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Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Wine Line: Wine consumption moves up

According to Reuters News Service, overall wine consumption in the U.S. rose 0.9 percent in 2008 to 294.7 million cases of wine.

Although the growth rate slowed slightly, this marks the 15th consecutive year of case gains. However, consumers have become more frugal with their wine purchases, trading down toward value priced wines.

The Reuters article explained that the growth can be attributed partly to the 70 million people who make up the Millennial generation (people aged 21-30 years).

This generation is not as sophisticated about wine as preceding generations and is willing to experiment with wines at lower price points. Also, the weakened dollar has caused imported wines to drop 1.8 percent, while domestic wines rose 1.9 percent. Finally, the continued association between moderate wine consumption and decreased risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke remains a key factor of wine's current popularity.

The right wine?

Have you ever been invited to a dinner party and didn't know what wine to take? You don't want to appear too pretentious with an expensive wine nor too cheap with something inferior.

What is the perfect wine for the occasion?

One strategy is to look on the third or fourth shelf of the wine row in your favorite market. Here is where you will find wines priced in the $10 to $14 range and when they are on sale (they're always on sale), you will pay a few dollars less.

These wines usually won't have much of a "wow" factor but are solid, consistent value priced wines that are varietally correct and won't break the bank.

Wines from these brands will certainly not disappoint or embarrass you at that dinner party. Because there are so many to choose from, here are my recommendations of wineries you can trust. I suggest you cut it out and keep the list in your wallet or purse. Yes, a wine cheat sheet. How cool is that?

Wine brands to remember:

Beringer Winery, Blackstone Winery, Bogle Vineyards, Castle Rock Winery, Concannon Winery, Chateau St. Jean, Gallo of Sonoma, Geyser Peak Winery, Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve, Kenwood Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery and Ravenswood Winery are my California selections.

My Washington brands are Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Columbia Crest Winery and Hogue Cellars. These brands are readily available at all the local supermarkets. I checked.

What's on our table

2006 Kenwood Vineyards Sonoma County Zinfandel

This is a zinfandel from some of Sonoma's best vineyards. This brambly-rustic zinfandel has great flavors of berries, cherries and spices with a long rich finish. This wine has that "wow" factor and if you're into wine ratings, it scored 96 at the California State Fair. I found it on sale at Raley's for less than $12. It's the perfect barbecue wine. How about some ribs? Cheers!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can reach me at rgwinton@yahoo.com.