What I learned in New York

I learned that when the bus driver tells you to get off the bus, just shut up and get off the bus. I also learned that a pimp's love really is unlike that of a square (thanks Silky). Wine-wise it became clear that New York is a different game. No wine in grocery stores is a game changer for sure and in a sense it is the potential equalizer that every small winery dreams of. Problem is, no one in NY cares about California wine.

Giggles telling his favorite camel and Audi joke to the unimpressed

For a long time the East Coast wine market has been said to be different. They drink drier wines, Italian imports reign supreme, and they group California with Australia. Rumor has it they understand the many faces of Riesling, and interestingly, Muscat is not quite so hot out there, met with a 50% meh ratio. California Cabernet is largely relegated to the tourist Steakhouse crowd, the kind of thing a sommelier loathes but pumps up a list with. Oregon Pinot is sought after but considered pricey.

But the clincher really is no supermarket wine, and no BevMo. There are around 2400 wine stores in New York. 2400. There are probably only 240 in the State of California. Imagine, no end stacks of Rombauer Chardonnay at every store. Cabernet Sauvignon is just one cultivar among hundreds and not some special something or other. And California Zinfandel - never even saw one. One shop had Obsidian Ridge, and another had Robert Foley Roussanne from Lake County grapes (though not protein stable and milkey white). Six Sigma was here and there. 

So what do those Left-Coasters drink? Well, every single store had at least one and often multiple bottlings from Occhipinti. That means high VA biodynamic Sicilian uniqueness in the $20s and up. Ever wonder where all of the Heitz Grignolino goes? Yup, 6 of 7 shops had it. Dan Petroski's Massican wines were well represented - as an ex-NY boy it makes sense but selling Tocai and Ribolla blends can't be easy anywhere, so good for him. Tablas Creek was fairly visible. Bordeaux was laughably absent, often relegated to six bottles collecting dust in the corner. The first store we stopped in claimed to sell 80 different rosés and were down to their last 20 of the year. Greek wine was always a pleasant surprise to see and the first shop had a Greek Refosco blend (!!!). Looking for that Alsatian Muscat Ottonel? Most shops had a bottle. In short unique was the rule, whether by cultivar or location. Price was a bit more flexible, but imports were the core.

On the huh side a couple of shop owners said that they were not interested in oak discussions anymore. If lots of sweet new oak was your house style, fine. This is the land of the hand sell and continual series of tastings. Something can be found for everyone at a particular price point.

Philosophically it is a confusing conundrum to think that the draconian protectionism New York practices might have created a vibrant wine culture. And also those of us in the meaty $15-25 segment have to deal with the unpleasant reality that our wine costs more in NY. The standard wholesale FOB as 50% of retail does not work there due to various costs, so your $18 bottle quickly becomes $22 on the shelf which can make or break you, though they don't seem quite so fixated on price brackets. The general perception is that California does not offer value, and Lake County is well positioned to challenge that perception.