Between The Vines April 2022

Between The Wines April 2022

hidden Treasures

Hidden Treasures For a while---in the ‘90’s and ‘00’s— Australian wines were a la mode—they seemed to dominate floor displays in grocery and were by the glass almost everywhere. Due partially to the tremendous quality at the top end (things like Penfolds ‘Grange’ and Molly Dooker ‘Velvet Glove’) and super, super values at the low end (the delicious Lindeman’s ‘Bin 65’ Chardonnay was— and still is-- typically $4.99). Having a strong dollar vs the Australian dollar helped. As did the fact that these were mostly sol as varietal wines, something we Americans were accustomed to.

However, over the past decade—for reasons we don’t really know—some buyers think Aussie wines have cooties… and their sales are a fraction of what they once were. Happily, sales of Australian wines seem to be on the upswing again, which gives us cause to point out the amazing wines of Jim Barry.

The term iconic is overused— including by us—but it is apt for this winery and the man himself. In addition to making killer wines at the entire range of price—from $17 to $300 retail—Mr. Barry is the subject of legend for his irreverent persona. There are many stories about Mr Barry’s take and comments on subjects (most of which can’t be repeated here!).

Located in the Clare Valley of South Australia where they grow not only the cult-ish Armagh Shiraz but also their beautiful Watervale Riesling (Clare Riesling is internationally acclaimed). Still in South Australia, but further afield, the Cover Drive Cabernet---a 100% Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is shockingly good—and we hereby challenge all to try to find a better value in Cabernet from anywhere!

As values are increasingly hard to find in the wine world, we encourage our customers to give Australia a chance. Or maybe another chance (and start with the Cover Drive!).

What's New Trends & observations Quotation of the Month: Making good wine is a skill; making fine wine is an art-Robert Mondavi

Between The Wines April 2022

Trends & Observations Wine Inflation Sorry to bring up a sore subject but…It appears that everything—as in everything—is going up in price and that, of course, includes wines.

Even prior to our recent inflation woes, we’ve watched with angst as the price for most wines—superpremium, smaller producers especially—have been on a constant trajectory upwards for the past several years. Now, each touch in the process, from fertilizer, to gasoline, to glass costs to staffing costs more, which means they all combine to increase the cost of wines even more. Now—not to sound like Debbie-Downer— we fear finding really delicious examples of Chardonnay, Cabernet and especially Pinot Noir that can be poured by the glass for that magic number of $15 will become next to impossible.

The good news is (there’s always good news) that this will inspire many to dig deeper and look for some out of the mainstream alternatives. Merlot for example—the best of which are the equal of Cabernet Sauvignon—has been underpriced ever since the movie Sideways came out almost 20 years ago. One can find awesome Shiraz/Syrah wines for $10-$12 a bottle wholesale. Sauvignon Blanc seems to be perennially priced below its vitis vinifera cousins, so expect to see more of those.

And then there are all sorts of under-the-radar European wines that are easy to find and remain value-priced: things like Muscadet, Soave, Cotes du Rhone, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo just to name a few.

They say necessity is the Mother of invention, so you might want to start to reinvent your wine program!

What's New Some readers know we are big, big fans of the wines of Sicily. The move from quantity to quality (which commenced in earnest around 30 years ago) is firmly established now, and the small handful of producers we represent are among the leading producers. But the roster has improved dramatically improved with the addition of the Regaleali wines, part of the Tasca D’Almerita portfolio of Sicilian estates.

The culture, flora & fauna, and the food and wines are astoundingly diverse here; since Sicily was at the center of the world’s crossroads during the second millennia, every ruling society from that era had a chance to impart part of their culture on this magical island. The wines range from the rich, sweet vino perpetuum of Marsala to the perfumed, elegant reds of Mount Etna, and everything in between. Tenuta Regaleali bridges all these styles: located near the very hilly center of the island (the heart of Sicily), the property’s vineyards rest between 1300 ft and 3000 ft ASL.

hidden beautiful place

This altitude helps mitigate the island’s relatively warm climate, and the hills (not much flat land on Sicily) contribute to large diurnal swings which helps in keeping the freshness and exquisite balance in their wines. Like all of the top producers here, the Tasca family are committed to sustainability and bio-diversity. Generally speaking, much of the island practices organic farming but rarely make claim to such: to them its ‘Sicilian farming’.

Tenuta Regaleali produces solid-to-sensational wines in red, white & pink. Varieties grown here are a mix of indigenous, historical varietals such as Nero d’Avola, Catarratto and Grillo as well as some ‘international’ varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Their Nero d’Avola/Perricone based ‘Riserva del Conte’ is a touchstone for high-end Sicilian reds. And we’d me remiss not to mention that every wine is a value in its class.

Very, very, very excited to add these to our playbook!