People's Palate
By Rich Mauro

Taking Stock; Looking Forward

Recently, I listened to our governor give the State-of-the-State address and the president give the State-of-the-Union speech. Somehow, these got me thinking about the state of wine. As the economies in Colorado and the nation slowly, tentatively improve; concerns about climate change persist; and demand for innovation grows, it looks like 2012 will be much better than, say, 2008 and 2009.

Pricing Tug of War Continues. Mirroring the economy, the recovery in the wine industry from the dark days of 2008 and 2009 is underway. But it probably won’t be a smooth ride. While the Great Recession appears to be over, its devastating effects are still evident. Wine industry sources report improved sales but mostly at the high end. If the economy holds, most expect wine sales at other price levels also to improve. The problem is that probably means higher prices. Yet, most consumers still are looking for value, and prices below $20, even $15. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out.

Sustainability Gains Momentum. Sustainable approaches continue to expand in the vineyard and the winery. Organic and biodynamic growing methods, alternative energy and packaging, recycling, better working conditions, environmental restoration projects, and charitable programs are becoming more common. But this movement, particularly in the vineyard, is not advancing without controversy. Debates over the meaning of natural, organic, authentic, green, and sustainable have intensified. Last year, there were at least four prominent books on the subject. Proponents are building evidence of the benefits, while skeptics remain, well skeptical. Even as the debate persists, more wineries are converting. Issues around responsible advertising, certification, product quality, social responsibility, and consumer trust will mirror the debate going on in the larger society. I have written many times about the growing trend toward sustainable practices in wine and I expect many more opportunites.

Buy Local/Regional. A parallel movement, “buy local” is another philosophy being adopted by more U.S. wineries, especially those in the states other than California, Oregon and Washington. This has been pretty much an unstated philosophy in Europe for hundreds of years, where residents of certain regions seldom drank wine from other regions. Here, even as controversy over the definition of “local” and “regional” parrot the sustainability debate, restaurants and food shops have led in emphasizing local/regional products. Now, the movement is gaining steam in the wine industry, as consumers begin to recognize the improving quality of wine in the other 47 states. A lot of credit for this goes to drinklocalwine.com, a four year-old organization that is bringing its national conference to Colorado this April 27-29. It will be a great opportunity for all of us to show support for Colorado’s maturing wine industry.

Lesser-known Grapes/Wine Regions. Although Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay still dominate the market, many national publications report consumers seem increasingly willing to seek value and adventure with less familiar grapes and regions. This is good news for producers from Argentina, Chile, Portugal, Languedoc, Loire Valley, Spain, and parts of Italy. It also means more interest in wines like Malbec, and Carmenere, but especially so-called aromatic whites like Riesling, Muscat, Gewürtztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Albariño, and Torrontes. Long time readers of this column will remember I have been promoting these wines for years. Ironically, this trend dovetails nicely with winegrowers’ increasing concerns about climate change. Industry reports indicate many wineries are experimenting with alternative grapes they hope will better adapt to changing growing conditions.

Wine and technology Converge. The last few years have seen an explosion of wine on the web. Winery websites now are as sophisticated as any. Wine is all over social media. Wineries are experimenting with apps to market their wines. And Twitter taste-offs are becoming common. Dozens of wine bloggers have joined the trend. And on-line wine purchasing is growing, both from retail outlets and direct from wineries. There is probably the inevitable shake out coming but the wine/internet connection is here to stay. For people like me who are slowly crawling into the 21st Century, this presents challenges but also opportunities. I’m even learning how to run my own website (rmpeoplespalate.com) and getting use to Twitter (@peoplespalate) and Facebook (The Peoples Palate). I guess anything is possible on the internet.