The world of wine: What now?

As in almost everything else, there is nothing constant in the world of wine. Vineyard management is a constant challenge, with wineries trying to find the best way to cope with whatever can put their vines and grapes in harm’s way.

An ongoing problem is bird control, as our feathered friends can have huge – and destructive – appetites for ripe grapes. You may already be familiar with the use of netting, especially in the case of grapes left hanging for the purpose of Ice Wine. That is one way to keep the birds away.

In some vineyards, such as Featherstone Estate in Niagara, hawks have been used effectively to discourage birds from chowing down.

Recently, wineries have begun to turn to lasers. One such grower is Griffin’s Lair in Sonoma, California. As Fruit Growers News reported in April 2018, the winery experienced continuing problems despite the use of netting, as perching and foraging birds could still get under the netting and do their damage. Annual losses were in the area of $25,000.

In addition, netting created problems for the workers, making pruning, fertilizing and other tasks more difficult. Enter The Laser.

Jim Griffin installed four sun-powered automated lasers, and in the end realized a 99.8 per cent reduction in bird predation, saving $25,000 a year. Fruit Growers News explains, “The laser bird deterrent technology takes advantage of a bird’s natural instincts. Birds perceive an approaching laser beam as a predator and take flight to seek safety when the laser beam passes by.”

Over all, they report, birds account for almost $50 million in losses in California each year.

Aside from denying them access to the feast, the lasers don’t harm the birds.

In the eastern half of the continent, fruit growers need to be on the lookout for the Spotted Lantern Fly, an invasive species from Asia which now seems to have gained a foothold in Pennsylvania.

Joseph Hernandez, senior editor at Sevenfifty Daily, reported on this menace on Tuesday.

It is tiny, but voracious, and will swarm hardwoods, orchard fruit trees, hop plants, and yes, grape vines. It can severely damage crops when it flocks to vineyards in the fall. One worry is its spreading by means of human transportation, when flies or egg masses hitch a ride on vehicles.

Currently, early research is focusing on the use of native fungal pathogens to combat the pest.

It may be early days, but Pennsylvania is only a hop, skip and a jump away from Niagara, as well as the Finger Lakes in upper New York State. We hope containment and elimination efforts are effective, but knowing what we do about invasive species, it won’t be easy.

The final worry in the “world of wine” isn’t really ours… - It’s Amazon’s!

In recent years, after purchasing Whole Foods, Amazon has entered the wine business, promising one or two-hour delivery in major centres via its Prime Now operation.

On Aug. 20, writer Zoie Matthew reported in Los Angeles Magazine her experience when she attempted to buy wine at Amazon.

By law, in order to have a licence to sell and distribute wine in California, a business has to have an actual physical ‘store’ present on its warehouse site in which all alcoholic beverages are available for customers to see, and purchase.

When she arrived at the warehouse, there was apparently no store, and the employees didn’t know what she was talking about. Eventually she found her way into a small, caged-off area with a turnstile, and was finally met by a manager. She asked him if she could buy alcohol, and he said, yes, but there were only three options: “a beer, a wine, and a vodka.”  (This at a warehouse with dozens and dozens of product for sale)

He eventually wheeled out a cart bearing a case of Bud Light, a bottle of Apothic Rosé, and a bottle of Seagram’s vodka. When she opted to buy the rosé, the man said he would have to call his boss to get a price; then when she tried to pay by credit card, he “couldn’t get the terminal going,” and said he could only take cash.

She didn’t have any, and so she left.

But she left with a great story, as the Prime Now operation clearly wasn’t living up to its regulatory responsibilities: the “store” didn’t exist.

The day before, a writer for Wine-Searcher.com had a similar experience. When he subsequently reported his findings to California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control, their reaction was, “The cat’s out of the bag and I imagine that the people at Amazon are scrambling right now, saying: ‘We don’t want the ABC on us’. They could have some plausible explanation, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Or, there could be even more egregious violations. Such as… knowingly filing an application with false information.”

Prime Now has also announced its intention to open operations in San Francisco with a “200-square-foot store”. That might be the size of two bedrooms.

I checked on-line and saw that in Washington D.C., the site carries about 200 wines, mostly in the $10 to $20 range. Providing access and display for that many wines in the space indicated will be a challenge, won’t it?

Limited Time Offers

The current batch of Limited Time Offers are available at a reduced price through Sept. 15. The following are worth trying.

