Champanes September 2007 Newsletter

Given the choice, what wine lover in this world would love to be drinking a Chateau Margaux, Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Montelena, Duckhorn, Caymus, Rudd Estates, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, or a Chateau Latour on a daily basis. An unrealistic dream for most of us, with economics the most likely roadblock. But fear not my wine loving friends, you actually are able to consume wines made by these famous producers and more. It's called "second labels."

Some of the most popular value brands on the market today are actually produced by a more famous parent company. Ever have a Glass Mountain cabernet? It is a second label wine from Markham Vineyards. How about a Hawk Crest Merlot? That is a second label from Stags Leap Wine Cellars. There are so many offspring wines from parent companies that you probably didn't even know you were drinking great wines at a fraction of the cost of their big brothers.

First of all, lets get all our facts in a row. What really is a "second label" wine? It is an off shoot, another brand, a totally different label put out in the marketplace by its parent company for a variety of reasons. Grapes, the backbone of every wine, is the number one determining factor on who does and who doesn't make the first cut, so to speak. In the vineyard, some vine blocks produce exceptional quality berries, be it from the soil, exposure to the sun, age of the particular vines, or pedigree of root stock. The best of the best of these proud and noble grapes are reserved for a winery's top tier bottling's.

Grapes that do not meet the high quality standards of the winemaker for their best wines have another fate left to them. They could have been from younger vines that do not yet produce high quality clusters. They could have come from a plot that doesn't receive ample sun exposure to fully ripen. Whatever the reason, the vineyard manager, winemaker, and winery proprietor have a very important decision to make. Do they let these grape stay on vine and simple rot away, sell off the juice to another producer who can blend and make a wine of his own, or simply bottle the finished wine under another identity.

Bottling under another identity or label makes the most business sense. The parent company is able to release a lower priced value alternative to their loyal customers that generates much needed cash flow, helping them survive the high cost of running a world class winery. While their primary wines sit in barrels for months on end waiting to become superstars, they are able to offer to the public a product that is approachable to drink upon release at a fraction of the cost. Lower tier certainly does not mean lesser quality by no means. Often, the same winemaker who works his magic with the upper tier wines is also the man responsible for injecting the same methods used to produce many of these high quality alternatives, resulting in a win-win situation for the consumer.

In fact, many of the second label wines produced outsell their more famous upper tier relatives. Woodbridge, the second label from Robert Mondavi, generates more than 65% of the company revenue. Also, the Columbia Crest line of wines from Washington state has overgrown its parent company Chateau St. Michele. In the end, its you, the wine consumer who gets more bang for their buck and a tasty product to enjoy on a daily basis.

Below is a small list of second label wines, along with their parent company, that I have compiled for our readers. Who knows, you may already have both the parent and the offspring right now in your cellar. Many of the wineries listed below may be among your list of faves. If you enjoy the wines from these famous houses, be sure to give their less celebrated products a try. You may find a new gem, while saving a ton of money in the process.

PARENT COMPANY SECOND LABEL

Chateau St. Michele   Columbia Crest
Chateau Margaux    Pavillon Rouge
Babcock Vineyards   Fathom
Fetzer      Bonterra
Fetzer      Bel Arbors
Foppiano     Fox Mountain
Von Strasser     Freestone
Gallo of Sonoma    Anapamu
Gallo of Sonoma    Indigo Hills
Gallo of Sonoma    Marcelina
Gallo of Sonoma    Turning Leaf
Gallo of Sonoma    Rancho Zabaco
Geyser Peak     Fox Ridge
Geyser Peak     Canyon Road
Rudd Estate     Girard
Markham Vineyards   Glass Mountain
Smith & Hook    Hahn Estates
Stags Leap Wine Cellars  Hawk Crest
Pahlmeyer     Jayson
Judd's Hill     Zahariah
Seghesion Winery    Keyhole Ranch
Reverie      A.S. Kiken
Guenoc      Langtry
Lockwood      Shale Ridge
Mark West     Godwin
Robert Mondavi    Woodbridge
Montevina     Terra d' Oro
Navaro      Indian Creek
Paoletti      Novello
Rabbit Ridge     Meadow Glen
Kent Rasmussen    Ramsay
Rosenblum     Chateau La Paws
Round Hill     Rutherford Ranch
Saddleback Cellars    Venge
Sebastiani Sonoma    Vendange
Sebastiani Sonoma    Talus
Steele      Shooting Star
Robert Talbott    Logan
Chateau Pavie    Chateau Tour Simard
Chateau Lafite Rothschild  Carruades de Lafite
Leoville las Cases    Clos du Maquis
Henry's Drive    Pillar Box
Hahn Estates     Rex Goliath
Treana      Liberty School
Chateau Latour    Les Forts de Latour
Chateau Montelena   Silverado Cellars
R H Phillips     Chateau St. Nicholas
Christophe     Joliesse
Charles Krug     C K Mondavi
Cline Cellars     Jacuzzi
Clos du Val     Le Clos
Paraiso Springs    Cobblestone
Cosentino     Crystal Valley Cellars
Ironstone     Creekside
J Lohr      Cypress
Reverie      Daydream Cellars
Duckhorn     Decoy
Duckhorn     Paraduxx
Duckhorn     Goldeneye
Far Niente     Dolce
Domaine St. George   Oak Vineyards
Dominus      Napanook
Domaine de la Terra Rouge  Easton
Edgewood     Monthaven
Chateau Julien    Emerald Bay
Trefethen     Eschol
Darioush      Caravan
Adler Fels     Leaping Lizard
S. Anderson     Tivoli
Arrowood     Grand Archer
Au Bon Climat    Il Podere dell Olivos
Au Bon Climat    ICI La Bas
Beaucanon     La Crosse
Bonny Doon     Ca' del Solo
Davis Bynum     River Bend
Parducci      Big Horn
Arciero      Canyon Ridge
Arciero      EOS
Carmenet     Moon Mountain
Carmenet     Dynamite
Robert Sinskey    Aries
Neyers      Byrd-Cooper
Cuvaison     Calistoga Cellars
Ehlers Grove     Cartlidge & Browne
Caymus      Belle Glos
Cecchetti Sebastiani   Pepperwood Grove