Mo's Wine & Spirits

The U.S. economic news has not been good this year, with a looming recession and many failed financial institutions. So it may surprise you that despite the bad economic news, more than $66 million worth of fine and rare wine were sold at US auction in the second quarter of 2008 alone. This is a 23 percent increase in sales over the same period last year. The crises on Wall Street (and the record gas prices on Main Street) have not dampened enthusiasm for fine and rare wines auctions. In fact the Wine Spectator’s auction price database shows that in the first half of 2008, the Fine Wine Auction value rose, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 7 percent for the same period. All the wine divisions of the big auction houses are steadily growing, and some houses have over 20 wine auctions a year.

Rare Wine values at auction are skyrocketing in the United Kingdom as well, and in fact the increases logged there have also bested their popular UK stock index, the “Indy 100”,  (the recognized indicator of general economic health in Great Britain). Wine auctions in Great Britain are showing bigger gains than the US, with an amazing 39% increase for the first half of 2008. Bordeaux is leading the way at auction, with more than a 90% increase in sales over 2007.

In the U.S., charity auctions are among the biggest movers every year. One of the biggest annual charity auctions is the Auction Napa Valley, held every summer in the heart of wine country. With Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno on hand this year, there is never a shortage of star power at this superstar charity auction, which mingles the movie stars from Hollywood with the Wine Stars from Napa and Sonoma. This last  summer saw almost 900 people participate, and raised a near-record $10.35 million, falling just short of the high set in 2005. About 150 wineries pour their best at this event, along with 60 restaurateurs and artisan food producers from the valley. Just remember to bring your checkbook along with your autograph book!

U.S. wine exports, (95% of which are from California), approached one billion dollars in 2007, reaching a new record. All told, $951 million in wine was exported last year, an 8.6% jump from 2006. And more impressively, U.S. wine exports increased by 77% over the last decade. Half of this wine goes to the European Union, including great wine producing countries like France, Italy and Spain. Other growth markets include South Korea, up 60 percent, and China, up 74 percent.

Wine Lists on the move? One major Steakhouse & Wine Bar chain is connecting with customers on the move with new online initiatives, including the debut of their mobile website – allowing users to access its list of wines available at the restaurant by the glass. The wines are separated by varietals, listed from lightest to fullest, and the site even gives a picture of the label of each wine. Enjoyed that wine you had last night at the restaurant? Look it up, and get the information needed to find a bottle on the way home.

Serious about Wine? Then you need to get serious about Green, the gold standard of business today. Wine producers are embracing sustainability in packaging as well as production as an integral part of their offerings and brand imaging. Earth-friendly methods also produce quality wine grapes. Suppliers, producers and retailers are collaborating more closely to eliminate waste and increase efficiencies across the wine supply chain. Being stewards of the land – and good neighbors – are important values, and just good business. Look for more Green initiatives in the coming years.

Along similar lines, Organic Wines are the new superstars of the wine world. More wine is being produced without the use of sulfites, yeast cultures or other manipulations, fully expressing the grape and terroir. The USDA says Organic (in part) involves “…the use of renewable resources and conservation of soil to enhance environmental quality…produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sludge-based fertilizers”. Keep an eye out for more organically grown wines!

Don’t leave your best pal at home this summer. Your Pooch wants to have fun too! Besides, who can resist that sad look that you get when you walk out the door without your trusting dog. So in order to help out with your canine relationships, a growing trend in Napa Valley is Dog-Friendly wine tasting. Good to know that in Napa Valley they are happy to welcome your dog with open paws!

Today, society craves to be green. To help curb our cravings, we’ve been introduced to hybrid cars, organic produce, energy-efficient lifestyles and solar power. The next step to protecting the Earth may be organic wines.

So what exactly makes a wine eco-friendly, organic or green?

The overall concept is that wines are made naturally with no chemicals, in a biologically sustainable way. Organic wines come from organic grapes — fruit grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Each country has its own laws and rules regarding what can be labeled as “organic,” so standards vary.

