what it means to you and your palate. I still enjoy a glass of wine made from Concord or Niagara grapes -- even though I enjoy brighter, more acidic and slightly tannic blends on a regular basis. Go with the flow -- or the pour.
7
One of my problems with high end wine is consistency, both in taste and availability. It's hard to develop a nice "house" wine or "special occasion" wine when they keep changing. And, of course, the way the wine tasted at the restaurant may be completely different from the way it tastes at home. Favorites, at least for vineyard and year, can be hard to find.
Some predictability is much appreciated. It might make a good column identifying wineries that consistently produce wines that have a certain quality or taste and that are generally available.
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@Eero
EXACTLY !
There is nothing worse than purchasing a $195 bottle of
Far Niente and realizing that it did not taste at all like the last vintage you enjoyed-
2
At yesterday’s super bowl party a friend gave me a glass of his homemade wine. I almost sputtered it out over the white carpet. The overpowering vinegar notes were anything but mellow. It made my next drink taste pretty good, warm old Milwaukee. I had a blast. Bad booze can be more fun than good! The food was fabulous.
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@Diane And with that game as it was, a lot of booze, bad or otherwise, was needed :-).
1
Thank you Eric for elucidating your thoughts on this controversial matter. I am a California native who now, with my husband, makes small production wines in Italy. I was a wine lover before I came here but my perception completely changed as I participated in making the wine. For the record, I always loved the wines in Anderson Valley and felt that that place represented a more down to earth manifestation of the grape.
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Thank you, Mr. Asimov, for this article, which, among other things, confirms that the foundational purpose of digital culture (and comments sections, in particular) is to nurture and sustain a constant state of fulminating rage.
Without a glass of wine by my side, I cheerfully submit that one of the many pleasures of wines is their infinite variety and range. I submit this: pick the right wine for the right place and the right time. A hotdog on a soft steamed bun may not be the height of gastronomy, but it's a perfect food while watching the Montreal Canadiens play at the Bell Centre. Same for wine.
Classified '82 Bordeaux is, for me, human (and Nature's) perfection, but I've tasted wine in a can that was refreshing and a welcome change from beer while eating picnic food. I've enjoyed passable wine in a box with a plate of pasta. Why not review and comment on these types of wines as Mr. Asimov is doing?
Fact is, the price-value quotient for wine - when you're not locked into marquee names or regions - is all over the map. With a little curiosity, one finds many wines without marketing budgets/brand recognition punching well above their weight - which make experimenting a pleasant diversion and adventure at all price points. Like eating hotdogs or Fritos or Devil Dog cakes, enjoying the right wine is a matter of context.
While it defeats the primary purpose of social media to project one's boundless infuriation, I propose an open, genial approach to experience.
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@A re: "confirms that the foundational purpose of digital culture (and comments sections, in particular) is to nurture and sustain a constant state of fulminating rage."
That's awesome. With bonus marks for spelling "Canadiens" correctly.
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@A Love "...to nurture and sustain a constant state of fulminating rage." !
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I tried the Apothic last night. My first thought was too sweet, Welches grape juice, but it mellowed out after standing for a while. My conclusion is that I can find many delightful Oregon Pinot Noirs, and Washington reds at around the same price point, so I won’t be buying it again.
I enjoy wine, but as a retiree, am mindful of my budget and find great satisfaction in finding wines that suit my palate at affordable prices. In this I am following my father’s advice. I am originally from the UK, and my London-based family often vacationed in France, Italy and Portugal, tasting local wines and noting the appellation and vineyards, so they could find these affordable, drinkable wines back home.
We do the same here in Washington and also the Okanagan valley in BC. Makes a great vacation theme.
I encourage the NYT (and it’s readers) to look more closely at our Pacific Northwest wines, which I find a bit less “fruit forward” than California wines, so more to my taste.
Also, climate change should be of concern to all who enjoy wine. It is changing the wine producing world.
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@Phillippa Kassover
If you can find a store that carries them, try South African wines. There are some which are really excellent and they are very reasonably priced.
8
@Eero I too prefer PNW wines to Californian for the same reason, but have yet to taste a SA red wine I liked (have only tasted 3-4 admittedly). Any brands/varietals that you'd recommend would be appreciated.
1
@Phillippa Kassover PNW wines may or may not be changing the world but the wondrous wines of the Willamette Valley, Walla Walla, Southern Oregon, Chelan, Columbia Valley as well as Western Idaho have changed my mind and increased my enjoyment of the Doctor's recommendation that I have a glass of wine with dinner (my cardiotonic) instead of a glass of beer or ale.
I understand how the reaction to the author's perfectly reasonable exercise in appreciation might make him a bit defensive. And in today's atmosphere of perpetual outrage, I imagine that many of the comments were excessive. It's only wine, after all. But today's response is not completely satisfying.
