By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR
When we began writing this weekly wine column in the 1980s, France was the envy of the wine industry. Not only had their people been making wine longer than the United States, but they were making it better. And, the French coveted their wine like they coveted their cheese. Having a couple of glasses of wine at dinner was commonplace, partly because French tap water was so bad but mostly because wine was ensconced in French culture.
How times have changed. Americans – and winemakers from other European regions – are making great wine using the same grapes indigenous to France. Moreover, the shine has worn off wine consumption in France. It’s no longer de rigueur.
No longer is wine given to French kids in canteens as they go to school. Only one in 10 people in France drink a glass of wine every day – a far cry from the 1980s when half of France’s adult population drank wine daily.
There are many reasons the French are no longer wedded to this custom and the reasons aren’t much different than those cited by Americans.
First, the medical community is reversing the conception that wine in moderation improves health. We now read that any consumption of alcohol increases health risks. French President Emmanuel Macron sought to reverse this image when he boasted on television that he drank two glasses of wine a day. He was supportive of one of his country’s most important economic engines, but French doctors and health advocates were appalled.
Now, 37 percent of the French do not drink wine. Sacre bleu!
Second, the cost of the best local wine has skyrocketed in France. With demand dropping at a time when production is increasing, producers are dumping grape juice in the streets or turning it into cleaning fluids as the government seeks to stabilize prices.
Also influencing the decline in wine consumption is a generational change that looks more favorably on craft beer and cocktails – if anything at all. The same is the case in the United States when younger people are no longer enamored with getting drunk.
Wine marketers are trying to uplift the industry with confidence that this market trend will change. They are focused on projecting the industry as being environmentally sensitive – and it is. More and more producers have adopted biodynamic and sustainable farming. We are starting to see packaging change as well from the carbon-sapping heavy glass bottles to cardboard and aluminum containers. Still, it’s an uphill struggle now to project wine as a safe, healthy and affordable daily quaff.
This brings us to the point that it may not matter for too much longer. Scientists are suggesting that 70 percent of the world’s vineyards may be unsustainable at the end of this century if climate warming continues on its trajectory. Maybe milk will make a comeback.
It’s the season for Pickleball, the trendiest, fastest-growing sport in America, and we’ve got two perfect wines to bring to the game (or après pickleball) and as gifts for the Pickleball-obsessed. Check them out below and please let me know if you’d like me to send samples :)
The Vice Orange of Viognier, Oak Knoll District, “Pickleball” 2023
With this bottle label, it’s needless to say that this is the perfect wine for pairing with Pickleball. Like Pickleball, Orange wine is quickly growing in popularity across the country. This unique wine is 100% Unfiltered and Unfined Orange of Viognier aged in French Oak. Only 420 cases were crafted, so fans of both orange wine and pickleball should grab a few bottles while they can. SRP: $38.00
1000 Stories SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022
1000 Stories is the official wine partner of the Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships, the most prestigious Pickleball tournament and biggest Pickleball party in the world, currently happening in Naples, FL. The outdoors and wildlife are core passions for this brand, which donates proceeds to Yellowstone Forever’s bison conservation efforts. More wine = more bison, and their Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for summer outdoor activities, especially of course Pickleball. SRP: $18.99
Shopping for wine
Friends and acquaintances often ask us for wine suggestions and we’re hard-pressed to answer. We sample wine constantly, dump a lot and find a few to recommend. Unfortunately, we have no idea whether some of our favorite wines are available in their local stores. Most of the gems we discover are not mass produced. So, we tend to recommend labels – Wente for chardonnay, Decoy for almost anything, La Crema for pinot noir, Bogle and J. Lohr for red, Columbia Crest for cabernet sauvignon. These wines are widely available in grocery stores and liquor outlets.
But we also try to steer people to regions, such as Paso Robles in California, Portugal, Spain, southern France, Sicily and parts of Italy. Even so, wines from even these bargain regions are priced more than $25 a bottle.
Finding a good wine in a sea of labels is a challenge that isn’t likely to change. But don’t despair; the journey is fun. Like champagne but can’t afford it? Try prosecco or a Spanish cava at a fraction of the cost. Mix it with Aperol if you aren’t satisfied with its taste. Like Prisoner and all of its spinoffs but can’t afford them? There are tons of zinfandels from Lodi that will slake your thirst for this jammy quaff. Don’t like to spend big money on prestigious wines but won’t settle for less quality? Drink less, but drink better.
Wine picks
Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($90). This is a colossal but approachable wine from Schrader. Aggressive black fruit and cassis aromas with plum and black cherry flavors, hints of tea, earth and vanilla.
Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz 2021 ($16). From Victoria, the fruit for this shiraz produces lively and delicious black berry character with a hint of spice. Simple, yet delicious.
($300). In our conversations with Daniel Daou, there was never a hesitation in declaring Paso Robles the best region to make wine from Bordeaux’s noble grape varieties. Napa Valley producers disagree, but the Daou brothers are unrelenting with this most expensive luxury wine from Paso Robles. It has continued to score 95-plus scores from critics and old bottles are fetching more than $500 – if you can find one. But let’s not call the 2020 a bargain. It is an excessive luxury few can afford. Using cabernet sauvignon grapes from a few special rows on an exclusive mountain vineyard, the full-bodied wine is aged in custom French barrels to achieve a special richness and complexity. The brothers recently sold the winery to Treasury Wine Estates for $1 billion but remain involved in the winemaking.
Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2021 ($15-18). Crafted from a blend of classic white Rhone varieties such as roussanne, viognier and grenache blanc. Mineral and peach notes dominate in a very nice easy to drink white wine.
Bodega Renacer Punta Final Reserva Cabernet Franc Organic Argentina 2021 ($20-25). This cabernet franc reminded us of a very well-made chinon from the Loire Valley. Ripe berry fruit with a hint of fresh herbs makes for a very interesting and quaffable package.
