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Consumers Can Toast Vintners For Hold On Prices

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By KURT LOFT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

TAMPA - Rising fuel prices are affecting the price of just about everything from timber to tomatoes, so should we expect spikes in the cost of American wine?

Well, not yet, experts say. Although California produces 90 percent of the country's wine, much of it heading east, the juice so far is insulated from the gas war, says Dennis Carr, a spokesman for the venerable Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley.

"The increased cost of gas is being absorbed by wineries and distributors," he says. "It's not easy to raise the price of wine on the consumer, so you absorb it as long as you can."

Wine sales in general tend to slacken this time of year, making it difficult to feel any impact from fuel costs, said Glynn Ciacone, owner of Charlie's Wine Cellar and Wine Bar in Tampa.

"We always see a slowdown in the summer, so it's hard to put a finger on the economic aspect of wine retail," he said. "One weekend we could be sold out, and another, everybody's at the beach."

The new Wine Exchange restaurant in Hyde Park Village buys 25 to 30 cases a week and feels no need to mark up prices.

"And we're hoping it won't have any effect on our customers," manager Michelle Murphy said of the price of gas.

Variety gives wine an advantage over many other commodities affected by fuel prices. And this could make it more resistant to fluctuations in the economy.

"One reason we're insulated is because wine has so many choices at so many price points," Carr says. "If you want a $15 bottle of wine, you have plenty of choices. And if you don't want to spend that $15, you always can trade down in price to a $12 bottle."

State Wine Awards

Florida isn't known as the wine state, but that didn't stop two wineries from grabbing awards at a pair of prestigious competitions in California.

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards in Clermont and San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine wracked up a combined 16 gold, silver and bronze medals in April and May.

Tasting Notes

Here are a handful of high-quality wines we enjoyed recently, and all should be available at most any well-stocked wine shop.

Layer Cake 2006 Primitivo, $16 - With grapes harvested from century-old vines in southern Italy, this wine tastes like a spitting image of Zinfandel and impresses with its jammy blackberry fruit, spice and solid depth. A bargain for the price.

Jordan 2006 Russian River Chardonnay, $30 - Jordan continues to make exceptional, creamy chardonnays, fermented in French oak and balanced by a refreshing acidity. The flavors, a marriage of nuts and tropical fruit, envelop the tongue.

Gary's Improv 2005 Zinfandel, $32 - Flavors of chocolate, blackberries and pepper dominate this muscular Napa Valley blend, made by the same folks who created the organic Clif Bar. Wonders never cease.

Casa da Corca 2005 Reserve, $35 - A hint of balsamic gives personality to this gem from Portugal, aromatic and nicely integrated with a touch of fruit and oak. Drink now or lay down for five years.

Kunde Estate 2004 Century Vines Zinfandel, $35 - The iconic Kunde family continues to draw inspiration from vines planted in the 19th century, and this reserve zin stands up and shouts with intense boysenberry flavors, a big mouth feel and a pleasant finish.

Schramsberg 2005 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, $35 - Yes, Mildred, California makes some fine sparklers (don't use the word "champagne" outside France), especially when the chardonnay grapes come from four distinct counties. The wine is crisp, with lingering flavors of lime and apple.

Silverado 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, $43 - If you like your cab jammy and complex but not overpowering, Silverado won't fail to please. The winemakers soften the intensity of the cab with a splash - 8 percent - of merlot, petite verdot and cabernet franc.

Pina 2005 D'Adamo, $72 - Here's a lush, juicy and beautifully integrated wine that picks up wood, spice and cocoa. Made from a single 10-acre "Buckeye Vineyard" of 100 percent cabernet sauvignon grapes, it undoubtedly will age well over the next decade - but we didn't wait to find out.

Reporter Kurt Loft can be reached at (813) 259-7570 or kloft@tampatrib.com.

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