Written by Michael Bray, featured in The Press of Atlantic City, May 15 2018

Welcome back to this month’s “you ask and I’ll answer.” For those of you just tuning in, you can find me at Michael@PassionVines.com. I welcome you to email me with any wine-related questions, and I will use this monthly column to answer them. While I will not be able to answer them all here, I do promise to always provide an answer via email.

Q: C. Sullivan asks, “Why is it that we can never find any of the specific wines recommended in wine review columns? Invariably the wine connoisseur will discuss wines that are impossible to find. I’ve even asked staff members at different liquor stores if a particular wine was available and, if not, could it be ordered, only to be met with a blank look. It’s very frustrating to read about wonderful wines that no one seems to know exist!”

A: I, too, have felt this frustration. There could be a few reasons: (1) Every state is different. A wine that someone writes about in Washington State may not be distributed/imported in New Jersey, or vice versa. (2) Often times, if it’s a highly publicized list like Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year, the demand rapidly outpaces supply. Frustrating, for sure! (3) Lastly, it could be a “private label” wine that is “owned” by a particular store or chain of stores. Private labels are not new to our consumer experience. However, unlike CVS or Staples, most wine private labels will not bear the name of the store, thus making it harder to reach this conclusion. Lastly, if it’s an imported wine, it must have an “importer” on the back label. I suggest you Google the name of the importer and ask them if they distribute in New Jersey. Any liquor store should also be able to answer this for you. Next time you run into this, please email me the article/wine and I would be happy to do some research. Most of the time I can at least find out the why.

Q: Samantha W. from Linwood asks, “I see a lot of wine on the shelf in alternative packaging: cans, plastic bottles, boxes, 40 ounce glass bottles, etc. Why? Is the quality just as good? Do you see less bottles in the future?”

A: Samantha, you are very observant. The timing of your question is spot-on and one I’m beginning to ponder this myself. Last season we saw the explosion of Julien Braud’s Forty Ounce Rose. Yes, it’s back again this year. It took the wine world by storm and sent everyone else back to the “boardroom” (not the vineyard) to create some cool packaging concepts. As you mention, this year we see a lot more in cans (check out, Scarpetta, Frico Frizzante, 187ml can), which I believe serves a convenience and seasonal factor. The wine world learned from the craft beer scene: they realized that if they want to be brought to the beach, boat and/or concert venue, they better start canning. This to me is a akin to the stelvin enclosure, BKA “screw cap,” on a bottle of wine. It’s not as romantic as popping a cork, but it certainly offers convenience. Now, as for quality, the same rules apply. The winemaking process is exactly the same up until the point where the proprietor will choose bottle, 40 ounce, can, plastic bottle, box ... as always, we as consumers (and especially retailers), need to take responsibility for knowing its source. As for seeing less bottles in the future, I believe the answer is yes, but slowly. What we’re learning from the next wine generation is that as long as the wine comes from a source of integrity (i.e. organic farming) and they like it ... they’re going to purchase the packaging that best suits the “venue.”

Q: Bill H. from Margate asks, “What’s up with all the bourbon barrel aged wines? Are they good? Is this a fad?”

A: Bill, bourbon barrel aged wines hit the shelf in 2014 with Fetzer’s, 1000 Stories Zinfandel. Quickly thereafter, Apothic and Robert Mondavi joined the trend and sales have remained strong. Like all oak influence, it’s about taste profile. Bourbon barrels are made of American oak and heavily charred. As a result, oak aging influence will happen rather quickly and in some cases, in just a couple months. Overall, the use of bourbon barrels tends to leave you with a richer (think brown from the bourbon), bolder (think oak charring) and overall, sweeter (think vanilla) wine. Are they good? I’ll leave that up to you, because as I mentioned, it’s more about a taste profile and preference. The world of wine offers dozens of “gateway” and “transition” wines, and because these wines finish with a touch of sweetness and vanilla, I believe it offers an opportunity for a retailer/restaurateur to lure in someone who favors this type of flavor. While I don’t see a lot more producers coming to market in bourbon barrels, I do see continuous experimentation. Once again, the wine world is definitely paying attention to the craft beer scene, where there is way more collaboration and R&D.

Lastly, we finish with me asking YOU a question. Email me the answer, and I’ll reply with a prize.

Q: In Italy, Zinfandel is often referred to as which grape variety?

a. Monastrell

b. Gaglioppo

c. Primitivo

d. Vespaiolo

You keep asking, and I’ll keep writing…

Drink Passionately,

Michael

Michael@passionvines.com