In a blog post a couple of weeks ago, I took direct aim at the growing “lifestyle” brand VQA wine category that appears (maybe only to me) to be overtaking the shelves at the LCBO. These are multi-variety red and white wines that often contain a long list of grape varieties and are produced at prices that consumers find attractive.
They all have really nice labels, fancy (some clever) names and a lot of marketing weight behind them. My concern about these wines was more about the “sameness” of them rather than the quality of the wines (though some are better than others).
I have a hard time differentiating between “lifestyle” blends and those wines that are just part of the winery’s natural portfolio evolution. For example, a winery that already has a healthy entry-level varietal series, might want to add an estate series lifestyle blend to the portfolio. Fine, if it is well thought out and made with quality VQA grapes, why not. And, there are some very good examples out there, so I don’t want paint the whole lot with the same brush.
A few readers commented on this website, Facebook and on Twitter that my post was unfair to wineries. The pervasive argument being that if these blends help consumers reach for an Ontario VQA wine over an international wine, then isn’t it a good thing? I suppose there’s merit in that. But it’s also short-sighted, in my opinion.
I would much rather see great wines being produced in the $12-$15 category that express what Niagara does best. In my opinion, that’s not a five-grape (or more) white or red blend. It’s just not. Producers here are making fabulous wines in that price category out of quality Riesling, traditional Cab-Merlot blends, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and other varieties. It can be done.
One winemaker who has not given in to the lifestyle fad is Vineland Estate’s Brian Schmidt. In talking to him, I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like that with a Vineland logo on it.
Schmidt prides himself on making very good varietal wines at fabulous prices (sub $15) and then up-selling consumers up to the more complex styles he makes. And he stands by those core wines. Visit him on any given day, no matter if you are a first-time visitor or Robert Parker and he’ll pull out a bottle of his Semi-Dry Riesling or Cabernet Franc before you try anything else and take great joy and pride in watching you enjoy it.
He’s not alone. There are others in Niagara who have bucked (and will continue to buck) the trend toward these lifestyle wines. Most don’t want to talk about it on the record, this being a tight-knit wine community, but you just have to look at what’s on their shelves to find those who do and those who won’t.
I am reminded about all of this after tasting Schmidt’s latest versions of his Semi-Dry Riesling and Cabernet Franc wines. If I poured you these wines without showing you the label or price, you would surely think these wines are much more expensive than the $14 and $13, respectively, price tag. Schmidt takes two of Niagara’s greatest strengths and builds a reputation out of them.
That, to me, is where Niagara wineries need to take their brands. Start at the core and build upward. By starting with a mish-mash of varieties in this price range, wineries are offering nothing in terms of what this region is all about. Where do they go from there?
Anyway, enough on the topic of lifestyle wines. On to some reviews of the wines mentioned above from Vineland Estate, the two new releases of his their core wines.
Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling 2009 ($14, LCBO or winery, 88 points) — The key to good Niagara Riesling is no secret, really. It’s all about the racy natural acidity and, in 2009, there was no shortage of it. What Schmidt does so well with his basic Semi-Dry is balance it with just the right amount of residual sugar. It’s hard to believe there is 29.6% grams per litre of residual sugar in this wine, giving it a sugar code of 3 and finished at only 9% alcohol. It shows bright citrus fruit, green apple and just a hint of mineral on the nose. The palate reveals zesty citrus, lip-smacking lemon-grapefruit and shows high tension between sweet and tart fruit. It’s clean, refreshing and will show further minerality over time. You can cellar this for 10 years or more. Seriously.
Schmidt makes three levels of Riesling, the basic Semi-Dry, the single vineyard St. Urban Vineyard Riesling and Elevation Riesling. He also may have some surprises out of the 2010 vintage.
Vineland Estates Cabernet Franc 2010 ($13, winery, LCBO, 89 points) – This is Schmidt’s favourite red grape in Niagara (though Pinot Muenier is quickly becoming his newest darling). And he loves the fruit from the hot 2010 vintage. This entry-level Cab Franc is simply gorgeous and highly attractive at this price. Schmidt uses wood chips for six months and micro-oxygenation to finesse this wine and add flavour and texture. It is all about the fruit on the nose. Juicy, ripe cassis, currants, hints of cherry-raspberry and tobacco with just a subtle hint of wood spice. It gushes on the palate with deliciously bold fruits, impeccable balance and smooth tannins through the long finish. You can cellar it for 10 years.
