SIP

As a blogger, I’m always on the lookout for something good to post about the wine industry. I check on other people’s blogs, scrutinize the wine media, surf the Web, and in general spend a lot of time seeking out that special story that screams, “Write about me!”

But every once in a while it occurs to me that I live in a bubble. As a wine critic, my world is not the “ordinary” world of wine consumers who just want a good bottle at a decent price. It’s important for me to stay closely connected with that world, because if a wine writer gets too “inside the beltway” – too detached from the public, and too wrapped up in the minutiae of the industry – he’s not really helping regular folks. And regular folks, after all, are what keeps the industry alive.

Sometimes I’ll hang out in wine stores, or in the wine aisle of a supermarket, watching how shoppers behave. When confronted with the infamous “Wall of Wine” at Safeway, they often get that deer-in-the-headlights look. Where to start? How to make a choice? Will the wine go with the food? Will it impress whomever it’s meant to impress, or will it insult them? Think of the thoughts that go through the shopper’s brain. Buying wine has go to be the most anxiety-ridden part of a shopper’s experience.

Storeowners know this, which is why they have those cute little “shelf talkers” below the wines. You know them; those index cards that look like some helpful staff member drew them up with Magic Markers just for the benefit of the shopper. Well, most people don’t know that the store has nothing to do with shelf talkers. They’re produced, usually, by the distributors, and put on the shelves by them. So they don’t really mean all that much.

So what’s a shopper to do? There are two main ways to make safe, dependable wine buying choices. One is to buy only in standalone wine stores, of which the Bay Area is blessed with hundreds. That way, you can form a relationship with the owner or clerk who can steer you to wines that are in your comfort zone taste-wise and price-wise. The other is to find brands you like and be loyal to them. If Chateau St. Jean’s Chardonnay has worked for you in the past, chances are it will please you in the future. (Of course, you can always subscribe to a fine wine magazine like Wine Enthusiast and read the reviews of our critics, including moi.)

Ultimately, it’s the wine industry’s responsibility to make wine easier for the consumer to understand. There are many ways the industry can do this, but it doesn’t always act in its own best interests. However, that’s the subject of a future SIP.

E-mail: Steve@yummyletter.com

Yummy Wine Recommendations of the Week

Chalk Hill 2006 Botrytised Semillon, $80 for 375 ml. Yes, it’s expensive, but there are certain summer evenings when a cold glass of something yummy sweet just hits the spot. Sémillon is a grape variety similar to Chardonnay, but with the oiliness of cashew nuts. Botrytised means the grapes were infected with the same “noble rot” that produces the great Sauternes and late-harvest German Rieslings. Just 175 cases of this wine were produced, but it’s worth a search. The winery’s number is 707-838-4306.

Bonterra 2006 Syrah (Mendocino County), $15. Bonterra was one of the first California wineries to take organic and biodynamic growing practices seriously. Years ago, on a visit, their winemaker showed me how they bury cow horns in the dirt and engage in all those other arcane practices. I don’t know if it’s the biodynamic that makes their wines so clean and pure, but maybe it is. This is a rich, full-bodied Syrah that is perfect for steaks, and the price is a bargain. Widely available.

Sip-Worthy Wine Events

SF Chefs. Food. Wine
August 6–9
Four days of food, wine, mixologists, classes, winemakers, chefs, authors, and local farmers, centered around Union Square and extending into nearby hotels and stores. One of the City’s top culinary events of the season, and all proceeds go to charity. Tickets on sale now at sfchefsfoodwine.com

Pinot Days Grand Festival Wine Tasting
June 28
Festival Pavillion, Fort Mason
Two hundred Pinot producers from around the world come to San Francisco for this don’t-miss Pinot extravaganza. $50. Go to http://www.pinotdays.com for more info.

Check out my blog at www.steveheimoff.com for all the latest insider stuff.