Making a case for Chardonnay and Merlot
Hello Friends,
During a recent Northern Virginia winery tour hosted by Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell, a huge proponent of the Virginia wine industry, I had the opportunity to discuss Virginia wine with Jason Burrus, winemaker at Rappahannock Cellars in Rappahannock County. When I asked Jason for his opinion on the red and white wine grape that works best for Virginia, he answered, “Chardonnay and Merlot.” Many Virginia wine lovers in and out of the business would probably say Viognier and Cabernet Franc – or the up-and-coming Petit Verdot. Personally, I feel Virginia has the potential to make very good Chardonnay, but quality isn’t always pushed. Additionally, Merlot plays a big role in our Bordeaux-style blends and also makes an exceptional varietal wine in good vintage years. In a small wine producing region where Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and the new “buzz” varietal, Petit Verdot take center stage, Rappahannock Cellar’s winemaker Jason Burrus shares his thoughts on Chardonnay and Merlot!
Rappahannock Cellars Winemaker Jason Burrus
Virginia’s climb into mainstream wine culture is not unlike winning a battle in any modern day war - we must “win the hearts and minds” of the population. The wine drinking public is, unfortunately, an opinionated one. This is a trendy industry where opinions are set by a few vocal critics who are resistant to sing the praises of anything unfashionable. Right now, Cabernet Franc and Viognier are not those fashionable varieties. Yes, they make great wines. But in this business it is not good enough to make great wines, they must be great wines in the minds of those who will never taste them. Case in point: how many times have you promoted a great Cabernet Franc to someone who remarks (before even tasting it), “isn’t that just a blending grape?” We can retort that Cabernet Franc is prominent in the two most prestigious estates in Saint Emilion (Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Ausone), or how Loire Valley Cabernet Francs are all the rage in Parisian wine bars, but these arguments will inevitably fall on deaf ears to most American connoisseurs that became wine savvy drinking Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If we want to play this game, why not play to win?
Virginia is already successful with two well-known and well-regarded varieties - Merlot and Chardonnay. In fact, we grow three times the amount of Chardonnay as we do Viognier, and Merlot comes in a close third place to Cabernet Franc in terms of the amount grown. It seems the game we need to play is to create the most awareness for Virginia wine in the shortest amount of time.
The direction of Merlot would certainly not be at the sacrifice of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Many of Virginia’s best Meritage blends are Merlot-based blends of these varieties. We have the best of both worlds with this direction: a popular variety as the base and two locally well-regarded varieties as blenders to provide a unique Virginia-style blend. Chardonnay has such widespread name and critical recognition that it would be short-sighted not to capitalize on this, and Virginia has the climate to properly ripen high quality Chardonnay on a yearly basis.
During a recent Northern Virginia winery tour hosted by Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell, a huge proponent of the Virginia wine industry, I had the opportunity to discuss Virginia wine with Jason Burrus, winemaker at Rappahannock Cellars in Rappahannock County. When I asked Jason for his opinion on the red and white wine grape that works best for Virginia, he answered, “Chardonnay and Merlot.” Many Virginia wine lovers in and out of the business would probably say Viognier and Cabernet Franc – or the up-and-coming Petit Verdot. Personally, I feel Virginia has the potential to make very good Chardonnay, but quality isn’t always pushed. Additionally, Merlot plays a big role in our Bordeaux-style blends and also makes an exceptional varietal wine in good vintage years. In a small wine producing region where Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and the new “buzz” varietal, Petit Verdot take center stage, Rappahannock Cellar’s winemaker Jason Burrus shares his thoughts on Chardonnay and Merlot!
(Guest Post) Making a case for Chardonnay & Merlot by Jason Burrus:
Virginia’s climb into mainstream wine culture is not unlike winning a battle in any modern day war - we must “win the hearts and minds” of the population. The wine drinking public is, unfortunately, an opinionated one. This is a trendy industry where opinions are set by a few vocal critics who are resistant to sing the praises of anything unfashionable. Right now, Cabernet Franc and Viognier are not those fashionable varieties. Yes, they make great wines. But in this business it is not good enough to make great wines, they must be great wines in the minds of those who will never taste them. Case in point: how many times have you promoted a great Cabernet Franc to someone who remarks (before even tasting it), “isn’t that just a blending grape?” We can retort that Cabernet Franc is prominent in the two most prestigious estates in Saint Emilion (Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Ausone), or how Loire Valley Cabernet Francs are all the rage in Parisian wine bars, but these arguments will inevitably fall on deaf ears to most American connoisseurs that became wine savvy drinking Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If we want to play this game, why not play to win?
