Those of you who've followed this blog for a while may remember my little "Robert Parker's Bitch" post from about a year ago. It included a photo of winemaker/blogger extraordinaire Josh Hermsmeyer of Pinotblogger.com wearing a t-shirt bearing the cheeky slogan, which I had made for him and dared him to wear. (He liked the shirt so much he actually wore it to this year's Parker-hosted Bordeaux tasting at the CIA in Napa. Now that's cojones!

In November, I was asked to speak at the American Wine Society conference in Sacramento. I'm not much for giving Powerpoint speeches, so instead I decided to make a documentary about a controversial topic: The wine media's influence on winemaking styles. I think you can guess the title!

Josh appears in the film--and makes some great points--and he was kind enough to post it online so I can share it with fellow bloggers and others in the industry. Here's where to check it out: 

Vimeo (password: parkersbitch) 

And just a note of thanks to Rob Merletti, publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, for letting me run with this.

Now where did I leave that popcorn?

During a recent conversation with some wine industry colleagues, the subject of "gurus" came up. Some mentioned famous winemakers like Helen Turley and Paul Dolan, while others named respected vineyard experts like Phil Coturri and David Abreu.

For those of you who work in the wine industry, this brings me to the question: Which American winemakers and viticulturists do you most admire? If you could have anyone you wanted on speed dial to answer your every vineyard/winemaking question (free of consulting fees), who would it be? 

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned; it's been eight months since my last post. Eight months! But rather than dwelling on the reasons (excuses?) for my non-blogging, I'm going to launch right into my topic of choice: The latest wine consumption stats from Wine Market Council.

If you scroll down to my post "Wine Culture in America: It's Here!" (January 08), you'll see that the news was all good: per-capita wine consumption in the U.S. had finally reached 3 gallons (pathetic, really, when you compare it to other countries, but a milestone nonetheless), and consumption by volume had reached the highest point in the country's history. Even more promising for high-end wine producers was the fact that the $15-and-over category of wines showed the strongest growth rate.

Fast forward to January 2009 and the picture is a little less rosy. Though wine sales in the U.S. are still growing, that growth has slowed considerably--even more than it did right after 9/11. And the under-$6 wine category has replaced the over-$15 wine category as having the strongest growth rate in the U.S. market. That's no big surprise, given the state of the U.S. economy. Millions of people have lost their jobs, and millions more are adopting a more cautious approach to spending in case the hatchet falls in their direction. People are cutting back on luxuries, and that includes wine. (If the wine industry had done a better job of positioning wine as an everyday, part-of-the-meal drink this might not be the case, but alas...)

So now the U.S. wine industry is faced with the task of offering cheaper wines that people will actually want to drink. Yes, there are wines on retail shelves that cost under $10, but let's face it: They're not very exciting, and many of them are crap. So how do you find the ones that are worth drinking? Since it's unlikely that you'll find many reviews of extreme-value wines in wine magazines like Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate, budget-minded wine drinkers will have to turn to non-traditional sources. You know... like blogs! (There's a whole wine blog devoted to cheapish wines: Good Wine Under $20.) 

Retailer recommendations can also be really helpful, if there's a local wine merchant you trust. And you just might have to venture outside of your comfort zone to experiment with wines in non-traditional packaging--as in Tetra Pak (like juice boxes) and wine-in-a-box containers (For more on wine-in-a-box, with reviews, see my latest column for Wine Review Online) . Higher-quality wines are now being packaged in these non-glass containers, and because they often cost wineries less to buy and transport, the wines can be priced lower than their traditionally packaged counterparts.  

With a little extra effort, we'll all be able to get through this recession with our wine glasses firmly in hand.

So, anyone out there want to share their recommendations for good $10-and-under wines? OK, I'll start:

Wine Cube, California (United States) Chardonnay 2007 ($17 per 3L box): This Target wine comes in a hip-looking cube-shaped, three liter box.  It has a pretty aroma of vanilla and melon, along with crisp fruit flavor and a nice balance.  A tasty wine for a great price.

Cycles Gladiator, Central Coast (California) Chardonnay 2006 ($10): Made by the folks at Hahn Estates, this is a really tasty Chardonnay for the price. It has aromas of peach and butterscotch, along with vanilla and pear notes. The wine has similar flavors, with pear and vanilla notes, and butterscotch on the finish. It's a crisp and fresh wine, with good balance.

Cycles Gladiator, Central Coast (California) Pinot Grigio 2007 ($10): The aroma of this Hahn-made Pinot Grigio has a pretty touch of peach imparted by 4% Orange Muscat. It also has a crisp citrus-kissed aroma of grapefruit. The wine is simple, clean and fresh, with a subtle peachy flavor.

Windy Ridge, Central Coast (California) Chardonnay 2006 ($8): Though the label doesn't say the wine in 'unoaked,' this Chard was made without the aid of barrels.  On first whiff, the wine smells like SweetTart candies, then reveals hints of melon.  Its flavor is similar, with some crisp green apple and lemon peel notes added to the mix.  This is a tasty everyday Chardonnay for people who would rather taste fruit than oak.