Yes indeed, people should enjoy what they like and not be criticized for it. However, the argument ultimately boils down to a suggestion that "There are a lot of people who enjoy drinking bad wine". A very defensible point of view, but the author should not expect them to thank him for it.
6
@ERP re: However, the argument ultimately boils down to a suggestion that "There are a lot of people who enjoy drinking bad wine".
If a lot of people think a wine is good, can it still be pronounced "bad"?
It's akin to saying a film like "Life of the Party" isn't funny. You might not find it funny, but there are too many people laughing to say it isn't.
I get a kick out of a wine critic who extrapolates their personal physiology (taste) to decree that a wine exhibits florid characteristics beyond the discernment of 96% of the population.
6
I have friends who love to play golf, but can't afford the finest clubs, and also can't afford to play the better courses. They simply love to play with friends, so they hack away at local municipal courses.
Not everyone can afford a $40 bottle of wine all that often. Or they choose to spend their dollars elsewhere, while still enjoying less expensive wines.
Isn't enjoyment what it's all about?
57
Of the three wines mentioned in the article, I've only tasted the Apothic. It isn't the worst wine I've ever had but it is far from the best. It stuck me as a typical Gallo product--it won't kill you but it isn't very interesting. And at its price point there are more interesting wines from Portugal or Chile. Before I would spend $42 on something like the Prisoner, I would cheerfully spend a lot less than that and get a saperavi from the Finger Lakes region where I live. Saperavi is a red wine grape originally from the country of Georgia that actually thrives in this climate and makes fine wine that ages well.
4
@Andrew Gillis I would love to find a Saperavi or 2 from the Finger Lakes. I mostly drink European wine, and love to find good examples of obscure grape varieties. This is the kind of wine I would look for.
1
@Bob R
Look for Saperavi from Standing Stone on Seneca Lake--you won't be disappointed.
Wine is for fun. It's a beverage of pleasure. Just like any other pleasurable activity or interest. One can get absorbed in the details, or variations, or complexities, or not. I think Mr. Asimov is making this point. Who cares as long as you're enjoying it?
25
Perhaps you could share a list of sub-$10 red wines that you feel are "agricultural" and worth drinking. Now that might find a large and happy reception from your readers.
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@I Reid
small production wines are expensive to produce
3
Try reversewinesnob.com, he tracks and reviews wines usually under $10. Some are good, some are ok.
Just another point of view.
6
This would be interesting for Eric Asimov to try, as typically the price range he references as price-performance is $15-$20/$25, so out of the range of most people’s spending for daily drinking.
There exists a big gap between beer and wine pricing for everyday drinking, seems to me.
2
I like wine. I dislike Apothic Red because it's so heavy and sweetish ("jammy"), so I didn't try the others. That said, wine snobs bore me. I have a very good friend who is a genuine super-taster and knows a lot about wines of all varieties. This same friend still loves white zins (Koolaid to me) because "they are just so gulpable."
To each his own, and it's no skin off anybody else's nose.
15
“You should not look to others for validation”. Words to live by.
38
Not snobbish? Oh, please! The comparison of the wine to Kool-aid was just a statement that some people like Kool-aid and that's just fine? FYI the sugar content of Kool-aid that comes already sweetened is ~16 g in 8 oz compared to 1-2 grams for the wines mentioned here.
25
Determining the amount of sugar in wine by tasting is non-trivial as the effects of acidity are confounding. Many people have difficulty detecting less than 4-5 g/l. That being said, the numbers quoted above are much lower than that listed in other sources.
The sugar content of Kool Aid is about 107 g/l.
https://www.myfooddiary.com/foods/7293345/kool-aid-grape-drink?q=33.8
The sugar content of Apothic Red is about 15 g/l.
https://winefolly.com/review/sugar-in-wine-chart/
Consider about 4 eight ounce pours in a liter for a conversion.
2
The idea of this wine column is pretentious by definition, and a waste of column inches in what is supposed to be the most important NEWSpaper in America.
Of course people think the wine they choose reveals something about their character, their class, their taste, their finances.
If they didn't this column wouldn't exist.
No offense intended, but it's all about snobbery, no matter how often you decry or deny it.
The NYT is turning into a lifestyle magazine for the wealthy.
It's distressing, indeed.
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@ historylesson Norwalk, CT
Wholly agree with you that there is a great amount of snobism attached to one's talking, writing, and publicizing one's wine preferences. This reminds me of an old movie of Richard Benjamin, playing a young New York lawyer, aspiring to admission to the wealthy circles, and collecting wine labels with praiseful or deprecating comments. At the end, his snobism leads to his loss of job and poverty.
3
@historylesson I'm not opposed to a wine column per se, but I do agree about the NYT becoming "a lifestyle magazine for the wealthy." What's particularly distressing is that appealing to the rich may be necessary these days to finance the newsroom. Hopefully this won't affect the content of the actual news – if it hasn't already.
