Bella Carrara Vino

PASO ROBLES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Newly established Zoller Wine Styling, in the heart of the burgeoning Paso Robles Wine Region on California’s Central Coast, offers wine enthusiasts the opportunity to go beyond wine appreciation to winemaking. The process perfectly blends hands on experience with award-winning winemaking expertise. The end result is an entirely customized wine complete with custom label, bottle, closure and taste as unique as the winemaker.

After 25 years in the winemaking industry, Head Winemaker Signe Zoller created Zoller Wine Styling to fill a previously unaddressed niche in the wine industry. “No one else in our area is catering directly to individual consumers and small lot producers. We help them create custom styled wines and provide a cooperative, hands-on learning experience.”

The duration of that experience can vary. While some clients prefer to be involved from start to finish, a process that can take up to two years for a red and from six months to a year for some whites, others just want a specialized bottle and label commemorating their special event, which can be completed in as little as three to four weeks. Zoller has an inventory of premium artisan creations in barrels available for these instances.

“We are able to experiment with processes that are prohibited by logistics in larger facilities so the end result is something quite unique and sometimes unexpected,” added Zoller. “Our services are very versatile; from creating a wine for your daughter’s wedding to corporate team building to blending a wine to pair with a signature dish at your restaurant. The possibilities are endless.”

The 5,000 square foot state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facility is as intriguing as the wines produced. Located in downtown Paso Robles it functions as an ‘urban winery’ bringing fruit from premium vineyards across the central coast to be processed in the bustling city center.

Sold by the barrel, the cost of creating one of these customized bottles of wine ranges from $15-$40 per bottle and gets you about 23 cases of wine.

UC San Diego Researchers Pose Major Shift in Thinking

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine are challenging conventional thinking with a study showing that modest wine consumption, defined as one glass a day, may not only be safe for the liver, but may actually decrease the prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

The study, which appears in the June 2008 issue of the journal Hepatology, showed that for individuals who reported drinking up to one glass of wine per day, as compared to no alcohol consumption, the risk of liver disease due to NAFLD was cut in half. In contrast, compared with wine drinkers, individuals who reported modest consumption of beer or liquor had over four (4) times the odds of having suspected NAFLD.

NAFLD is the most common liver disease in the United States, affecting over 40 million adults. Previous research has shown that as many as five percent of adults with NAFLD will develop cirrhosis. The major risk factors for NAFLD are similar to many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease—obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. Multiple studies have shown that modest alcohol consumption may reduce the risk for heart disease. However, recommendations for modest alcohol consumption in individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease have overlooked that these same people are also at an increased risk for NAFLD. Thus, there exists a dilemma as to whether modest alcohol consumption for the heart is safe in regards to the liver. The UC San Diego investigators sought to clarify this important question.

“The results of this study present a paradigm shift, suggesting that modest wine consumption may not only be safe for the liver but may actually decrease the prevalence of NAFLD. The odds of having suspected NAFLD based upon abnormal liver blood tests was reduced by 50 percent in individuals who drank one glass of wine a day,” said Jeffrey Schwimmer, M.D., associate professor of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine and Director, Fatty Liver Clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. The result remained constant, even after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, income, diet, physical activity, body mass index, and other markers of health status.

Research did not provide any support for drinking larger amounts. “We want to emphasize that people at risk for alcohol abuse should not consider consuming wine or any other alcoholic beverage,” said Schwimmer, who also pointed out that, although this is the first study to address this important dilemma, the findings do not address those who already have liver disease and should not be drinking alcohol at all.

“Because this effect was only seen with wine, not in beer or liquor, further studies will be needed to determine whether the benefits seen were due to the alcohol or non-alcohol components of wine,” added Schwimmer.

The cross-sectional, population-based study of nearly 12,000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) included 7,211 nondrinkers and 4,543 modest alcohol drinkers. Modest alcohol consumption was defined as up to an average of one drink per day of either four ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or one ounce of liquor. NHANES is a large epidemiological survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The alcohol history was obtained by a trained interviewer, in a private room, to ensure confidentiality.

The study was funded in part with grants from the National Institutes of Health National Research Service Award (NIH NRSA) and from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health for the General Clinical Research Center at UC San Diego.

The research team included Schwimmer, Winston Dunn, M.D., division of gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego and Ronghui Xu, Ph.D., Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and Department of Mathematics, UC San Diego.

