Subtle On-Screen Wine Appearances

My wine love leads to quirky activities, like identifying wines that are somewhat hidden on-screen. There are understandably increasing numbers of films that are based on wine, like my all-timer SOMM, or serious box office bonanzas like Sideways. But what about appearances where wine was not intentionally a star? Here are just a few not-so-subtle starring roles. 

Anton Ego and Cheval Blanc '47 from Ratatouille

Bogie as booze master, via BoozeMovies.com

1. Casablanca - Champagne and Cognac and Brandy, oh my! What would you expect from Rick's? There are so many scenes involving wine and service, it is difficult to pick the best. But the classic is not really about the drinks. Or is it? 
2. The Muppet Movie - Steve Martin hilarity with assistance from bottle-capped wine from Idaho. See the conversation here, via WineIntro.com. 
3. Sopranos - A specific reference to the season six, episode nine wine heist of a case of Chateau Pichon-Loungueville Comtesse de Lalande 1986. If I had a case, I would happily savor a bottle as soon as possible, even if I were to gulp it down in a parking lot, like Tony. Though I would take much better care of the rest!
4. Ratatouille - Esteemed food villain Anton Ego enjoys Chateau Cheval Blanc 1947, another famed Bordeaux fetching up to five figures for a bottle. And there was this. 
5. Mad Men - Alongside the dominance of cocktails, wine had an increasing presence throughout the series. If only it could have carried further into the seventies to encompass the initial explosion of American wine. I like this article for a dive into the historical accuracy of the Mad wine culture, and there are several more articles on GrapeFriend.com.

With dozens more to choose from, what are your favorite on-screen wine moments?

2012 Bordeaux Tasting Standouts

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux members showed off many wines from the 2012 vintage at the Museum of Flight in Santa Monica. Thanks to Wally's Wine & Spirits for hosting the event. It was a packed event, full of colorful personalities, many of whom made individual exhibitions of an unfortunate array of perfumes and colognes. I tasted my way through fifty-six wines in two hours. While many were light, even thin for their youth, and had an overriding grassiness, there were several standouts. Here are the best tasting Chateau to me, their appellation, highest En Primeur critics ratings as available, and current, still-futures (expected delivery summer, 2015) prices.

Bordeaux bargain

Clarke, Listrac-Medoc - Layers of flavors, yet smooth and approachable, and great for the price. 16-Decanter, $32

Great Whites

Malartic-Lagraviere Blanc, Pessac-Leognan - Rich and powerful fruits and acidity, stoney, with toasty edges. 91-94-Parker, $66

Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Leognan - $50

Red and ready

Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Leognan - Full and ripe, with tobacco spice and length of finish. 91-93-Parker, $90

Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan - 92-95-Parker, $95

Lagrange, Saint-Julien - 17 Decanter, $50

Langoa-Barton, Saint-Julien - 87-90-Wine Spectator, $65

Saint Pierre, Saint-Julien - 91-93-Parker, $59

Rest of the best

Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol - $70

Lascombes, Margaux - 90-92-Parker, $73

Trotte Vielle, Saint-Emilion - 90-93-Parker, $83

Grand Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac - 89-92-Wine Spectator, $67

Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien - 90-93-Wine Spectator, $95

Full Circle Wine Tasting Experience

Here is an example of a wine discovery experience going full-circle, highlighted with some of my most-popular posts:

A tAsting Strategy

I tasted over thirty wines at an event when I found the first bottling of Gehricke Carneros Pinot Noir 2012. It was clearly one of the best at the time, and after a stand-alone bottle for confirmation, it was time to buy it up. I shopped several local stores until I found the most attractive price, and purchased several bottles.

if you like it...

I enjoyed and shared the initial bottles over the next two months, and the wine was a consistent favorite, scoring well even among friends that do not like (?) Pinot Noir. After much travel, including tasting trips to Oregon and Las Vegas, and hundreds of wines, the Gehricke ended up as my top wine pick of the year. But while continuing to buy and drink the wine, I began to notice something...

buy it all

Supply was running out. I went on a quick spree and purchased the last bottles at my shops. I asked a couple of stores to check with the distributor, which confirmed the sold out status. A search on the producer's site now finds the nearest bottles six-hundred miles away.

I always feel accomplished when I recognize and introduce others to a wine that later becomes mainstream, and especially when I have a few bottles held back for the future. For now, it is back to the tasting trail to find another highly recommended.

Have you tried the Gehricke? What did you think?

