Notes from the Panel Archives - Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

Wine Trends: What’s In, What’s Out, What Not to Miss in 2021

February 5, 2021 by Don Lahey

In 2021 in the time of COVID, when nothing seems normal and little makes sense, one thing is clear: Americans are drinking wine. And not just any wine. They are drinking good wine. Retail sales of wines costing $25.00 per bottle are booming. Sparkling wines, both domestic and imported, made by the Champagne Method or Méthode Traditionnelle continue their upward trajectory. Who would have thought? Is it the anticipation of a vaccine or simply the notion that between the disasters and catastrophes of the past year one must seize the moment and celebrate life? Could that be what’s driving sparkling wine sales? Or have we finally realized that sparkling can be enjoyed any time? Rosé sparkling wines are all the rage, too, and the sales of still rosé wines remain robust historically, though tariffs and a weak dollar are forcing consumers to consider the many excellent and more affordable alternatives to French and domestic rosés from lands down under, including Chile and South Africa. Red and white wines with a strong retail presence are doing remarkably well, too. So what’s down and out or not faring well?

Wines that are mainly sold on premise, especially very high dollar European and domestic whites and reds from grower producers have taken a hit, including Chardonnays, Cabernets, Burgundies, etc. Quality, value, and availability are what consumers are looking for. The silver lining for savvy consumers is the availability of many excellent wines, wines whose names may not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue or serve as their everyday go-to wine. So what’s not to miss in 2021?

Bordeaux continues to turn out excellent white and red wines in all price ranges from a run of fine vintages. The Médoc, Graves, and Saint Émilion, as well as many Petits Châteaux have produced some of their finest wines to date in the 2015-2019 vintages. Savvy consumers looking for exceptional quality and value also need look no further than Italy for a bevy of extraordinary reds from the excellent 2015-2018 vintages. Amarone, Barolo, Carmignano, Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino, and the spate of Super Tuscans now available in America are simply delicious. Recent vintages in Italy have produced excellent white wines as well. Australia, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay have all upped their games recently, too, with delicious Grenache, Syrah, Carmenère, Malbec, Tannat, and more. The same can be said for South Africa for state of the art Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Pinotage, and Syrah.

In short, the more consumers are willing to broaden their horizons, the greater the reward that awaits. Even in the time of COVID, the Golden Age of wine is here and now. Wine has never been better than it is today. With an open mindset and a willingness to break out of the same old, same old, wine lovers are sure to find an abundance of crowd pleasing wines that won’t break the bank. Enjoy!

Champagne: The Perfect Wine Any Time

January 22, 2021 by Don Lahey

Most Americans relegate Champagne and other fine sparkling wines to special occasions: Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, weddings, late night holiday parties, New Year’s Eve celebrations, etc. Frankly, Champagne deserves better. Here’s why.

Champagne, the original and finest sparkling wine that hails from the ancient province of Champagne, enjoys a reputation as the “Belle of the Ball,” the perfect aperitif, a wine of conviviality and good cheer, but there is more to Champagne than frivolity. Champagne works its magic day and night all year round. It also pairs beautifully with a host of foods, which has earned it a reputation as a wine for all seasons and occasions. Long ago European wine drinkers discovered the many pleasures of Champagne and consume far more Champagne than Americans, both with and without a meal. So why not discover the pleasure of Champagne by pouring a glass on a cold, rainy day as well as a warm, sunny day, or serve it at a mid-week meal as well as at a party? Isn’t every day meant to be celebrated in some way?

Why limit the pleasure of good bubbly to a few occasions or just one time of year? Even better, prepare a mid-week meal around a good bottle of Champagne and see why French and Italians consume so much more of this magical wine than Americans. Champagne makes glad the heart as it cleanses the palate and enlivens the soul. For these reasons and more I enjoy Champagne at all times of the year and twice as often during the holidays. I especially enjoy it as an aperitif during a fun-filled evening with friends in the company of tasty morsels. So, what are you waiting for? Make mine Brut Champagne, and make today special.

