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From: spp@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Stephen P Pope)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: Re: California Delusions..   :-)
Message-ID: <11340@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 19:46:48 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11340
Posted: Thu Jan  2 19:46:48 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 3-Jan-86 08:06:36 EST
References: <1204@gitpyr.UUCP>
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 24

Give me a break.  Sure, the wines of California do not come up to
the standards of Burgundy or Bordeaux, if only because those 
standards were created to judge the styles of Burgundies and
Bordeaux!  Why not broaden your perspective just a teensie bit
and admit that a fine California Cabernet  -- say a Heitz,
Stag's Leap, Ridge, Beaulieue, or Robert Mondavi -- is in fact
the equal of many a good classed-growth claret.  Sure you might
not find the equivalent of a La Tache or a Lafite, but you 
will if you explore California wines find experiences just as
satisfying.  
    It is only over the last four or five years, with the very
strong dollar, that European wines became at all competetive
with Californians for the middle price range.  Even now, you
can hardly call a lot of Burgundies or Bordeaux bargains at 
$20 to $80 a bottle for the well-known ones.  
    You would have to be constantly drinking very pricey wines
to avoid Californians entirely and still be spending your money
effectively, on a value-per-money basis.  
    And on what authority do you claim the 81 Palmer
will age into a stunning wine?  Did you taste the 
61 palmer when it was 5 years old?


steve pope (...ucbvax!spp)