While wine consumption is increasing in the U.S. -- spurred on in part by the wine adoption habits of American Millennials (young adults aged 21 to 31) -- the opposite is happening in France. Since 1980 French wine consumption has decreased by more than 50% from 120 liters per capita to today's rate of 55 liters per capita.

Though in some ways this is positive, it is also rather alarming. Especially since a large portion of the population that is not drinking wine are France's Millennials or young adults in their 20's. Indeed they have moved away from wine to embrace other beverages -- primarily beer and spirits in the alcohol category, and bottled water, sodas, and juices.

Further reason for alarm is the ongoing crisis for some French wine producers who can't find a market for their grapes. Grubbing-up schemes are still in progress, the appellation system is being re-organized, and global wine competition is becoming even fiercer with new wine countries coming on board each year. Though France does have commendable wine export records with solid marketing abroad, within France very few wine marketing efforts are occurring and most are discouraged by government regulations.

So why are France's Millennials not drinking wine -- especially in a country that is considered by many to be the wine Mecca of the world? In an attempt to answer this question, a qualitative research project was jointly organized by Sonoma State University's Wine Business Program and Montpellier's Supagro (University of Agronomics). A series of in-depth interviews with French millennials were conducted. These resulted in several themes to explain the decrease, as well as suggestions for French wine marketers to approach this new generation.

Reasons French Millennials Don't Drink Wine

The study exposed five major reasons that young French adults in their 20's do not drink wine. These reasons are validated by findings from other studies:
1) Wine is Traditional/Old -- most young adults agreed that wine was part of France's culture and tradition, but said it was a drink for older people. As young adults, they prefer to drink other beverages, but will still have a glass of wine with their family over a meal 1 to 3 times per month.
2) Strong Anti-Alcohol Sentiments -- several of the interviewees referenced the strong anti-alcohol movement that has been in effect in France since 1991. The campaign has been very successful at decreasing drunk-driving, and includes commercials against drinking, as well as stiff fines, warning labels on bottles, and prohibitions on alcohol advertising via television or radio. This effort is to be lauded as very successful, and one which other countries may want to model. The impact on wine consumption though has been particularly strong -- as wine is the primary alcoholic beverage of France. Now many of the young adults say they prefer beer or cocktails to drink in a nightclub or bar. One person commented, "Beer has lower alcohol than wine, so I usually buy beer in a nightclub."
3) Don't Like the Taste of Wine -- more than half of the interviewees admitted that they didn't enjoy the taste of wine. In fact, when they did drink it, most said they preferred sweet white wines such as muscat, moelleux, or Sauternes. In the past, children in France used to be introduced to wine by their parents at the dinner table, with a small amount being added to water. In this way they became accustomed to the taste. With this new Millennial generation this practice has stopped, so many do not taste wine until older. With sweeter beverages such as sodas and juices being the primary benchmark, the often drier, tannic, and more acidic red and white wines are not desirable.
4) Good Wine is Too Expensive -- "France has a lot of cheap wine," said one interviewee. "The good wine is just too expensive -- especially in restaurants. In nightclubs and bars, you often don't see wine -- just beer and cocktails. If they do have wine, it is cheap and bad." Other French Millennials echoed this sentiment, and said that beer was cheaper to purchase than wine.
5) Wine is Confusing -- surprisingly many of the young French adults -- with the exception of those studying wine -- found the product to be confusing. "I don't know which one to pick when I go in a store," said one person. "There are so many names and regions, and I don't know what they will taste like." Another commented, "It is very frustrating buying wine in France. If I find a wine I like from a certain region, and I go to buy from that region again, it often doesn't taste the same. It would be nice to have clear brands with a more consistent taste."

On the Positive Side

There were some positive comments about wine, with the most common sentiment being that wine is good with food. Most said they never drink wine without food. A common word used to describe wine was "natural" and creating a "convivial" atmosphere with family and friends. Another encouraging aspect was that most young French adults did not view wine as a beverage to party with in order to get rowdy. They described it as a drink for relaxation with friends and family.

Next Steps

The French Millennials interviewed were asked their opinion on what the French wine industry could do to sell more wine in a responsible and safe manner to their generation. The data is still being analyzed, but a few recommendations included starting a "Buy Local Wine Campaign" to promote local producers and protect terrior driven wine; launching a national French wine brand at a premium price point that promoted all major regions; and enhancing wine education and culture in schools and universities. Recommendations on packaging were also provided, with almost all French Millennials suggesting offerings of smaller wine bottles of quality wine in restaurants, nightclubs and bars. Clearer and more colorful labels were also recommended.

