Recognizing Sweet and Sour Grapes : The Annual Best and Worst of the Wine Industry in ’86

This is the time of year to make my annual “Grape” awards, consisting of Sweet Grapes (cheers), Sour Grapes (jeers) and Sediment (downright awful)

Sweet Grapes--To American wine consumers who are vigorously resisting excessive wine pricing for big-name claret and Burgundy by returning to California and Italian wines. In fairness, the rise of the French franc is one factor, whereas a what-the-traffic-will-bear attitude may be another.

Sweet Grapes--To the legions of new-to-wine white Zinfandel lovers who are demanding drier styles, with several upscaling to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Sediment, however, for still avoiding red Zinfandels, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

Sweet Grapes--To the many California wineries that are discarding generic labeling such as Chablis and Burgundy. At the current pace, all such labeling should be eliminated in a few years.

Sediment--To the California wine industry for not voluntarily imposing universal definitions and requirements for such label descriptions as “Private Reserve,” “Special Selection,” “Proprietors Reserve,” etc. Each winery seems to have its own explanation, thus confusing the public. Sour Grapes to the California Wine Institute for not taking the lead.

Sediment--To the Wine Spectator wine journal, which published a Who’s Who in wine with profiles of 100 who illuminate the wine world. Prominently listed is former President Nixon for allegedly keeping a bottle of a first-growth Bordeaux wrapped in a napkin on the floor by his chair leg so he wouldn’t have to drink the lesser wines his staff poured for guests. Hardly good taste, much less illuminating.

Reopening Historic Structure

Sweet Grapes--To Brother Brennan of the Christian Brothers for the firm resolve to put the winery on the right track and for reopening the historical Napa Valley structural gem known as Greystone.

Sour Grapes--To America’s wineries which trumpet the number of award-winning wines as an indication of wine supremacy. Not trumpeted is that those wineries produce and enter 30 to 40 wines and in many cases have little or no competition. This ought not to demean the award achieved by a small winery with only a single entry.

Sediment--To wine writers and critics who too quickly reject outstanding young wines that are unable to show well during the early blush of youth. Many fine wines, reds especially, do not bloom until years of cellar aging. Consumers can make sound prognostications by arranging a vertical tasting of a wine of a questionable vintage with those of earlier years.

Sweet Grapes--To the National Restaurant Assn. for rescuing the Monterey Wine Festival, now scheduled from March 8 to 11. It is expected to be bigger and better than ever, featuring 75% more wineries for tastings and special guest speaker George Plimpton, author of the “Paper Lion” and “Open Net.” For more information write to P.O. Box 467, Monterey, Calif. 93946.

Sour Grapes, however, to the association for scheduling a national sommelier examination which will be administered by the British Court of Master Sommeliers. With all due respect to the British, it is high time Americans administered their own wine examinations.

Sweet Grapes--To the house of Seagram for apparently concluding that the wine versus hard liquor equivalency issue is for the birds.

Sweet Grapes--To the Ceretto Brothers of Piedmont for changing attitudes, habits and styles in Barolo wine making. The region will be better for it.

Sediment--To Robert Drouhin of the House of Joseph Drouhin for an alleged quote suggesting American consumers are gullible for listening to wine writers. Actually, he may be right. Fortunately, his Burgundy wines are not as controversial as he.

Sour Grapes--To those who are proclaiming the demise of the popularity of Chateau St. Jean wines. They are just as good as ever.

Sweet Grapes--To the Loire’s vintners for not considering a price increase in light of the current value of the dollar in relation to the French franc.

Sediment for Pairings

Sediment--To those who ordain specific wine and food pairings, as if the matches were made in heaven and written in concrete. Wine lovers should assume a free posture and eat and drink whatever they please.

Sweet Grapes--To the March of Dimes’ Monterey Gourmet Gala, set for Saturday in Monterey, featuring amateur chefs cooking their favorite dishes partnered with some of Monterey County’s finest wines.

