" Sir,

Not only wine, but the entire ethno/political structure of our world is globalizing. Sticking to wine here, I am amazed at how many who are involved in the wine trade don't realize that globalization is not as simple "Oh! There's more good wine now!" Globalization is putting the historically great wine producing areas of the world under great financial stress.

Globalization is really a two part attack. Part one is the fact that wine is coming to the market from areas of the world that never produced wine for export before and for every bottle of "new wine" consumed, that's one less bottle of traditionally highly regarded wine that will be purchased. Part two is the globalization of palates. As Americans and others begin to become involved with wine appreciation, they are more likely to be introduced to the fruit forward, big, easily accessible wines that such countries and areas as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Oregon, South Africa, etc. produce and as this kind of wine sets the standard for what "good wine" should be, traditional, old world style wines are not something consumers bother to learn to appreciate.

In response to this, old world producers have begun to make wines in imitation of "New World" wines. Is this because producers in Bordeaux, for example, feel they've learned something about making good wine from others? No. It's because these producers own businesses and businesses need to sell their products or go bust (unless they are GM or Chrysler, of course).

What I'm saying here is that while it's nice to have this huge array of similar wines coming at us from all over the world these days, we shouldn't forget what we're giving up to enjoy them. "

" Actually, the movement is from global to microtaste.
Climate, tech, soil and vines make the wine. Marketing makes the product and brings it to a Safeway near you.
Gallo has moved from a global brand to searching the globe for wine.
We are no longer mondovino drinkers but we are looking around the world for interesting wines at a good price.
How the wine world deals with the economics and sustainability (should we be drinking Beaujolais Nouveau wine flown in to California for what is essentially a 24-hour event?) remains to be seen.
Steven Spurrier's tasting was in 1976. "

" Blaine,

We live in a world and at a time in which most wine drinkers aren't sure the word "Terroire" has meaning. "Microtaste"? Are you kidding? What does that word even mean?

Taste an Argentine Malbec from 20 years ago and then taste one from today and tell me that today's wine has not become globalized. To be less than polite, tell me that today's Malbecs are not being made for A) American "cuisine", "as it were" and B) in a globalized style.

So, were the Malbecs "of old" simple "bad"? Maybe "harsh"? No! They were made for the cuisine, which was basically grilled meats and innards and for the most part, nothing else!

You know: Maybe you need to have been ther. "