Trends
Every year around this time Mary heads off to the market to find the latest in merchandise for the shop for the coming spring and summer season. Every few years she goes to the market in New York, widely regarded as one of the best show in the States, and periodically I tag along. This year I did help "shop" some at the show, but my real purpose is to go back and meet with some customers, but also it is a great opportunity to see new trends in the wine world.
While I focus the lion's share of my attention on wine, when we are out and about the trends in restaurants are impossible to miss. In the restaurants we ate at two things were unmistakable. On the food side, eggs are making a big comeback. In most every place we ate all variations of deviled eggs are on the menu and being ordered. We also, for the first time, experienced a crispy poached egg atop a salad of frisee that was just wonderful and a recipe we will likely adapt for our wine club in the future.
On the wine side of restaurant experiences we were impressed with the representation from both "new world" and "old world" appellations from overseas. All of the growing and wine producing areas from Europe, South America, Australia and others were well represented on wine lists all over the city. We also found from a pricing perspective that these international offerings, especially those from Europe, were most times priced better than domestic choices from California. In addition we occasionally found some bottles from our local wineries here in the Northwest.
Perhaps the most impressive wine experience was at Morel, a wine bar near Rockefeller Center. I stopped in for lunch and was presented with the wine list or perhaps we should call it a wine book. The by the glass list was a full 8 pages long featuring every imaginable white, red and pink varietal, most with multiple entries. The wines were all gassed between servings so they were impeccably fresh In short, I had a blast perusing the monumental offerings, but in talking to the server one trend even in NY remains intact. Despite all of the great choices, I was told that most folks still settle on the two most requested varietals Chardonnay for white and Cabernet for red. I bucked the trend and had a lovely Grner Veltliner for white and a glass of Turley Cinsault for red.
The range of prices "by the glass" in Morel and at other eateries was broader than what we are used to seeing here in North Idaho. While there are choices a plenty in the $6 to $9 range there are also glasses of some pretty spectacular juice topping the eye popping level of $35 per glass, which we were able to avoid as there were so many choices.
The pricing for both bottles and glasses was remarkably consistent between restaurants and retail wine stores. While they were generally and predictably somewhat higher than what we pay here in North Idaho, the competitive factor kept them largely consistent.
Just this past week The Coeur d'Alene Press published an article from the Associated Press regarding the Grape Growers and Wine Symposium held this past week in California and while there was much valuable and interesting information in the article, the point the writer made about the ferocity of competition both worldwide and in local markets rings true based on our experience both in New York and here at home.
So what are the take aways for us wine consumers here in North Idaho? One great one is that offerings of different varietals and from different appellations will almost certainly increase. Whether you prefer Picpoul de Pinet or Ungi Blanc in white or 100 percent varietal Cinsault or even Nero d'Avola in red you will likely be able to find them! So, too, you will no doubt be exposed to more wine from Greece, Slovenia, Brazil, and other less known wine-producing countries. These competitive forces will likely play out in the lower price points just as the AP indicated in their article, as international producers focus their efforts on the U.S. now that we are the largest wine market in the world. This all combines for great news for choices on the low end of the price spectrum increasing our options.
On the high end it may restrict access to some of the more expensive wines we enjoy from domestic producers as the market responds to the sheer volume of less expensive choices by cutting back on some of the more "spendy" ones.
Based on the trends we saw firsthand in a market the size of New York, we encourage consumers here to be open to trying new varietals and growing regions they have less experience with. There are some real gems offered at compelling prices. If trying some little known wines feels intimidating, consult with your favorite wine professional. Let them know what you have liked in the past and ask for a recommendation that will be similar - this is the best way to expose yourself to exciting new trends and broaden your overall wine experience.
If there is a topic you would like to read about or 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 http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.