Bordeaux wine exports sink in 2004 (USA sales plummet, boycott is working!!!)

Expatica ^ | January 7, 2005 | AFP

[Victor]

"... The Rodney Strong (Knotty Vines) Zinfandel is quite good, as is their Chard...."

Thanks, I'll have to check them out. I'm pretty picky about Chard, since I make my own. But I buy between vintages because it's great to experience the different styles. It helps my own efforts.

[momf]

There are some very good small American wineries...not only California, but Texas and Arizona both have several that are nice. Both in taste and price. Enjoy!

[conservlib]

Actually, France has a fantastic soil, and weather for growing wine, and the experts to do the best wine in the world. The problem is Napa, Australia, and Chile managed to produce similar product at a fraction of the cost.

Case in point, Kendal Jackson artist series $75 Cabernet Sauvegnion is just about as good as the $175 Rothschild from Bordeaux. In other words not only the economical bottle from mass production is beating the French, no, even the high end California is beating the French.

[GaryMontana]

I am from Montana -- we even have some very good choices of wine from Montana -- world wide award winners!

I would rather buy a Montana wine (or wine from any state in the USA) than that French crap!!!

Let them not only eat cake but drink wine!!!!

[wardaddy]

Certain French Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are the best reds in the world.

Their sauternes are also the best...not that I drink them much.

The Chautenuf de Papes are also very nice.

That said....boycotting them is fine by me but folks who try to rationalize that French wines are not the best anyhow are simply wrong in my view.

Napa area reds are quite nice but lack the complexity in my view and are actually more expensive proportional to taste.

Take Cakebread. or Caymus Reserve.. a great Kali Cab but for 125-150 bucks or more I'd rather have a good Lynch Bages or Cos de Estournel or Ducru etc.

And Petrus, Le Pen or Lafite or Margaux or a La Tache level burgundy...hell, those wines are like a Porsche...there is no substitute.

One man's opinion. The world is full of great wines but the best of the best are either Bordeaux (St Estephe, St Emilion, Pomerol, Paulliac, Marguax, St Julien) or Burgundy (Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey Chambertin )

Boycott all ya'll want but don't delude yourselves. Wine is one thing the Sapos do very well at the high end....red wine speaking.

[LIConFem]

I'm not really a big fan of white wines (we won't even discuss white zin -- that stuff is like epicac with a cork), so I'm not an expert. I've had too many that taste like dishwater. But the Rodney Strong Chardonney is really very good. The [ yellow tail ] Chard probably isn't worth trying, given that you make your own Chards.

[holyscroller]

French whines!

[wardaddy]

White wine...even a Montrachet or a vintage Chateau Potelle Chard.....are still what one drinks

...before they drink real wine which is red.

blush....the horror.

I think the Spanish and Italians make the best Reds for the $$$

[q_an_a]

Chile is making some great wines. Even the cheap Concho Toro brand is from one of their best = to mondavi. AFter that the quality goes way up.

Did you you know that 120 is about a myth of 120 soldiers hiding from the enemy in a wine celler? When an overwheming force enter the celler all the troops could not be found.

[Victor]

One of my favorite commercial Chards is Hesse; I love the taste/style for the price point.

I agree about Yellow Tail; actually not bad but the Shiraz is what puts them on the map IMHO.

[srm913]

I'm proud to say I've never once had French wine; well, being a teetotaler and a Mormon, I guess that's a no-brainer.
Wine sux, indeed.
BTW, John, nice to chat again.

[LIConFem]

I'm not a wine expert, but I will say that the Chateau Lafite Rothschild '82 is by far the best wine I've ever tasted. I used to buy it for very special occasions only, given its price tag (about $1000/bottle, if memory serves). I also used to keep a few bottles of the '98 around for company. But I've found that my unsophisticated palate will easily tolerate a good Italian, Aussie or California red, and perhaps one or two Chards as well. For me, it's as much a matter of price as boycotting French products.

[PhilipFreneau]

If you must by foreign wines, buy Italian and Australian wines. Their Merlot is smooth. My wife and I buy California, Italian, and Australian Merlots. We have not been disappointed.

[Victor]

"...I think the Spanish and Italians make the best Reds for the $$$....."

Agree, and I would also add Chile reds. Great for the $$$

[CurlyBill]

Great!!! I just had a glass of Australian wine... No French wine here, but then again, I never did drink wine made in that vile land.

[PhilipFreneau]

>> I'm not a wine expert, but I will say that the Chateau Lafite Rothschild '82 is by far the best wine I've ever tasted. I used to buy it for very special occasions only, given its price tag (about $1000/bottle, if memory serves).

Many wines costing 10$ to 15$ a bottle will taste as good as your $1000/bottle buys. You have convince me there is a sucker born every minute.

[USAFJeeper]

French wines I could always do without! But German, I could never give up ny Reislings! I have also had some very good wines from... Missouri and even Arkansas.

I tried the Aussie wines, a lil too dry for my tastes but not undrinkable :)

[LIConFem]

"Many wines costing 10$ to 15$ a bottle will taste as good as your $1000/bottle buys..."

I disagree, but I suppose it's a matter of opinion. And yes, there are many wonderful wines available for less than $20.00/bottle. But as I've said in several posts, I no longer spend anywhere near that much on wine, regardless of origin or vintage.

[shibumi]

"French wine-makers are going through their worst crisis in decades thanks to competition from new producer countries and falling domestic consumption."

Falling domestic consumption...I wonder if that's directly related to the rising Muslim population? Working in the restaurant business, I have seen a sharp rise in demand for Italian, Australian and California wines in the last two years. Perhaps the Frogs should consider recycling their product into salad dressing.

[processing please hold]

I stopped buying bic's. I bought a Zippo.