10/06/05 American vs. European wines

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and this week we are going to continue to answer a backlog of email questions. A listener wrote to ask, "To me American wine is much more confusing than European wine. Why is that?" Confusion about wine in general is widespread and I can only guess what the listener meant by stating that he finds American wine more confusing than European. I suppose it is because in Europe grape varietals are identified by the region in which they are grown. When you drink a wine from an area such as Chianti or Bordeaux, the grapes used are consistent and once you become familiar with them you know what to expect when you drink the wines. Whereas Chardonnay in France, is primarily from Burgundy, and Chardonnay from America can be from almost any region and climate and the styles vary greatly. We are not able to rely on them for consistent flavor or style. They are not as predictable. In Europe, you can usually equate quality to price and unfortunately, that is not always the case with domestic wines. In addition to all of this, familiarity is also a factor in lack of confusion with wines. It is very important to know the producer no matter what nation of origin the wine is. To most Chianti drinkers not all Chianti is the same. They find a producer that makes a style that is to their liking. The consumer is most likely to select wine from a producer that they have enjoyed in the past. They are not confused, they like it, and they buy it. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.