Use the Back Label to See Who Imports the Wine.

I am always surprised when someone mentions that they consider it an ordeal - deer in the headlights - to select a wine from the myriad bottles facing them on the shelves. I’m so immersed in wine and have studied it for so long that I sometimes forget some people are just starting out with their wine exploration and are simply intimidated by the overwhelming amount of options. There is also, and maybe more to the point, the fact that many folks have no idea what they are looking at. It's like all the words on the bottle are in a different language (often they are) and seems like gobbledygook.

There are many ways to choose a bottle of wine that you haven’t yet tasted. Some wine shoppers like to trust critics and scores, others use friend's recommendations, others have developed a good relationship with a small wine shop and work with the buyer or a staff member that has a good sense of their palette. There are other ways of course. Personally, when faced with choosing a wine from a group of unknowns, I pick up the bottle, turn it around, and see who the importer is. I've applied this little trick for 20+ years and have been greatly rewarded.

Importers come in all shapes and sizes. Some famous names include Lynch, Rosenthal, Dressner, Weygandt, and Wasserman, to name a few. There are also local, Massachusetts, importers like Oz, Ideal, Olmstead, and Vineyard Road whose names appear on the back label of some great wines. Sadly, some importers don’t exactly have a clear identity, an ethic that guides their selections. It's akin to restaurants who offer a dozen different cuisines (Italian to Thai?); the best you can expect is mediocre. These importers are trying to fill every category at any cost and let slide a critical means of selection. Other importers, like some of those previously mentioned have intention, an underlying belief of what wine is or what it should be, and this, more or less, comes through in their portfolio.

Neal Rosenthal is one of these importers with a strong ethic, and an impeccable palette for classic, chiseled wines that speak clearly, without mumbling, about where they are from.

In Neal's words:

"Since our inception in late 1977, we have been engaged in the business of bringing to the market distinctive wines that reflect our devotion to the concept of “terroir”

90% of the ultimate wine is created in the vineyard; and, the role of the winemaker is to let the wine make itself (“laissez le vin de se faire”)

For me, Rosenthal wines are clear expressions of "terroir", the places from where the grapes are grown and the wine is made. They are never heavily laden with oak. When oak is employed it is used judiciously to enhance, not overpower the purity of the fruit. The wines are, more often than not, elegant and they compliment the meal, not overpower it. The wines are, like a good conversationalist, companions that speak and listen; they don't try to hog all the attention.

This is a great way to try wines you've never heard of before, but, even after finding a handful (or more) of importers that you generally like, you may find a wine or two that misses the mark, but more often than not, choosing a wine this way will offer you a satisfying winner time after time.

Cheers,

Richard Schnitzlein

This new series of Exploration Packs will be offered throughout the year. This promotional offer is available for a limited time, and while supplies last.

All Exploration Packs are discounted 10-15% from the regular price of each wine sold seperately. Take advantage of this discount to try something new or learn a bit more about wine.

Explorer Packs Make Great Gifts!

Whether you give them in person or have them shipped*, your wine-loving friends will thank you from the bottom of their hearts!

*Shipping only available within the state of Massachusetts.