Investing In Wine - Lessons From 1990 Bordeaux

Spring 1991, the time of Bordeaux's en primeur, or futures market, was a particularly good time to invest in potentially outstanding wine. After the multiple renowned and abundant vintages of the eighties flooded the market, the 1990 vintage was rumored to be troubled. There was the chaos of an economic downturn, and a war involving the United States, home to a large group of consumers of top Bordeaux, was in the works. These factors brought about a subtle reduction in Bordeaux futures prices, with first growths available in the fifty-dollar range. (approximately $90 today)

From Berry Bros. & Rudd, London

At the time, I was just determining that I would become a regular wine consumer, and felt an eagerness to experience some of these legendary big names. Nonetheless, the idea of spending $50 for a bottle of wine, much less a case of it, that I would not possess or taste for two years was outlandish. In hindsight, it would have been a worth waiting for. Twenty-four years later, the vintage is considered very good and still going strong. Futures prices have continued to escalate, even though many years have produced lesser rated wines. 2013 futures prices for comparison, with various economic impacts driving prices down, were still four to five times the 1990 vintage's inflation-adjusted prices, for what has been characterized as an "unexciting" vintage. 

If I knew then what I know now, I might have recognized the opportunity to acquire a selection of the great names worthy of cellaring, and searched out the best of the second through fifth growth wines that were offered for much less. Maybe I would have accumulated a vast wine portfolio. Or, I could have sat my tastes and expectations at such a level of snobbery that I priced myself out of the joys of regular exploration. I am not an investor when it comes wine. Had I paid the price, I would certainly have drank all of the 1990s well before their estimated primes, and loved every drop. If you were willing to buy and wait on the 1990 Bordeaux, you would now hold a nice asset for your money. 

I purchase wine with the intent to drink it relatively soon, becoming impatient with wines I have held for more than a few years. Still, I recommend remaining alert for the opportunity to taste or purchase big deal wines at what you consider to be bargain prices. If you like a wine enough, or the cost is especially tolerable, buy as much as you can afford! Perhaps you can drink now and save for someday. Whichever side of the investment conversation you may be on, the key factor is your enjoyment of the wine experiences you collect. 

Wines Of The Year

The best times with wine involve people, places, and excellent service experiences. Here are my top wines from 2014, with the events surrounding them. 

1. Gehricke Carneros Pinot Noir 2012 - This is a fabulous first production, with earthy leather, red berries, and some spice. I found it at the Primo's Fine Wine and Spirits wine tasting event in Tulsa. $35
2. Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - The 40th Anniversary edition is powerfully dark, velvety, and lasts seemingly forever. Fearing's Restaurant in Dallas offered it to me first. $60
3. JL Chave Mon Coer Cotes-du-Rhone 2011 - Thanks to Master Sommelier Craig Collins and Arro in Austin for the introduction to this value Rhone. $19
4. Brooks Bois Joli Riesling 2012 - This was my favorite find on a tasting tour of Oregon. Lots of citrus and just enough sweetness. Brooks is very generous, and they have a touching film about winemaking you should see: American Wine Story. $24
5. Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St-Georges 2009 - Affordable Burgundy acquired at a wine lover's paradise, Brown Derby of Springfield, Missouri. $55

So Many Choices

Wine is more abundant, accessible, and exciting than ever before! Over a series of weekly posts, I will write about developing a personalized, systematic approach of wine discovery to help make the potentially complicated buying process an enjoyable experience.

To start, here is a quick overview of the wine buying landscape. In a twenty-year period ending in 2012, we have witnessed a five-fold increase in producing wineries in the United States, which now number well over eight-thousand. Forty-one states produced wine in 2013. Additionally, there are an inestimable number of garagistas and home-vintners. And these are only the U.S. statistics, with approximately ninety-percent of wine produced in other countries. Everyone, it seems, is making wine.

Wines of some quality are rated by influential critics like Robert Parker, and still more are reviewed by individuals on socially-oriented websites like CellarTracker. Wineries, trade groups, distributors, retailers, and restaurants expose the public to marketing and public relations for select products. The internet moves the surrounding wine discussion at a breakneck pace. More wines are for sale in more states in more stores and restaurants…

With all the great wine choices, and the noise accompanying them, acquiring the wines you like may appear to be an overwhelming proposition. But the selection of wines and associated information are great developments for wine drinkers. Now, every wine you drink should be a pleasurable experience. We just have to keep the buying process simple, and fun!

Next week, I will write about a strategic foundation for your personal wine buying system.