Why identifying sub-appellations on wine lists is more important than ever
The minutiae of regions is all about guests' growing appreciation of wines expressing the typicity and authenticity of sense of place
The original text of my Bottom Line column published in the April/May 2024 issue of The SOMM Journal
Back in the 1990s I used to hear it all the time from colleagues in the on-premise trade: “Why should I sell esoteric wines? My customers could care less. All they want is [fill in the blank].” At the time, of course, “blank” was Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or White Zinfandel.
Times have obviously changed. Many sommeliers now find that it is just as easy to sell the aforementioned varietals right alongside, say, Albariño, Assyrtiko, Ribolla Gialla, Trousseau, Tempranillo, Lagrein or any of the like. Restaurant wine sales is a lot more fun than it was just 20, 30 years ago.
We can sell new fangled varieties because consumers are more sophisticated, and open minded, than ever before. Retail stores and restaurants vying for attention have exposed Americans to more of the world’s incredible diversity of wines. Online information helps turn what was once esoteric into common knowledge.
So what is the next step for sommeliers conscious of playing a proactive role in the evolution of wine consumers? That would be use of sub-appellations, particularly for American wines. I am still surprised, when opening up wine lists in even wine-savvy restaurants, to find categories or descriptions that barely (if never) go beyond the broadest identifications, such as Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Willamette Valley, or even Washington and Oregon.
Hey, I get it. It’s like the ‘90s—many guests “could care less” about the sensory differences between a Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Coombsville vs. Rutherford, a Chardonnay from Fort Ross-Seaview or Green Valley of Russian River Valley, or a Pinot Noir from Russian River’s Middle Reach as opposed to Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Lucia Highlands, McMinnville or Chehalem Mountains.
Granted, the potential minutiae still makes the average consumer’s head spin. But as a professional, you know these distinctions exist for the most tangible reasons. You can taste it in the glass. It’s the reason why you put a McMinnville and a Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir on a wine list, or offer a full range of the varietal from Fort Ross-Seaview, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Lucia Highlands, et al.
Ultimately, of course, terroir is what sets the finest wines of the world apart from other wines, not so much grape variety, blends, the prestige of winemakers or brands. It’s a challenge, but getting guests to appreciate terroir-related distinctions is the ultimate way of promoting good taste, and it begins with the identification of American appellations and sub-appellations to an nth degree. On your wine list, in the same way that we typically identify European wines.
The beautiful thing about domestic wines is that they are better than ever. The American production industry is, in fact, moving in the direction of terroir and appellation-related distinctions. They see the writing on the wall: Many consumers are getting too sophisticated to accept quality based simply upon brand recognition or concepts such as “varietal character.”
And in the same way many sommeliers have felt for years, more and more consumers are no longer choosing wines based upon numerical ratings. They’re seeing right through that facade and looking for qualities expressing, say, typicity or authenticity. Wines that capture sense of place whittled down from appellations and sub-appellations to individuality of vineyards.
Whether you are part of this evolution or not, it’s happening as we speak. It’s a good time to be a sommelier, and play an active role in this movement, which is happening as we speak.
