Truth in Advertising

My hope is that one day winemakers will be convicted of all the lies they are spewing forth to the consumers who are buying their wine. It is true that the truth lies in the bottle, and that truth is taste, but it takes years of training to understand what wine should taste like. If you are lied to your entire life and think that spoofulated wine is the way wine should taste, then you would never question said wine as being "real". This is the problem we are facing today in regard to domestic wine. The following excerpt is taken from a winery's website and I know for a fact that it is complete bull-shit. I will not name names but if anyone can tell me which winery this is from I will send a bottle of wine to the first correct answer.

" My philosophy on making wine is that the fruit is EVERYTHING. What happens in the vineyard determines the quality of the wine - I can't make it better - I can only screw it up! That's why I'm extremely picky when choosing vineyards to buy grapes from. Not only am I looking for the right soil, micro-climate, and clones, I'm also looking for a grower with the same passion and dedication to producing great wine that I have. In other words, a total Pinot Freak! My part in the vineyard equation is to throw heaping piles of money at the vineyard owners (so that they can limit yields and still make a profit) and then stay out of the way! Since most, if not all of the growers keep some fruit to make their own wine, I tell them to farm my acre(s) the same way they do theirs - since they'll obviously be doing whatever is necessary to get the best possible fruit. One of the most important decisions made in the vineyard is when to pick. Some people go by the numbers (brix, pH, TA, etc) and some go by taste. Once again, I trust the decision to the vineyard people. The day they pick the fruit for their wine is the day I'm there with a truck to pick mine. Given this approach, the wine that I produce is as much a reflection of the vineyard owner as it is of my winemaking skills. I figure that I'm extending the concept of terroir a bit to include the vineyard owner/manager... but it seems to make sense to me. The added benefit is that I'll be producing a wide variety of Pinots. It'd be boring if everything I made tasted the same."

My major point of contention here is the part where this person says he picks at the same time as vineyard owners/managers. I have actually helped harvest his grapes in the past and I know for a fact that he lets his fruit hang on the vine until the last possible moment. When his grapes were harvested last year at a particular vineyard he showed up and boasted that all his fruit was the last to be picked in the county. This is not only false advertising it is a disgrace to the Pinot Noir grape. All his wine does taste the same and if blind tasted, it would be very difficult to discern much difference between the vineyards.

The other point of contention here is that he states that the fruit is everything. If the fruit were everything he would not be picking at 27-30 brix and then adding water to his fermentation to bring down the alcohol levels. If the fruit were everything he would not be destroying the soul of the vine by picking when the grapes resemble raisins, not wine grapes. If the fruit were everything he would strive to know everything he could about the fruit and then not lie to the consumers who are buying his wine  thinking it is representative of terroir and the way Pinot should taste.

These are the things I am fighting against and if you would like to know the name of this producer so you can steer clear of him email me and let me know. I do not believe in defaming someones name on the web in full view of everyone. That is not the goal of this site. The goal is to get the consumer to think about what they are drinking and buying and show you the people who are NOT lying to you.

Comments

[Hispanic tv advertising]

Well, i guess winemakers has their own way of doing wines. I'll just enjoy the wines!

-Daniel

[adam]

I have no problem with anyone doing anything as long as they are forthcoming about it. I personally do not want to support a winemaker who uses woodchips, but that is just my idealist nature coming to the forefront. I would also rather see winemakers use neutral barrels, but that would be in my perfect little wine world.

Just be honest and try to help educate the consumer. We are in a dark age of wine because of all the things that are being done and not said, but I believe a renaissance is coming and a lot of people are scared of that day and whatever it brings.

[Jerry Murray]

Tish,
You speak of Gary Horner and he has greatly impoved the quality of Erath wines while creating a bussiness that is sustainable ( ie profitable ).

[Jerry Murray]

Tish,
You speak of Gary Horner and he has greatly impoved the quality of Erath wines while creating a bussiness that is sustainable ( ie profitable ).

[Tish]

PR/marketing gobbledygook is the way of the world.

Curious how you feel about winemakers who lie about using oak alternatives. In a reverspsychology way, I have a soft spot in my cellar for Erath Pinot, after reading a few years ago that the winemaker was proud of his judicious use of oak staves, and was deliberately not hiding that fact.