The Changing Wine World
Well, it’s almost the new year – 2025 - and this writer just realized we are now down with the first quarter of the century! That’s epic in some ways… It also means a LOT of wine has flowed under the proverbial bridge.
As this year opens, we first wish to thank our fabulous partners in Carmel Wine and Wandering. We are just over one year old, and have been blessed with extraordinary guests, amazing wines, some unique adventures and made some fine friends along the way!
Yes, we can be somewhat provincial here in Carmel – it’s a mystical and magical locale with its own set of unique quirks and atmosphere! We like to think we have helped elevate awareness and knowledge of our fabulous Monterey County wines. We firmly believe that the quality of the wines here are in line with anything in this fair state of California. We don’t say this out of local pride, no sirreeee – we have some of the best growing areas with unique and extremely favorable growing conditions and terroirs, and then winemakers who manifest true magic in the bottle!
It's true that there has been a slight slump in the American wine world. Craft beers and spirits have been dominating for a while, and sadly there are numerous vineyards being abandoned or even ripped out. As a result, some prices are dropping, which is not a bad thing, though it does lead to certain financial hardships to businesses across the board – from wineries themselves, to wine shops, distributors, restaurants and wine bars.
All that said, my view is that small wineries with quality and integrity will stand up to this if they stay on their course. For too long, the behemoths have been buying up family wineries and brands and replacing what used to be unique flavor profiles with relatively bland juice. Those smaller wineries that are truly passionate about what they bring to market will hopefully survive and keep giving you, the consumer, a great product that is reflective of the terroir, climate and vision of the winemakers.
One of the benefits of this (interim) downturn is the now-rising NDA brands out there. Non Disclosure Agreement. Now there’s a legal term one would not necessarily associate with wine! But it’s happening, and it’s a good thing for you the consumer.
Essentially what is happening is that well-known grape growers/vineyards often have fairly good-sized properties. To maintain their marketability as “small producers” and charge a hefty fee for this lower production (and please remember – small production/high price does not equate to great wines, no matter what they tell you!) there is often a good amount of juice that is left over at the end of harvest. I recall a conversation I had about 20 years ago with the co-owner of a wine that used to sell for $1.99 about the provenance of his grapes. Yes, bulk wine from various places where the cost of farming was as low as possible, yet they also purchased juice from eminent vineyards in and around Napa and Sonoma Valleys that wasn’t being used for $350+ bottles. I was quite amazed – which wineries? The response was along the lines of: If I told you I’d have to kill you. But safe to say that in those wines, you perhaps had juice from some of the greatest vineyards in California!
Back to NDA wines. Some resourceful winemakers are now purchasing juice from various sources at rock-bottom prices, with the legal paperwork in place to not reveal source, or any other details. Some suppliers are even restricting information about AVA (American Viticultural Area), the winemaker, or pertinent information that might lead to exclusive wineries losing their clientele. It’s a win for the wine world, and most definitely a win for you the consumer.
It’s a delicate high-wire balancing act – great juice being put into bottles and hitting the retail market for around $20-40 is a certainly a boon for the flagging wine market and will hopefully inspire a rebound in consumption of the Righteous Juice! Yet, as I explained further back, great juice does not equate to great wine. Always be the sole judge of your own palate – keep trying new wines, and it also helps to try the same wine at different times – and certainly see if there’s a difference with food.
Do some research (as best you can) when you see new labels or lower priced wines – see what floats your boat and above all, support your local small businesses!
Cheers from the team at Carmel Wine and Wandering, here’s to a fabulous year of good wine and new friends!