Don

Why Serve Wine at Thanksgiving

November 15, 2020 by Don Lahey

In 2020, gratitude may well be the least appreciated of all virtues. This November many of us may not be exactly “feeling the love,” and when asked what we are thankful for this Thanksgiving, a gracious much may flow out of our mouths that doesn’t exactly sound like gratitude. Yes, we are all tired of COVID, the crisis, the illness, the masks, the economic and social destruction it reaps, not to mention, hurricanes, wildfires, the political and socio-economic divide, and everything else that polarizes; yet, we are still alive. We are still capable of looking at what we have and what we can do to make this world a better place, if we choose.

Yes, gratitude may, indeed, be the least appreciated of all virtues. We may bemoan the ravages of COVID, the devastating wildfires throughout California wine country and much of the American West, the absence of college football, and the list goes on, but we are still Americans. We have a day set aside to remind us of gratitude, a day on which to stop and pause, a day set aside to be anything except ordinary. Instead of being consumed by parades, football, and the specter of Black Friday, all of which have nearly obliterated the meaning of Thanksgiving, let us give thanks. What better way to give thanks than to seize the opportunity to help those less fortunate, share food and wine with family and friends, and give thanks to all who have made the food we eat and the wine we drink possible.

For me, Thanksgiving is a reminder that faith, family, friends, health, and an abundance of fine wine should never be taken for granted. It’s a day to express gratitude by bringing the finest wines from my cellar to share with everyone who partakes, a time to remind myself of all that I have and what I can still do, rather than a time to lament what I don’t have or can no longer do. Thanksgiving reacquaints me with all that is good in life, and that includes an abundance of fine wine. I am sincerely grateful that I don’t have to drink a wine I don’t like. Although, I am still asked to taste some less desirable wines from time to time, I don’t have to drink them. More importantly, Thanksgiving is a day of celebration and a time to share the finest wines with family, friends and whoever else shows up, either for dinner or simply to say hello and wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. This is why I serve wine at Thanksgiving. So this Thanksgiving, may we all express gratitude, share good wine, and all else that is good in life. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wildfires Ravage California Wine Country

September 1, 2020 by Don Lahey

Unless you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the flames throughout California wine country, you cannot imagine the intensity of these blazes and the destruction ignited by more than 20,000 dry lightning strikes. As of this writing, this latest round of seasonal California wildfires has claimed seven lives, destroyed 1,200 homes and businesses, burned more than 800,000 acres, and forced mandatory evacuations in the San Francisco Bay area, Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Solano counties just as the grape harvest began. The heavy smoke from these fires threatens to taint the grapes that remain on the vines, and it is already creating the planet’s worst air pollution throughout the American West.

Even more frightening is the added specter of Covid-19, which impedes firefighters, first responders, and rescue efforts. And with the need to wear masks and the necessity of social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease, the question arises: How do we support essential workers and house and support the thousands of people whose homes and businesses are under siege? In past years, many of the wineries themselves opened their facilities and fed the multitudes who lost homes and had nowhere else to go. In the midst of the Covid crisis, few wineries or public shelters have space to house more than a tiny number of those seeking safety from the fires, and many of the wineries and vineyards are themselves threatened and are closed.

Spawned by more than 11,000 lightning strikes, the L.N.U. Lightning Complex (the largest and most widespread complex of fires) continues to ravage Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Solano counties, the source of many of California’s iconic wines. Other areas throughout Central and Southern California have also been affected. It is one thing to be aware of a crisis, it is another to take action. What can you and I do to help? Plenty. Although few of us are equipped to fight fires or are too distant to offer shelter, we can support California growers and producers by making a concerted effort to buy and consume California wine, especially wines grown and produced by small family wineries who have the most to lose. And when California winemakers were asked how consumers and the general public could help, they responded by saying “Firefighters are truly on the front lines fighting these fires. They are risking their lives to save others’ lives and property. Helping injured firefighters and the families of those who have lost their lives would be the best way to honor these heroes.”

If you would like to help, please consider making a donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a non-profit that is active in all states, by going to www.wffoundation.org. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation has been assisting firefighters and their families since 1994 and has been especially supportive of California wildland firefighters and their families, including those who fought the deadly Camp fire that destroyed Paradise. Any support you can render will go a long way to helping those who help the rest of us stay safe.

