U.S. Wine
It is interesting to witness the maturation of the wine industry here in the United States over the past decade. We have certainly become more sophisticated in our tastes and buying habits, realizing different wines are required for different occasions. No longer a ‘budding’ industry, wine making has built its history, starting in California, to grow grapes with the intent of making fine wines. No longer the French "wanna-be’s", innovative winemakers have established the now accepted fact that well structured wines of elegance and power come from US soil. California is definitely a ‘wine culture’ that is spreading like wildfire across the US and there is no turning back! It has been the American attitude of freedom and our pioneer spirit that has opened the wine market to us, making the world market a more competitive arena. Pricing is quickly becoming an issue now that South America is producing wines of great character and strength and a little easier on the wallet. We’ve come a long way but there are still things to learn and one of them is pricing vintages according to quality. It’s a long learning curve.
Another interesting turn in California is that the styles of wines are more distinct and representative of the region. The BATF has now given appellation status to many regions and refers to them as AVA, ‘Approved Viticulture Area’, or as some call it, ‘American Viticultural Area’. This is a huge step for the government in recognizing winemaking as a positive craft and profitable industry rather than a felony (harking back to prohibition) and something that should be harshly controlled. A good example of this inequity is that people all across the US can buy and sell guns regardless of age or history but it is illegal to transport or send your favorite wine (only available at MacArthur’s or from the winery itself) to yourself or as a gift to other wine enthusiasts. Call it a ‘Call to Wines’ if you will. It is imperative to do what you can within your particular state government to support wine as an agricultural product and to change the laws, which allows consumers to make their own decisions about the wines they want to buy. We have come a long way in the wine industry and we still have a long road ahead of us until wine is an accepted part of our culture, our freedom and our way of life.
MacArthur’s encourages all wine enthusiasts to make your opinions heard within your state and to support the open commerce of the wine industry. To check state laws about shipping wine within the US please visit the California Wine Institute web site at www.wineinstitute.org. Carpe Vinum!
