Six years of perspective

The dinner party opened six years ago last week. During that time, we have seen the wine industry change much, both from the supplier side of the equation and the consumer side, as well. Mary and I cannot thank all of our customers enough for the tremendous support over these years, but our thanks would not be complete without recognizing the wineries, great local distributors, and suppliers who make our job easier and a lot of fun too. We have enjoyed working with all of our customers and wine professionals alike and can't thank you enough, and we look forward to working with even more of the wine drinkers we have yet to meet.

The trends over these enjoining six years have been fun and fascinating to watch. Many times they were not easily recognizable as trends, but with the historical perspective, they are clear. Here are the ones we have noticed the most.

The inversion of prices between international suppliers and domestic wineries has been one of the more recent trends and one of the most dramatic. The economic troubles in Europe, combined with the recent emergence of the U.S. as the largest wine consuming population, has motivated producers from Spain, Italy, Portugal and even France to drastically reduce prices on many of their products, overtaking the value category, with domestic producers more consistently occupying the higher end of the market. While the price trend is clear, it in no way reflects on the quality of wines produced in the Northwest or California; they are fabulous and still worth what we pay for them.

Rose is here to stay and continues to grow its share of the market. When we first opened the store, dry rose received little respect, and many wine consumers feared a white Zinfandel when they saw the pink wine. In that six years, we have seen still and sparkling pink wines that are fermented bone dry make huge gains in popularity as folks realize pink no longer equals sweet. While still rose is most in demand during the summer months, pink sparklers are just as much in demand during the holidays.

Chardonnay has made the journey from oaky and flabby to steely and thin and is now settling in with balance and elegance. When I worked at Balletto Vineyards, their great winemaker at the time, Dan Cedarquist, would say, "Chardonnay is the easiest varietal to make," and he produced some spectacular ones. The hard part over the last six years is that we have seen consumer demands change quite a lot: the big oak butter "bombs" became too much, while the stainless steel fermented ones became a bit of "one-note wonders." Well, we are now reaching the sweet spot for the varietal overall where they are balanced, sophisticated and elegant - precisely what the grape is capable of.

Oak is still a necessary part of good wine production, but is no longer the only important flavor that is imparted on well-made wine. Winemakers' tastes, just like wine consumers' tastes, evolve over time, and we are seeing more and more domestic producers recognize the balance required in oak use, while international producers stay true to their roots in the measured application of oak.

Rhone varietals continue their strong comeback. About three years ago, Syrah - and to a lesser degree, other Rhone wine grape varietals - were being overproduced at the same time that, for whatever reason, consumers seemed to lose interest in them. The explanation was likely something as simple as there were just too many offerings in the category. We know that when a varietal or producer is seen literally everywhere, consumers start to look past them. Since that time, production has been dialed back, quality has improved, and consumers more and more are seeking out great Syrah and Syrah-based blends.

Consumers more and more open their minds. Both in varietals and producers, wine drinkers are open to trying the new, smaller, and lesser known, as they seek out new favorites. At the same time, we are gaining increased access to wineries in our local market and more producers are working with more grape varietals than ever before. This trend is perhaps the most encouraging sign of a vibrant wine market and to us as wine professionals, the most fun.

We look forward to the next six years working with the wonderful wine consumers of our local community, and are excited for our industry while at the same time being most grateful for your support and for all of the perspective we have gained in that time.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party, a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene magazine, www.cdamagazine.com. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles, as well as other great wine tips, by friending us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.