Rosé

Henry of Pelham Three of Hearts Rosé, $17.95, is $2 off. In the style of France’s Provence, it is pale pink with orange highlights. Flavourful and dry, this blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris suggests raspberry, strawberry and tart cherry, with lime-like citrus on the finish. Attractive and well-made.

Apothic Rosé, the sole wine offered to the reporter at Amazon, is also $2 off at $14.95. It is at the borderline between dry and off-dry, and carries melon notes in addition to red berry and citrus. It is soft on the palate, and easy-drinking.

White

The Wolf Trap White, $12.95, (-$2) is a reliable blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc from South Africa. Nectarine and peach notes are accompanied by a flinty minerality in a wine of good length with a crisp finish.

Fern Walk Sauvignon Blanc, $14.95 (-$2) is a homegrown wine from Niagara. Vintages suggests that it “captures vibrant citrus and fresh-cut grass aromas and flavours; light and crisp this finishes with snappy acidity and replays of citrus and asparagus.”

Henry of Pelham Estate Chardonnay, $18.95 (-$3) is a fine example of top-notch Ontario Chardonnay. Gently-oaked, it carries sensations of smoke, butterscotch, and toast on the nose, and delivers peach/pear/apple on the palate. It has a texture that starts out creamy, but finishes with a definite citrus note.

Red

Santa Julia Reserva Malbec, $11.50 (-$2.50) delivers very nicely for an entry-level Malbec from Argentina. It is pure and juicy, with plum/blackberry fruit carrying through smoothly from start to finish.

Carpineto Dogojolo Rosso Toscana IGT. $13.95, (-$3) from Tuscany is a roughly two-to-one blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. It undergoes maturation in small casks, where a softening malolactic fermentation also occurs. Aromas of cherry, coffee and vanilla give way to a dry wine which repeats the cherry in flavour, along with earthy and leathery notes, according to Vintages.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Limestone Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, $15, (-$3), from Australia, is medium to full-bodied, with blackcurrant and tobacco on the nose, and persistent dark berry, oak and vanilla on the palate. Good length, and built for beef!

August 17 Release

Still available is the Simi Sonoma County 2017 Chardonnay, $19.95. Properly chilled the wine is gently smooth on entry, with a richness which develops gradually and persists though the finish. There is a whisper of vanilla and a subtle nod to oak, but the predominant feature is fine moderation and balance. Here is a wine to enjoy, either sipping quietly or serving it with creamy dishes.

August 31 Vintages Release

Rosé

Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes du Rhône Rosé , 2018, $16.95, is a French offering from a very respectable house. With many Rosés now at the $20 range and beyond (one on this release is $52 a bottle!) this represents fine quality and a very fair price. Of the 2016 vintage, the Wine Enthusiast called it “rich yet zesty” in a taut and minerally style. Red berry and pomegranate are part of the flavour profile.

White

Villa Wolf Gewurtztraminer 2017, $14.95, comes to us from Ernst Loosen’s portfolio. That alone should be enough recommendation for a wine said to offer “honeyed peach and lychee flavours that will also beautifully complement fried fish and spicy Thai salad” according to the Vintages panel.

Les Vignerons du Castelas Côtes du Rhône Blanc, $15.95, is a wine hard to resist. From a co-operative, it is said by the Wine Enthusiast to be unctuous and full-bodied with concentrated pear and citrus flavours and a mineral note on the finish. –90.

Zuccardi Serie A Torrontés 2017, $16.95, is perfect for those who love aromatic, but dry wines. It is “floral, citrusy and spicy with… an herbal touch of oregano. It’s fresh and balanced, with a dry finish.” - robertparker.com  –91.

Red

La Posta Pizzella Malbec 2017, $15.95, According to James Suckling, this offers “lots of black licorice… as well as citrus, bark and some moss, …with firm tannins, driven acidity and a very minerally finish”. –93.

Thorn-Clarke Sandpiper Shiraz 2017, $17, is new to Vintages from South Australia. James Halliday writes, “the scented pepper, spice and black cherry of the wine provide a lightness of foot to the medium-bodied palate.” –94.

Courtois La Grange Vinsobres 2015, $17, from France’s Rhône garnered the respect of winespectator.com, which suggests “a racy graphite edge leads off, with a solid core of plum and raspberry paste carrying along. A light mineral edge ads cut and freshness through the finish.” –91.

Il Molino Di Grace Chianti Classico 2014, $19.95, may be a “sleeper”. Produced by the Grace family with roots in America’s mid-west, this is a wine that is in perfect form, and is said by vinous.com to have a “good interplay of textural richness and aromatic life, offering notes of black cherry, plum, lavender and spice.” –91.