Wine Culture

On May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant hoping to stoke sales at his French-wine-only shop, held a wine competition in Paris. In this competition French judges were invited to blind-taste top chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from France and California. In an event that would later be dubbed the Judgment of Paris, the California wines –included merely to serve as the “sacrificial lambs” to the supposedly superior French wines- won the competition in a shocking upset. This singular event revolutionized the wine industry and put California on the map as a major world producer of fine wine.

This story comes to life on the silver screen for the first time with the film Bottle Shock, starring Bill Pullman, Alan Richman, and Dennis Farina among other notables. I recently chatted with Bottle Shock Co-Writer and Producer Jody Savin about the film.

Why this film now?

To answer this question in a socio-political sense, I would venture to say that we live in challenging times.

In spite of its small size, Sachsen has many pleasant surprises in store for those who enjoy German wine. Sachsen is, indeed, the smallest and most eastern wine region in Germany. It’s also – by a hair – Germany’s northernmost wine region. Most visitors to the area come to see the city of Dresden, restored to splendor and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or to shop for porcelain in nearby Meißen. Since most Sachsen wines are consumed locally, a visit to the Dresden – Meißen area may be the only way you can experience the region’s wines for yourself.

Le Marche (pronounced lay Mar-kay) is a region in central Italy that borders the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Apennines to the west.  Le Marche borders Emilia-Romagna to the north, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to the west, and Abruzzi to the south.  The terrain is mostly hills and mountains once you get away from the coast.  The area has a long history matching most of the historic conquests of Italy: it was occupied by the Gaul’s, colonized by the Romans, later it was invaded by the Goths and Lombard’s, then by Charlemagne.  It was then mostly a papal state before finally being annexed in the mid-1800’s by the kingdom of Italy. 

Wines and mines have been part of Bierzo’s history since Roman times.  After the remains of Saint James were discovered in the ninth century, pilgrims, too, became part of Bierzo’s heritage.  In fact, some locals will tell you that the Mencía grapes grown in Bierzo were first brought to the region by pilgrims headed toward the famous cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where Saint James is buried.  Monks who came to Bierzo from France to serve the pilgrims expanded the area’s vineyards.  The history of Bierzo is tied to its vineyards, mineral resources and monastic tradition.

Many years ago, a Navy friend brought us a bottle of German wine as a hostess gift.  Brian was elated because he’d found this wine in the U.S.  I was surprised to discover that the gift was German red wine from a region I’d never heard of, the Ahr.  No surprise, Brian told us – the Ahr is a very small wine region that produces mostly red wines, so it’s very hard to find Ahr wines outside of Germany.

The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend refreshing white wines for those hot summer nights:    

"On a hot summer evening, I look for a chilled white wine.  I also find that if the wine has a bit of sweetness, it offsets the heat a bit.  My go-to wines on these evenings tend to be Rieslings.  Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food.  They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad or fish or fruit.  They also make easy sipping on their own.  For these casual spontaneous occasions, my favorites are the basic German offerings.  One of the best features these wines have is their low alcohol level.  Usually carrying less than 10% alcohol, these wines are not heavy nor do they leave you tipsy from a glass or two.  Right now the stores are filled with the marvelous 2005 vintage, the excellent 2006 vintage and are just starting to stock the very good 2007’s.  While there are some wonderful, but pricey offerings, the basic Dr. L from Dr. Ernest Loosen is available for around $10.  The Lingenfelder Bird label Riesling is only a couple of dollars more.  Both wines provide a lot of pleasure and don’t break the bank.  Perfect for casual sipping on a hot summer night." - Loren Sonkin, IntoWine Featured Writer 

Even if you’ve never heard of any other Spanish wine, chances are you’ve heard about cava.  This is due to the huge international presence of cava sparkling wines.  Freixenet and Cordoníu are the two best-known producers of cava and both wineries have done a marvelous job of marketing Spain’s sparkling wines outside of their home country.  In fact, Spain exports more than half of the sparkling wines it produces, according to the Peñin Guide to Spanish Wine 2007.

Rome is one of the great cities of the world.  It has been for over two thousand years, and continues to be to this day.  If there is a wine that is synonymous with Rome, it is Frascati.  This wine has been produced in the countryside around Rome for almost two thousand years.  The Romans referred to it as the Golden Wine both for its color and its value.  It has become embedded in the cultural and economic traditions of the city.  In fact, in 1450, there were 1,022 taverns in Rome.  Producers of Frascati owned almost all of the taverns.  It has been said that Frascati is the most often mentioned wine in Italian literature.  Pope Gregori XVI, in the first part of the 18th century, said it was his favorite wine. 

Shaquille O’Neal.  Ann Coulter.  Jackson Pollack.  James Carville.  Mark Cuban.  Igor Stravinsky.  Noam Chomsky.  Andy Warhol.  Andre the Giant.  In life, the biggest and loudest among us get the most attention – while  finesse and nuance, toiling in relative obscurity, float in the choppy wake of incendiary, splashy, larger-than-life personalities.

While beer is often the refreshing beverage of choice on the 4th of July, wine is increasingly more popular as a relaxing summertime refreshment. With wine's increase in popularity comes the challenge of finding a wine to serve that not only beats the heat, but pairs well with typical picnic fare. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts for their thoughts on what wine to serve on the Fourth of July:

"For most folks, the 4th of July signifies celebration and a wide variety of outdoor picnic style foods. Grilled meats, a variety of salads, like potato or coleslaw, and grilled corn on the cob immediately come to mind. One style of wine that can effectively complement all of these flavor profiles is rosé. A well balanced rosé will provide the fruity richness to handle heartier fare (anything off the grill), while at the same time not over power the more delicate or sweeter dishes (corn or coleslaw) on the menu. Plus a refreshing glass of rose is a nice way to cool off on this warm weather holiday. A stellar choice would be the 2007 Château de Ségriès, Tavel Rosé $19.99." - Mulan Chan, Rhône and French Regional Buyer, K&L Wine Merchants

"There is one wine that surely must be the choice for the fourth of July - Madeira. Madeira is the wine that was used by the Founding Father's to Toast the Declaration of Independence. Betsy Ross had a side table with a glass of wine on it when she was sewing the flag.