This is the weekly column
Wine is in turmoil. People are turning to alcohol alternatives. Red wine sales are down, white and rosé are up. French and Italians and Spanish are drinking less wine. There is a glut of wine. What?!
This scenario was improbable just a few years ago when wine world was surfing on the wave of the global wine boom. Old world drank almost all they produced, China guzzled, U.S. boomers joyously enjoyed. Then COVID and anti-alcohol reports—all alcohol is bad for you—and alcohol alternatives. Semi-full stop. Too much wine, too few drinkers. Industry semi-panic.
Well, take a deep breath. The wine industry is not in the ditch with donkey’s feet pointing toward the sky. Yes, there is retrenchment, which every industry experiences. Welcome to the real world dot-com millionaires who overpaid for Napa acres so you could experience your Falcon Crest fantasy. You likely will lose money. You got into this because you had money to lose.
White wine’s ascendancy is the interesting part of this evolution. Red wine has long been king. Not now. White wine’s typically lower alcohol content, compatibility with heathy foods like salads and lighter meats and fish, and fruity deliciousness is celebrated while massive oak and malolactic fermentation/conversion are in the rearview mirror of commodity wine makers. Less flamboyant efforts have pushed whites—and rosé—to the front of wine buying queue.
Which should be ecstatic joy for wine makers. Red wines take time. Usually at least three or more years from vintage to store shelf. White and rosé can easily get there in one or two. If you are a business person, consider a situation where you produce or buy a product and know you will not be able to sell for two, or five, or ten years, how much intestinal pucker are your prepared to endure? Such is the world of wine.
Wine drinkers should not despair. White and rosé wines are wonderful. They especially go well with heart-healthy foods. Rosé wines in particular straddle the divide between fish and lighter meats, not to mention vegetarian fare.
Look, I get it. A rich red wine with assertive tannins and high alcohol remains on my list, especially when munching on fatty cow flesh. But that is only one box on my dietary check list. White and rosé certainly are OK.
Last round
Little girl in a drawing lesson. Teacher went over to her and she said, “What are you drawing?”
Girl: “I’m drawing a picture of God.”
Teacher: “Nobody knows what God looks like.”
Girl: “They will in a minute.”
Wine time.
Email: wine@cwadv.com
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