First Lady Northern Virgnia Winery Tour (Dezel and Jason)
Beautiful Picture Window at Rappahannock Cellars
The direction of Merlot would certainly not be at the sacrifice of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Many of Virginia’s best Meritage blends are Merlot-based blends of these varieties. We have the best of both worlds with this direction: a popular variety as the base and two locally well-regarded varieties as blenders to provide a unique Virginia-style blend. Chardonnay has such widespread name and critical recognition that it would be short-sighted not to capitalize on this, and Virginia has the climate to properly ripen high quality Chardonnay on a yearly basis.
Have a question about this post, friends? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com, and as always, Happy Sipping! Stay tuned friends ...More to come!
Info: Rappahannock Cellars,14437 Hume Road,Huntly,VA 22640, T(540)635-9398
Click here to visit Jason's vintner's blog.
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7 comments:
Interesting outlook, but as someone familiar with a different emerging region and someone who supports regions like VA when possible, I dont't think I agree with this logic.
I guess what it comes down to is -- who is your target customer base?
Merlot and chardonnay? Can you compete price-wise with those grapes -- grapes that can be found for less than $10? Are your merlots and chardonnays distinctive enough in their flavor profile and style to stand out in the soaked merlot/chard market? That's a tough nut to crack if you're going after Blackstone Merlot and KJ Chardonnay.
I've actually heard people in the VA industry say that growing merlot isn't exactly easy in VA either.
I've tasted just enough VA wine to have a somewhat educated opinion here, and mine is that targeting viognier is a tremendous opportunity for VA wineries. The wines (especially the all stainless ones) are delicious, distinctive and can be priced well.
My favorite wines from my last trip down to VA wine country were made from viognier, cabernet franc, petit verdot and nebbiolo.
The chardonnay I've had could have been made most anywhere in terms of style/quality and while I did buy a bottle of merlot (02 Breaux Reserve) most of those were middle-of-the-road as well.
I tell anyone who will listen that emerging wineries should focus on the varieties that best express their uniqueness. I'm not sure that merlot and chardonnay are that for Virginia.
I'm with Lenn on this one. When I think Virginia wine, and where do I feel the most pride in what we produce over just any other random wine-growing state/region, I immediately jump to my beloved viognier and cab franc. Obviously the Norton as well. These are wines that we do beautifully here that can't be grown just anywhere. Sure the chardonnay is beautiful but it's distinctive enough that folks used to other chards don't necessarily leap at one from VA. Ditto for the merlot. I think the state's pride is connected more with what we do here that's a bit "special." The way I get friends from other states to taste the viognier, cab franc and Norton... and to love them... is to ask them "Have you ever had this before?" Few have. their mind opens up and instead of comparing Virginia wines to something else, they are enjoying something they've never had before. THEN once they're hooked, they taste the chards and merlots with a new attitude. Yes, Virginia... you CAN make great wines. The whole world is beginning to notice.
Please save me from more chardonnay! I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big chard fan. That being said, there are some solid chards being made in VA. The problem is that they are neither cheap enough nor special enough to stand out in an already crowded marketplace. As for merlot, I'm a much bigger fan of this grape, but I think the same issues are in play here. I drink a lot of VA merlots and merlot blends, but there are just too many out there in the world for those special ones from VA to really stand out unless you drink a lot of wines from the state.
Like Lenn and Kim, I think viognier, cab franc, and petit verdot all have great potential in Virginia. I'd also add petit manseng to the list. (While, I have come to appreciate norton, I don't think most wine lovers are ready for it.) These are the wines we typically show off to our non-VA friends and relatives when we get the chance. They get to try something new (often both grape and region)and typically leave impressed by the special wines VA has to offer.
I understand the ease of marketing chard and merlot to weekend wine tourists who are hesitant to try something new - after all, making the best wine in the world doesn't mean much if no one will try and/or buy it. I am a huge supporter of VA wine (most of what we drink comes from the state), but we're in a different place than the more commonly named wine regions in the US or abroad. We can't compete internationally in terms of scale or price, so we need to make a name for VA wines by offering something different (or at least less common). There is a lot of great stuff happening with wine in the state, but to the extent we deal with less common wines, people will judge VA wines as wines rather than in relation to the perhaps more familiar wine from France, California, Australia, etc.
I forgot to mention in my original comment that if the target is easy marketing (of merlot and chardonnay), why not go even easier and just make sweet rose wines and whites and call it a day?
