Iconic wineries closing

I often shed a tear when I hear of the closing of an iconic winery. I shed a few tears when I read of the recent closing of Clos du Bois and Sebastiani, both of which I fondly recall in their heydays.

A lot of wine flowed under the bridge since Frank Woods founded Clos du Bois in 1974. The brand was purchased by Constellation and the model went from making great pinot noir and chardonnay to generic supermarket wines at bargain prices. Constellation sold the brand to Gallo who just announced it would close its Geyserville property and make Clos do Bois elsewhere — along with a bunch of other brands.

Sebastiani’s trail is even more depressing. Founded in 1944 by August Sebastiani, it landed in the hands of grandchildren. Sam left in the mid 1980s to make fine wine in a family dispute. Don, a former California legislator, stayed to make mostly inexpensive plonk that never achieved the status the brand once held in Sonoma County. Foley Family bought the historic winery in downtown Sonoma and the brand in 2008. It embarked on a plan to improve the quality of Sebastiani’s wine. Now, it has decided to close that facility and make the wines at one of its other properties. Without a tasting room and without the employees who have been laid off, the brand loses appeal and their identities.

I’m sure these steps will reduce expenses for Gallo and Foley, but I’d be shocked if the wines will ever return to the quality they enjoyed long ago. After all, they have stockholders to answer to. Both Sebastiani and Clos du Bois are popular wines found in grocery stores or in bargain baskets for less than $12. That’s a far cry from those great Sebastiani Cherry Block cabernet sauvignons I remember so well despite their lofty prices.

Spaced out with Petrus

Now, here’s something you’ll want to buy.

Christie’s will hold a private sale of the bottle of 2000 Petrus that spent 14 months aboard the International Space Station. Proceeds will go to funding future space missions.

Sadly, there’s only one bottle. It will be packaged in a unique trunk made by Parisian Maison d’Arts Les Ateliers Victory. The trunk will include a decanter, glasses and a corkscrew made from a meteorite.

The 2000 Petrus, valued at about $7,000, was one of a dozen wines sent into space on November 2, 2019. One of the goals of the mission was to see h ow plants adapt to the stress of space conditions. According to the Christie’s release, “Recreating an Earth-like environment with near-zero gravity…offers a unique research framework to better understand the evolution of key components of wine, including yeast, bacteria and polyphenols.”

The space-aged wines were analyzed on March 1. Said the release, “The initial results found the bottles positively endured all the constraints of preparation, travel, and storage. Remarkable differences in the color, aromas and taste components were noted, and the wines sampled were commended for their compexity and considered to be great wines.”

In other words, the wines were the same on Earth as they were in space.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if the person who buys the Petrus finds out it is corked?

Just can it

I was going through a lot of alcoholic beverages in the can — not on the toilet, silly! — and trying to understand the drift from bottles to aluminum. Since I’m not a millennial, there probably is no hope I will understand the pleasure of wrapping my lips around a can.

At first, the alternative to a bottle was a 3-liter box that seem to satisfy a party host. Then came the cans. Once a container for cheap wine, the can was slowly adopted by major producers who felt they were missing the younger crowd. I don’t think we’ll ever see Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in a can, mostly because millennials aren’t buying it. Decoy, on the other hand, is putting some decent wine in a can and they are part of the elite Duckhorn portfolio.

I did, however, cross over to hard seltzers after my millennial nephew came to my house looking for White Claw. . Also called spiked seltzer, these canned drinks add alcohol from fermented sugar cane or malted barley to flavored sparkling water. Consumers like them because they don’t have the same high carbs as beer, although the alcohol content (calories) is about the same.  They come in a rainbow of exotic flavors to keep you interested, but we find them to be a lot of bubbles but not much flavor. It reminded us of Bartles & Jaymes, those canned concoctions that rocked the market in the mid 1980s. When the feds raised excise taxes on alcohol, Gallo dropped the alcohol in Bartles & Jaymes and consumers lost interest. But, they are back on the market with fermented grape juice.

But they have tons of competition. Even Budweiser and Corona are making hard seltzers because they are seeing millennials moving from craft beers to seltzers.

I’ll be writing more about this in a future column. Tonight, though, my lips will be a GLASS of wine from a GLASS bottle.

World wine consumption drops

Based on personal consumption, many of us assumed we drank more wine during the pandemic. Not so.

The International Organization of Wine and Wine reported recently that global consumption of wine was done 3 percent in 2020. That’s better than the 10 percent drop it anticipated, but still down from previous years.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the hospitality industry and thus on-site wine sales. Although large retailers and e-commerce showed increases, they weren’t enough to offset the loss in on-site sales. Adding to these woes were the tariffs initiated by the U.S. and China.