6
@historylesson What is pretentious about reviewing wine? Do you think the same about books, movies, autos, etc.? If so or not so, why? Not all of the content of the NYT will appeal to all readers, which is as it should be.
5
We served the Meiomi and a similarly priced white wine for our wedding. When serving 150 people, it’s helpful to have a relatively affordable bottle that most people will enjoy.
Not everyone buys wine on a regular basis, and not everyone can afford to expend the time, money, and research necessary to find sophisticated small batch bottles they enjoy. Articles like this are helpful, and we could use more like it.
27
I don't drink wine but this column is well written. Informative, well structured, provocative and even a hint of personal. Loved it, thank you.
38
I don't see enjoyment of these mass-market wine as mutually exclusive with enjoyment of finer wines. Few people can afford to share a $25 bottle over a weeknight dinner. Yet the same people might drop $25 (or three to four times that in a restaurant) for dinner with guests. There are many bottles in the $10 range that are perfectly enjoyable (if not quite as interesting) to a sophisticated palate.
46
@Anon: AND...that $25 bottle of wine, is in reality, a $6-8 bottle in the store. The mark-up is 3-4 times cost. Better to bring a better ($25 +) bottle that you purchased at a wine shop, and pay the corkage charge at the restaurant. A much better deal, all around. Of course, only if your state or local authorities or restaurant will allow it. In Chicago corkage at most places will be in the $15-35 range. Works for me!
3
Perfectly reasonable...but the real prob is, it’s just about impossible to get a good bottle of wine in this country on the cheap. France manages, Spain, South Africa, Chile. We can’t.
No, they’re not great wines. But they are everyday-drinkable wines that don’t go down like cough syrup, and don’t have a ton of alcohol.
Why?
29
One of the “mass produced” bottles that people are sniffy about retails roughly for $42? This shows how rarified this column and discussion have become. There are perfectly fine bottles from smaller vineyards for half that price or less at retail. $42 is a very expensive wine to virtually everybody in the USA.
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@Michael Richards
It can be expensive and mass-produced; the "mass produced" part refers to how its made and sold, rather than its price point. It is perfectly consistent, focus-group-tested to ensure precisely the consumer response intended by corporate market strategy. That is an approach that pleases many people, but it isn't the "craft" appreciated by this column - which has little to do with the bottle price.
16
There was quite a bit of unexamined economic privilege in the earlier comments - in a local wine shops, a "cheap" bottle is $40. If I go to a local wine bars, an average glass is $15.
For a lot of people, $40 is a week's worth of groceries. $15 is more than they earn in an hour. And what if there's no specialty wine shop nearby? Are they "unsophisticated" because they didn't have time to drive to the nearest city, because they had to pick their kids up and get dinner on the table?
Sure, that $6 Pinot Grigio at your local supermarket might not be very complex, it might not be the best wine in the world - but I'm not going to judge a frazzled mom of 4 for enjoying a glass. It's not a competition.
133
Katherine- what does that response have to do with the intent of the article? The intent was to educate and differentiate. Nothing that you wrote has anything to do with learning. Great wine can be purchased online at a great price. Whether one want to learn about wines is a completely different discussion, and has nothing to do with what you wrote.
12
After shifting from your original basis a bit, the article gets more and more to the point (preachy, probably, but not whiny). A good read!
But a simple thought—can you find three mass-market wines that you actually have good things to say about? Or is that impossible? And if impossible, tell use why! A great experiment that deserves more. Your column is all about understanding wine and why some wines might be more enjoyable to some than others. Sometimes!
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@W Jaeger
Agricultural vs. industrial. That’s the answer. One is obliged by uniformity, the other is free to experiment and take risks.
1
Well said Eric. You’re the best.
17
I grew up in a wine loving family. My crib room was wall papered with wine bottle labels that my parents had removed and saved. Wine and its appreciation have been an integral part of my life and career. But I despise the snobbery factor and the false sense of sophistication and superiority that goes along with it.
Drink what you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it and keep your trap shut if other people do. End of story.
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@TLibby Exactly. Here in Mexico we get excellent wines from South America (Chile and Argentina) and from Europe that I did not find when I lived in the US. The Mexican wines, however, are usually overpriced and often not to my palate. My favorite US red wine was Zinfandel: Rosenblum, Ridge, and a few others of similar character. Can't be found easily here, but I have been buying Primitivo Salento from Italy and a wonderful Spanish Garnacha from Campo de Borja that satisfy my taste for high alcohol, varietal wines like the big zins of California. Also available are some excellent Tempranillos from Spain.
6
@J Chaffee Forgot about the grape I discovered here in Mexico, never having seen it in the US. It is a Sicilian red, Nero D'Avola, and though some of it is poorly produced, there is a vineyard, Principi di Butera, that makes an excellent varietal from it.
3
@J Chaffee Nero d'Avola can be found here and there. Cusumano does a lovely one that retails for less than $12.
3