Wine authorities have been extensively discussing the issue about Homogenization and Globalization of wine. Conclusions are often vague and indecisive. It's always the Old World against the New World, traditions against scientific methods etc. My opinion is, if all wines are made more or less the same based on the "International taste", then it's not "wine" we should be talking about but rather just alcoholic grape juice. We don't discuss about an industrial beverage like Coke as much as we do wine because it doesn't matter which country they are from, they taste the same. What's your opinion? Ray
We have here too. Or are we "wine authorities"? ;-)
Conclusions are often vague and
To paint it as Old vs. New World is to oversimplify in the extreme. It's more a case of Artisanal vs. Industrial, and examples of each are found in every wine producing region. And to paint it as a modern problem is probably a bit too simplistic as well, since the percentage of quality producers has always been low and it's just the technology of Industrial wine production that changes with time. I can imagine wine geeks in Pliny the Elder's time railing against the widespread use of irrigation in Gaul's wine producing regions and arguing for a more traditional dry farming approach.
My opinion is, if all wines are made more or
That's a distinction that I won't make. Is Beringer White Zinfandel not wine simply because I don't care for it? That reeks of the worst kind of elitism IMO.
We don't
I agree with you insofar as it's true that it's the changable and elusive character of wine that inspires so many of us to waste so much time, thought, bandwidth and money discussing it ad nauseam. But I'd bet that there's at least one or two Internet discussion groups that seriously compare soft drink flavors, maybe even looking for terroir in Coke. After all, there's an alt.food.waffle-house! :P
There is, indeed, at least some terroir in Coke, because each regional bottler provides the water and sweetener. The major difference is the use of either high-fructose corn syrup or cane sugar as the sweetener. True Coke geeks will import the drink from countries where cane sugar is used.
This topic surfaces from time to time in this forum. My own feeling is that there are just enough wine lovers with a well-developed sense of taste that there will always be at least a few "craft" winemakers in business. At least, I HOPE that's true! On the other hand, the "volume" producers will always have a ready market for beginners and those with a tight budget (sometimes that includes me).
Dan-O (Guilty! There is a Corbett Canyon Shiraz in my kitchen!)
Mark, I agree with much of what you wrote, but not neccessarily this- it's just as much an oversimplication as the original statement. Is Falesco less artisanal & more industrial than Ruffino, is Didier Dagueneau more industrial than the Macon co-op, or the garagistes less artisanal than Barton & Guestier?
There is crap and nectar made in almost every region - and in most styles. While I tend to prefer more terroir driven (and usually somewhat traditionally styled) wines, one can't dismiss all modern wines as industrial, nor romantically class all traditional wines as artisanal.
The trouble is, your so-called "craft" wineries (I prefer to call these "micro-boutique") can't afford the big budget, splashy advertising that brings in customers. They rely on word of mouth - but that takes time to develop. Meanwhile, the bills amass and creditors don't care how good their wines are. They just insist on being paid.
I know from experience how difficult it is to carve even a _small_ niche in this market.
internationalization of wines, going back to strongly regionalized grape types (Aglianico, Barbera, etc.) instead of Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons...
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