×

American wines are gaining in popularity

Ask most people on the street which country they think has the highest export in wine sales and most will say France, Italy, or Spain. America would seldom be mentioned, but in reality, it is clearly in the running, with more than $1.6 billion in American wine being consumed in 2015.

With a 78 percent jump in sales during the last decade, we are moving into a dead heat with the ‘traditional 3’ leaders of wine consumption. And, to break it down even further, California is responsible for 90 percent of all exported wines.

Adding to the surprise, the EU countries drank most of our wine, with $685 million in 2016. Canada was a close second with $431 million, with the rest in descending order; Hong Kong, Japan, China, Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland and Singapore.

California leads for many reasons: The state is a source of excellent expertise in wine making, turning out product that is not just popular in the home market, but worldwide as well.

Perhaps the spirit of California is best captured in the red blend named Leviathan. Winemaker Andy Erickson works every year to blend cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and cabernet franc to create a rich, full wine loaded with vibrant texture that encompasses the best from this great state.

Simply stated, it is one delicious wine, a result of intelligent, taste-perceptive blending and careful aging in 50 percent new French oak for 23 months.

Thanks to California winning the wine showdown in the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976, with repeat victories as recently as 30 years later in 2006, the world of wine was opened to all wine-producing countries that are making market inroads across the board including South Africa and New Zealand.

New Zealand has a red blend of merlot, tempranillo and malbec, from Trinity Hill Winery. The three varietals are harvested separately, hand-destemmed and during fermentation, gently turned with the skins to help produce a soft yet complex structure. Skin maceration is extended up to three weeks following fermentation to help provide softer tannins in the finished product.

Look for vintage 2013 from ‘The Trinity’ to get a wine at its peak or close to it for immediate consumption. The SRP should be in the low $20 range.

South Africa has thrust itself into the red blend world market from the Western Cape region using cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and petite verdot all coming together with an attractive bottle label reading “Mulderbosch Faithful Hound.”

The appearance of this wine in the glass is a definite attention-getter: a vibrant and deep purple, promising a fruity aroma of dark berries and a touch of vanilla spice.

Since the first vintage in 1992, Mulderbosch has worked to bring innovation, flair and excellence to the wines they produce, and this Faithful Hound blend of reds is no exception.

All Mulderbosch wines go through French barrel aging, including this blend. It has received accolades of taste and savory finish from five different organizations including Wine Spectator.

Any one of these three wines are worth considering for good meaty, spicy dishes, especially as we come move into the grilling season of 2017.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today