Enjoy!
I don’t agree with you take on lifestyle wines as I too think that these wines do win over customers that would normally purchase international blends. These wines for the most part are aimed at the casual wine buyer that is looking for something easy to drink that goes well with many foods or on its own. For the most part I found these wines of adequate quality, while not all wines are of the best quality, many are successful expressions of the wine maker’s intent.
I would add one thing though is that there are real differences between the quality of many of these lifestyle wines, but as in all things in wine if you look long enough you can find a few gems out there.
I think the LCBO’s interests and the Niagara wine region’s are two separate things…. Half of the region is geared to in winery sales and offers some of the best varietal vintages cold climates have to offer. The other half however cater to the everyday business model of the LBCO of sexy labels, attractive price points, and trendy blends.
You do nail it right in the head with some of Brian’s best everyday single varietals that can stand up to most of the regions $20 bottles. His Chardonnay and Franc are by far the best that Ontario has to offer under $13 and is arguably far under priced especially when you can put a few cases in the cellar for a few years to really bring out it’s full potential.
I do think you are wrongly categorizing the blends into one big negative category. Nearly every winery offers a blend of some sort. Most everyone blends Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc or all three, and many of them are excellent vintages well over the $20 price point. So why can someone not blend several varietals to achieve a certain goal? Many are striving to have the best Mertage, or Cab Merlot? Why can’t a wine maker blend a Gewertz, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Savagnin together? Hillebrand did it, won a silver metal and it’s $20.
I think your campaign is really about the cheap “me too” wines, that are mass produced, packaged in lipstick and high heels, that fail in all hopes and expectations of a good wine. More so, I think that your aim is directed at a certain group of wineries that many feel sold out to the all mighty dollar. When we visit the region as we do frequently, said corporations’ winery brands are not on our list of places to stop.
We look for hidden jewels that showcase the highlights of the region and the particular vintages each season has to offer. Most of these little gems are made in small quantities, packaged with a unique and memorable experience and as such, will not be found next to a sexy label on the shelf at the LCBO.
Thanks for your comments, Eric.
Mark, I agree with you and thanks for your comments. You are right, of course, and I tried to explain the difference between pure Lifestyle wines and those made as interesting blends in my first post on the subject. It would be a lot easier to name names, but that’s not really what I wanted to do. The intent was not to paint all these wines with the same brush, but, perhaps it may appear as if I have done so.
I think that you and your commenters make good arguments for your respective cases. I say if a consumer wants to drink a “Ladies Night Out” let ‘er have it.
My big, Big, BIG disagreement is that you are suggesting single varietals are better than blends. I can rattle off hundreds of blends that are interesting, high quality and brimming with character and complexity. In fact, I the biggest fault I see in the Canadian wine industry is the lack of willingness to assign the best grapes to blends.
I think that the myth of single varietals being inherently better or of greater value than blends is one of the biggest misrepresentions out there.
I respect your your intellectual investment in the wonderful wines of Niagara-on-the-Lake, but, I must chime in with a defence of the noble blend.
Keep up the news from NOTL.
SS
Steve, Thanks for your comments. Yes, I was referring to the simple non-traditional Lifestyle blends flooding the market. Niagara, Ontario and the world over produces fabulous blends from various grapes and many of those regions have regulated those blends to specific regions. I, too, can name lots of interesting Niagara wineries that are making fantastic blends out several grape varieties from top estate fruit. These are well-thought and, in some cases, proprietary blends. And, in other cases, their top wine. But, you just have to look at the shelves in the VQA section of the LCBO to see what I mean.
I agree, and disagree with your article, Rick. Niagara producers have always chased after the market. And the market has always been ahead of them. If wineries in Niagara concentrated on creating a unique style, and making the market for it, things might be different. [Icewine has come and gone, and Ontario never owned the brand, anyway.]
You cannot have it both ways — fine varietal wines from good vintages at high prices and growers’ crops fully bought at fair prices. Like it or not, the blends will sustain the industry (as they have forever). Most consumers cannot tell the difference between varietal typicity and faults. It is price and the promise of ‘good times’ in the label imagery, not what is inside the bottle, that counts.