I saw a short article in one of the national wine magazines recently that compared the year over year sales changes for wine producers of various sizes. Not surprising, very large producers of moderately priced wines are doing the best in the current economy. Most people seem to be trading down in price and looking for good value.

But what about the small producer? It seems to me that the small producer is less likely to be able to weather the downturn until the economy recovers enough to “splurge” on wines from small producers. So what do we lose?

Let me point out two approaches to wine production. The first is a terroir and vintage driver expression of wine. Each year is distinct and unique. Sometime good, sometimes great, sometimes challenging. The other approach is a push for consistency. Each year, each bottle is spot on consistent with the last bottle. Definite styles emerge for emerge over time. A good example of this is non-vintage Champagne. Think about the first bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut yellow label you ever had. How different was it from the second bottle or the last bottle you had? Each one was an effervescent joy to imbibe. The next bottle almost indistinguishable from the last. You knew you would not have any surprises from bottle to bottle. You can trust that a successful pairing will be successful each time. 
 

This is the same approach taken by Gallo, Kendall-Jackson, and other very large producers. They strive to make each bottle of their primary labels so similar to the last as to make vintage irrelevant. Again, you gain an absolute consistency. 
 
So back to the small producer who may only have a few different bottling and a limited to a very limited production of each. These wines can be very expressive of the ground the vines grow in. From the chalky soils you can taste in some great Chardonnays to the damp dark earth you can taste in some of great Cabernet Sauvignon. From the heat in the 2003 and 2005 vintages that resulted in dense black fruits, and sometime prune flavors, to the bright red fruits in 1998 Carneros Pinot Noir. And sometimes you get a 2000 Napa Cabernet that is thin and simple. 
 

There may not a simple single answer as to what is the “correct” way to produce wine. But my point is to keep in mind those smaller producer that make less than 10,000 cases per year. These are some of the people who create interesting and unique wines. Check out the Anderson’s Conn Valley "Reserve Cabernet" or their "Prologue". You can find great deals on a lot of wines right now. Especially from the mass producers. Just remember to include a few of the small guys in the purchases. You will be glad you did.

Cheers, MikeR

MikeR is a Consultant, Level-1 Sommelier, Independent Journalist and blog contributor to VinVillage.com