Good Grape Wine Company

I don’t understand….he said “in the wine world”, and you then placed it in a geo-political context….....?!?

If you’re in the business or truly want to understand it (which you should if you want to blog about anything beyond who makes the best under $10 Chardonnay and the usual tripe found on wine blogs), then you need to think and dig a little deeper into the significance of this purchase by the French.

Nothwithstanding the irony of the timing (“Bottle Shock” opens next week), this is the first important because its the first serious acquisition in California by a major French producer. Forget Opus One - that was a JV with Mondavi, and forget Dominus - that was a opportunistic purchase of a vineyard from a family needing to sell, then Mouiex built the winery.  And so on….

If you truly know about the French and their historical attitudes toward California wines (have you seen Mondovino?) you would get this and what it truly means (both good and bad).  Again, if you really follow the industry, this has real signifigance beyond whomever got a “98” and who the new winemaker at Chateau de Ego is.  Robert Parker understands that, and so should you.

V

Maybe a Frenchman getting into California wine was big news when George de La Tour started BV a century ago, but since with Domain Chandon, Newton, Domain Carneros, St. Supery, Ch. Potelle, HdV (de Villaine), Roederer - Anderson Valley, Scharrfenberger (Cliquot)-Anderson Valley, Drouhin in Oregon, Dominus, Opus, Mumm, and Tablas Creek we are talking no sea change in attitude, no reason for mindless hysteria about Montelena…just one big, long, appropriate yawn.

Thanks for the comments, all.

V - lucid comments, as always.  I’ll disregard the red herring about whether or not I know the business, because, well, I do, insomuch as I know enough that other people read what I have to say, but not to the extent that I understand the 1855 classification and the socio-political context that it drives to today 150 + years later in a global village w/ 2nd growth Chateau’s.

And, I did see Mondovino—twice, even.

But, overall, I don’t care that much. 

Michael Mondavi sums up my reference to geo-political context:

“The Europeans are working with a 60-cent dollar. If I were a European vintner who wanted to expand, now is the best time,” said Michael Mondavi. “It’s the perfect storm, with a strong euro and a weak U.S. economy.”

Other than that, the story is a yawner to me.  Much ado about not much. 

You da man, though, for calling a spade a spade.

Jeff

Seems like one of those “announcements” that only people head-down in the insular traditional wine industry space would focus on or even care about.

Big Stories to me in this space are things like: Millenials Love Wine (imports especially); DIRECT Selling; Amazon.freakin.com is about to sell wine DIRECT to you, etc.

People from overseas are buying all kinds of stuff from the US - the dollar sucks right now.

Heck, Anheuser-Busch just sold, too. Much bigger story than Chateau whatcha-ma-call-it.

Richard