Hardest hit was the sparkling wine category. Except for prosecco, sparkling wine experience the worse declines. Bag-in-the-box wines, however, soared. What does that say? Some people were drinking more wine, but not better wine.

At least the U.S. kept up its end of the trade. Now the world’s largest wine-consuming country, it is on track to keep up with previous years’ consumption levels. Way too go, folks.

Tasting wine virtually

Leave it to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, to come up with making wine “tasting” a virtual reality experience.

It seems unreal to me.

Bezos recently introduced Davos Elite Portfolio of Fine Wines. It’s first release, a cabernet sauvignon from the elite To Kalon Vineyard, is entirely virtual. Participants get an empty bottle with virtual reality goggles that have enhanced aromatherapy technology.

The experience is hosted by a sommelier who offers help in what the user should be tasting.

You have to be kidding, right? I get that this could be instructional, can’t be overconsumed and can be enjoyed by minors and alcoholics, but is anything more than a gimmick for real wine drinkers? I can’t imagined being satisfied without actually tasting the wine.

The “wine” retails for $75 a bottle — not including the $400 goggles. Now, I’m liking the idea even less.

Help from the heavens

Mankind will forever try any gimmick to change the weather. Remember those planes that tried to seed the clouds to break up hurricanes? They didn’t work.

Now come the French who are confident that helium balloons loaded with hygroscopic salts will turn hail into rain. The experiment was approved by 90 percent of winemakers in St. Emilion. Thirty-seven launchers will be used.

Hails was especially damaging in St. Emilion and the Entre-Deux-Mers region in 2020.

More grape varieties approved in Bordeaux

Four new red and two white wine grape varietals can be grown in Bordeaux as a result of formal approval by the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualite, a part of France’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The decision comes after years of research by scientists and growers who were focused on supplementing Bordeaux’s varieties to address the impact of climate change. Arinarnoa, castets, marselan and touriga nacional — a Portuguese varietal — are said to adapt well to stress from temperature increases.

The two new white varietals are alvarinho and liloria.

Bordeaux producers are loathe to change tradition, but the climate changes have forced their hand. With these grapes being first planted this year, it’s hard to predict who will use them and how they will change the flavor profile of these prestigious wines, but I can’t wait to try them.

Fires hit Sonoma County the worst

The wine brokerage firm Ciatti reports that Sonoma County’s pinot noir was the most variety affected by the 2020 fires.

As reported in Wine Business, the pinot harvest was about 36 percent less than that of 2019 and about half of what was harvest in 2018.

Merlot and zinfandel crops will be cut in half as well, but there aren’t as many of these grapes picked.

Wine tariffs still around

If you like your French wines, you may want to stock up soon.

New tariffs initiated on January 12 will be increasing prices if producers decide to pass along the tariff increases. Although some absorbed earlier 25 percent increases, it’s not likely they will hold their prices this time around. The previous tariffs applied only to wines under 14 percent alcohol from France, Spain and Germany. The new rounds will apply to those with more than 14 percent alcohol, but oddly Spain is spared from the new round.

Maybe this is a good time to buy Rioja.

Winemaker of the Year takes a break

I always look forward to who is chosen as the San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year. Its writers, including columnist Ester Mobley, gave a lot of thought to the people who influenced the wine industry or who cut new paths in an industry often enveloped in tradition.

Recently, for instance, I had the opportunity to interview Bibiana Gonzalez Rave, an innovative and new winemaker who was knighted as the newspaper’s Winemaker of the Year in 2015. Her handcrafted Cattleya wines are extraordinary. But her award gave her gravitas that no publicity could equal. It’s an award that for the chosen will remain a highlight on their resumes.

Alas, the newspaper elected not to name a winemaker of the year for 2020, perhaps the worst year for American wine. The reasons are compelling: the COVID-19 pandemic that closed tasting rooms, the wildfires that closed production for many wineries, a sexual harassment controversy at the Court of Master Sommeliers, and other roadblocks to a successful year. I get it.

Instead, the newspaper featured a dozen wines that writers thought better represented the successes of the year. It’s a rather novel twist to featuring a person.

Let’s hope for a better 2021.

The first growths of Napa Valley

In 1855 Napoleon Bonaparte asked that the Medoc classify its wines, perhaps so that he could determine which to buy. Only four chateaux — Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Haut Brion and Latour — were judged to be worthy of the coveted first-growth classification. The grouping has remained largely intact — Mouton Rothschild was added in 1976 after intensive lobbying.

