Thoughts on buzzwords used in wine club ads
The other day an ad for a wine club appeared multiple times while I was trying to read an online Times article. The text was filled with catchy buzzwords like “dry-farmed, organic, sugar free, lower alcohol and sulfites.” The ad got me thinking about wine clubs.
I was a buyer for one many moons ago when I worked with good friend Peter Granoff, MS, at Virtual Vineyards/the original wine.com. I can tell you from experience that it’s not easy making a wine club work long term. The clubs with a long track record are almost always an extension of an actual retail shop. Part of the equation for success has to do with the experience and expertise of the buyer.
Odds are the buyer for any reputable retailer/club has considerable industry experience. The buyer also fits the definition of a classic merchant: someone who regularly tastes a lot of bottles and only selects wines they can guarantee without hesitation to their customers. They are, in effect, filters for their clients, only putting wines on their shelves—and in their clubs—that they know are of high quality. For them, quality is the bottom line regardless of price point, and not trying to hit moving targets, trends, or marketing buzzwords like “organic,” “sugar free,” and the like. As for those marketing buzzwords, here are some thoughts on the ones used in the Times ad.
Dry farmed: wine made from non-irrigated grapes. In certain places in Europe, irrigating vineyards hasn’t been legally allowed because there’s historically been enough rainfall during the growing season. Global warming has changed that and irrigation is now allowed in some areas if needed. Regardless, the most important thing to remember about viticulture—growing wine grapes—is that it’s agriculture. And there’s not much else in the way of agricultural produce that’s grown without irrigation.
But there are always exceptions. Some varieties like Zinfandel and certain Rhône grapes can be successfully grown without irrigation. However, for every “dry farmed” wine there are far more made from grapes grown in irrigated vineyards that are just as good, if not better. If anything, dry farming creates stress in the vines. Giving them the appropriate amount of water when needed makes them happy. Not sure about you, but I want my wine to come from happy vines. Just like milk from happy cows.
One more thing about dry farming and wine in general. There are always two parts to the equation: the grapes and the winemaker. For good wine to happen, there has to be quality fruit to begin with and then the winemaker has to have a clue. Otherwise, you could have a decent wine made by a talented soul but lacking complexity because the raw material was mediocre. Worse yet, a regrettable bottle from a great vineyard source because the winemaker was less than adequate.
Organic: A wine labeled “certified organic” means that no pesticides, herbicides, or artificial fertilizers were used in the vineyard. However, is an organic wine a better wine, or better for you? The answer to both is maybe. The word “organic” on a label isn’t a guarantee of anything other than the fact the grapes were grown organically. The wine may also have been made without added sulfur. I have to note that the most flawed wines I’ve ever tasted all had one thing in common. They were made without added sulfur.
Sugar free: Most wines are fermented dry. Sometimes, inexpensive commercial wines contain residual sugar either because the fermentation was stopped before the wine was completely dry, or grape concentrate was added back into the wine to adjust the sweetness level. Regardless, if you’re concerned about finding sugar free wines, remember that ethanol in any alcoholic beverage—including wine—equals calories. One more thought: Some of the greatest wines on the planet have residual sugar.
Lower alcohol: Are lower alcohol wines better than those with high alcohol? Again, it depends. The alcohol level in wine ranges from 5% for Moscato di Asti all the way to 18% or more for fortified wines like Port and Madeira. Most dry table wines range between 13% and 15%. Does a wine at the lower end of the spectrum taste better than the opposite? The answer is sometimes. Most low-alcohol wines are either made from underripe grapes or have had alcohol removed through various means before bottling. Wine made from under-ripe grapes tastes as the name implies: thin, green, and bracingly acidic; better for making ceviche than anything. As before, there are exceptions such as Mosel Riesling. Balance is the bottom line. In particular, the fruit-acid balance in any wine, and the fruit-acid-tannin balance in red wine. The key is not to obsess about the alcohol level, but to find and enjoy quality wines that are balanced.
Lower sulfur: The implication here is that wines with less added sulfur/sulfites are better than the opposite. A quaint hallucination at best. Sulfites are a by-product of fermentation and therefore in all wines. The human body produces a higher level of sulfites every day than the average bottle of wine contains. There are also far more sulfites in dried fruit, frozen pizza, and the produce in salad bars.
Sulfur dioxide, or SO2, has been used as an anti-microbial and anti-oxidant in food and wine for over 2,000 years. Added in small amounts during winemaking, it prevents spoilage in the bottle from bacteria, and also helps prevent the wine from oxidizing. Is it bad for you? Possibly. If you have severe asthma, you should avoid sulfur. One more thing about SO2. A winemaker once told me that just as we keep our food in refrigerators at home, he used sulfur to make his wines.
Back to wine clubs. Ads like the one that set off this diatribe are catchy but expensive—money that could have been used for the cost of operation or offering lower priced wines. If you’re considering joining a wine club, look for one offered by a reputable retailer. You can do some quick research just by looking at what a retailer offers in their club, noting the average bottle price. Also, read online reviews about the club. How responsive is the customer service? How easy is it to return a bottle or get credit if a wine is corked or has other problems. Ultimately, when you see someone using buzzwords like “sugar free,” “lower alcohol,” or “lower sulfites” as selling points, take it with a grain of salt—or a lot more. You’ll be glad you did.
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