The American Wine Challenge

It is a real challenge for a UK wine merchant to put together a reasonably priced good quality range of American wines. They seem to produce endless quantities of undrinkable Gallo and Blossom Hill and some very sought after premium wines, but in the mid-range where most wine drinkers are looking to buy, there is a lack of wines offering the right quality at the right price.

There are a number of reasons for this. Not least is the fact that many American producers can sell all they produce for good prices at home, so why bother exporting to the demanding and highly competitve UK wine market? Exchange rate fluctuations have also played their part. In addition the style of the wines, which are often heavily oaked and full bodied, have become less appealing to UK tastes in recent years.

Recently however, I have had the pleasure of finding a few wines that meet the criteria we are looking for. Well balanced wines with enough character to be representative of their origin and offering good value, these are some of the best value wines from Calaifornia.

The three wines we have added to the range come from two vineyards now owned by the Boisset family from Burgundy. Their influence in the style of the wines is clear with elegance and subtle use of oak often absent in wines from this region. The De Loach vineyards are located in the Russian River Valley and were originally planted in 1973. The De Loach California Series Chadonnay has melon and pear aromas and retains freshness with tropical fruit flavours and a hint of spice. The De Loach Zinfandel has plenty of ripe fruit, yet is well balanced with good acidity and smooth, rich tannins.

The Lyeth vineyards are located in another prized loction, Sonoma, where prices are usually eye wateringly high. The L de Lyeth Merlot has great complexity and offers tremendous value for money for this region. It is rich and full with black cherry, raspberry and plum flavours with a great soft texture and herby notes.

Added to our existing wines from Columbia Crest in Washington State and Clos du Val in the Napa Valley, it is worth another look at our American offerng.