Andrea Immer's new TV show

[redwinegulper]

I'd like them to be $10 per bottle or less; that (or less) is my price range for an everyday wine. I'm not rich, and the more subtle qualities of expensive bottles are not important to me in this situation.

Keep 'em coming.

Perrin Resrve Cotes du Rhone is a good at $8.50.

I have had a couple of Rossos out of Umbria in Italy that I like, but what can you find local? Most retaillers know zip, some are too busy, but there are many that love what they do. But everone has a different palate. Try someone's suggestion, if it sucks...as the barber says....next.

What happens in NY is ther are some some very big shops, they push what they got a good deal on. BUT, if you do some tasting you will find some gems.

gulp away.....ed

[Andreawine]

Hi, all.

Just a couple of quick clarifications:

I don't solicit or accept payments from wineries, ever - personally or on/for my website or in any other context.

I don't have anything to do with advertising on Fine Living network, either. I actually think they don't have any wine advertisers, though I can't be sure (believe it or not, I don't get the network so I have to watch everything from tapes!).

I do recommend wines on Simply Wine, in Esquire, and elsewhere if asked, based on the following criteria:

1. They have consistently sold well throughout my career at Windows and Starwood, and/or they sell well at Target (I figure that means a lot of people like them).

2. I like them myself when tasting them blind.

3. They do well in my buying guide (consumers and pros may log on to my website to register their comments and scores - that's where the results in the guide come from)

4. They are relatively available in the marketplace.

I do make exceptions on the availability question - the eiswein from the first show is one example - but in general I don't want to be giving recommendations for wines people can never find or afford. There's plenty of great literature out there for collectors and folks with big budgets, so I feel I wouldn't be adding much value in doing so. More likely, I'd make viewers feel left out of the wine thing, which is exactly not the point.

On the subject of Target and pairing everyday wines with everyday foods, I'm as passionate about that as some of you are. I'd like Americans to feel as comfortable having a cheap-but-tasty wine with a bowl of soup or some takeout as Europeans are having wine with everyday meals. There are differences - the Europeans are likely to be drinking a wine that was made in the neighbor's garage, and never saw a barrel, a bottle or a cork, and usually their everyday fare isn't as processed or "branded" as ours. I guess we have access to the same kinds of everyday foods as they eat, but here they are practically gourmet, and priced accordingly (I think a sandwich from Cosi is probably 4x the price of a Whopper). In short, since most of us don't have access to "local wine" and local food, the American iteration on this has to be tailored to what we can afford and have access to (both wine and food). Where I live, I'd have to drive about 45 minutes to get a decent baguette - yikes!

Thanks for reading, and for watching. It's always great to see that folks are engaged in wine and food. Let's keep inviting others to the party. Cheers!

[fmc_ca]

Let's keep inviting others to the party.  Cheers!

Amen to that.

[Craig Camp]

There are differences - the Europeans are likely to be drinking a wine that was made in the neighbor's garage, and never saw a barrel, a bottle or a cork, and usually their everyday fare isn't as processed or "branded" as ours. 

Thank you for your comments, most of which I would agree with.

Except this --

Most Europeans are not likely to be drinking wine made in someone's garage. Maybe 50 years ago, but no more. Just like Americans they buy most of their wine from large commercial producers - just like the ones you are promoting.

I assure you while many do not see barrels - unfortunately all too many of them see corks.

My neighbor makes wine, but he does it as a hobby just as many Americans do. Everyone else buys it from the store - where the wine is much better.

The population in Italy is much better informed about wine than Americans as the television spends a huge amount of time devoted to food and yes wine. The Italian equivalent of the Today Show has 3 or 4 major wine segments a week and that does not include all the specials and the Gambero Rosso and Alice channel which talk about wine constantly.

The difference is not that they are a bunch of contandini happily stomping grapes - it is just that they are not paranoid of making a mistake.

[vengroff]

Ms. Immer,

Thanks for stopping by to clarify these issues for us. If I may, I'd like to make a few comments on your criteria for recommending wines.

1.  They have consistently sold well throughout my career at Windows and Starwood, and/or they sell well at Target (I figure that means a lot of people like them).

2.  I like them myself when tasting them blind.

3.  They do well in my buying guide (consumers and pros may log on to my website to register their comments and scores - that's where the results in the guide come from)

4.  They are relatively available in the marketplace.

My overall impression is that putting 1, 3, and 4 together produces results akin to what the Zagats do for restaurants. Item 2 seems to be something they don't have, although there is some debate as the the extent to which their editors tailor the quotes and descriptions to their own tastes. Now Tim and Nina certainly have a very successful and influential franchise, but if you look around this site you will see their methods and results questioned fairly regularly.

To me, the greatest service an expert can provide is to guide me to interesting bottles that I didn't even know existed. If you had asked me a year ago whether Gruner Veltliner was a grape or the name of the mayor of Dusseldorf, I might have guessed the latter. But given some good advice and recommendations, I now love the stuff.

Often, the best expert recommendations are for reasonably priced wines from medium-scale producers. These places don't have big advertizing budgets and their names are not on the tips of consumers' tongues. They may not be on the shelf at Target, but they can be found at many a local wine shop. In most cases, total neophytes can appreciate them as much or more than the mass-market labels. I think it would be great if your show could feature wines in this category.

P.S. I'm sorry to hear about your baguette situation. How far do you have to go for a good croissant?

[Timo]

... as an american under age 21, i can't (legally) vouch for any of ms. immer's wine tips, of course. but, i can say that watching master sommeliers romp through the sands of hawaii in wine trivia competitions is highly entertaining (kudos for the show andrea!)

but... while innocently perusing the wine aisle at target this weekend, i was affronted with a whole new wall of (gasp!) boxed wines! these were not ordinary, generic, franzia or whatever-the-heck-brand wines in a box. they were a new (to me atleast) line of specially designed wineboxes for target. have we finally just given up on trying to make americans drink wine out of a bottle instead of a box and just put the good wine in a box instead? i thought the wineboxes were on the way out?

-timo

edit:, ah, my bad - they are called wine "cubes" at target, not wine boxes. and it comes from lodi vineyards. and you can read about it here if you want!

Edited October 15, 2003 by Timo (log)

[Dave the Cook]

. . . have we finally just given up on trying to make americans drink wine out of a bottle instead of a box and just put the good wine in a box instead? i thought the wineboxes were on the way out?

Maybe, maybe not. Check out what Randall Grahm is up to.

[Mark Sommelier]

... as an american under age 21, i can't (legally) vouch for any of ms. immer's wine tips, of course. but, i can say that watching master sommeliers romp through the sands of hawaii in wine trivia competitions is highly entertaining (kudos for the show andrea!)

but... while innocently perusing the wine aisle at target this weekend, i was affronted with a whole new wall of (gasp!) boxed wines! these were not ordinary, generic, franzia or whatever-the-heck-brand wines in a box. they were a new (to me atleast) line of specially designed wineboxes for target. have we finally just given up on trying to make americans drink wine out of a bottle instead of a box and just put the good wine in a box instead? i thought the wineboxes were on the way out?

-timo

edit:, ah, my bad - they are called wine "cubes" at target, not wine boxes. and it comes from lodi vineyards. and you can read about it here if you want!

Doesn't Gallo (or somebody else) have a similar deal with Wal-Mart for their private label?

[Mark Sommelier]

I aspire to be the sommelier for Crate & Barrel

[fmc_ca]

Doesn't Gallo (or somebody else) have a similar deal with Wal-Mart for their private label?

It's Gallo. I wonder how long it will be before they find the WallMart Smiley face down in Aisle 11 with an empty bottle of Night Train