The Cyprus Wine Blog - Monolithos Wine Dimensions: August 2010

Dear Friends of Monolithos
What type of wine and where best to buy are two of the many contentious topics in the world of wine. The heated debate raises a number of questions such as: Why do your wine shopping at your local mega-stores and limit yourself to a small selection of the big name winemakers? What about buying an untried wine or shopping directly from a winery? What is the difference between a “boutique” wine (such as Monolithos) and a “commercial” wine? What does “small winery” really mean? Are all boutique wines good? Do the big corporations make quality wine?

It’s fair to say that most of us enjoy a nice glass of wine, but in this day and age, finding a perfect example which is agreeable to the palate and to the wallet is not always easy. The occasional wine buyer is most likely to grab a bottle at the local supermarket when completing the food shopping. This is the most accessible and quickest way to bring a bottle home, and is fine for buying a wine that is already known to the wine drinker. The average consumer views wine in much the same way as they would treat flour, milk, fruit juice or instant coffee. As long as the quality is adequate and the price is right, consumers aren’t too worried about the source. More than 70% of wine sales worldwide are done this way. It’s pretty obvious that an inferior product sitting on the retailer’s shelf is far more likely to be purchased than the superior product that sits in a cellar some place.

Wine’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent decades, but at the same time, wine has become a commodity: grapes are grown, crushed and made into wine, which is then sold cheaply and consumed uncritically. Much of that growth came through wine shops and supermarkets. Consequently, large-scale producers target larger market segments that are served through supermarkets and mega-stores. With supermarkets selling an increasing proportion of wine in many markets, mass wine producers are better positioned to take advantage of this trend towards high volumes and low margins. Thanks to a wave of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic investments, the world’s top wine companies now control labels in countries all over the globe. Do these corporations make successful wines? Of course they do, since success in the wine business is measured by how well you can sell your product, not how good your product is. Larger wineries have a big advantage when it comes to distributing their products. They usually have dealings with distributors who guarantee their products will get into the marketplace. The small winery, by contrast, has to beg the distributor to carry its products.

Much of the wine sold in supermarkets is mass-produced in giant winemaking facilities that generate millions of bottles each year. Increasingly, wine production is being driven by the needs of the supermarket and high street wine buyers, who claim that their requirements are driven by what people want to buy. There is therefore a huge commercial pressure towards bland,
“commercial” branded wines produced in large volumes to hit the right price points. Mass production typically uses automated systems to permit very high rates of production per worker, turning out high volumes of inexpensive finished goods. The main advantages of bulk production wine is derived from the standardized processes, consistency of products, cost and time savings,
increase productivity, less skill requirement by personnel, significant reductions in inventory and economies of scale. Large wineries can become more profitable through vertical integration of their distribution systems and aggressively segmenting their products and services to take advantage of market opportunities.

From a distribution perspective, drinks are all liquid (also heavy, usually fragile, and must be protected from temperature variations) and need to be delivered on time, and managed in accounts. Because of economies of scale, a large corporation generally has access to cheaper costs of goods than smaller companies. Most importantly, large global wine companies are able to
optimize their cost of goods in every market they choose to enter. The controversy over the corporations’ role centres on the issue of wine quality. Not all wine they sell is noteworthy. In fact, mass production and the use of low-quality grapes have brought forth a new class of wine known as “plonk”. The latter is defined as wine which does not belong to a designation of origin or other quality indication or specification of origin. Plonk is a low-quality wine, usually made for the non-discriminating masses. Quite often these wines are made from 3rd and 4th pressings. Stores everywhere are loaded with tasteless wines – both domestic and foreign –
that offer no distinction in taste between grapes or brands. Nowadays, bulk-quality wine is widely found in standard 750 ml, 1 or 2 litre plastic PET bottles, five-litre demi-johns, Tetrapaks and even cans. The low price of a few euros per litre makes them a hit as an everyday wine. The supermarkets deserve some credit for the work they have done popularising wine, but now they’re slowly killing the sector they once helped develop. People have no idea that the wine they are drinking is a cheap, mass-produced beverage.

