How do American and British tastes differ?
This is a huge hot-button issue [‘ISS-you’ in Broadbent’s marvelous English]. Americans like younger wine with higher alcohol, more intensity, extract and sweetness. In the ’70s and ’80s, Napa made great wines, but today the wines are 15 percent alcohol or higher, and they just don’t go with food. Recently, I went to Barboursville Vineyards and had six vintages of Octagon—four or five were the best American wines I’ve had in the past 10 years. Virginia is capable of producing balanced, Old World-style wines—the types that made Napa what it was 25 years ago. That gate is ajar; Virginia’s reputation is ripening.
Where do port and Madeira fit in?
When I started selling port, total U.S. sales were under 20,000 cases. Today, it’s half-a-million. Besides port, table wines from Portugal are vibrant and exciting. And Madeira has a stunning history in America. George Washington drank a pint a day, and the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were both toasted with Madeira. Port is an after-dinner drink, but Madeira is suited to the American palate and more versatile due to high acidity. Yet, Prohibition nearly killed Madeira, since 95 percent of sales were in the U.S.
(Originally published in the August 2008 issue.)
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