Sweet Grapes--To wine hobbyist Lloyd Flatt of New Orleans for two of the finest vertical wine tastings of 100 years’ worth of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Petrus. He follows the age-old wine principle of drinking ancient, noble wines only with friends. Many who own such rarities never uncork, thus precipitating the “over the hill” taste and ultimate wine auction hoopla.

Sweet Grapes--To Oregon’s Pinot Noir producers for making the kinds of fine wines envied by California contemporaries. Several here are eyeing the region for Pinot Noir wine making.

Sweet Grapes--To the Mariani Brothers, owners of Villa Banfi and importers of Riunite, for not folding during the Italian wine crisis and gambling successfully with a new, sweet-styled, popularly priced peach wine to be enjoyed on the rocks for dessert and aperitifs.

Sediment--To Ridge Vineyards for selling out to Otsuka, a multinational pharmaceutical and nutritional products firm based in Japan. In the late ‘50s, Ridge started from humble, amateur beginnings and became the darling of the fans of big, powerful, full-of-character Zinfandels and Cabernets. Sweet Grapes, however, to Otsuka for confirming that the winery will continue present operations under its current wine-making group headed by Paul Draper.

Sweet Grapes--To Piper Heidsieck for providing effervescent consultation to a privately held, first-time sparkling-wine venture in India near New Delhi.

Sediment--To American vintners who continue to lament poor wine sales and low wine consumption. Neither will ever improve unless and until younger Americans approach the grape as a civilized mealtime staple and not as an elitist status symbol. Education in wine dining as part of the diet culture is what is needed.

Sweet Grapes--To Mothers Against Drunk Driving for continuing to focus on driving without drinking.

Sour Grapes--To restaurateurs who do not taste before purchase nor hire a designated, competent taster. The wines selected often taste dull, uninteresting, unappealing and immature. Surprising that sophistication in wine does not follow sophistication in food.

Sediment--To Sunday so-called Champagne brunches, which offer sweet bubbly without even the remotest taste connection to fine Champagne or good California sparkling wine. False advertising, to say the least.

Departure From Generic Labeling

Sweet Grapes--To Mirassou Vineyards for its dry white 1985, formerly labeled dry Chablis. At $3.85, this is a nicely styled blend with a slight accent on sweetness and a desired departure from generic labeling.

Sweet Grapes--To Friends of the Junior Art Assn. for honoring Simi Winery wine maker Zelma Long and other women in wine at its upcoming annual charity Wine Person of the Year award dinner and tasting on Feb. 28 at the Sheraton Grande Hotel in Los Angeles. For more information, contact Pamela Weiner at (213) 485-4474. More than 50 women throughout America are involved as wine makers, vintners and enology professors.

Sediment--To those individuals and institutions that offer basic wine appreciation classes but advertise them as enology courses. This is misleading and offensive to legitimate, credentialed enology schools such as UC Davis and Fresno State.

Sweet Grapes--To Pommery Champagne for having the nerve and courage to establish a new “Grand Marque” in its first Cuvee Louise.

Sediment--To sellers of wine by the glass who believe they are doing you a favor by pouring to the top and by so doing, eliminating aromas that may be the best part of the wine. Buying sufficiently large glassware to offer the same quantity, but leaving space for bouquet nosing, should do the trick.

Cultural Arts

Sweet Grapes--To those vintners who become associated with the arts. Moet and Chandon Champagne for the American Ballet Theatre, La Reina Chardonnay and Smith and Hook Winery for their sponsorship of the Monterey Film Festival scheduled for Feb. 5, 6, 7 and 8. For information about this event, call (408) 649-1770.

Sweet Grapes--To Zonin, Asti Spumante for providing its sparkler at a 20th-anniversary celebration of the Mark Taper Forum theater.

Sweet Grapes--To Fred Weibel Sr., whose name will soon grace a new $6.5-million elementary school in Fremont, Calif. He may be the first vintner to be so honored.

Sweet Grapes--To all wine lovers for a sediment-free new year.