No other wine region has classified its wines like this, preferring instead to divide them according to time in cask (Spain), by vineyard (U.S.), by crus, price or by the vague term “reserve.” Even a president like Donald Trump couldn’t follow in Bonaparte’s footsteps and order it to be done in, say, California. However, I’ve often mused about which properties in Napa Valley would make the first-growth cut.

If history influenced the decision, I’d have to consider Chateau Montela, Louis Martini, Beringer, Caymus, Beaulieu, Heitz Cellars, Chappellet, Dominus, Opus One, Joseph Phelps, Mondavi. If I pulled in producers with less history, I would consider Screaming Eagle, Spottswoode, Sullivan, Cliff Lede, Gamble and Ladera.

The reserve cabernet sauvignons of these producers sell for more than $100 a bottle — in some cases more than $3,000. Not many people — even collectors — will pay that much for California cabernet sauvignon, especially when they can buy a second-growth Margaux for less.

What happened?

Many winemakers tell me there is more labor involved in farming mountain fruit that is often the source for the best cabernets. But, more likely, they will charge whatever the market bears. They make little of their best wines, sell it to their club members and develop a waiting list to drive the fear of being left out.

Most of them resist comparing their wines to those of Bordeaux and I get that because the soil, winemaking and blend is often different. But consumers will compare the two regions. And, winemakers insist that however unique their Napa wine, it is every bit as good as Bordeaux.

Learning more about wine on the cheap

Chateau Ste Michelle is offering a terrific online wine education program from your computer, smart phone or tablet. Called “The Wine Companion,” the guide has three chapters that covers basic information about how wine is made and how to enjoy it.

From what I saw, it’s basic but fundamental for anyone in the hospitality business or anyone who just wants a foundation in understanding wine. A quiz at the end gives you a chance to privately test your knowledge.

Here’s the link:

https://www.smwewinecompanion.com/

A surprise gem from Spain

 The other day I was sampling the Las Moradas de San Martin Senda, a wine I had never tasted before. I thought it was a $40-50 wine — but when I looked it up, it cost $13. I am not accustomed to buying cases of wine on line, but I did this time. Even with shipping costs, it represented one of the best bargains I’ve found on the market in recent months.

Las Moradas is on the Madrid side of the Gredos range of hills in Spain — relatively obscure in my book. The producer is focused on old vine garnacha. The Senda was loaded with fresh plum and dark berry flavors, but it was the depth, body and texture that was most impressive. This is a wine you could lay down for several years.

In fact, I tasted the producer’s 2013 Initio garnacha and it was showing marvelously.

Latest on California fire damage

As the ash settles on California vineyards, producers are starting to make difficult business decisions — and many of them are saying they won’t be producing wines in 2020.

More than 7 million acres have been destroyed by wildfires in the U.S. — 3.7 million are in wine country. And, there is a lot of fire season ahead.

Napa and Sonoma counties were particularly hard hit. But damage from smoke taint depends on wind direction, slope orientation, distance to the fire and more. Labs are backed up in analyzing the amount of smoke taint in the grapes, but many producers already are rejecting purchased grapes.

Among the producers who have decided against a harvest this year: St. Supery, Somerston and Priest Ranch, Lamborn, Pfendler, and several others not as recognized. The financial loss is huge unless they can turn the damaged grapes into bulk wine. Some have even considered making grappa, which actually tastes good with a little smoke.

Just before the fires, I sat in on a virtual wine tasting with Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supery. Like others, they were improvising to survive the pandemic, but the fires stopped whatever momentum they were making. I reviewed their semillon and now hear they won’t be making any in 2020. What a shame. But Swain made the right decision — St. Supery’s reputation could be damaged for years if flawed wine hit the market.

Consumers will have to be careful when they buy wines from the 2020 vintage. Why most reputable producers will suffer the loss and not make wine, others will and hope that consumers won’t pick up the ash tray flavors or care.

Can you share a bottle of wine and drive safely?

Three years ago I used a breathalyzer to determine if it was safe to drive home after sharing a bottle of wine for a dinner out. The post remains the most popular on my web site to this date, which indicates that people continue to seek the same information.

And the answer is still the same: it depends….

First, how well you metabolize alcohol depends on your size and amount of fat. Everyone is different and you need to determine your alcohol tolerance. Using a breathalyzer helps, but even that is no guarantee it is as calibrated as the unit used by the police.

My experiment showed that I had a .44 blood alcohol content — well under my home state’s chargeable limits — after consuming slightly more than a half bottle of wine over a hearty dinner. I took the test about 30 minutes after my last sip.

