Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 68
31 URANT
s t AL
ANNU
RESTA
RYAN BAILEY
NoMad LA
LO S AN GE L E S , C A
Producers like
Raúl Pérez are
just on the brink
of becoming
significant here
in the US. I just
wish it would
happen sooner so
that the corks can
get pulled and the
wines enjoyed.
SPAIN
ARGENTINA
After four years of strong sales, Spain's reign
has weakened, falling from 8.8 to 6.6 percent
of the most popular wines. That fall is mirrored in tempranillo's tumble, dipping under
3 percent for the first time since 2014.
When diners reach for Spanish wine, it's
Rioja they go to first. And the spell that
R. López de Heredia cast on diners back in
2018, when it surged to the top of the
Restaurant Top 50, remains strong: The
brand holds the top spot in Spanish sales for
the third year in a row, and the number two
spot in our Top 50. Its popularity has some
sommeliers stashing away bottles next to
their best Bordeaux. "I have López de Heredia back to 1945 and I'm holding that still,"
says Chez Panisse's Jonathan Waters. "For a
long time those wines were incredibly
accessible; now less so. I'm happy that I have
a deep cellar of them."
Beyond Rioja, the playing field is wide
open now: Raúl Pérez moved up one space to
#2 this year. "These are really beautiful wines
with good acidity made from old vines on
high elevations-they haven't hit the radar
of the everyday drinker, but I think they
will quickly," says Ryan Bailey at NoMad Los
Angeles. Sommeliers also reported increased
interest in albariño. "People are starting to
understand what albariño is," says Marianna
Caldwell of Cassia in LA. "It has the best of
what riesling, sauvignon blanc, grüner and
chardonnay all have: salinity and acid, a little
bit of body and some riper stone fruit. It's a
fun wine that pairs well with everything."
Both Argentina and its most well-known grape, malbec, have fallen
to their lowest level of popularity since 2006. Some of that is due to
sommeliers directing diners to other choices. "I love doing French
malbec because people see it's not from Argentina and it starts a
conversation," says Ben Dale at Spoon & Stable in Minneapolis. But
there's a shift underway in style; sommeliers point to the rise of the
fresh, bright high-altitude malbecs coming into vogue today-like
Catena's Paraje Altamira and Matias Michelini's Uco Valley bottlings,
the two most popular in our poll-offer plenty of value. "There's been
a shift and importers are trying to get wines to the US that are expressive and not too high in alcohol. They have nuance and are way more
exciting to work with," says James Conley at Keen's Steakhouse in NYC.
"It's really exciting to buy wines that have integrity and that people
can have a good time with. You can come here with eight people, and
you know your steak is going to be expensive, but you can find wines
on the list that are $40."
MOST POPULAR SPANISH WINES
Rank Brand
Bottling
Avg.
Price
1
R. López de Heredia
Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia
Rioja Viña Bosconia
$98
$96
2
Bodegas y Viñedos
Raúl Pérez
Bierzo Ultreia St. Jacques Tinto
Bierzo Ultreia Godello
$46
$55
3
La Rioja Alta
Rioja Reserva Ardanza
Rioja Reserva Viña Arana
$70
$65
4
Do Ferreiro
Rías Baixas Albariño
Rías Baixas Cepas Vellas Albariño
$55
$89
5
Remelluri
Rioja Reserva
$83
6
Ameztoi
Getariako Txakolina Hijo de Rubentis
Getariako Txakolina Rubentis
$68
$64
7
Akutain
Rioja Gran Reserva
Rioja Crianza
$99
$55
8
Ostatu
Rioja Crianza
$42
68
WINE & SPIRITS
APRIL 2020
MOST POPULAR ARGENTINE WINES
Rank Brand
Bottling
Avg.
Price
1
Catena Zapata
Paraje Altamira Malbec
Lunlunta Malbec
$58
$58
2
Matias Michelini
Tupungato Montesco Parral
Uco Valley Esperando a Los Barbaros
Malbec
$76
$36
3
Dona Paula
Mendoza Estate Malbec
$36
NEW ZEALAND
Sauvignon blanc continues to be New Zealand's calling card, gaining the country a foothold just behind Argentina for Most Popular
bottles. Kim Crawford and Cloudy Bay remain go-to brands, though
Greywacke, a label established just ten years ago, tied with Crawford
for the number one spot this year. Still, the main driver for sales is
simply the region's reliability, says Kat Hawkins at Shaw's Crab House
in Chicago. "If I'm out to dinner in the suburbs, I'll have a beer or a
New Zealand sauvignon blanc," she says.
MOST POPULAR NEW ZEALAND WINES
Rank Brand
Bottling
Avg.
Price
Greywacke
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
$49
Kim Crawford
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
$36
Cloudy Bay
Marlborough Pinot Noir
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
$78
$75
1
3
Wine & Spirits - April 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2020
Contents
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 1
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 2
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 3
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 4
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 6
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