O Beautiful for Spacious Wines....

Come February, many Playboy Clubs across the country will be saluting American wines with a month-long California Wine Festival. The event is both fitting and timely. It's barely half a century since the domestic wine industry was born again, starting from scratch, after the great Prohibition drought. Now, 50 years after repeal, wines are being produced commercially in 40 states, including such improbable ones as Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Idaho and Virginia. But the fact remains that California, which accounts for more than 90 percent of home-grown ferments, is what American wine is all about. It also happens that the golden anniversary of repeal is a most opportune time to start a wine cellar from the Golden State--or to augment an existing cache. The five decades of experience, new plantings and frenzied experimentation by vintners and growers are now paying off--with (continued on page 150)Beautiful Wines(continued from page 65) interest. Eavesdrop on a conclave of California wine professionals and you'll hear a lot about microclimates, clonal selections, budding over and drip irrigation. All of that trade jargon points up one supremely significant fact: West Coast vintners finally have a handle on matching particular soils, climates, grape varieties and viticultural practices for optimum results--a process that evolved over centuries in Europe. American wine makers today are also working with nobler grapes--more Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and fewer of the mediocre Burger, Chasselas and Thompson seedless. And the grapes themselves are more opulent, due to meticulous cloning--which sounds like something out of an s-f flick but simply means cultivating the most desirable strain of a particular grape. The cumulative effect of these advances, plus innovative technology, has led to a new California wine style.

It was at the legendary Paris tastings in 1976 that California wines won their world-class spurs, outpointing the native bottlings on their own turf. Impressive as they were, those intense, tannic entries presented consumers with problems. Being extremely forthright, they tended to overwhelm accompanying dishes and tired the palate quickly--and, even more disappointing, their life spans proved to be shorter than anticipated. The emerging California style--wines of the past half-dozen vintages--has tilted in a different direction. The whites are more subtle, with concentrated fruit and complex bouquets; the reds, balanced and well structured, are destined for a long, graceful maturity. The catch phrase among vintners for these new-generation vinos is food wines, the implication being that lighter, balanced wines are more amiable companions to standard luncheon or dinner dishes than the muscular monsters of the early Seventies.

Another inviting turn for those contemplating a California wine cellar is an increasingly favorable price-quality ratio. Translation: This is the best time in the past six or seven years for consumers to snag worthy wines at bargain prices, and opportunities will remain for a while. The reason is an excess of inventory all along the line, from the vineyards to retailers' shelves. Where will the bargains be? Pretty much across the board. Considerably more excellent varietal grapes are going into everyday selections--generic Burgundies, Chablis and those labeled simply red or white table wine. Robert Mondavi's Red Wine is 80 percent Cabernet, Franciscan's Cask 321 contains 76 percent Cabernet and Mirassou's White Burgundy is 80 percent Pinot Blanc. Rod Strong, Sonoma Vineyard's winemaster, expects exceptional values in the five-to-nine-dollar middle range, including Cabernets and Chardonnays. They may not have the finesse of the top bottlings, but they'll be interesting, engaging wines. As to the superpremiums, even vintners agree that many have been overpriced; nevertheless, changes in that group will be more erratic. The most illustrious labels, especially where production is modest, will hold the line--except on dealer close-outs. Be alert and bide your time, but remember, nothing's forever. Vintner Joseph Phelps sees a Cabernet crunch coming, because very few Cabernet vines have been planted lately.

Playing the price curve is not the only approach to wise wine buys. As in everything, there are fashions in wine. Right now, Chardonnay and Cabernet are considered chic, due in some degree to persistent press coverage. The aura increases the price one pays for those varieties. But Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blancs and the drier Chenin Blancs are agreeable standings for Chardonnay. Zinfandel, now out of favor and therefore a push item, Merlots and aged Petite Sirahs can be acceptable alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon. Barbera, Gamay, Syrah and Charbono are unsung reds that some vintners handle deftly. Along with the plums, distress merchandise will, inevitably, show up in liquor shops. Be wary of unfamiliar labels, manager's specials where the clientele is transient, dump bins and end-aisle displays. Always try one bottle before buying in volume. Perhaps your best bet for capitalizing on today's wine opportunities is to establish rapport with a knowledgeable, responsible merchant.