Today, organic wines are now produced all around the world, from the United States and Europe to the southern hemisphere. In fact, a growing number of producers practice some form of natural grape growing and winemaking because they believe these methods make better wine.

According to an article in The Daily Green, here is a simple guide to what different green wine labels mean:

• “100% Organic.” You guessed it — the wine is made from 100% organically grown ingredients. The wine also was monitored throughout its entire production process. The bottle bears the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic seal (the certifying agency must be listed). No sulfites are added, though it can contain naturally occurring sulfites (or sulfur dioxide, an antimicrobial substance).
• “Organic.” Surprise — it’s not totally organic. The wine has 95% organically grown ingredients (the other 5% must not be available organically). On the label, you’ll see the USDA organic symbol. Again the certifying agency must be listed. No sulfites are added, though the wine can contain naturally occurring sulfites.
• “Made with Organic Grapes” or “Made with Organic Ingredients.” The wine contains at least 70% organic ingredients. Sulfites can be added, but it may not beyond 100 parts per million. The wine can’t bear the USDA organic seal.
• “Biodynamic.” The wine is 100% organic, plus the grower has gone beyond to try to bring the farming process more closely in tune with nature. For instance, wine growers may make their own compost and/or watch the stars and planets to time what they do. The concept of biodynamic farming originated from the early Twentieth Century Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner.

To find out more about organic wines, visit the Organic Wine Journal’s website.

Every year they get published. We look and see what we have drank among the winners. Then we look to see what we have missed. You know, the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, with the coveted wine of the year in first place. That’s a lot of pressure for wine around the holiday time if you ask me.( Perhaps the list has some affiliation with the holiday gift giving.) 

I could start my own list next year. The Winebrat’s Greatest Sips of 2008. I will review everything I drink all year long. I will easily have a hundred or more wines by year’s end. :) I will pick a top ten list and why I chose the wines. If they are rated, even better. Then I will pick a wine of the year! Let’s see how my plan pans out. Top 100, Move over!    

Cheers, Sharon

The annual Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines of the year was just unveiled. Most of us in the retail business can say that the Wine Spectator has done good things for the wine business over the years. We might not always agree with them, but they still have a very powerful position in the way wine is made, sold and marketed. With that being said the Top 100 issue is always a big headache for the retailers. A majority of the wines on the list have been released and sold out a long time ago. Of course you have to recall all the wines from the past year to make such a list. Some of the wines are very limited (#2 Ridge Santa Cruz Mts Chardonnay, 2,000 cases produced) and a small few are on a large scale (#71 Columbia Grand Estates Merlot, 140,000 cases produced). The amazing thing about the “list” to me has always been the power it has. We will sell more wines from the “list” once the issue is released then we did all year combined. Customers will purchase case upon case, without even trying the wine, just on the fact that it made the “list”.What is my point of all this?  I am asking anyone who reads this and enjoys wine to make up his or her own minds. Try a bottle first and you be the judge! Cheers Mark

Wine has always been a treat for the palate. But now it’s also a delight for the ears! Introducing GrapeRadio, a great online resource for wine lovers.

GrapeRadio has broadcast over the Internet since 2005 using podcast technology. Programming includes audio and video in a variety of feeds (think RSS) and formats (like iTunes). And topics cover individual varietals (such as Pinot Noir), do’s and don’ts, plus talks with wine makers, wine scholars and more!

New shows are professionally produced once or twice a week with each show approximately 30 minutes long. Best of all, GrapeRadio listeners can “tune in” whenever they want by listening at their computers or downloading onto iPods or any other computer device capable of playing audio files.

Miss a scheduled program on your favorite white wine? Don’t fret! Just visit the GrapeRadio archive of past shows. The price is right, too! Subscribers never pay for downloads, making GrapeRadio a sweet choice for everyone with a taste for the grape!

First it was to have a few bottles in the house. Sure it was. Then I couldn’t drink those since they were special.

I had to get a few more. Those were rated by the” wine gurus.” Couldn’t touch those, need a few more. Don’t have any everyday whites. OK. No everyday reds, have to go back to the store. “Oh Look,” as another box came into the house.

