Merlot dissed in California
Published: Wed, Oct. 18, 2006 12:00AM
Modified Wed, Oct. 18, 2006 06:26AM
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closeGRAND JUNCTION, COLO. -- Some sips and swirls from the latest in wine news:
Merlot dissed
Once an ascendant star in the California wine universe, merlot, the red wine grape with roots in Bordeaux, now has become an albatross, literally hanging --unsold and unpicked -- in some North Coast vineyards.
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In some vineyards, grapes sell for as little as $400 a ton -- a third or less of the spot market price early in the year.
"Merlot right now is kind of the four-letter word in terms of getting people to buy it," said Glenn Proctor, a grape and wine broker for Joseph W. Ciatti Co. in San Rafael.
Merlot and cabernet sauvignon were hit hardest by last year's California wine glut, the result of a record 3.76 million-ton harvest.
Wine drinkers should benefit, and already cabernet normally in the $20 to $25 range is appearing at less than $10 a bottle.
WineZap.com
Can't wait to get the price of your latest favorite wine? A service launched last month by WineZap.com, an Oakland, Calif., company, will in minutes text you, free, the price of almost any wine.
According to a release, once you send the information to WineZap via text message, the free wine-pricing service tracks down the wine, the price range and exactly who sells the wine in your area.
The pricing and retailer information is from WineZap's advanced search engine. The company already is improving the service: Soon cell phone users will be able to get all the information they need about a wine simply by sending over a picture of the wine label via their cell phone.
Information: www.winezap.com
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