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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Wine industry seeks to attract Latino customers

While the Europeans who originally brought knowledge of the vine, vinifera as we know it, were instrumental in developing the wine industry in California, can it be said that any one ethnic group has had as much of an impact as Latinos?  The Contra Costa Times reports that wine consumption among Latinos has increased dramatically, and as such the industry is making greater efforts to focus its marketing efforts on this rapidly growing demographic segment.

It is fairly widely known that Mexican migrant and resident workers make up the bulk of the field workers in California, but Latinos are also becoming more and more prominent in the winemaking process itself.  Gustavo Brambila, featured in the movie "Bottle Shock" as a part of Chateau Montelena, and who then followed Mike Grgich to spend 23 years at Grgich Hills, is a primary example of the rise of Mexicans in the California wine industry.  Brambila is one of the first Mexican-Americans to earn a degree in fermentation science from UC-Davis.  (Little known fact: Gustavo was not actually at Chateau Montelena around the time of the Judgment of Paris.  Following his 23 years at Grgich Hills, Gustavo joined up with Thrace Bomberger to make wine for their eponymous GustavoThrace.  Gustavo was also the winemaker for Peju Province and now Taylor Family Wines.)  

Similarly, Elias Fernandez, who has been with Shafer Vineyards for more than 20 years, has been instrumental in the success of Shafer.  Elias Fernandez grew up in St. Helena, and initially wanted to study music but switched to winemaking at UC Davis.  Fernandez has been with Shafer since its early days as a 5-year winery.  In recognition of this dedication, Shafer Vineyards has dedicated its wine called "Relentless" to Elias, to honor his relentless pursuit of quality.

One of the biggest misconceptions perhaps is that wine, particularly red wine, does not pair well with Mexican food.  However, many Latinos are discovering that their traditional cuisine does pair well, as the Contra Costa Times article points out.  Suggested pairings include enchiladas suizas with Viognier, or tostados with Chardonnay.  Because traditional Mexican food isn't overly spicy, several meat dishes pair very well with red wines such as zinfandel, or a red wine that is fruity or spicy, such as a Syrah, an Argentinian Malbec, or a Spanish-style tempranillo.

Given all the contributions Latinos have made to the California wine industry, how about cracking open a bottle of wine, rather than a beer or margarita with your next Mexican meal.  You might be pleasantly surprised!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Test your Argentinian wine knowledge!


Argentinian wines, Malbec in particular, are becoming increasingly popular in the United States.  Less than 20 years ago, virtually no Argentinian wines were on the shelves in the U.S.  In the last 10 years however, exports of Argentina's full bodied, food-friendly red wines have skyrocketed.  Argentina is primarily known for Malbec, a grape that originated in Bordeaux, France (now primarily only grown in the southwestern part of France, where it is known as Cot).  Malbec is a thinner skinned grape which has thrived in Argentina, but there is a great deal going on in Argentinian winemaking besides Malbec!

Test your knowledge of the wines, the regions, and the styles of Argentina in this great quiz sponsored by the Wines of Argentina, and learn a little something new about this up and coming area.