In conclusion, it appears that France has done an admirable job at decreasing destructive and dangerous drinking levels. Indeed other countries can learn from their efforts. Now it may be time to move onto the next phase of educating and socializing people to responsible wine consumption. In this way, the long and proud culture of wine production in France can be sustained in the future.

About the Authors

Dr. Liz Thach is a Professor of Management and Wine Business at Sonoma State University in California, USA. She is currently on sabbatical in France and can reached at lizthach@aol.com.

Dr. Francois d'Hauteville is Professor of Marketing at Montpellier Supagro. He can be reached at hautevil@supagro.inra.fr.

Labels: France, millennials, study, survey, wine

The peaches squirt, the tomatoes drip, and don't get me started on the chew of the frisky, wild-yeasted bread. I love eating in California. Whenever I return from the Golden State to my New York City five-floor walk-up, I am laden down with the state's riches. So why is it that for the last 10 years I can't drink the wines?

Back in the late '70s, California whupped the French at wine competitions with offerings that were classily expressive and mostly low-tech. But, by the year 2000, California lost its way, something I attribute, in part, to the desperate desire for 95-plus-point ratings, that ultimate affirmation from top wine critics. Forget "Eureka," the new state motto can well be: "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing." Today's California wines are overblown, over-alcoholed, over-oaked, overpriced and over-manipulated.

When I first stopped drinking the Left Coast, it was because I was offended by the overuse of wood, boring flavors and lack of structure. The wines, many of which had plenty of edge and personality, seemed neutered to me. I soon learned that the other part of the story was that an arsenal of technology was deployed to make them that way: yeast, enzymes, tannin, oak and acid, as well as over-extracting techniques, micro-oxygenation, dialysis and reverse osmosis.

Even when winemakers shun these technologies and attempt a naturalish wine, their grapes are often picked so ripe -- all the rage since famed winemaker Helen Turley was anointed a grape goddess by famed critic Robert M. Parker Jr. back in the mid-1990s -- that all chance for complexity and interest is stripped away. There are so many strikes against the local wines -- not the least the taste and the cost -- that when I evaluate them, I think not in terms of whether I like them but whether I can tolerate them.

But take heart, Golden State, you're not alone in making what I consider to be undrinkable wine. About 90% of the rest of mondo del vino has been similarly corrupted. Mercifully, there are still a few beauties made, mostly in France, by vignerons who could care less what the critics think or even what the public thinks it likes. Instead, they make wines of authenticity. Try, for example, the cot (malbec) from the Loire's Clos Roche Blanche (under $20), which makes me conjure up violets floating through a chalk straw. Or Pierre Gonon's St. Joseph (under $40), which illustrates what syrah should taste like -- and it's not cherry vanilla.

Sure, France makes oceans of crappy stuff, but there is also an ever-expanding band of winemakers fiercely committed to working with, not against, nature. Their philosophy is spreading to Italy and slowly to the rest of Europe, while California has been slow on the uptake. And what's more, even with the beastly exchange rate, they are bargains compared with the pricey bottles from Napa or Santa Barbara counties.

This spring, I wondered if while I was otherwise occupied, California vintners had found the road to sanity. I took advantage of the flowering of spring distributor events in New York City. I went tasting and found too many wines still based on over-ripe fruit. Alcohol levels still flirted with those as high as port. Even wine from prized makers such as Heidi Barrett or the highly touted ones from Sea Smoke and Brewer-Clifton were disasters.

At one tasting, I stopped by a relative newcomer, Stewart Cellars. Michael Stewart, a Texan, told me he discarded the 2005 vintage because it tasted "too French." When asked what that meant, he replied "more earth than fruit." Then he added, "I want to make a California wine, not a French wine."

Dull, fruit-driven, alcoholic wines have become the incontrovertible wine identity of California. Or is there hope?

Two tables down, Napa winemaker Cathy Corison stood flanked by decanters and bottles. Her '03 Kronos was shockingly elegant. Her 1996 cabernet wore its gorgeous herbs unapologetically, with vibrancy. The wines weighed in at a miraculous 13.6% alcohol, compared with a more typical 14.9% and beyond. I asked her how she managed this remarkable feat, and she answered: "I don't make wine from prunes. I don't make Las Vegas showgirls."

Forever the cynic, I asked if she had perhaps reduced the alcohol with reverse osmosis. Her response was something along the line of: On a cold day in hell, I would. She has never followed the fashion; she has stayed true to her mission. There aren't many like her around.