It started out so innocently, I was going to drink most of them, really I was. Now some of them are closer than my family members. I take them out sometimes and look at them, arrange them differently. Drink one every once in a while. Always replacing it with another one..or two. I can’t help it.

I’m in pretty deep. It became a full time job I’m lovin’ it!

Cheers! Sharon

I get this question all the time. Even before I started my retail career (I came from the restaurant business) I got the same question. What is my bottle of ‘45 Mouton Rothschild worth? or what is my bottle of ‘78 Gallo Estate Cabernet worth anything? There are so many people out there that are willing to sell their one bottle their great grandmother gave them, not taking into consideration on how its been stored all these years.

I had one customer with a 3ltr of bordeaux that has been stored behind his boiler for the last 15 years. I didn’t ask him for a look at it, that might of hurt too much.

The growing market for wines sold at auction has sky rocketed, just check out Morrell Wine Auction.

Truth be told, the value of your “special” wine should be more valuable to you than any dollar value you can put on it. My advice is bring a cork screw and enjoy it with friends, but make sure to have a backup bottle in case the wine your great grandmother left you isn’t worth making vinegar out of.

Cheers, Mark

“Green” is everywhere! You’ll find both the color and the environmental focus prevalent to such a degree that trend watchers at the Color Marketing Group claim “green rules!”

Green is even becoming popular in the wine world and typically refers to organic or biodynamic wines of any variety. So while Celine Guillou, contributing writer at IntoWine.com, speculates that “’green’ is the new red,”  authors at SmartMoney.com are calling it the “new white.” But in all this confusion of color, is anyone asking if green wine really tastes better?

The answer is “yes.” Guillou believes that “green wines are more interesting, unique and flavorful than their conventional counterparts” and says the “proof is in the pudding,” with numerous green wines fetching high scores from top wine critics.

SmartMoney’s Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher agree, and consider Vinho Verde, a green wine from Portugal, to be “one of the world’s most delightful summer whites, describing it as “light and spritzy, with great acids and ephemeral hints of citrus.” You’re not limited to Portuguese wines, however, in your search for a green. Even established Californian wineries, like Benziger, are now offering them, making this the perfect time to find a green to suit your palate.

It’s harvest season for countless wine-growers around the world. With an eye to harvest’s impact on volume, quality and price, this means nail-biting time for wine producers and wine lovers alike. The overall picture, however, is shaping up to reveal decreased production, but improved acidity and flavor.

In Italy, the grape harvest is down 13 percent. But, in matters of quality, Tuscany and Friuli vineyard owners stated that “potential alcohol levels in the white grapes were not particularly high … [and when] coupled with a good acidity … should make for fresh and clean wines.”

Due to poor weather conditions affecting volume, the French aren’t faring much better with what looks to be one of the lowest producing years since 2000 for wines destined to make Cognac. The bright spot seems to be the Rhone Valley, which “benefited from a hot dry summer, unlike the rest of France,” according to A Big Slice Journal. They predict that French Chardonnay wines will “retain a level of good acidity that hasn’t been seen in years,” but hold out less hope for Bordeaux grapes which were hard hit by mildew.

Crossing over to Portugal, while yields appear low, quality is also expected to be outstanding. According to one winemaker, “We are seeing excellent colour in the reds, with lower pH’s and higher acidity, and the whites likewise with good acidity and plenty of aroma.”

Is the American harvest faring any better in terms of volume? Early reports out of Napa Valley suggest that harvest yields will be average to slightly less than average. Lawrence Papale, owner of Red Wing Vineyards has noted that “steady, warm weather with no crippling heat spikes has accelerated the development of our merlot grapes this season and contributed to an expected early harvest … This vintage will put the test to the notion that slower ripening produces greater flavor.”  

What does it all mean? If the harvest trends continue, consumers can expect to pay a little bit more for 2007 vintages. But, on the whole, will enjoy crisper, more flavorful wines.