Halves Give Whole Lot
There’s an ocean of wine out there. Why is so little of it packaged in consumer-friendly half bottles?
I was in Dallas recently, oohing and aahing over a truly incredible meal at the renowned Mansion on Turtle Creek, the classy restaurant credited with igniting the Southwestern cooking craze. Between the luscious lobster tacos and the filet mignon-like ostrich steak, I scanned the huge wine list for half bottles. The cellar was deep in rare Bordeaux and Burgundy, but it was hurting in the half-bottle department.
The 375-milliliter size is such a perfect fit for so many situations. It makes a lot of sense for couples who don’t want to drink a full bottle, for a group that wants to taste a variety of wines or for people dining alone.
Unfortunately, most wineries don’t even bother making half bottles because they’re such a hassle to produce. Additional equipment is required for bottling and labeling.
Also, it’s relatively expensive to produce half bottles. The smaller bottles cost roughly the same as the standard size, which is reflected in the retail price. Then consumers shy away from half bottles because they don’t think they’re a good value.
One respected Washington producer deserves credit for his commitment to the half bottle. Rick Small, Woodward Canyon’s winemaker, makes 50 cases of splits each year of his chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
“It’s really a segment of the market that is ignored,” Small said. “It must be the consumer in me that got me moving in that direction.”
Small said he believes more restaurants would include half bottles on their lists if more wineries produced them. “It gives people so many more options,” he said.
If a small winery like Woodward Canyon can pull it off, what’s stopping others?
I suppose what they’re waiting for is consumer demand, so let’s get to it. Next time you’re out to eat and plan to order wine, ask about half bottles. Or, request that your favorite wine store stock up on the smaller sizes. If enough people ask, the word will eventually trickle down to wineries.
Some of my all-time favorite splits include Duckhorn sauvignon blanc, the Woodward chardonnay, Domaine Drouhin pinot noir from Oregon, Calera pinot noir, the earthy, slightly spicy Chateauneufdu-Pape and Edna Valley chardonnay.
Hot tip
A useful suggestion came in the latest Latah Creek newsletter, which warned readers that wine is heat sensitive. “Wine left in the trunk in the summer can get hot enough to push the corks out,” it said.
Maybe that’s where we got the saying: “Don’t blow a cork, you hothead.”
But seriously folks, don’t leave your wine - or your dog - in a hot car.
Good deal
Hogue Cellars and its area distributor, Empire Beverage, are teaming up to support the Spokane Food Bank during a typically lean time for donations.
Through September, a portion of Hogue Cellars’ sales will be donated to the food bank. “We realize people are hungry year-round and Hogue is committed to supporting the needs of the community,” said winery president Gary Hogue.
Nice job.
More good deals
Bargains of the month: At just $6.50, Haywood chardonnay has the kind of varietal character you might taste in wines that cost twice as much. Take a whiff and smell the lush pear aroma. A sip reveals a nice balance between crisp citrus flavor and a rich, nutty taste. That clean, fruity quality makes it a great match for grilled chicken, chilled, creamy cucumber soup or pasta salads.
Budget-conscious red fans should try Ca-del Solo’s Big House Red. This smooth wine is made by Bonny Doon, a respected California winery that specializes in offbeat varietals. The Big House Red is made in what the label calls a Mediterranean style with unusual grapes that include mourvedre, charbono, barbera, carignan and souzao. The wine is super with pizza, burgers or a big fat piece of chocolate cake. It sells for about $8.
Mother of all tastings
More than 1,700 wine enthusiasts are expected to show up next month at the state’s most prestigious tasting event. This summer’s Pacific Northwest Wine and Food Festival will be Aug. 3 at South Seattle Community College.
The annual tasting, now in its 22nd year, attracts some of the region’s top vintners, who will pour more than 160 wines. It also features an impressive four-course gourmet dinner (chilled rockfish with red wine-onion jam, anyone?) prepared by the college’s culinary arts department.
Tickets are $40 and can be ordered by calling (206) 542-6537.
On-line wine
There’s a new wine magazine, available only on the Internet. Smart Wine covers much of the same turf as The Wine Spectator and The Wine Enthusiast with numerical ratings of a broad range of wines, as well as features on topics such as building your own cellar, matching food with wine and a regional calendar of events.
Like other California-based wine Web sites, I found this one completely lacking credibility on the Washington wine, though. The comprehensive rating chart had hundreds of entries from the Sunshine State, but only a half dozen from Washington.
It’s still worth checking out at http://smartwine.com
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Leslie Kelly The Spokesman-Review