A 'dust-up' in the wine world
Recently, iconic importer Kermit Lynch out of California was profiled in the New York Times Magazine. Kermit has been importing great European wines since the 1970s - his palate is extraordinary and beyond challenge, as are his wine knowledge and the caliber of wine he traffics in. A contemporary of culinary giants like Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck and Jeremiah Tower, Kermit was doing wine long before it enjoyed the status it does today here in the States. This depth of experience only gives him more credibility when it comes to wine. Kermit Lynch-imported wines are available here in North Idaho, and many of you have probably had them either from the dinner party or local restaurants. They are some of our best sellers!
In the recent NYT piece, though, he did create quite a stir and subsequent "dust-up" with the varied opinions of wine writers across the country. His controversial comments centered around the power yielded by publications and their authors that rate wines on a point scale, and their subsequent influence on the wine industry to create wines with higher alcohol levels and more oak. Here is what he said in the Times:
"I call the wines that have been ascendant during the Parker reign 'pop wines' because they're created by people thinking, 'Oh wow, if I make a wine like that, I'll get a hundred points and I'll be as rich as so-and-so.' They see, 'Jeez, I'm driving my tractor and he's driving a Mercedes, and I have land here, too!' But my God, how many oaky alcoholic wines can you suffer before it becomes monotonous...When a lot of California wineries started chasing high Parker scores, I lost interest."
There was a rush of writers to object to Mr. Lynch and state that the wine style he refers to sells because wine consumers enjoy it. Fair enough. Both Kermit and those who have taken him to task on his commentary are right. This is the challenge with wine rating systems. The one part left out of the commentary on both sides is how these wine ratings are conducted. Parker and most all who rate wine for a living taste hundreds of wines at a crack. No matter how sophisticated and talented a palate you have, when tasting that many wines, you will suffer "palate fatigue." Once fatigue sets in, the wines that stand out are those with the most oak, juiciest fruit and highest alcohol. So in Kermit's defense yes, these "pop wines," as he refers to them, will likely score higher, no matter how objective the rater strives to be.
Having said that, the most important thing for wine consumers is to experiment enough to find a wine reviewer, or for that matter a wine professional, whose palate you agree with most of the time. The most important thing to know in wine is still and always will be what you like and what you don't, so finding that wine adviser whose palate is closest to your own is vital.
Wine is just like ice cream - some folks like vanilla and some like chocolate. Many of us appreciate the nuanced, higher acid, lower alcohol versions from the "old world" that Kermit Lynch imports, while other prefer the opulent rich and extracted wines that are more commonly made by domestic producers. Still others of us find that as our palates mature and change or our moods shift, we oscillate between these styles, with neither of them being "wrong."
In my reading of Kermit's comments, I find that he is expressing that he does not care so much for this big, rich style of wine. That is okay, just as other folks may not prefer the more austere style of what Kermit imports. This is, in short, what makes markets. The risk for domestic producers, though, is "sameness" - at some point, the embrace of wines that are made with lots of new oak, overly ripe fruit at harvest, and depressed acids is, they all begin to taste the same. It is a cautionary note for producers from Washington to California and all the appellations in the Western U.S.
As a wine professional, but more importantly as a wine consumer, I agree with parts of both sides of the argument. I frequently enjoy wines in both styles being argued over, as well as other styles. For all wine consumers, it is important to know what you like and to try new styles whenever possible - it is likely you will find some winners. The variety of wine available is, to most of us, simply the best part of the whole wine experience.
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.