Vintage 1998

The year through rosé-colored glasses

Uncorked by David Marglin

Where has wine been in 1998? A funny question. Of course, it's been in your glasses. Americans are drinking slightly more wine these days, although the increase in the number of wine drinkers is quite small: 1 percent of all people of drinking age.

There's definitely a new wine demographic. Younger, (almost) affluent twenty- and thirtysomething folks are drinking significantly more wine than they used to. Not just more glasses, but more varieties and varietals, too. Sure, sales of wine-in-a-box are on the rise, but the best news is that folks who are newer to wine are exploring new kinds.

Click here for a rundown of wine tastings, dinners, and events.

So what have they been drinking? Three big wine nations on the rise, according to my sources (meaning people in the wine industry and people who just love wine), are Spain, South Africa, and Italy.

Italy has always produced tons of wine, and more wine is imported from Italy than from France. But most Americans are only now really learning about Italian wines -- the regions, the grapes, the blends. Across the board, 1997 was perhaps the best year ever for Italian wines, and that caused a surge of interest in Italy's whites in 1998. As the better Italian reds from 1997 -- the ones that must be aged before being released -- start to make their way to the market, you're going to see a lot more Italian wines on lists and in stores. My big discovery has been moscato d'Asti, a light, usually low-alcohol (about 7 percent) fizzy white wine, slightly sweet, that I intend to serve at my wedding, if I ever wind up getting married. It sparkles, but goes down smooth.

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the year in review

art - classical - dance - dining - fiction
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rock - styles - television - theater - wine

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The renaissance of Spanish wine is being fueled in large part by a closer connection between growers and winemakers. For a long time, inexpensive Spanish wines suffered as growers went for maximum yield, resulting in inferior fruit. Now winemakers, often striving for fruit-forward wines, have persuaded growers to keep yields down, causing the intensity of flavor to go up. For those who like young red wines, especially the kind you can buy for less than $20, Spain is a bonanza. We're seeing more cabernet and merlot blends. And with excellent years in both 1994 and 1995, crianzas from Rioja and Ribera del Duero are both a solid bet. Albariño, little known before, has become almost a staple on broad wine lists, and may be one of the best wines to accompany shellfish. In the coming year, look for blends that combine tempranillo -- the main grape in Rioja and Ribera del Duero -- with cabernet sauvignon and merlot. These wines tend to be full but not musty, and 1996 appears ready to complete a trifecta of terrific years.

South Africa is sneaking up on people. As I've noted, the oaky style of many South African wines is not for everyone, but the quality-to-price ratio should be. The reds still have a way to go, but man do I love the Mulderbosch sauvignon blanc from Stellenbosch and the Hamilton-Russell chardonnay, to name only two. I always look down the list and around the store to see what South African whites are available, and I'm probably not the only one -- so it's safe to assume prices may increase. But right now, it's still a buyer's market.

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As for the rest of the world, 1998 was definitely the year syrah -- or shiraz, as the Aussies call it -- made the leap to the top echelon of varietals. Inexpensive shirazes from Rosemount and Penfolds are everywhere, and virtually every wine list has at least one syrah on it, usually something young, fresh, fruity, and affordable. But high-end syrah and syrah blends are also definitely in; Sean Thackrey's 1996 Orion syrah may be the best bottle of wine I tasted in 1998. Rhône varietals such as mourvèdre and syrah and their various blends have been coming on strong for some time now, but 1998 was definitely the year they reached critical mass. In terms of wine fashion, shiraz/syrah may well be the next merlot.

One of my favorite pleasures this year was American pinot noir, vinified as a hearty, young, fruity wine (as opposed to its soft, perfumey cousins from Burgundy). The '95s from California are drinking really well right now, and there are lots of them out there. The 1996s from Oregon may not be living up to their early hype, but given a bit of time in the bottle, these may prove to be some of the best -- and longest-lasting -- pinot noirs ever produced in the US.

From Seasons: taking the trouble out of bubbles.

On a larger scale, we've seen two concurrent wine trends at odds: on the one hand, producers are releasing more single-vineyard-designate wines, the idea being that one should know every inch of the soil -- the terroir -- that the wine expresses. But more and more, blends of different varietals (or of grapes from different vineyards, even from different parts of the state) are all the rage, as more and more people come to trust the "brand" of the winemaker. Blending is an art, and with winemaking so dominated by science, it's good that the expressiveness of the winemaker gets as much recognition as the expressiveness of the dirt.

With that in mind, my favorite winery of 1998 is definitely Flowers. This winery, an estate on the Sonoma coast that specializes in chardonnay and pinot noir, mixes spiritual and earthy concepts about listening to what the grapes have to say with vintage equipment like wood presses. Winemaker Greg La Follette -- much like the dedicated owners, Joan and Walt Flowers -- is a true artist, someone who understands both the science of wine and the passion that can make it great. Flowers Perennial, a 1997 pinot noir-based blend, was the most passionate wine I tasted this year, and a bargain at around $22 a bottle. I would encourage you to buy every bottle you see. If you need company drinking it, don't hesitate to e-mail. For Flowers, I will find the time. See you in '99!

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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