Around the aisle from her stood a grinning Mike Dashe. I heard he recently made a wine so un-Californian he was at risk of deportation. It was made in a manner worthy of the French natural wine movement: organic, no added yeasts or trickery, no wood influence. It was a zinfandel with structure and earth and lightness. It also had a color that a famous wine critic might call "feeble."

"I can't show this to critics," Dashe said. "They'd be offended." It was delicious.

Maybe these two represent a fledgling natural wine revolution. If so, I'll certainly wave that flag. But until the overthrow is complete and more California vintners give making real wine a go, I'll always have France.

Alice Feiring is a journalist, food critic and the author of the forthcoming book, "The Battle for Wine and Love -- Or How I Saved the World from Parkerization."

Labels: alcohol, california, France, industry, new world wine, old world wine

Review by John Mariani

May 5 (Bloomberg) -- You know a wine has an image problem when it needs its own advocacy group. Which is why there is the California-based PS I Love You Inc. The PS stands for petite sirah, a grape whose principal problem is that wine lovers too often confuse it with syrah, now increasingly called shiraz.

If you ask most wine lovers what their favorite petite sirah is, I suspect you'll get either a blank stare or the name of a shiraz from Australia or a syrah from France's Rhone Valley. The few petite sirahs I recall from the 1970s were an inky purple with a surprisingly cherry-like bouquet and robust flavor. It didn't help that wine writers often used descriptions like ``easy to drink'' and ``versatile,'' which are catch phrases for second- rate picnic wines.

According to PS I Love You, the grape was first produced in France in 1880 by a Dr. Francois Durif from an old varietal called peloursin that had absorbed pollen from syrah. The new grape, named durif, had very concentrated clusters and made a deep, dark red wine. Yet it never made much headway in Europe.

In California, though, durif flourished as early as 1884 and was called petite sirah. After Prohibition, the varietal was widely planted, making up 60 percent of the total crop in Napa Valley. By the 1970s, as an unbridled preference for cabernet sauvignon developed in California, petite sirah faded. It dropped from 14,000 acres planted in 1976 to 1,738 acres in 1996.

Tannins, Alcohol

Recently I had a chance to try more than two dozen petite sirahs at a Wine Media Guild tasting in New York. I learned a lot: first, that petite sirah has come a long way from the days when styles differed from producer to producer. Most had a clearly identifiable varietal character beneath the formidable tannins and, in some cases, an alcohol content that almost put them into the fortified-wine category. (Gelfand Vineyards' 2006 SFR Paso Robles Estates ($30) is 16 percent alcohol!)

These are not ``easy drinking'' or ``versatile'' wines. They are big, serious reds, fit for grilled or roasted red meats such as venison or bison. Later in the tasting my palate got used to the tannins and began to appreciate those lush cherry-blackberry flavors that make petite sirah a real pleasure.

Prager Winery & Port Works 2004 ($38) from Calistoga would be a good introduction, and at a reasonable 14 percent alcohol a briary, rich red wine. A bit lighter in body was 2005 Big House ``The Prodigal Son'' Paso Robles ($15).

I also enjoyed Cecchetti Wine Co.'s 2006 Line 39 Lake County for its lovely nose, ripe fruit and delightful price of $15. The 2004 Ehrhardt Estates Winery Clarksburg ($26) hit that sweet spot of price versus value, with good minty, peppery, mineral notes and complexity throughout.

Jammy Style

A few bottles, like 2004 Stags' Leap Ne Cede Malis Estate (a whopping $75), were so dark you couldn't see through them. If you like a jammy style of wine, I'd recommend the 2005 Charles Cimicky ($49). It's not actually from California but from Australia's Barossa Valley, made the way the Aussies like their red wines to taste.

Given their sturdy tannins, it's difficult to say how these wines will age. Many were ready to enjoy right now. And, frankly, it's difficult to imagine most wine lovers outside the most avid petite sirah fans laying these bottles down for the next decade to find out if they'll mellow out.

So is petite sirah the new hot varietal? Not yet, but there are plenty of wineries clamoring to get on the bandwagon as it starts to roll.

``I've gotten requests from Australia and Israel to join our group,'' says Jo Diaz, co-founder and executive director of PS I Love You. ``But we're proudly a California group of winemakers who have pushed for petite sirah through thick and thin. I told them all no.''

(John Mariani writes on wine for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on this story: John Mariani at john@johnmariani.com.

Last Updated: May 5, 2008 00:01 EDT

Labels: association, petit sirah, wine