Welcome to 2003

Wines & Vines, Jan, 2003

And do you know who owns your favorite winery today?

Ownership may have changed since the last time you bought a bottle, so check out our story in this issue on page 34.

Corporate and global ownership is nothing new in the wine business, but the pace has certainly picked up over the past few years. It was surprising to learn while researching the story that Diageo, the world's largest spirits and wine company, did not even exist until 1997.

It wasn't so surprising to note that the world's largest winery, E. & J. Gallo, is still family owned. But who knows? With the pace of consolidation and takeovers increasing, that may not be true a year from now.

The globalization of the wine industry is bound to lead to a more uniform product, to international flavor profiles that will appeal in all corners of the world. This will, in general, lead to an overall improvement in the quality of everyday wines, which is welcome.

It's also good to know that there are producers who are aiming at making wines to reflect a special place. Such as Francis Ford Coppola, who is in the process of reviving the Inglenook winery as the production center for his Rubicon wines. Coppola recently announced that he had paid a record price for the next-door Cohn vineyard, in order to expand Rubicon production and "challenge the French."

Well, the French have been challenged before and with mixed results, but Coppola's dedication to making a world-class terroir-based wine is much appreciated in this corner.

In the meantime, we'll be hanging out at Action Central, booth No. 330 at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. Come by and see us. We'd like to say hello and find out what you've been up to in the past year.

Cheers.