Petite Sirah: California’s Latest Darling

August 15, 2020 by Don Lahey

Petite Sirah, also known as Durif, is named for Francois Durif, the French botanist who first identified the grape in the late 19^th century in the south of France. Petite Sirah is thought to be the result of a natural chance cross pollination between Syrah and the French grape Peloursin. Durif or Petite Sirah (the names are often used interchangeably) is rarely cultivated today in its native France. However, this adaptable grape has gained considerable favor elsewhere, with California its main proponent. It is increasingly popular in Australia and Israel, too, as the grape is well-suited to a dry, Mediterranean climate.

Although called Petite Sirah, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah, except the size of its berries. Petite Sirah produces rich, powerful, and often tannic wines that are typically at their best within the first 5 or 6 years of life, but the finest versions benefit from extensive bottle aging and live for up to two decades or more.

Petite Sirah has a long history in California where it has flourished since the 1870s. A favorite of Sonoma County’s Italian immigrant population for its deep color, rich fruit flavors, and tannic structure, Petite Sirah quickly found a place among California’s “field blends,” wines that were enamored by California’s immigrant population and the state’s burgeoning population. At the turn of the 20^th century, Petite Sirah was reputed to be among the three leading grape varieties planted in California. Zinfandel and Mourvèdre were the other players in that triumvirate. Although not nearly so widely cultivated today, Petite Sirah is enjoying resurgence, both as a key component in many of California’s finest Zinfandels and popular field blends but also on its own as a single varietal. Rich dark fruit, plenty of robust flavors, and ample tannins make Petite Sirah popular among American consumers.

Salud!
Don

Malbec: Better Than Ever

July 15, 2020 by Don Lahey

Malbec’s more than decade-long meteoric rise to prominence north of the Rio Grande has secured it a place at dinner tables and around barbecue pits all across America. Invariably, Malbec offers a deeply colored mouthful of wine that complements a wide variety of foods that Americans enjoy: steaks, burgers, pork barbecue, pizza, and a host of everyday, stick to your ribs fare. However, Malbec’s star has not always burned so brightly. For years, much of the Malbec on store shelves in this country were simply blah or at best one trick ponies, with only a handful of notable exceptions. It is not because Malbec makes inherently inferior wine (nothing could be further from the truth), but because for too long there were so few really good Malbecs in North America to choose from. With the exception of Catena, Alta Vista, Achaval-Ferrer, and a handful of other notable producers, most Malbecs in this country in decades past were one dimensional wines that provided the grape variety’s deep hue and jolt, but little else. Thankfully, all that has changed. Today, we in North America have many excellent Malbec wines to choose from and one need not have an expense account to enjoy them.

Although Malbec’s origin is southwest France, including Bordeaux, where it still plays an important supporting role alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, Argentina has come to fore as the contemporary champion and spiritual home of Malbec. A continuous stream of excellent Malbecs now flow north from Argentina to grace North American tables. And I am happy to report that many of my favorite Argentinean Malbecs are now readily available in the U.S. Almarada, a new venture from Malbec specialist Antonio Mas, offers a tasty, crowd-pleasing Malbec from the famed Uco Valley at a very reasonable price. Graffito, La Posta, Luca, Mendel, and Tikal are even more consummate Malbec producers that consistently fashion excellent, affordable Malbecs at the level of Achaval Ferrer, Catena and Alta Vista. With that said, one should also not overlook the top Malbec wines from France’s Cahors appellation where Château Armandière and Domaines Georges Vigouroux are fashioning traditional, world-class Malbecs. So why not fire up the grill, call friends over for a barbecue, and pour a glass of a truly good Malbec?

Salud!
Don

Our Owner’s Top 7 Picks Available in our Wine Store Now

June 5, 2020 by International Wine of the Month Club

We asked the head of our wine curation panel, Don Lahey, to come up with the top 7 wines they’d pick from our inventory to get them through the quarantine (One for each day of the week!). Here’s what we got back:

Put together your own quarantine dream assortment, and save 15% automatically when you order 12 total bottles! And, save an additional 10% on all wine, beer, and cigar store orders over $100 with the code below.

Order Online or by emailing or calling us at 800-625-8238.

Thanks so much for supporting our small, family-owned business during these unprecedented times. It means so much to us.

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