No Mo' Merlot!

[Rebel Rose]

According to the Sonoma Press Democrat, there's a lotta, lotta merlot out there for sale. And cab, and . . .

On the Turrentine Wine Brokerage site, you can search the available bulk market by using the drop down search boxes at the top of the page. Prices are not available on the site (the market is always in flux), but it sure gives you a picture of what's out there waiting to be adopted.

If you follow the wine market, Bill Turrentine writes some interesting online newsletters. In Where the Buyers Are, Bill reports that pinot noir is selling hand over fist--and a lot of it is going to start up wineries who don't have vineyards or grape contracts. Hmm, I wonder what sparked that phenomenon?

Sales are still growing but the wild luau of 2005 stuffed wineries to near bursting.  At some point, the pig of 2005 will have been digested and the wine business will start moving again.  Tragically, this may happen too late for many growers around the state of California, especially growers whose contracts have expired and whose winery customers are still full. 

Unless, of course, we’re talking about those little black diamonds known as Pinot Noir. The Pinot pageant powers on.  We are negotiating grafting and planting contracts for Pinot Noir and grape deals where Pinot Noir leverages the sale of all kinds of other varieties.  We also have a booming business in Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Languedoc, Italy, Chile and New Zealand.  Rarely has such schizophrenia prevailed in the wine business, with one variety so hot while many others are so cold. 

10,000 gallons of Napa Valley merlot, anyone?

[docsconz]

Always good for spa treatments.

[JohnL]

According to the Sonoma Press Democrat, there's a lotta, lotta merlot out there for sale.  And cab, and . . .

On the Turrentine Wine Brokerage site, you can search the available bulk market by using the drop down search boxes at the top of the page.  Prices are not available on the site (the market is always in flux), but it sure gives you a picture of what's out there waiting to be adopted. 

If you follow the wine market, Bill Turrentine writes some interesting online newsletters. In Where the Buyers Are, Bill reports that pinot noir is selling hand over fist--and a lot of it is going to start up wineries who don't have vineyards or grape contracts.  Hmm, I wonder what sparked that phenomenon? 

Sales are still growing but the wild luau of 2005 stuffed wineries to near bursting.  At some point, the pig of 2005 will have been digested and the wine business will start moving again.  Tragically, this may happen too late for many growers around the state of California, especially growers whose contracts have expired and whose winery customers are still full. 

Unless, of course, we’re talking about those little black diamonds known as Pinot Noir. The Pinot pageant powers on.  We are negotiating grafting and planting contracts for Pinot Noir and grape deals where Pinot Noir leverages the sale of all kinds of other varieties.  We also have a booming business in Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Languedoc, Italy, Chile and New Zealand.  Rarely has such schizophrenia prevailed in the wine business, with one variety so hot while many others are so cold. 

10,000 gallons of Napa Valley merlot, anyone?

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Good stuff!

I had a great Merlot Saturday night with my steak frites--a 2002 Pride.

Really fine wine.

Funny but the best Merlots are fetching record prices--there was a recent thread here re: Petrus with the 2005 going for $2500.00 a bottle! There are plenty of fine examples from California and Washington State (also some from LI) that sell out at high prices.

So what gives?

I believe the wine world can be divided into two distinct parts--bulk wines used for blending and for inexpensive wines.

Then there is the rest of the wine world. Premium and super premium wines.

There are often two different stories.

The two worlds are often confused.

Sideways?

As usual, I believe the industry often wildly overstates the impact of these cultural phenomena.

Sure the film had an impact--tourism was reported to have seen an increase. But the pinot noir "revolution" was well under way when the film came out.

The film probably had less of an impact on both pinot noir's success as well as less impact on merlot's perceived fall from fashion than many in the business of wine want to believe.

I also find some irony in Myles' drinking his most prized possession at the end of the film-- Cheval Blanc which usually has more than a third of its blend comprised of MERLOT!

[wkl]

i thought it more ironic that miles made the crack about cab franc being no good, then happily slurping down his prized cheval blanc. in a plastic cup while dining at at fast food kinda place, iirc.

[JohnL]

i thought it more ironic that miles made the crack about cab franc being no good, then happily slurping down his prized cheval blanc. in a plastic cup while dining at at fast food kinda place, iirc.

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Ya know!

I wonder if the writer is that clever to subtly poke fun at

an insufferable wine geek like Miles.

The two varietals he derides end up comprising the wine he cherishes!

If so--that is truly great writing!!!!!

[Rebel Rose]

I haven't read Rex Pickett's novel (yet) but from comments I've heard, the book is even more ironic and acerbic than the movie, with some rather pithy comments about central coast wine producers. Okay, now I have to go to Amazon and order it . . . my bathtub stack is about to fall over!

[JohnL]

I haven't read Rex Pickett's novel (yet) but from comments I've heard, the book is even more ironic and acerbic than the movie, with some rather pithy comments about central coast wine producers.  Okay, now I have to go to Amazon and order it . . . my bathtub stack is about to fall over! 

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Good suggestion!

I am in the market for a good read at the moment.

Maybe we can trade book reports!!!