There is a huge and diverse wine region in France’s southwest Mediterranean area known as the Languedoc-Roussillon. It’s a boomerang-shaped dŽpartment that arcs north from the Spanish border and includes the famous towns of Perpignan, Carcassonne and Narbonne. From there it goes eastward, hugging the coastline, to Provence. It is the single largest wine producing region in the world, and its output accounts for more than one third of France’s production. While some whites are produced there, the bulk of the output is either red or rose. The grapes from which they are typically made are the heat-loving Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvdre. While they produce some soulful wines in that region, they are classified a s Vin de Pays, (country wine) which is only third in the four-tier rung of French appellation quality.

The area is the hottest in France, so one would not expect much Pinot Noir to be produced there. However, Gallo was able to locate several producers and import huge quantities of a budget priced Pinot Noir labeled as Red Bicyclette. The wine was imported to the States in 2005 shortly after the success of the movie Sideways. That movie, for reasons still unknown, created an immediate surge in the worldwide consumption of Pinot Noir. The Red Bicyclette rode that wave of popularity until recently, when it pedaled itself into legal issues. In February, Gallo suppliers were found guilty in a French court of knowingly selling Gallo millions of bottles of wine labeled as Pinot Noir that allegedly contained no Pinot Noir or inordinate amounts of Merlot and Syrah. Additionally, claiming fraud and false advertising, a class action suit has since been filed in Los Angeles against Gallo and its Red Bicyclette suppliers.

From a legal perspective one might ask, Did Gallo know what they were buying, and re-selling, and if not, why not? From the consumer’s perspective, can quality Pinot Noir really be grown in such a hot climate area, and can a Pinot Noir of any quality be produced anywhere for $8.00? (It was produced in Vin de Pays d’Oc, not Burgundy, which is the home of the finest Pinot Noir). Finally, this episode highlights one of the caveats of labeling wines by the primary grape from which they are made. When the label reads “Pinot Noir,” it assumes that the buyer (Gallo or you) knows or should know what a Pinot smells and tastes like. But if one hasn’t the slightest notion what a Pinot Noir smells and tastes like, then it doesn’t really matter what’s in the bottle. Anything red will suffice. What does that say about American wine buyers and the firms that sell to them?

— Tom Barras

After twelve years and 579 articles, husband and wife wine writing team Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher wrote their final Tastings column for the Wall Street Journal on December 26, 2009.  In it they offered their very personal perspective on The Mysterious Heart of Deliciousness, subtitled Trust Yourself. The greatest wine experiences are deeply personal. Taking direct aim at those who rate wines on the 100 point scale, they said, “Too many people have come to believe that there is some sort of objective truth about every wine. This is nonsense.”

I tend to agree with them, for if you’ve ever been in a group wine tasting, of any size, then you have noticed that opinions range quite widely, and there is typically little if any consensus.  Moreover, one person’s 95 rating could be another’s 85, and, interestingly, both would be correct in their assessment of the same wine.  The former might appreciate the abundant tannins and their role in the wine’s prospective long term aging.  The latter would not, for he/she might prefer something to drink right now, and those same astringent tannins would preclude such near term dining enjoyment.

However, one of Gaiter and Brecher’s more noteworthy contributions to American wine history is their creation of OTBN, or Open That Bottle Night.  Throughout their career they received frequent questions from readers about a particular bottle’s value, its aging possibilities as well as the optimum time to drink it.  They knew that virtually every wine drinker has one stored somewhere, waiting for the perfect occasion.  With years of experience, it was clear to them that the perfect moment seldom occurred. That special wine eventually aged into decline, and consequently, a potentially memorable evening was missed. 

With that in mind,  they wrote a column in 1999 proposing the last Saturday in February as Open That Bottle Night, and asked readers to bring their special bottle out of hiding and enjoy it before it was too late. They were asked to research its special qualities and reflect on how they came to own it.  They were advised to enjoy the wine without agonizing about what might have been had they opened it sooner, or waited longer. They were also invited to write and share that evening’s experience, which they did by the hundreds, as they also have every year since.  With OTBN and February’s last Saturday a few weeks away, you may want to take part in a unique American tradition.  Rescue that dusty Cabernet in the rear of your clothes closet, invite some friends for dinner, and enjoy it with appropriate food.  It just might develop into a delicious and deeply personal wine experience. 

— Submitted by Tom Barras

When it comes to marketing wines to retail buyers, producers must consider what criteria are important to them.  While I often poke fun at it, the “prettiest label” phenomenon is clearly an effective motivator.  Surely, if the bottle’s label is appealing to the eyes, its contents should also be pleasing to the palate. Right?  I recently spoke with a young woman who spoke proudly about having just completed a wine appreciation course.  Her final exam was to buy any wine of her choice and then make a written assessment of its qualities and attributes.  I was curious as to how she selected the wine-what criteria she used to make her purchase.  Price?  A well-known producer?  Her favorite wine?   Her response:  “I picked the prettiest label.”  She was serious.

Price is quite important to consumers when buying wines.  Depending on the wine, both very low, as well as very high prices can effectively segment wine buyer types.  Charles Shaw (“Two Buck Chuck”) proves theformer and Cult Cabernets confirm the latter. My wife and I recently attended a “Wine Expo” at which dozens of wines were available for tasting (and subsequent buying at discounted prices).  Prices varied from under $10 per bottle to well over $40.  Most of the least expensive wines were from a family owned, Sonoma County winery that has thrived for decades.  Under normal circumstances, and particularly in light of today’s economic climate, I would have expected their tasting table to be crammed with people.  It wasn’t, and very few were at their table during the two-hour tasting event.

Lastly, the debate still rages on how “wine bottle closures” affect the consumer’s perception of wine’s quality.  I’m speaking of corks (real), imitation corks and metal screw top caps.  Recent market research revealed, what everyone has known or at least suspected.  That is, if a wine has a screw top cap, then consumers perceive its quality as not any better than those inexpensive, supermarket, faux-appellation jug wines of yesteryear (think Burgundy and Chablis) that were topped with metal screw caps.  Personally, I rather enjoy pulling corks and anticipate hearing that “pop” as an prelude to the forthcoming pleasures.  However, having said that, I should also relate that I’ve also purchased many wines, both New World and Old World, which were topped with metal screw caps, and they were flavorsome and reasonably well structured.  Also, and most importantly, there was no issue of struggling to re-cork an unfinished bottle.  I simply re-screwed the cap tightly and put the bottle into the fridge.  As one retail wine clerk recently offered, “Who cares if it has a cork or not, as long as the wine tastes good.”

Submitted by Tom Barras