Two Mondays ago we mused about the challenge of judging wines because a new report by Robert T. Hodgson was released about the difficulty in doing so. Largely my comments were geared to judging competitions themselves, only briefly mentioning the points systems often used (by Robert Parker and increasingly others, like Gary Vaynerchuk).

What I didn’t say was how much I detest any “official” point system. That’s why my “ratings” here at Pour Favor never go down a numeric scale; I opt for a much more user-friendly, experiential way of expressing my likes and dislikes.  “Yum” describes the wines I’ve enjoyed most; “pass” describes ones I don’t need to have again.

I get it. Ratings sell wines to the masses. Fortunately,  I don’t have to like it and I don’t have to subscribe to it myself. In our boutique shop we offer our own descriptions of a wine. Only 1 in maybe 15 is a mass-produced “shelf talker” with a Parkerized-rating listed.  Larger stores depend on the mass produced marketing materials (and the number system) because they don’t have (as many) expert staff on hand to talk to customers about a particular wine. Suppliers need to give as much fodder to these bigger stores as possible to “move the product” for them.

But what about a winery’s feelings on the topic? I’d say it’s gotta be pretty varied, depending on your larger marketing plan, your size/production capability and your personal philosophy. Getting any score can be a good news/bad news thing.

On Friday Gretchen Roberts at Conde Nast’s Portfolio came out with a list of “The Parker Holdouts”, or wineries which prefer not to submit their wines for review. Roberts interviewed Phil Woodward of Woodward/Graff wines. He said he “prefers to work with local journalists who like to tell a story rather than rate a wine”. Clearly he is a man who believes if you romance your potential customers with information about a wine, they’re more likely to pick up a bottle, and if they like it, get emotionally involved in your product.

Ric Henry of Karl Lawrence Cellars has a similar strategy. He “wants to cultivate customer loyalty, not flash-in-the-pan buyers who chase scores.” He even likens his product to the Oakland Raiders, where “in a good year or bad, I stick with my team”. Gotta love a man with a sports analogy for wine.

As much as I appreciate the philosophy these (two) wineries have about scores, I also argue they are looking at the bigger picture and “protecting” themselves. If you get a bad score, you can be totally screwed in the future. If you get a good score, you sell a ton of that one wine (which is limited in supply).  The pressure to produce more of the same wine in the following year can be difficult to manage – you don’t want to jeopardize quality, but you may feel more compelled to meet the demand. But who knows what the next vintage will bring? Too many times we see a good wine go south the following year because they cut corners or change their blend because they only have so much juice in the first place.

All of this said, at the end of the day you do need someone out there “judging” wines for you to a) find the cream of the crop and then b) help you make a selection based on an informed impression of a given wine.

The question is, do you prefer your wine “judges” to be your local buyers, or the Robert Parker’s of the world? Does it matter to you?

I’d say I’m largely a glass is half full kind of person. (And no, I wasn’t just referring to my wine glass! That’s probably more often half empty… )

As you know from last Friday’s post, I celebrate little victories as they arise, am told I have “abundant enthusiasm” and have an ability to laugh at even the dopiest of things (a few commercials come to mind…).  But this week has been a sobering one.

A world away, I can’t help but feel devastated by the loss of life, nature and livelihood due to the bushfires ravaging Australia. Many Americans understand this devastation personally as California wildfires have become a common summer ocurance; no matter where we live, we sit with fingers crossed, waiting for the intense heat and unseemly winds to abate. If nature was simply running its course as it should, I would have a much more optimistic outlook. It’s when criminal acts may be to blame I become absolutely unglued. I am my father’s daughter – and as he says often, “I hate waste.”

Certainly there is ample news coverage on the fires this week. But if you want a closer look at how the vintage has been impacted by the heat or how wineries are coping with the fires in particular, Decanter’s done a nice job of covering the events.

If you find yourself sipping from the Australian cup often or are interested in the business of Aussie wines, a good resource for you is Winebiz.

For those of you who want to “(re)visit” Australia in a gesture of solidarity this weekend, pop into your local wine shop and ask them what’s worth trying. If you’re not a fruit-bomb lover, we’ve found a few treats on offer lately and have been lucky to rediscover a few other selections with just the right touch of age on them.  See what you can find!

Will you grab an Aussie selection from your local’s shelf this weekend?

You’re probably grateful to learn I’m not just a wine nerd. One of my other passions is cycling (yes, my road bike even has a name). I’ve found if you are really passionate about something (or things),  it is only natural your various interests intersect – however much in your thoughts rather than in practice. Case in point: I’m not likely to sip some vino and get on my bike, but sometimes I think about what “grape” I might be on any given day. (One of these days I’ll probably even post on the topic in and of itself – or better yet, start a discussion on the new Pour Favor Facebook page….) For whatever reason, this week I’ve been feeling a bit Gruner Veltliner -  and feel compelled to post accordingly…

Gruner Veltliner is a native Austrian white grape – their most well known and most planted, in fact.  Like training athletes, I find Gruner gets even better over time. 8 out of 10 times I open a bottle, it tastes better on day two than day one, and even better on day three than day two (after that, you may be pushing it). It takes time for it’s muscle to show.  Gruner is a svelte athlete, with terrific definition, but without an overblown, steroid-infused look/feel.  (Exactly the one I’m going for myself.)

