Why everything tastes the same on wine junkets

The whirlwind wine trip of the "Barbera Boys" finishes up today. And when the seven bloggers have time to reflect and compose longer, more thoughtful posts, we'll see what a long half-life their experiences will enjoy. I think it's safe to say that the Barbera d'Asti zone won't be quite the same.

Still, having followed their posts and tweets with keen interest, one aspect of this trip that leaps out at me is the relative uniformity of the wines that have been presented to them. The cries of "too much oak" and "too much tannin" have echoed through each communique. I attribute this sameness to five factors:

1. The selection committee, however composed, has picked wines that they believe will appeal to international (American) consumers.

2. The producers are afflicted with group-think and are convinced that the high-oak, concentrated route is the sure path to success.

3. The same producers are the ones with sufficient clout to get themselves selected. Think intense involvement in the C of C, Rotary Club, Lions, etc., or their Italian equivalents, and you see how small-town networking pays off for the assiduous glad-handers.

4. Fear. A perennial favorite. Along with it, risk-averseness. An unvirtuous feedback loop is established.

5. The exclusion -- or self-exclusion -- of smaller players vastly reduces the chance of tasting wines that don't conform to the prevailing style. Visiting writers receive a fairly representative overview of the zone's production, but necessarily an incomplete one. The prevailing style is consecrated as "official," even to the detriment of the production zone.

I wish I could reveal how going against this grain has benefited Domenico Selections in finding a true gem in Barbaresco, but I won't until the deal has been signed. Suffice it to say that you aren't going to find "hidden" gems by hanging around consortium offices or the local Chamber of Commerce. The quality outriders don't play that.  

 

  

Comments

[Tomaso Armento]

I “feel” your post.

To me a wine producer should simply work the grapes in the best way he is able to do, follow his view and face the market challenge instead of trying to follow the mood with the right oenologist recipe. We run a small winery since 1972 in the Monferrato area (Rocca Grimalda), our key wine is made with dolcetto grapes. We see a lack of cooperation between small producers to get our small quantity handcraftmade products to the tasting table of traders that may be interested in our niche products. I hope to meet you at Genova, should you decide to be at Terroirvino, or, better, at the VUU dinner the evening before, to hear your opinion, I am going to be there with more than my winery. Best regards. Tomaso

[fredric koeppel]

thank you for these thoughts, Strappo. indeed, Barbera 2010 was fraught with difficulties, not the least of which were logistical; tasting 170 young, tannic red wines over four mornings and THEN tasting more wines before and during dinner as well as visiting three properties and tasting wine in the afternoon was just more than our poor palates could absorb. Then there's the circumstance in that the bloggers were brought to Asti in what was supposed to be a clever and revolutionary step and then were not given the proper time to blog because we were on the go from 9 a.m. until midnight for four days. we ended up trying to write and post entries during breakfast, during the actual tastings and after midnight. the gratifying part (besides some excellent food) was visiting the wineries, where we were allowed to try a full range of products, from the simplest to the most complex. surprisingly, we encountered some knock-out white wines. and inevitably, we liked the barberas at the home properties better than the ones that were being shown-off, like thoroughbred horses, at the event. I (and all) will have more to say, but this is the gist of the experience.

[Strappo]

gee, fk, mr. potty mouth, it sounds like a typical day at vinitaly. it all becomes a blur.

i can't wait to read what all of you write after some time for reflection. as i said last week, barbera 2010 WAS revolutionary - just not in the way the organizers had thought it would be. the reverberations will continue for a good while, i think & hope.

[fredric koeppel]

"potty-mouth," yeah, where the fuck did that come from?

[Strappo]

one of the Barbera 7 wrote that some of you bloggers were tightly wound -- would that description apply to you? it seems no, but i've never seen you under duress.