Weekly Wrap-up: Varietal Standards, Warm Weather Wine, Organics and More (July 8, 2012)

Welcome to this week’s wrap-up, where we look back at all the activity of the previous week. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Fourth of July!

First up, my review of the Twigs Reserva Malbec touched on an issue I see a lot in wine reviews — that many times wines are criticized because they don’t meet a so-called “varietal standard”. I don’t get this…either a wine tastes good or it doesn’t! Holding wines to an artificial standard discourages innovation, and besides who sets the standard? And if you’re really into the whole concept of terroir and place then I’m not sure how you can apply any kind of universal standard as the specific conditions in each region will vary. Some of my favorite wines have been those that deliver the unexpected.

This Week’s Discussions on The Reverse Wine Snob Facebook page:
First up we discussed your favorite varieties of wine during a heat wave. Based on your answers there are lots of fans of rosé wine, but what was most interesting was simply the number of different answers. I’m not sure that any single variety was mentioned more than once or twice which means there’s quite a wide array of wines to satisfy when the temperature gets really hot, which is a good thing! Add your opinion on The Reverse Wine Snob Facebook page and don’t forget to check out my Five Favorites – Refreshing Rosé post!

We also discussed whether an organic label influences your wine purchasing decision. The answer for most of you was that it is not a factor at all. There were a few that sought out these wines, but what was most interesting was that there were also a few that intentionally avoided organic wine. Why? The primary concern seems to be oxidation. A wine labeled as organic cannot have any sulfites added; however, sulfites are what help to keep the wine fresh. If you don’t have enough the wine can go bad fast. This is also the reason it is much more common to see wine labeled as “Made With Organic Grapes”, as opposed to just “Organic”, as the former simply means the grapes were grown organically but sulfites and other additives can still be used. Is the Organic label something you seek out in wine? Add your opinion on The Reverse Wine Snob Facebook page and give it a like to see these discussions in your stream!

This Week’s Most Popular Posts:

1. Line 39 North Coast Petite Sirah 2010 – A Party Essential
2. McManis Family Vineyards Viognier 2011 – Don’t Call It A Comeback
3. Twigs Reserva Malbec 2008 – Deliciously Correct

Other noteworthy items:
Wine blogger The Accidental Wine Snob, who admits to rarely buying wine under $20, checks out a couple Reverse Wine Snob Top 10 Red picks: the Tractor Shed Red and the Napa Cellars Merlot. His conclusion? Click here to find out!

That’s it for this week, cheers!

Click through to the individual wines to find the full reviews including a link withlocal retailers who carry each wine. Cheers!