The interest in drinking wine stems not only from the fact that it can taste nice, but also because of such factors as grape varieties, vintage variations, regions, producers, “terroir”, ageing ability and winemaking techniques. One of the things that separated for centuries wine from other alcoholic drinks is that it is an agricultural product, not a manufactured one. The diversity of wine is bewildering. Not only are hundreds of different grape varieties in relatively common use, but there are also the complex influences of soil types, climate, viticulture and winemaking practices. Consequently, the diversity – and the link to geography – that makes wine so interesting is under real threat. However, the blame for this loss of diversity doesn’t reside solely at the door of the supermarket buyers. They are operating under fairly tight commercial constraints. First, they need serious volume, as smaller volumes
generally can’t be offered for sale effectively in the global market. This is inevitable, since a big winery is required to supply all the wine-selling outlets, consequently, wine must be produced at an industrial level, which means silos of wine and an enormous amount of grapes going into these huge factories. As wine is treated more like a manufactured product and becomes
more divorced from agriculture, it usually becomes less interesting, but it is these wines that appeal to supermarket buyers who want volume, continuous supply and uniformity of quality. Second, they claim that it’s only certain styles of wine that will sell. Big wineries play it safe because they must. They have too large an audience to risk alienating anyone. They will not
create the most original wines of limited production precisely because their audience is too large, and you can’t expect them to list wines that people are not buying. Supermarkets and other multiple outlets don’t like dealing with the diversity and complexity of wine, but they are quite attached to the “idea” of diversity. So typically they will stock hundreds of different lines, giving the shopper the impression of a broad portfolio of wines. The problem
here is that this diversity is actually an illusory one. The wines are almost always industrially produced, in large quantities, and to a formula. It makes life a little easier for the supermarket critics, because they can effectively do their job just by picking wines more or less at random. Plus, there are almost no surprises when you drink a commonly known wine. You know what you are getting before you even open a bottle. Most of these commercial wines appear lifeless and without any charm. Some companies alter their wines so much, that it’s not even wine any longer. While large-scale wine production often results in Coca-Cola-like product
uniformity, that doesn’t mean that the wines – or their production methods – are necessarily bad. Consistency is actually what a lot of people want; they take comfort in the fact that the bottle of wine they’re buying is going to taste just like the last one they opened. This automatically rules out a lot of the more interesting wines. Now, consistency is not the same as quality, however, consistency is not a bad thing in itself. It’s when you’re consistently mediocre that you have to watch out.

The world’s top-selling wine brands are produced in massive quantities in huge winemaking facilities. As most countries are going through the effects of the recession, sales of inexpensive wines have rocketed, while sales of premium, highly priced selections have lagged or stalled. The majority of consumers are looking for anything under €10 a bottle or even €5.
Why don’t commercial wineries get any respect? Some do, but most of them don’t. It’s mainly due to the fact that the majority of these producers are not even involved in the winemaking process. The picture of the vineyard is often on the label, and it doesn’t show a factory – it show rows and rows of grapes on the vine. Commercial wineries are there for mass production and
the associated profit, not the grape itself. The larger winery doesn’t need to be as good. So if, as a big winery, you know you are going to be able to penetrate the market, why spend big sums of money, even if you have it, to make a better product?

The situation isn’t the same as for a small winery, where the product had better be good, or else. Wine is a domain linked with romanticism, and there’s a certain feeling out there that small is beautiful – tiny operations generally yield more interesting, higher quality wines than
larger operations. A small winery producing small amounts can call itself a “boutique”, but that doesn’t mean it makes good quality wine. In the same way, bigger grounds and bigger production numbers don’t mean that quality is lacking in their wines.

There are many wineries that call themselves “boutique” wineries. It sounds a lot more elegant and fashionable to say you picked up the Shiraz blend from a boutique winery. You are sure to impress your dinner guests, but someone at the table is bound to ask: how are boutique wineries different from regular wineries?

The word “boutique” is defined as a “small, exclusive business offering customised service”. A boutique winery is a small business producing a few hundred to less than 10,000 cases per year, and usually the bottles are a bit more expensive than the stuff coming out of the bigger wineries. Boutique wineries are usually family-run businesses where the owner is also
the winemaker. They might only specialise in one or two grape varieties, although some boutique wineries produce a number of different wine types. Whereas everyone knows about the big players, smaller distributors often get business by word of mouth.

Are boutique wineries better? No reasonable person can make such a declaration about all the small wineries in the world. However, it is not an exaggeration to state that some of the best wines in the world come from the small wine boutiques. This is because the wines produced at specific wineries are the rare product of selected grape varieties in the right vineyards, the most important factor to achieving authentic wines. Big wineries must fill a big demand. Where the small winery can, for example, pick and choose its grapes, the larger winery is forced to buy huge quantities, where its control over quality can’t match that of its smaller
competitor.

Winemaking is a mastery that requires many years of experience, knowledge, and skill. A good winemaker has a passion for a specific expression of a specific grape or blend of grapes. Most small wineries are located near the vineyards, thereby minimising the distance from producing the grapes to bottling the wine. It follows that something produced in smaller quantities must be of better quality than something mass-produced. Because the volumes are smaller at a boutique winery, the winemaking process is a lot more hands-on than it would be at a big winery. The winemaker can keep a closer eye on the process and manipulate it to achieve his or her goals. This thorough process, the passion, dedication and expertise allow them to deliver wines made in a unique style to the market in an honest way. Boutique wineries are also known for the personal touches they put on their wines. Most boutique wineries design their own labels and market their wine themselves, or sometimes not at all. Customers who try their wine usually come back for more – not just for appeal of buying an exclusive wine, but usually because the quality is good. Each wine that is produced under such conditions has its own unique flavour and this is why it is so popular to a wine collector.