Gruner also balances it’s sweet (read: fruit forward) with it’s sexy (read: character-driven, white pepper ‘spice appeal’) side. Think ripe, fleshy white peaches, a hint of citrus, a dash of apricot – and white pepper minerality. This is the formula for one of the most food-friendly and versatile wines you can find. And its extra touch of oomph (i.e. weight from its svelte muscles) makes it a terrific white to enjoy during the winter months. Lovely acidity even allows it to precede a meal – or a night out on the town.

Which ones do I tip my hat to in particular? Try the Hofer Gruner Veltliner for a mere $12 (and a 1L bottle at that!); the Laurenz Singing Gruner for $15; or, seek out one of Kurt Angerer‘s special offerings.

Are you feeling like a Gruner these days, too?

Friday it was frigid outside, but it was hard to feel cold when all of you kept the votes coming to celebrate our 100th post! Today we’re back to business, though – and unfortunately, it’s a nasty one. Here’s the scoop:

Late last November wine consumers made a toast to Judge Zobel (US District Court) for allowing winery-to-consumer wine shipments to proceed in Massachusetts. As you probably recall from my original post on the topic, this ruling was thought to be long overdue; the previous state law stipulated wineries producing more than 30,000 cases of wine per year and having a Massachusetts wholesaler were not allowed to ship directly to consumers themselves. Zobel ruled this regulation was discriminatory and unconstitutional.

But nothing is ever easy. News broke last week Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coaxley is going to fight the ruling. My question is simple: why?

Those in favor of the law are attempting to protect MA wineries and wholesalers. But the truth is, if you travel to a vineyard in say CA, WA, OR, or NY and decide you want a case of their wine, savvy consumers will only select wine you can’t otherwise get locally. Why pay the additional shipping otherwise? The folks at Free the Grapes also report “winery anecdotal evidence clearly shows that a bottle of wine that is shipped directly does not replace a bottle purchased at a favorite restaurant or from a wine merchant. Legal winery-to-consumer shipments help to build awareness of wines and their sales through traditional sales channels.” This is what I call a win-win, not a sum-zero game.

Even when I put on my Retail Hat and take off my Average-Jill-Wine-Consumer Hat, I can’t see an argument in favor of this law. Allowing free trade state to state simply will not measurably impact sales negatively – for us at the shop or the wholesalers we work with. A case here and there just doesn’t make or break you. Consumers will still seek wine expertise locally. And many won’t be able to justify the additional shipping costs.

When I put on my Tax-Payer Hat I can’t help but go bananas. In one breath newscasters are telling us about how schools will be closed next fall to help close the state budget gap. And in the next breath they tell us the state is using our tax dollars to finance the AG’s efforts to appeal a federal ruling. Give me a break. This is good old fashioned inefficiency – and stupidity – at work.

Do you agree with my take?* Or do you see a stronger argument in favor of the Attorney General’s efforts to maintain the law as is?

*NOTE:  For any readers who agree with my stance, you can take action.

Today is a very special Friday! In fact I’m so excited about what’s transpiring I was tempted to provide information about a little something we wine nerds like to call a “Victory Varietal”… But it’s not Wine Wednesday, so I’ll save that bit of goodness for another day and instead get on with what I’m feeling so victorious about!

First and foremost, Pour Favor is celebrating a milestone…. This is our 100th post! Readers have already begun to help us celebrate by voting for the Pour Favor blog. On our homepage you can see a little icon in the upper right hand corner and a link to vote at Local Wine Events. LWE is a great place to learn more about what wine and food events are happening near you or wherever your travels take you. Check it out, vote and then come back here for more!  I’m looking forward to our on-going wine banter and hope you will continue to tune in and comment regularly.

Second, next Thursday night Somerville Local First is hosting a Local for Love event at Poor Little Rich Girl in Davis Square. Come support other small businesses like Pour Favor, enjoy some great vino (yes, I’ll be there pouring the wines for local fine wine shop Ball Square Fine Wines!), some fabulous chocolate and even cocktails brought to you by the ladies at LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Cocktails). Too much goodness and easy fun to miss this free event. Just be sure to RSVP – and say hello when you drop by! I’ll be the woman with the wine and the big smile.

Have a great weekend – and be sure to open a bottle of something fabulous to celebrate your own victories this week, no matter how large or small!

What wine do you have on hand to celebrate a special occassion?