BRAMBLES: If...A Good Food Wine

Carravaggio's Bacchus knew a good food wine

A promising harvest now interrupted, contributes to a challenging year unlike any other in our lifetimes. More than six months into 'shelter in place' with its unique social distancing, an economic decline previously unseen, and tens of thousands of small businesses having closed(many permanently) that include hundreds of family run boutique wineries, we search for 'normal'.  Following the early start of grape harvest for sparkling wine producers, our North Coast has been blanketed with a record setting August heat wave, and now a complex of massive wildfires ignited by lightning to create a heavy, smoke-filled air quality across the grape growing region.

Stories these dazes seem then to write themselves.  In the current global pandemic environment the health of populations and their diverse economies becomes paramount, dominating headlines and reporting. Tens of millions are without pay checks, their food costs steadily increasing, and a strained health care system only seems to magnify the weight of our amplified social isolation.  Hospitality and the wine industry have had to again reinvent how they now do business, as the stream of consumers tightens to a trickle willing to take-out, or pick-up or ship, thus minimizing human contact.  Prior to statewide station in place orders, the early wine stories were about punitive import tariffs, and a surplus wine grape supply, even with a steady, continuing consumer growth forecast.  But, that was just a few short months ago. Now the wine stories here are about who among the thousands of small producers will survive to see the return of the 'new normal'.

As may have been expected(using the Great Depression as a model), consumers are consuming more; more budget-friendly wines.  Food wines, especially rose', remain strong, as direct-to-consumer wine retailing grows currently at historic rates. And, local restaurants, struggling to survive, are also getting creative with their cellars' liquid assets(discounts and available with ordered meals), as we mainly drink safely at home.  Beneficially, out of doors finds less congested roadways, quieter streets, with more congested bicycle routes.  Before the fires there was even cleaner air quality with fewer gross carbon emissions, and far fewer auto fatalities. Talk about a reason to drink!

Things have not changed much for many bottle a day at home consumers, except that routine sourcing has now become more of an exercise. Local wineries here offer pick up services, bottle retailers may do the same, and local supermarkets are seeing a spike in broadly available, off the shelf budget friendly selections.  But even in this environment, the challenge remains the same for wine livers. How do we find a good food wine to enjoy with our stay at home meal?  And, how can we support those important small production wineries when their normal and profitable distribution channels have evaporated?

Chardonnay grapes before August heat spike and  fires

As always, wine remains an enjoyable, delicious part of our lives.  We may realize that the wines we love get their flavors from the fruit variety and its growing site.  The more general the site and varietal description, the more generic the product(generally).  Those heady, enticing aromas are enhanced by the fermentation process, and those earthy notes are typically the result of the wines aging. All of this is held together by the wines complex of acids, and tannins, and alcohol.  Widely available wines from industrial producers tend to manipulate and craft their wines to consistency(regardless of vintage) using many cellar and laboratory tricks to create the wines so many love in those modest price points.

Ultimately, we try to find wines we trust, from producers we know or from suggestive marketing.  It certainly helps if the wine is in our wallet comfort zone, and we typically get what we are prepared to spend on a bottle of vino.  But, there are exceptions, and that's where wine education for consumers comes in.  We may recognize that the alcohol declaration on the label will indicate how adaptable the wine will be with food(lower alcohol wines seem to work best).  Or that the personality of the grape selection may be over matched with our richly flavorful dish.  Perhaps the marketing descriptions on the products back label can more precisely direct us to the kinds of table fare best suited to complement that particular wine.

We know that excess alcohol consumption can deepen depression, so moderation for general health and well-being is always recommended.  But, the satisfaction and lifting spirit found in a wonderful glass of wine to enhance a fine meal seems to be a reasonable balance.  Like so much in nature, balance is the key.  On the palate, a wine should offer a good balance in all of its building blocks, and promote the satisfaction that comes with a wine that over delivers on our expectations.  As such, wine remains a vehicle that allows us to explore the pleasure of the earth's bounty, the satisfaction of sharing in good company, and the beauty that is offered in the manifestation of art and delicious science.

Ultimately, a good food wine will entice the experience of sharing, and contribute to the delight that comes from a good meal.  It will heighten anticipation and benefit digestion. A wine that displays the truth that can be found in natures bounty, in its art and in its humanity, can truly be a good food wine.  In times like these there are few things that may be as important as finding truth in fellowship, in supporting our communities, and in finding beauty that remains in us and around us.

Stay safe, good cheer, and Salute!

WineLinks:

Resourceful drinking: Vinepair.com
 https://vinepair.com/articles/10-best-supermarket-wines-2019-grocery/

Harvest update: Sonoma County Winegrowers.org

https://sonomawinegrape.org/