I do understand your point on Chard and Merlot, but I also disagree. When I am looking for a wine from a new region, I don't look for the common wines, as I suspect many people don't. It feels kind of pointless to reinvent that wheel unless there's some particular reason to believe someone's added more spokes. These aren't VA's premier varieties, and to date I haven't tasted much at any of the moderate price points in these wines (which I absolutely would be key to the "compete with established wines" strategy) that would make anyone hop up and demand a VA Chard or Merlot over, say, a California at a similar price.
I suppose it depends on your goals. I'm not particularly interested in having a bunch of massive VA vineyards that can provide mass-market wine to all the supermarkets across the country, which is where I think the logic of "produce wines everyone knows and get it in front of them" naturally leads. To me, smaller wineries producing great varietals that ship to smaller wine stores across the country/world is more ideal (and, in fact, a lot of money is made in places like France by staying small and selling to discerning retailers). When I walk into a wine shop, I want an interesting varietal. If I wanted a standard Chard, I'd go with a region and price I already know makes a good chard. Until/unless we get huge producers who can compete on that level, it just seems like a losing game.
I'm not a vineyard owner, however, and I can see that they may have different opinions. But, of the folks I know across the country who are actually wine drinkers (as opposed to really casual drinkers who are just hopping to Kroger for a bottle of the cheapest white given anything above 70 by a wine magazine), I'd wager a fair bit they feel the same. They look for regional differences, and pay for it.
I've posted some new thoughts and comments as a separate, new post. In addition though, I do want to emphasize that many of you are approaching this topic as that of a connoisseur or an industry insider. What you look for and buy is often very different than what mainstream wine consumers buy. As someone whose livelihood is directly connected to this business, I can't lose sight of the this. Many of our customers are visiting a Virginia winery for the first time. It's certainly more difficult to engage them when they are tripping over pronunciations of terms (varieties) they are likely hearing for the first time.
Many of you are also bored with Merlot and Chardonnay. The data indicate just the opposite. I haven't encountered this personally and I'd emphasize that Virginia, being a boutique industry, would not share the quality parameters that you are likely referring to in mass-produced and low-priced Merlot and Chards. In this sense, it's really just the name that is held in common, nothing else.
Also, keep in mind that what we're ultimately selling is "Virginia." This is still a young industry and the exact grape varieties that work well here aren't written in stone. If Chardonnay works, then we're promoting "Virginia Chardonnay" and not merely boring ole Chardonnay. Same can be said of any variety as long as the quality is there, including Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Petit Verdot. This is exciting, and I'd make the argument that any variety of good quality reflects well on the Virginia industry. To categorically exclude some varieties and not others seems shortsighted.
Hello Jason, Lenn, et al
I wanted to thank Jason for the guest blog post and all those who left comments, as well those who DM’d, e-mailed, and tweeted their opinions to me. I do think Jason makes some valid points in his two posts. Keeping the questions in perspective – “What works best for VA” – you have to consider Chardonnay and Merlot. This question differs from unique varieties or possible break-out varieties. Chardonnay has been the top planted variety for over twenty years and there is a good reason why it has not lost this spot – overall, it does a good job in the vineyard and you already know its reputation in the winery. Matching variety to site in these parts is very important. We have a lot of red clay with moderate to high water holding capacities and typically showers during harvest season. Merlot is better suited for such and also ripens fairly early, so in the event we get steady showers early during harvest season the Merlot can hang and correct itself (provided we stay dry). Merlot is very vital to our Bordeaux-style blends too, which is one of our most consistent wines (red wine blend) in quality for producers crafting nice blends. Style is difficulty to control – at least naturally – due the randomness of our growing seasons.
That said, varieties like Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Petit Verdot, Petit Manseng, etc. are all up-and-coming. While these grapes are well known, as varietal wines they are not so well known – especially outside our area. Our industry has pushed both Cabernet Franc and Viognier via a number of producers growing and producing it and educating the public to it. The industry created the demand for those varieties and there is still a lot of work to be done. Both Viognier and Cabernet Franc have been hugely successful, but quality and style are scattered throughout the Commonwealth. At the very least, we have to get on the same page as a wine producing region with pushing the envelope on quality if the goal is to make inroads nationally.
I think Lenn put it best, “is the VA industry mature enough to even select its signature varieties? I'm not sure that it is!” Our industry is very young and growers are still trying to match site with specific grape varieties Guys are still pulling up stuff and planting new – this takes time. Additionally, we don’t have enough of anything planted IMHO right now to blow-up with that variety on a grand scale. A grape we haven’t even heard of yet, decades from now, may just be the one to put Virginia on the map. I hope we are still on Twitter to talk about it. It’s going to take time, but while I’m living and breathing I’m going to enjoy and witness the rise of the Virginia wine industry.
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