Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
Jamieson Ranch Vineyards' Leigon also started out drinking the pop wines of an earlier era. "When I was in college we all started with sangria and Mateus rosé and Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill," he said. And just as the U.S. wine industry survived the popularity of Boone's Farm and white zinfandel, it's unlikely to be undone by moscato and sweet reds. "Is everyone going to give up on a good chardonnay because they're drinking some fizzy Riunite thing?" Leigon asked. "No, I don't think so, or they would have done it already." AUTHENTIC INNOVATION Although there are significant differences between vins de terroir and vins de marché, those interviewed for this story agree that innovation and authenticity are not mutually exclusive. Spadarotto points to Ste. Michelle's "14 Hands" brand from Washington state, priced at $12 a bottle, as an example. In addition to varieties such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, the line includes a moscato and two "Hot to Trot" blends. The labels feature a colorful graphic of horses, which represent the wild mustangs that once roamed the hills of eastern Bill Leigon of Jamieson Ranch Vineyards says branded wines can – and must – have authenticity. Washington. (The name of the wine refers to the old-fashioned method of measuring the height of horses.) "14 Hands is a hot wine brand, but it's hot because it's over-delivering quality for its price-point. That's something Ted (Baseler) and his team are very adamant about," Spadarotto said. "We're required to over-deliver, and not just to do it the first year, but to do it in a sustainable way year on year. That's good growth, and I think it's actually very healthy for the Washington wine business." Leigon has a similar view of branded wines. "The whole thing about Rex Goliath and Cycles Gladiator (hugely successful brands created by Leigon while he was president of Hahn Family Wines), I've always believed that it starts with the wine," he said. "You have to have great value at whatever price-point you're working at. The wine has to have the 'wow factor' – when people pull that cork, it has to exceed their expectation – which is what Rex did. In the case of Cycles, I gave it a winery and put it in Lodi, and gave it a true sense of place." To Veseth, keeping pop wines from taking over the industry is a matter of maintaining balance. "Even if a winery is bringing out an innovative label that's attempting to capture a different market by making a pure branding play, I think they can still service and cultivate the traditional wine drinker who wants to know about grape and place and is interested in the story," he said. "Ultimately I don't think it's the wine, it's the story that goes with the wine. We need to constantly tell and taste the story of authentic wines." VEGECOLL ALLERGEN FREE ® VEGETAL CLARIFICATION U.S.A. 40 V I N E YA R D & WINE RY MANAGEM ENT | Jan - Feb 2014 w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m