Second, every state has a variety of charges: drive while intoxicated, driving under the influence and impaired. Some even have zero tolerance, so any alcohol found in the blood will result in a charge. In most of these cases, the police have pulled you over for another reason (accident, missing tail light, rolling through a stop sign, etc.).

I’m not condoning driving and drinking. But neither am I supporting temperance. You can have wine with dinner if you know when to stop drinking.

Wine sales continue to be strong

There has been a shift between wine sales in restaurants, called “on premise,” and wine sales in retail stores. According to Nielsen, off-premise sales have increased nearly 20 percent during the summer months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Surprisingly sparkling wine led the increase with a 29 percent uptick. Consumers didn’t have anything to celebrate — they must have wanted to just pretend.

I suppose most wine drinkers, like me, looked for a dining experience if they were going to be stuck in their homes. Wine complements a dinner and at least makes you feel better about a troubling world we live in.

According to Nielsen’s figures, sauvignon blanc sales were up nearly 27 percent. Pinot noir, rose and cabernet sauvignon followed in that order.

Smoke taint may be affected by style of wine

UC Davis professors and winery representatives are theorizing that California’s style of wine may give grapes some protection against smoke taint. In a virtual program called “Office Hours,” Anita Oberholster said that “high-alcohol, low pH red wines with residual sugar” are best position to cover up the compounds of smoke taint. That’s generally the definition of California’s red wines.

Participants also concluded that it’s still possible to make a good red wine as long as there is little skin contact. That suggests we’ll see a lot of rose and light-colored pinot noir — even white pinot noir as I suggested earlier.

Two other conclusions the participants reached, according to Wine Business Monthly:

— Those who delayed picking their cabernet sauvignon grapes may benefit. Green grapes could enhance the taint; ripe fruit suppresses it.

— Hand-harvested chardonnay grapes will fare better than machine harvesting, which breaks open the skin and starts fermentation on the way to the winery. Generally, cheaper chardonnays are machine harvested.

— Oregon wines could have a harder time because of its dependence on pinot noir. Syrah, too, will be more susceptible to smoke taint.

Good harvest expected in France

Vigernons in France are rejoicing in the expectation of a bountiful crop of grapes this year.

Despite a foreboding early start of the harvest (Aug. 10 in Burgundy), growers report more than a 6% increase in production. The quality of the grapes look good too.

While this sounds like positive news in a weird year, the fact is that French winemakers are having a difficult time selling what wine they make. U.S. tariffs and the COVID-19 virus combined to stifle sales to a worldwide market. Sales were so bad that many producers turned unsold stock into hand sanitizer.

This year many producers are saying they will limit production to keep prices elevated and to avoid bulk inventory.

For consumers, don’t expect any price breaks despite the over-abundance of French wine. Tariffs will inflate the cost.

West Coast fires: damage untold

There isn’t a lot of specific information coming from California about vineyard damage from the extensive wild fires. From the reports I’ve seen in West Coast newspapers, Monterey County and Santa Lucia Highlands are harder hit than Sonoma and Napa valleys.

But the fire damage to the vineyards pales in comparison to the smoke damage to the grapes. Vineyards are a natural fire break because they just don’t burn like dry brush and undergrowth. At worse, a couple of rows on the fringes may burn but they’ll come back the following year. The damage is from smoke taint which clings to the grapes and eventually marries with the sugar. Smoke taint can’t be artificially removed and unfortunately it may not manifest itself until fermentation.

Grape growers are sending their grapes to labs for testing, but labs are warning that the backlog is causing 30-day delays. That leaves winemakers in a quandary: do they proceed or just drop fruit?

Wine grapes are less susceptible than red because they don’t stay with the crush for long. Red grapes, however, sit on the juice for many days, thus allowing the taint to permeate the juice. Worse, pinot noir skins are thin and sensitive. Areas like Santa Lucia Highlands, Russian River Valley, and Monterey will see a huge loss in its pinot noir crop.

The impact of the fires is simply too early to tell.

We are using quarantine to learn more about wine

People have been spending their days confined to quarters to expand their education or pick up a new hobby. Wine has been a popular topic.

In a survey commission by Corvin and performed by OnePoll, 66 percent of those who responded to the survey said the quarantine helped them to mature their palates. They have been experimenting more with adding wine to their recipes (39 percent) and to learn more about wine in general (37 percent).

They have defined what they like and don’t like about wine and have even changed their favorite wine to rose instead of pinot grigio, according to popular choices in the survey.

About a four of the respondents said they have set up in-home, comparative tastings, attended virtual classes or virtual happy hours.

All of this renewed interest has favored online wine sales. If people are going to stay at home, they are going to enjoy the confinement with good food and good wine.

I’ll toast to that.