Looking backward into the future

Wines & Vines, July, 1998 by Al Cribari

"To Catch The Farmer Vote." The Republicans put a "Farm Aid" plank in their platform and it was printed in full by the magazine.

The lead article for the July, 1948 issue is the change in Regulations 4 and 5. As we shall see, the changes resulted in some of the most surprising developments in our industry. "Amendments to the Federal Labeling and Advertising Regulations for Wine and Brandy" included several industry-recommended changes. I attended most of the industry discussions that took place in Fresno and was very enthused with the proceedings.

However, what I (and others) did not know were the changes in the vermouth regulations, mostly proposed by Petri, were closely examined by the Gallos. They felt that a new wine beverage was being prepared by the competition and so they set out to be prepared. Their preparation led to Thunderbird. At least that is what I remember.

And so again, the industry was looking forward to a dismal year. Central Valley grapes were selling for about $25 a ton, as I recall, and bulk dessert wine for about 49 [cents] a gallon. Ugh!

A rather slim issue, of 51 pages, is the July, 1968 edition. Wonder why?

"ASE 19th Annual Conference" was filled with over 600 attendees with a "proud-as-punch" Elie Skofis taking over as president from the outgoing George Marsh.

"What '68 Grape Crop Looks Like": about 4 million tons. But the prices were very nice; for premium North Coast varieties, they ran from $175 to $375 per ton. In the Central Valley, I believe we were getting about $100 to $200 a ton, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, times were good and getting better. And to top it off, in March of '68 table wine outsold dessert wine. And, as I've said, winemakers were being lionized at parties.

This is the Statistical Issue - July of '88 - so in his editorial, Phil, the senior, delineates the drop in worldwide consumption of wine. The drop in '87 was about 1% for a total of about 580 million gallons. Of course the dropping consumption of wine coolers as malt-based coolers began to take off has to take much of the blame, I presume.

I never would have thought that colas would usurp wine in the Mediterranean countries, but it has. The only consolation we have is that people, while drinking less are drinker better. But we weren't sure of that in the '80s and gloom started to spread.

"Joe Gallo Urges a Push for Exports". Gallo challenged California winemakers to eliminate the U.S. wine industry's trade deficit by 1995. The industry seemed to be responding enthusiastically as exports seemed to be setting new records again this current (1988) year. The U.S. imports about 96 million gallons of wine and exports about 12 million gallons.

"Mondavi Purchase of almost 500 A. of bare land in the Carneros region is contemplated."

Maybe you are interested in the country's 10 largest wineries. If so, here goes:

Gallo; Vintners International; Grand Metropolitan; Guild Wineries; The Beverage Source; Canandaigua Wine Co.; Vie-Del; JFJ Bronco; The Wine Group; Golden State Vintners.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES: This is supposed to be an article on "olden times", but there is a story in the March '98 Wise & Otherwise about one of Phil's "panhandling" acquaintances that I think just has to be retold to show how the wine business seems to have changed in the last 20-50 years. Seems that when Phil went to the wine tasting in Sacramento at the Unified Symposium his new panhandling acquaintance was there quaffing the Cabernet and uttering appropriate [TABULAR DATA FOR TABLE 4 OMITTED] comments. Eventually he was "tossed" but the clincher is that he was there the next day evaluating the Chardonnay or whatever. The point being, that in my day, these characters preferred gin, or warm Muscatel, lying down. Now we have the homeless evaluating premium varietals on the Davis 20-point system. But then, as friend Ray Kasser used to say, "When it comes to wine, California is a whole 'nother country." But not really, just five years or so ahead of the other states. Who knows, in 2003 we may find the Bowery Bums specifying Merlot and Pinot gris.

"Wine is like books; some to be tasted, others swallowed and a few savored and digested"

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