“Trust yourself.”
That’s the one bit of advice George M. Taber wanted wine drinkers to take from his new book A Toast to Bargain Wines. I think that advice will ultimately help NJ winemakers.
I caught up with George at his book signing sponsored by the South Jersey Tourism Corporation and hosted by Amalthea Cellars last night. George was the business reporter for Time magazine who covered the “Judgment of Paris” wine tasting competition between California and French wines. His subsequent book on the competition inspired the 2008 movie Bottle Shock. (For the insanely curious, Louis Giambalvo played Taber in the movie.)
In reviewing his body of work, I was struck by how it appeared that George was on a mission to “de-snob” wine culture. Of course, I believe snobbery and risk aversion are barriers to greater acceptance of NJ wines, so George was the guy to talk to.
He chuckled at my “de-snobbing” observation and volunteered that it wasn’t necessarily his intent. He was just “trying to cut through the BS.”
“Winemakers are creating myths around bottles,” he explained. ”As a journalist, you are constantly probing, trying to find out what’s the real story, what’s the story behind the mask.”
Hence, his new book in which he argues that the overall quality of wine available to consumers has never been more accessible and that good wine can be had at reasonably low prices. To wit, A Toast to Bargain Wines recommends over 400 wines priced below $10. George tells people to drink what they like. In essence, one should not let their taste be dictated by someone else’s tongue.
Yet, we do let wine reviews guide our choices at the store. Anthony Fisher, owner of the The Bottle Barn, told me earlier in the evening that customers come into his store all the time looking for a wine they had just read about in Wine Spectator. As you know, WS ain’t reviewing NJ wines.
So, George, what does the NJ wine industry have to do to get a little respect?
“Trench warfare. Inch by inch. Bottle by bottle,” was his strategic advice. His point being the industry will not turn around in a day. NJ Wineries first have to set international standards as their goal and push the quality of their wines to meet those standards. George pointed to the Robert Mondavi approach. Mondavi would gather his people, taste French wines, and then ask what they needed to do to match the quality of those wines.
Once a winery is producing wine to a high standard, then it should roll the dice and put its wines up against the best in the world. He referenced the tasting competitions between Amalthea Cellars and French and Napa Valley wines, where judges preferred the NJ wine in blind tastings. Eventually, wine drinkers will take notice and start buying NJ wines.
Since George has been a business reporter for 40 plus years and is also the founder of NJBIZ, I asked him if he thought direct shipping would help the NJ winery business.
“There’s this sparkling wine made in New Mexico that is supposed to be fantastic. I don’t know if it is or not, but I would like to just try one bottle. Why can’t I buy it?” he said. “If you can buy all the on-line porn you want, why can’t you buy one bottle of wine?”
George summed up the three tier system as a “nutty law.” The system does not help the wine industry because it keeps small wineries from getting access to consumers.
“Allowing direct shipping is good for consumers and for wineries in the long run,” he said.
In the end, NJ wineries have to trust themselves to further develop the industry. Again, George points to the Robert Mondavi example. Mondavi clearly saw the value in promoting wineries as tourist destinations, a model the South Jersey Tourism Corporation now recognizes.
In the end, Geoge believes broader acceptance of NJ wines comes down to the “drive and vision of the winery.” A commitment to making good wine and doggedly promoting it are the only means to capture the attention of wine drinkers.
I also think it helps to have iconoclasts like George M. Taber to broaden the awareness of the wine drinking public. As a writer for Time, George helped dispel the myth that good wine can only be made in predetermined places. Now, as an author, George continues to press the point that quality is independent of geography, price, and label. Consumers need to set aside their biases and just try what’s out there, regardless of what so-called experts may recommend.
George’s writings and comments nicely compliment the efforts of the NJ wine industry. Re-assured and confident wine drinkers will try NJ wines. And because the quality is there, their trust in themselves will be well-rewarded.