The term wine cellar in the context of contemporary habitations is an anachronism. What we're concerned with is a place to stash wine in a reasonably protected environment--not a subterranean dungeon. Given that realistic objective, it's feasible to improvise a wine cellar for almost any tight little urban apartment. Choice pieces of real estate for the purpose include unused or half-empty closets, cupboards and recessed areas, such as nooks under stairs and desks, or a corner of a den that's insulated. Light, heat, air and vibration are the natural enemies of wine, so shun kitchens, laundry rooms, hot-water or hot-air ducts and equipment such as washing machines and dishwashers. Sunlit places are taboo, and closet or cupboard doors should close readily to screen unwanted light. Guarding against air, which oxidizes wine--turning it brown and bitter--is a matter of laying bottles on their sides so that the corks remain moist and snug. While authoritative sources quote 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) as the ideal storage temperature, wine survives under less than optimum conditions. Alexis Lichine contends that it can handle temperatures up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, though it will mature sooner at the higher level. What causes problems is a precipitous change in temperature--either up or down. You might leave the air conditioner on for your wines when you're on vacation.

There's no dearth of cunning racks, tube arrangements or even controlled-environment mechanical units that will hold your wine securely. But wine or spirit shipping cases with corrugated dividers are excellent temporary expedients. They'll take 12 bottles each and are compact and durable. Select sturdy cases and tuck in the top flaps for extra reinforcement. If you have that option, lay the more delicate whites on the bottom, where it's cooler; stack reds on top.

You'll want a cellar book to keep a record of your purchases and pertinent information on each wine, such as brand, color, variety, vintage, price, source and date of purchase and cellar location. Leave space under each entry to inscribe the date of opening and your sensory evaluation of the wine. A plain loose-leaf notebook is just right for the job.

Although California is indisputably America's wineland, the rest of the country is by no means a vinous desert. Therefore, we've included examples from a number of other states in our sidebar Wines for an American Cellar. The ones listed are the standouts--culled from more than 1000 tastings--bound to provide pleasure now and for years to come.

The red, white and rosé--long may they wave!

Wines for an American Cellar

Recommendations span a multitude of price levels, qualities and pouring situations--but all are tops in class. Expect the prices listed to vary wildly by store, season and geography. All the wines listed below are from California, with the exception of those included in the "Other States" category.

Up to $4

White: E. & J. Gallo Cellars Gewurzträminer; Gavilan French Colombard 1982; The Monterey Vineyard Pinot Blanc 1980; Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Vin Blanc. Red: Franciscan Cask 321 Burgundy; Louis Martini Barbera 1979; The Monterey Vineyard Classic Red 1980; Riverside Farm Zinfandel 1981. Rosé: Pedroncelli Zinfandel Rosé 1982.

$4 to $6

White: Paul Masson Pinot Chardonnay 1981; Mirassou Chenin Blanc 1982; Preston Cuvée de Fumé 1982, Dry Creek; Wente Monterey Pinot Blanc 1981. Red: Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon 1978, 1980; Beaulieu Napa Burgundy 1978, Estate Bottled; Charles F. Shaw Napa Gamay 1982; Sutter Home Zinfandel 1980, Amador County. Rosé: Simi Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon 1982.

$6 to $10.50

White: Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay 1981; Château St. Jean Sauvignon Blanc 1981, 1982; Edmeades Chardonnay Reserve 1980, 1981; Franciscan Chardonnay, Alexander Valley 1981; Jekel Johannisberg Riesling 1982, Monterey; Robert Mondavi Napa Fume Blanc 1982; Sonoma Vineyard Chardonnay 1980, River West. Red: Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon 1979, State Lane Vineyard; Matanzas Creek Sonoma Merlot 1980; Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 1979, Napa; Ridge Zinfandel Fiddle-town 1980; Rutherford Hill Napa Merlot 1978, 1980; Sterling Merlot 1979, Napa; Ventana Monterey Petite Sirah 1979, 1981.

More Than $10.50

White: Acacia Chardonnay 1981, all vineyards; Chalone Chardonnay 1981, Gavilan Mountains; Château St. Jean Chardonnay 1980, Hunter Ranch; Edna Valley Vineyards Chardonnay 1981, San Luis Obispo; Jekel Chardonnay 1981, Private Reserve; Robert Mondavi Napa Chardonnay 1981; Spring Mountain Chardonnay 1981, Napa Valley. Red: Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon 1979, Special Selection; Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 1978, Reserve; Durney Cabernet Sauvignon 1978, 1979, Carmel Valley; Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 1978, Eisele Vineyard; Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon 1981, Monterey; Stag's Leap Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 1978, Cask 23; Vichon Cabernet Sauvignon 1980, Volker Eisele Vineyards and Fay Vineyards; Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 1979, Alexander Valley.

Other States

Idaho: Ste. Chapelle Chardonnay 1981, $10.50. New York: Gold Seal Chardonnay 1981, $10; Great Western Seyval Blanc, $4. Oregon: Knudsen-Erath Pinot Noir 1980, $9.50. Virginia: Barboursville Chardonnay 1982, $6.50. Washington: Château Ste. Michelle Semillon 1981, 1982, $4.65.