by Jeff Miller of Artisan Family of Wines (Seven Artisans, Sly Dog Cellars, Red Côte)
Every Wednesday I post my recommendations of the best of last week’s postings concerning wine, whether blogs or news. I list them in the order I read them, so you shouldn’t infer anything about the order in which I list these posts.
Direct sales harvest
NATHAN HALVERSON
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110731/BUSINESS/107311044?p=1&tc=pg
Small wineries that sell direct to consumers are doing much better than those that rely on tradition distribution through the three-tiered system.
Thinking Inside the Box
Eric Asimov
Wine in a box is improving, according to this post. The idea is a great one. The bag deflates as the wine is consumed, so that no air gets into the bag. Since oxygen is the great culprit when it comes to storing opened wine, this problem is avoided. I’ve played around with the idea. Unfortunately, the capital costs of doing bag in a box, combined with the sable consumer acceptance, nixed the idea.
The Uber-Wealthy’s Wine Industry
Fermentation
http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2011/08/the-uber-wealthys-wine-industry.html
Wark contemplates the effects on the wine market of the increasing disparity in wealth between the top and the bottom in our society.
Low alcohol trend in California? I don’t think so.
Steve Heimoff
http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2011/08/05/low-alcohol-trend-in-california-i-dont-think-so/
Are California wines actually getting lower in alcohol? Heimoff doesn’t think so, and I think he’s right.
New Hampshire State Liquor Stores – a sample of one
Dr. Vino
http://www.drvino.com/2011/08/02/new-hampshire-state-liquor-stores/#more-9381
One of the real downsides of state owned liquor stores is that, having to buy to supply a whole state, they are pretty limited in what they stock.
For keeping up to date with what’s going on the in wine world, the best all around source is http://winebusiness.com.
Jeff
I will challenge the “no-air-gets-into-the-bag” notion.
Recently, I purchased several Wine Box wines from Target: Chard, Sauv Blanc. Pinot Noir, Cab and Malbec. I Stored these in my cold room (about 64F) and sipped from them over the course of a week.
Quality was so-so.
However, the point of my comment is that ALL of the wines become tired and oxidized tasting with time.
I believe that, unless you have some pressure on the bag (beyond atmospheric pressure), it is inevitable that air will get into the bag during each pour.