The "In" Grape:
A Commentary on Grape Politics and Wine Popularity
by George Mead
JANUARY 8, 2000: Virginia--
This is a commentary on late 20th century grape politics and our efforts to keep up with wine popularity. It is a brief and poorly researched history about a whacky industry that probably deserves less attention than I have been willing to give.
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My message to current and prospective amateur wine makers and wine growers is a simple one and I won't make you read to the end to get it.
Enjoy your hobby, grow what is fun to grow, make what
tastes good and don't worry about grape pedigree.
If you live the the United States, and want to grow grapes, you
are never going to keep up with the trendy set, so don't try to do so.
Finally, if you are a home brewer with no perceived inclination toward wine making, these paragraphs should reinforce your thinking.
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California
I find that I have something in common with some wrongfully convicted felons who have been languishing in our nation's prisons. Our heros are DNA researchers. My heroine is Dr.Carole P. Meredith, University of California Davis. She is researching the parentage of grape varieties using DNA analysis. Quite naturally, she started with world renowned vinifera wine grapes; Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. She discovered that Cabernet Sauvignon is a hybrid (probably accidental) of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc. Nine and one half out of ten Frenchmen agree: the hybrid [bite your tongue George] Cabernet Sauvignon is an improvement!
Dr. Meridith's intimate look into the heritage of Gamay Noir and Chardonnay identified "Dad" as Pinot Noir and "Mom" as Gouais Blanc. Gouais (as her friends refer to her) is so humble that she has "occasionally been banned in French wine." Nine point nine out of ten frenchmen agree: the hybrids [when will I stop using that term] Gamay Noir and Chardonnay are definitely products of their father's heritage!
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France
While the wine from the hybrids mentioned above continues to make the French wealthy [I can remember a few years back when a bottle of vintage burgundy was less expensive than my beef roast], they are busy trying to ignore the fact that the people behind the so-called French hybrids were Frenchmen. It is at least clear that France is trying to disown the work of the hybridizers if not the individuals themselves. In France, a review of the list of French hybrids usually means that it is time to prohibit cultivation of a few more of these perceived black sheep.
Back to California
In the mid seventies, the projected yield of all planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines was 175% of the capacity of all licensed wineries except one. The uncounted winery is Gallo, which was also contracting the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon in a big way, but never discusses "capacity." Winery capacity is defined here as the physical plant and tank capacity necessary to process the variety had all vines been bearing and the total crop was processed in the State. On paper, there was no capacity for vinifying other grape varieties.
In the late 70's, when wine from this planting frenzy started to appear in the market, wines bearing the varietal name became the "in" red wine and the grape variety and Cabernet Sauvignon was the "in" red grape.
The first thing "Cab" (as we affectionately call it) did was push a California stalwart, Zinfandel, off of the market. I was still suggesting "Zin" (as we affectionately call it) as a safe and pleasing red wine order in a restaurant for the patron who had trouble reading wine lists. Two things happened almost simultaneously: one friend reported that his waiter politely explained that they could no longer obtain Zin,and another friend reported back, "George, they brought me some sweet, light orange crap!" In other words, Zin was gone, George was out of date and "Cab" was the "in" red wine grape.
At about this time, I visited a wine store in Berkley that boasted a stock of all California wines. There were two merlots to choose from. |
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Virginia
In the early 80's, two European companies bought land, started vineyards and built wineries in the homeland of Thomas Jefferson, wine bibber, would-be vineyardist and connoisseur. They planted vinifera varieties which had never been grown with any degree of commercial success east of the Rocky Mountains (my apologies to Doctors Constantine Frank and G. Hamilton Mowbray). Very much in evidence in these plantings was the "in" grape: Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wine industry in Virginia literally exploded. In six years, virgina moved from the back benches of wine production to number four in the nation. They were making more wine than they were selling, and the loss leader in their product line was Cabernet Sauvignon; the one that required the expensive oak barrels and the one that was made from the "in" grape. Something was dreadfully wrong.
California one more time
By 1986, the "in" grape had become Merlot. Even people who did not drink wine knew that Merlot was "in" and Cab was "out." The French knew it, and started bottling Merlot as a varietal wine for the first time in their impressive viticultural history. Aussies knew it, the Italians knew it and the list goes on and on.
Pacific Northwest
In the mid 80's, an Oregon Pinot Noir had beat out French burgundy competition in a blind tasting. The wine industry in the Pacific Northwest exploded. Californians said "Pinot what?" and started planting. The French reacted by bottling Pinot Noir as a varietal wine for the first time in their impressive viticultural history. The Aussies, the Italians, et cetera were dumfounded. The Argentines and the Virginians had just begun to plant Merlot and the Chileans were still trying to sell what seemed like an ocean of Cabernet Sauvignon. The "in" grape was Pinot Noir.
Beginning last year when I stuck one toe into cyberspace and started exchanging a few emails, I complimented internet acquaintances in Washington and Oregon on the great Pinot Noir varietal wines coming out of their vineyards. They thanked me and then pointed out that very little "PN" (as we affectionately refer to it) was being planted. The "in" grape, they explained, was now Shiraz. |
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Now Shiraz is the Australian name for Syrah, a famous French variety from the Rhone valley. But the French must be aware of this potential, U.S.-driven market trend because they have adjusted by printing labels that read Syrah, Petit Syrah and Gros Syrah. The only question remaining is, Will the French market a Shiraz?
Washington D.C.
In the January 1, 2000 issue of the Washington Post, their annual list of things, people, phenomena, etc.that are "In" and "Out" (e.g. Chelsea Clinton is "Out", the Bush Twins are "In"), there is a wine listed. Are you ready?: Merlot is "Out", "Red Zinfandel" is "In." As Speaker Sam Rayburn said, "What goes around, comes around."
Maryland
I chose commentary on the red grapes for two reasons. First, the last thirty years for reds has been slightly more amazing than it has been for whites. Second, I've never been able to make a red wine I liked out of French hybrids. So I grow Cabernet Sauvignon (which is easy to grow) for my red wine and Seyve Villard 5-276, Seyval, for my white. I have about 50 Chardonnay vines (which are difficult) and I am replacing these with Seyval as they expire (which they tend to do).
I wish I could report an explosion of winemaking and grape growing in Maryland that rivals, Virginia, Oregon and Washington. However, our nine or ten licensed wineries are owned by hard working people who show no sign of wanting to plant a new vineyard every year with state-of-art grapevines.
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