Rosen: Pros show how to hawk your wares and remain a class act

Published October 25, 2006 at midnight

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Because wine is meant to be romantic and mysterious, producers I interview shy away from discussing business, stressing instead the purity of their vineyards and humble, artisanal quirks of their winemakers.

Yet they have to sell and turn profits as surely as makers of toilet paper and plastic wrap. With wine from all corners of the globe lapping our shores, quality alone won't keep a winery afloat. There must also be marketing.

For venerable old estates, this is a delicate business. A blatant push could trash their upscale image. Meanwhile, the public wants something new. Critics urge them to explore Spain and Tasmania. How does a classic keep its luster? It can't exactly stand by the roadside in a giant kangaroo suit and wave at passing cars.

Here's how three of California's bluest chips managed it:

For Santa Cruz's Ridge Vineyards, it was the Judgment of Paris. The original J of P, in 1976, was a blind tasting that rocked the wine world to the bottom of its sediment-filled sneakers. When both French and British critics, to their unwitting horror, picked American wines over French ones, it convinced the planet the New World was a player.

Thirty years later, wineries on both sides resisted a rematch. Sure, the upside could be good, but the downside was too gruesome to contemplate. The original winners might slide off their pedestal. The French didn't want headlines saying, "Give 'em 30 years and they still can't catch up!"So after much squabbling and pouting, a simple tasting was held, without the blind competition. Except in one category. Reds that won in 1976 were re-tasted this year, blind. Napa cabs might have been good back then, but could they age like Bordeaux?

Apparently, yes. America, once again, took the pennant. Ridge's Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 1971 led the pack, the unanimous choice of judges on both continents. This was perfect for Ridge - lots of press, dignity intact.

Napa's Clos du Val also made the top 5. But it already had another ticket to visibility: Hollywood. Clos du Val is the emperor of product placement. The distinctive brown label with curly white letters has appeared in dozens of feature films and TV programs including Sex and the City and Judging Amy. The glimpse might be short, but the impression is indelible. Later, when viewers spot a bottle, they think: "That's the wine those sophisticated people drank in that movie. I'll look rich and smart drinking it, too."

Another original Paris winner was Napa's Chateau Montelena, which recently turned some very sour grapes into wine. James Laube, Wine Spectator's California critic, claimed the winery (along with Gallo, BV and some others) was infested with TCA, the critter responsible for that wet-gym-shorts odor known as "corked." This led to much scribbling about the falling of the mighty, as well as much scrubbing and even rebuilding of facilities. Except it turned out that Laube is exceptionally, freakishly sensitive to TCA. The vast majority of drinkers can't detect the stuff below 5 parts per trillion, and Montelena wines contained less than 2 ppt, similar to most wine around the world.

No matter. They'd been tarred and the brush strokes remained. Their loyal customers were wondering if they were sitting on cellars full of crap.

So Montelena took the show on the road. For a year, the winery staged blind tastings around the country for customers and critics. "You try it," they said. "Tell us what you think. Because what matters is your taste, not old Jim's."

Customers left the press-worthy events thinking: "I didn't just read about it, I drank it! And you know what? It tasted great to me!" They were not only reassured about their Montelena stashes at home but inspired to go out and buy more.

So we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The heroes haven't abased themselves, and they're still drawing customers. If you haven't tried these wines because they seemed old and stuffy, think again. They were fantastic in the '70s and '80s, and they still are today.

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Red wines from blue chips:

• Ridge Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard 2004 $26

• Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 $60

• Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet 2003 $120

• Clos du Val Napa Valley Merlot 2003 $25

• Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 $30

• Clos du Val SLD Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 $62

• Chateau Montelena Estate Zinfandel 2003 $28

• Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 $40

• Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 $95

Jester@corkjester.com