Posts Tagged ‘Eric Asimov’

Wines of the (economic) times

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

Everyone in the world, particularly those of us in the US, are feeling the pinch of the challenging economic environment.  Government stimulus packages, collapsing banks, record numbers of newly unemployed – those luxuries we may have been splurging on a year or two ago are possibly absent from our regular shopping lists these days.  Where does wine fit in?  Can you still justify opening up a $20 (or more expensive) bottle of wine with dinner?  That is a lot to spend on an unessential (some might beg to differ) dinner item on just any day of the week.

wine glass money

There has been a lot written recently about food and wine in challenging times.

Eric Asimov wrote an article for the NY Times “Modest Luxuries For Lean Times”.  I was not familiar with most of the wines he wrote about, but I do agree that one can find some great buys between $10-$20 (while spending less than $10 is generally a gamble in terms of the quality).

There was an article over the weekend discussing New Yorkers inclination to turn to comfort foods.  Apparently New Yorkers are frequenting the fancy obscure restaurants less and opting for more affordable and familiar cuisine – such as a burger and mashed potatoes.  A burger shop manager was quoted, saying “people are looking for nostalgic, homemade food at a reasonable price”.

But I digress.  We are talking about wine.

Mike Steinberger, writing for Slate Mag “Drinking Away Your Sorrows –  How Has the Financial Crisis Affected The Wine World?”, discusses the issue at length.  Steinberger mentions recent auction success and stable wine prices as evidence that wine has not been affected.  He then cites a UNC-Greensboro economist who claims that “when the economy weakens, alcohol sales fall”.  And while he proceeds to repeat a theory I have heard before, that people drink less OUT, but still purchase alcohol to take home to drink, he then states that wine is not affected nearly as much as beer and spirits, citing evidence from Neilson garnered via bars, clubs & restaurants.  Finally, he quotes a retailer who says that “Instead of buying a $40 bottle, maybe they’ll go for a $25 bottle now, but they want wine on the table.”

As I hustle throughout the streets of NY I have seen this all first hand.  Wine Bars aren’t as busy.  Commercial spaces are staying vacant (a lot) longer.  Restaurants are closing at a faster pace and opening at a slower pace.  And retailers, looking to provide their customers with what they are seeking, seem to be looking for more wines that retail in the $20 & less category.

These are all things I will keep in mind as I move forward with my Israeli wine project plans.  And while I definitely have good reason to be cautious, spending as much time as I do at wine bars, wine tastings and wine retailers has given me a good feel for the market.  It is an ever changing market that I must stay on top of, but I believe in the journey and while that light (at the end of the tunnel) is hard to see, I know it is there…

Happy conscientious Wine Tasting!

WTG

NYT Soave piece with great side message

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

I’m running late for a German Reisling tasting event down in Tribeca but I just read an article in the NY Times Dining Out Section, the Wines of the Times column by Eric Asimov titled “Soave Challenges its easy image“.

While the article has opened my mind to Soave whereas I previously have thought of Soave as Asimov puts it as a “crisp, cold, characterless quaffing wine”, that is not what struck me most about the piece. I was excited to have a close friend, Fred Plotkin involved in the tasting, and it was Fred’s lack of excitement as opposed to Asimov’s enthusiasm that hit home with me.

Says Asimov “These sorts of disagreements are an important reminder of how subjective the perception of wine can be”.

A small point made that carries SO MUCH WEIGHT. People need to feel more comfortable with the idea that it is OK to like a wine that somebody else dislikes. Even if that somebody esle is a so-called “expert”.

Happy INDIVIDUALISTIC wine tasting!!!

WTG

Wine Pleasures

Friday, May 9th, 2008

Eric Asimov of the NY Times wrote in his blog “The Pour” an article titled “Wine’s Pleasures: Are They All In Your Head?“, about “what motivates the wine shopper”. The article (or I suppose really blog post) is the second most emailed article on the NY Times website today as of 7PM and has so far amassed 231 comments (and counting I’m sure). (more…)