Next Big Thing

I agree that it will be Riesling. Dry Riesling. Certain large chain restaurants are adding second and third bottles of Riesling to their wine lists, which is usually a pretty good indicator. e.

in article g8vOd.25160$ snipped-for-privacy@news20.bellglobal.com, wp23 at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 2/9/05 1:20 PM:

That just doesn't sound right. I know that Pino Gris/Grigio is undergoing a sharp increase in US sales, but everything I see suggests that Chardonnay is still way out in front, by as much as 10 to 1. That's certainly the case in 'production' figures in California (where Chard beats Pinot Gris by 15 or 20 to one in crush quantities). Hard to conceive of there being enough imported Pinot Gris to eclipse that lead.

"Gaston Leyack" wrote in news:1107982483.999317.111340 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Pinot noir, especially if "Sideways" wins any kind of Oscar ;) d.

Hey, De, what's with the multiple nyms these days? Should I refer to you as enoavidh or dolo?

Confusedly yours, Mark Lipton

Perhaps it is time for a big sparkling red to become the rage. Chandon in California has started making a big sparkling red from 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Zinfandel, according to the March issue of Decanter. It is supposed to taste much like a big Australian Shiraz fizz. The new winemaker at Chandon, California, previously worked at Chandon, Australia.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net from my email address. Then add snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com . I do not check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

Grignolino.

At the moment, the "Next Big Thing" seems to be Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, thanks to "Sideways". For those of us on the cutting edge, however, that's not exactly _new_. I've been into S.B. Pinots for over 20 years.

I'd guess it'll be Sangiovese - but they won't be "discovered" for another 5 years, at least.

Tom S

indicator.

I would also guess Riesling, simply because it is more pleasing to beginners, or anyone else with a taste for tart wines.

Dan-O (likes Riesling too)

I can't wait till I see a wine list with 30 Reislings and only one chard (or none at all!). I have a dream today!

While I agree that Riesling is a wonderful grape and is often made into spectacular wine (GR, FR), and that the really good ones are poorly represented on mainstream wine lists, I would not like to see all of the Chards replaced. It too, regardless of the gallons of plonk produced, and its popularity, especially in US, is a great grape, and many, many excellent wines are produced from it by knowing, caring winemakers. I vote for more really good Rieslings, but only to replace the truly insipid Chards.

Hunt

Pardon my shorthand, Nils: K-J = Kendall-Jackson, a major marketer of industrial over-oaked Chardonnay with some residual sugar to appeal to the masses.

Mark Lipton

You heard of wine as a social lubricant. KJ Chardonnay goes beyond that. The glycerol gives it what the french would call "gras".

;-)

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

K-J Chardonnay does have a redeeming feature when going to dinner with an unfamiliar group. Someone will be handled the wine list and recoil in horror -- then the list is passed from person to person like a flaming potato. Ending up with you. At this point, an order of K-J Chardonnay will be welcomed by all. You can check out the 'wine by the glass' list.

Mike

It's the wine that critics love to hate: Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay.

Frankly, I don't find it to be all that bad - particularly if you don't buy their bottom tier wine. It's a safe, relatively inexpensive choice from a wine-by-the-glass list, and is very widely available. Meridian is another good example of such a wine.

Tom S