The small wineries do have some cost advantages over the larger ones. A larger winery is a big corporation, with layers of management, and a department for this and a department for that. All that cost needs to get passed on to the consumer. By contrast, small wineries do not have a personnel department because they mainly rely on family members. They may lack the resources of a big winery, but what resources they have largely go into the making of the wines. Boutique wines give the wine lover the opportunity to enjoy a wine of distinction, meet the people behind it and understand the philosophy behind the product first-hand and often in situ. The skills of owner-managers, who are winemakers, viticulturists and marketers, make it easier to stay focused. The main benefit (of being a small producer) is that you can literally keep your arms around every barrel, keep your nose in each barrel on a regular basis and know each drop of wine intimately. You can’t do that at higher production levels. It is important to note that not all boutique wines are equal in quality, and limited production does not always mean superior. Smaller doesn’t always mean better. The key to finding a superb boutique wine is to look beyond the production size and discover why the winemaker chose to make a slightly different and more selective variety. When a good vintage is produced, it won’t be around forever. That bottle is purchased and held onto until a special occasion arises.

The small wineries do face several challenges, including becoming known, competing for shelf space and finding distributors. The boutique wineries use various strategies to succeed. In addition to pouring at charity events, they rely heavily on direct sales to customers, wine events, internet sales and particularly through tasting rooms. Some sell to local wine shops, supermarkets and restaurants. Many boutiques focus on making a few specialized wines, including alternative varietals, in order to create a niche.

Boutique wines are often more expensive than mass-produced, commercialized wines, but the extra cost is often counter-balanced by the quality, rarity and authenticity of their wines. Some produce wines are far too expensive and not great quality, others are definitely international class, but all are making wines of individual character with pride and passion. There is enormous variety. Ultimately, your own taste buds should be the judges. If you really want to be sure the wine you’re buying isn’t made from bulk juice produced at some other location, look for information on the label. Of course, that’s no guarantee that you’re going to enjoy the wine in the bottle, but at least you’ll know where it came from and who made it. As big wineries get bigger, the niche for very small, artisan winemakers crafting distinctive, uniquely styled and esoteric wines grows too. Micro-wineries of a few hundred or couple thousand cases will satisfy that ongoing need in our society for the arts, originality, personality, creativity and spirituality.

Wine News and Information
. Enjoying a bottle of wine with friends automatically makes any bottle a good one, but it’s even better if it’s properly chilled. The Trudeau Digital Wine Thermometer makes it easy to determine the temperature without opening the bottle. When the gadget is in contact with a bottle, a temperature sensor automatically reads the temperature with the help of an LCD display. Featuring a stainless steel cuff that slips on to the neck of the bottle, the portable thermometer goes wherever a bottle of wine can go. With recommended serving temperatures printed directly on the cuff, the easy-to-use accessory allows wine drinkers to decide what to open and when. Enjoying the wine is then easy, which just leaves the hard part: getting everybody to agree on which particular variety to drink.

. Dutch researchers suggest small amounts of alcohol may lower the risk of developing several arthritic conditions. Researchers at Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands, associate low alcohol consumption – drinking less alcohol than those in the control group – with a significantly lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ratisteoarthritis, spondylarthropathy, psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis. Lead author Dr. Annekoos Leonoor Huidekoper said another interesting finding was the degree of systemic inflammation in patients was shown to increase as the amount of alcohol consumed decreased. The researchers say there may several explanations for their findings, including the possibility some alcohol in low amounts could help protect against the development of systemic inflammation. The finding was presented at the annual congress of the European League against Rheumatism in Rome.

. France’s appellation system may soon be homogenised into globally recognised brands. The proposed new Vins de France category allows French producers and brand owners to blend wines across different regions to produce wines consistent in quality and style. These wines are designed to appeal to younger consumers at lower price levels, marketed by their grape variety, not origin. According to French wine official Valérie Pajotin, director of Anivin de France, French wine will end up “like Coca-Cola”, with many producers opting out of appellation systems in favour of adopting the generic “Vins de France” brand.

Monolithos Monthly News

August, September and October mark the annual season for grape harvesting for most vine growing areas of Cyprus. The exact time of harvesting changes from year to year based on weather conditions, vineyard location and grape variety. Grapes from international varieties in vineyards located at altitudes lower than 600m are ready for harvesting in August. The indigenous vines are picked in September. For the village of Pachna, this is the busiest time of the year. Traditional hand-harvesting is the only practice in the region and therefore, picking only healthy bunches is relatively easier.

An early wine grape harvest is certain this year. The mild winter, good rainfall, early spring, and hot sunny weather so far this summer have put vineyards about two full weeks ahead of schedule. Normally the harvest of early-ripening varieties begins right after the third week of August and other varieties two to four weeks later. This year we are planning to commence harvesting on Saturday 14 August. Other dates scheduled for grape picking are the 21 and 28 August. Unless there is a drastic change in the weather, we anticipate that 4 and 11 September will be the final dates for this year’s harvest.

Monolithos Winery ensures that the grapes are cut from the vine in the cool, early morning hours, placed in small plastic cases and transported directly to the winery for crushing. Great pains are taken to escalate the process, while keeping the grapes from becoming too warm during the transport from vineyard to crusher.

All Monolithos wines (2009 vintage) are available for tasting. If at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to call him at 25-816212 or 99-165995. We thank you for your continued support, and
would leave you with the words of a French proverb:

“The best use of bad wine is to drive away poor relations.”

Regards from all of us here at Monolithos