blog archive for April 2009

Recently we received a question from a reader about why certain wines, like Keller Guister, Mateus and Lancer's, seem to have disappeared from wine store shelves.  Here's Wini's answer:

 

Dear Mr. Shurlock:

 

Thanks for your question to Relish, which my editors forwarded to me, as I am one of the magazine's wine columnists. I don't know the answer for certain, but I do have a theory....and perhaps can help you find a few similar wines you might like.

 

I never tried Keller Guister, but I was familiar with Lancer's and Mateus. If I remember correctly, these were rosé wines that were a wee bit dry (rather than entirely sweet). Sometime in the 80s/90s, White Zinfandel basically took over the pink wine scene. Although this was a very different wine than Lancer's and Mateus, wine-drinkers--especially those who were new to wine-drinking--liked the wine's sweet style. The demand for drier rosés diminished as everyone climbed onto the White Zin bandwagon.

 

Later, pink wines began to suffer from an identity crisis. Because White Zin is so sweet, people thought all pink wines were sweet. This isn't the case, of course, but when wine drinkers became interested in dry wines, they passed over pinks, assuming they were sweet. That's why certain dry pink wines became a hard sell--they didn't please the sweet-seeking White Zin lover, and the dry-wine lover didn't recognize that some pinks could actually be dry. And perhaps that's why the wines you speak of went away....

 

That is my theory, anyway!

 

Lately, there's been a rediscovery of the dry side of pink wines, and more and more wines are becoming available in this style. It sounds like you enjoyed Rosé wines that were a little bit dry (rather than the White Zinfandel style). If so, I might suggest the following wines:

 

Vin Gris de Cigare by Bonny Doon Vineyards--around $15

Rose d'Anjou -- a wine from France available from various labels--around $15.

Marques de Caceres Rosado -- a good bargain from Spain--around $10.

Kim Crawford Giborne Rose 2007--a little bit more pricey ($17-ish) but good for a special occasion.

 

And if you like just a little bit of sweetness, give this excellent, inexpensive pink a try:

 

Alice White Red Lexia (Southeastern Australia; $9).

I hope this helps answer your query. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,

 

Wini Moranville

Wine Columnist--Relish Magazine