So I was sent this link to an article in the Contra Costa Times about the effect the economy is playing on the wine industry, and how it's changing the way people drink wine. That someone must be psychic, since I was pondering something very similar while disposing of all the glass bottles I saved for recycling ( I need a job, and one with an employee discount would be awesome!). I kind of felt like *maybe* someone had a drinking problem, dumping out four cases of wine bottles in my apartment's recycling bins (no idea if they're strictly for the office or not), but in all fairness, they had been accumulating since April! And they're school related!! So shut up!!
This is going to sound bad, but I'm kind of thankful the economy is going down the toilet, because it's forcing people (who actually care about this) to focus on quality, not prestige. It's forcing people to look beyond their comfort zones, and making us all (I hope) stop and think about what we're buying. We're focusing on areas of production we don't normally look to, like South America. According to wine.com,sales of South American wines are up over 88% in the first half of 2008 over 2007. In fact, sales of Argentinean wines increased by 47%, the most popular variety being Malbec.
I'm glad we're looking for better values and demanding better quality. But I'm also really bummed, because this means all the local wineries will suffer. Gallo (and their evil empire of doom) will go on making crap like Boone's and Thunderbird, but we're going to lose small start up wineries! There will always be a market for Opus One, Screaming Eagle, Etude, and all the Grand Crus ( I included Y'Quem in that group, b/c seriously, 3 grand a pop? Are you kidding me?). Wineries are being bought out, or downsized. This idea depresses me.
It's like an alcoholic apocalypse!
(now you see why I have so many wine bottles everywhere, I'm not being "a drunk", I'm "saving the economy!")
And don't forget kids, next time you fart, you're not being outré, you're "Volatilizing your esters"!!!! (It's what you do when you swirl the wine in your glass and spill it everywhere, to bring out the aromatic compounds in the wine)
1 comment:
psychic, no. but when i began to see the theme(s) behind your blog I thought you'd appreciate the article.
Good points! I am in no way a vinaphile so I just trust Wilfred Wong. My strategy used to be if Wilfred gave it a 90 or better and it cost less than $15, I would consider it. I've refined the strategy. Now it has to also be a screw-top. I'm tired of messing with corks, corkscrews, and stoppers! Need some simplification. And I can still get a decent wine!
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