Supply and Demand

Many of my friends and acquaintances, just getting into wine, almost immediately come down with a serious case of sticker shock. Many came to wine by way of restaurant wine, or the wine press. Most live in California. There are two kinds of wine lover: the first is essentially an adventurer, who seeks an understanding of wine that is both broad and deep; his is a world of infinite wine-drinking possibilities, entailing a search for the unique character of various regions and grapes and winemakers. He is likely to have rudimentary knowledge of various winemaking processes, how they differ region-by-region, and is quite likely to be interested in the culture that produced the wine he's tasting. He may show some rudimentary academic interest in these subjects, and is probably also something of a student of regional culture and food - especially as they will enhance his enjoyment of particular wines. Just as he respects the subjective character of all matters to do with taste, such as art and food, his exploration of wine must necessarily include those not beloved by the press. He'll be the judge.


The second sort of wine enthusiast/consumer/collector is far more interested in following current trends in US wine, normally as laid out in the wine press. He eats out a lot, and experiences most of his wine for the first time in that context. He may collect bottles, but not based particularly on his own tastes, which tend not to be terribly developed. He hasn't tasted widely, and normally sticks to a category of wine he enjoys, without experiementation. He is indeed unexperimental by nature: a wine's route into his shopping basket must pass clear a first, critical hurdle: 90 points in his favorite wine publication. He vets his wines in this way, through the press; an "expert" must like the wine first.


This latter group is the one most likely to experience the sort of sticker shock I've been hearing about. Indeed, price follows demand, so as demand for wines from certain regions, made from certain grapes (Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon comes quickly to mind) climbs ever higher, driven by the fire of demand stoked (maybe even created) by the wine press, prices naturally rise. Behold, the sticker shock of the wine newby, who's heard all the hubub about cultish Napa Cab!


I do not experience first hand the sticker shock associated with wine. I like Chateauneuf, but the prices are beginning to defy sanity. This is not entireloy demand-driven. A stronger dollar would help a lot. But I long ago stopped buying these wines in any quantity. When a region or category of wine gets pricey, it is possible to view it as an opportunity: repalce that particular profile (hearty, rich, meaty in the cas eof Chateauneuf) with wines from elsewhere - and there is always an elsewhere!


By the way, which group do you belong?