WiVi WOWS AT MARCH GATHERING - DAY TWO ©

Yes, there is more to report on WiVi and I'll attempt to focus on the items of general interest to you, the consumer.  First up was the Keynote speaker. Peter Faricy runs the entire Amazon Marketplace operation and told us all about a new place for you to purchase wine. They have opened a Wine Store on the site and are rapidly signing up wineries who offer you the opportunity to shop at Amazon and add a bottle or two of vino to your book, music or other selections and check out a single cart vs. going to multiple sites. From the activity at their trade show booth, interest is high in this new way to sell direct to consumer. They currently may ship wine purchases to seventeen states (the winery fulfills the shipping order) and are adding more as the needed paperwork is completed.

The morning general session was a panel discussion of "Quality vs. Quantity" among a winemaker, viticulturist and vineyard manager. For my audience, the important message was a caution re: tons per acre. The cachet of low yield making better wines does not hold up in research. As one presenter noted, "If low yield is good, is no yield better". Given the vast differences in vine density and vigor of the vines from rootstock choice, soil and moisture, pounds per vine is perhaps the best new measure. Filling the trellis, i.e. maximizing the area of cultivation, is key to a balanced vineyard and that is a product of canopy management. That provides the proper combination of sun and shade/air circulation that allows individual clusters of grapes to evenly ripen. So, now you are armed with some "stump the tasting room" staff questions.

Sessions on pests, and vineyard practices from the ground up to the canopy (viticulture) and new product demonstrations were held in the afternoon. The final enology session was the fun one for this writer and of interest to you, the wine drinker. It also gave me a chance to catch up with panel moderator Lance Cutler. Former winemaker at Gundlach-Bundschu, a wine I represented at wholesale, he now contributes to the hosting Wine Business Monthly publication. I'd also worked with Justin's wine production guru, Fred Holloway, in the past and had met another panelist, Guilliaume Fabre of L'Aventure, during a professional wine society tour a few years back.

It was a comparative tasting of similar blended reds from three regions. Look for Lance's article on this in a future edition of WBM. The group ran from 2006 to 2010 in vintage and $40 to $95 at retail. Primarily blended reds of the Bordeaux style, L'Aventure added a significant (and glass coating) amount of Syrah. One set was from Paso Robles. This included Isosceles '09 from Justin, L'Aventure  Estate Cuvee '10 and Robert Nicolas' (RN Estate) Cuvee de Trois Cepages '09. As with all the wines tasted, extensive notes on every aspect of production, soils, barrels, crushing and fermentation etc. were provided and discussed.

Napa offered Cain Five '07, a Howell Mountain (88%) Cabernet from Robert Craig and a red blend that included Sangiovese - Bacio Divino '06. From Washington came Baer Winery's Merlot and Cabernet Franc focused Ursa '10. Also, Rasa Vineyards '09 In Order to Form a More Perfect Union and Two Blondes Vineyard Red '09 from Andrew Will.

The drill for the tasting was to identify regional character. The short version of the consensus was that Paso and Napa differed in structure, primarily from the acid and tannin evident in them. Both areas had moderate to deep coloration and generally shared anise and dark berry notes to the nose. The Napa wines had distinctly more tannic attack, a drier and more aggressively chewy texture than those from Paso Robles. Paso showed softer tannins but also a hold on the acid balance that made them more accessible. They retained aging potential but were approachable for being youthful. All the wines were provided pre-poured with about two hours of air time.

The wines from Washington (to me) seemed to have less central defining character than the other regions. They were interesting, well made and differed individually within the group. They were also much nicer than many of the attempts I recall from earlier days of red wine experiments from that area. Maybe Lance's article will tie them together after more thought. But at this point, I saw them as different from Napa and Paso wines yet doubt I would carry over a true recollection that would lead to me identifying a Washington wine based on these varieties in a blind tasting.

All in all, the inaugural WiVi Central Coast was a fun and informative success. I look forward to the 2nd Annual version and believe it can become an important part of the wine trade calendar.