America is the world’s leading market for wine, thanks to an unprecedented ve-decade boom that transformed wine from a cottage industry to a cultural phenomenon here. So what do the next ve decades hold? Challenges loom, but if wine embraces its strengths, the future offers even brighter days.
Starting in the Vineyards
Wine starts in the vineyards. And that’s where its fu-ture will begin, too. A bottle of wine, whether vinified by a mom-andpop winery making just 1,500 cases a year or by a global corporation turning out tens of thousands of cases, starts with bunches of grapes growing on a vine.
Somehow in the past decade, the wine community has allowed that idea to fade. Consumers today say they want products that are natural and artisanal. Wine perfectly fits that definition, but is somehow losing market share to fermented malt beverages with added fruit flavors and carbonation. But wine doesn’t need to pander to younger consumers or abandon its loyal fans. All it needs to do is embrace its strengths and remember what makes it unique unto itself.
"WE HAVE OVER 5,000 VARIETIES OF [WINE GRAPES]. AND YET WE DO SO MUCH WITH JUST A FEW OF THEM."
Talk to any winemaker about the future and they will tell you that climate change is the biggest concern they have. Fifty years ago, vintners were focused on new ideas for maximizing ripeness: planting vines on southfacing slopes, trellising the canes for maximum sunlight, thinning leaves and dropping bunches to fully ripen the remaining fruit.
この記事は Wine Spectator の March 31, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Wine Spectator の March 31, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Shipwrecked Champagne Hoard Discovered Near Sweden
It sometimes feels like wine has a habit of falling into the briny deep. On July 23, Polish wreck diver and underwater photographer Tomasz Stachura announced that he and his Baltictech team had discovered the wreck of a 19th-century sailing ship near Öland, an island off the coast of Sweden—and it was crammed with bottles of Champagne and mineral water.
Openings: The Latest in Napa Tasting
Several new tasting options have opened in Napa Valley, particularly in downtown Napa where wineries are launching satellite tasting rooms. Standing out from the crowd means trying new approaches. Here are some highlights:
War in Middle East Affects Vintners
The 2024 harvest at Israel’s Dalton Winery was punctuated by nonstop rocket and drone attacks launched from just across the border in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon.
Wineries Sue Napa County in Federal Court
Three Napa wineries filed a joint lawsuit in federal court in September alleging that Napa County officials violated their constitutional rights.
Savoring Persimmon Season
For many, persimmons are an enigma ingredient. Chef David Nayfeld of Award of Excellence-winning Che Fico in San Francisco and its Best of Award of Excellence sibling dangling persimmons off the tree with a stick at a childhood friend's house before realizing what they were. \"I remember his parents saying, 'Hey, don't hit the persimmons, those are food!\"\"
Tasting Plate: A German Six-Pack
Though it boasts Western Europe’s largest population and biggest economy, Germany is nowhere near the cheese juggernaut its neighbors Switzerland and France are. That said, the Germans love their fine cheeses, and they do turn out some excellent ones, fortunately including more than a handful that are currently available here in the U.S.
Gigondas Blanc Est Arrivé!
Ask winemakers in the Southern Rhône to name the most exciting white grape in their region and you will hear a growing number of them say \"Clairette.\"
Kistler's DARKER SIDE
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ups the ante at the house that Chardonnay built
THE SPLENDOR OF CHAMPAGNE
THE REGION'S LEADING PRODUCERS DELIVER HIGH QUALITY AMID A DIVERSE RANGE OF STYLES
MICHAEL BATTERBERRY: 1932-2010 Gourmet, Journalist, Gentleman
Before Food Network, Top Chef or Yelp ... before the term “foodie\" ... before tomatoes were heirloom and sushi was fast food... back when fancy restaurants were always French... Michael Batterberry and his wife, Ariane, were working to celebrate and elevate the status of American chefs and international cuisine. Julie Mautner, Food Arts' former executive editor, looks at the life and legacy of her late mentor, affectionately known as The Bat.