The Palo Alto Pinot Noir may find itself on a few Oregon wine shelves sooner than later, and the company wrangled with the problem of pricing it in the Oregon market.Here is a product, which deserves at twenty dollar plus price tag due to it varietal, quality and complexity, but Oregon is a rare market that is flooded with domestic Pinot Noir.However, as my first wine mentor told me, Pinot Noir is one of the few grapes that you should be paying attention to the price, because it just can’t be done right cheaply.This isn’t to say you can’t find an enjoyable cheap Oregon Pinot Noir, but these are generally light, fruity and simple (http://www.buffalonews.com/opinioncolumns/columns/otherlife/story/637547.html) not always a bad thing, but not descriptors for the Pinot Noirs that Paul Giamatti waxed poetically about in Sideways.
The Palo Alto Pinot Noir does get those descriptors however, whether they come from sommelier Julia Merkel (http://www.dosmalbec.de/CONTACT.htm) “smooth structure, earthy silky mouthfeel with aromas of strawberry style, lush but still complex, not missing the freshness” (http://blog.entaste.com/?tag=pinot-noir) or the kind people at globalwinespirits.com “Shades of wet earth after aging in barrels, fruity, with a very nice persistence in the palate. With undertones of coffee and mushrooms, it fills the mouth nicely, as a good Pinot.” (http://www.globalwinespirits.com/catalog.WINE/Palo%20Alto%20Pinot%20Noir/31021216/%20PALO-en.jsa) Despite such glowing reviews to break into the saturated and loyal Oregon Pinot Noir market with a foreign product you have to undersell the competition significantly.If you see it on the shelves it is well worth the price, especially if you trying to keep your wine purchases affordable, but want to try a more complex Pinot Noir.
A recent article in the Seattle Times touched on the ubiquitous topic of the recession as it pertains to the wine industry. Because all things Northwest are especially dear to Anuva hearts (75% or us are native to the Pacific Northwest), the specific focus on Washington wine producers peaked our interest.
According to the article, wine sales have taken a significant hit (10%) since 2007 at Monterosso’s restaurant in Richland, Washington which is a similar figure to many restaurants in the area. This is due in large part to declining restaurant sales as a consequence of consumers’ increased tendency to “stay at home more often and save their money.”
Is this a barometer for things to come? Or perhaps it just speaks to a change in trends, as “people gravitate towards more affordable wines.” This doesn’t necessarily have to be tragic for the wine industry, especially that of Washington growers, who have traditionally been “well-priced in the market.”
Buying a less expensive wine at the supermarket doesn’t mean buying a lower-quality wine. This is where the Anuva philosophy and wine from Argentina in general come in. Just like Washington, Argentina specializes in value wine at any price point. Not only does Argentina’s core business of young, affordable Mablecs at $10-$15 per bottle seem to be taking a lead at that price point, but the wines at slightly higher price points are all referred to a great buys by wine experts around the world. We put 12-45 dollar wines in our club and stand by the notion that all of them are great values at each of their price points. So just like our Pacific Northwest counterparts, we are well positioned for this rocky year ahead.
Regardless of which trends will materialize, we offer our support to Northwest winemakers who emphasize value over how many dollars a bottle can fetch.
