People:
James Laube

“We have evolved into the world's most sophisticated wine society and in true American fashion we are anxious to make up for lost time.”

Featured person of interest this month is James Laube.   To a degree, he defines what Wine Country is all about…the end product.   He is recognized as an expert on California wine and has been writing about them from his home in Napa for nearly 30 years.  He plies his trade with Wine Spectator Magazine while maintaining an active blog.  Mr. Laube has published the books California's Great Cabernets, California's Great Chardonnays, and California Wine.  In fact he won a James Beard Award for the best wine book in 1996.  He is smart, hard working and committed to giving readers uncompromising information about wine and wine country.

Symtrek Partners:  You have been with Wine Spectator in Wine Country for 25+ years now.  What has been the most notable changes for the good and not so good?

James Laube:  In the broadest terms, wine has become an international beverage and industry. The fact that we know wine is healthy has been a big factor in its acceptance. And the fact that wine belongs at the dinner table integrates it into our culture and daily life. The drive to make better wines keeps everyone on their toes. But wine continues to have an elitist image and is still terribly intimidating to too many people and breaking down those barriers would do wonders to even broader wine appreciation. It’s really rather simple. We all have our own tastes. But many people are terribly insecure when it comes to wine

SP:  Do you think, as a whole, the American wine drinker is as sophisticated and appreciative of wine as Europeans as a whole?

JL:  No, wine hasn’t been part of our culture (aside from European immigrants who came from wine cultures and grew up with wine). We have evolved into the world's most sophisticated wine society (see: winespectator.com) and in true American fashion we are anxious to make up for lost time. Wine today is more ingrained into our culture and should only become more so. The biggest hurdle remains that wine is too intimidating.

SP:  Why did you choose a career in the wine industry?

JL:  I was a newspaper reporter at 16, studied history in college with the goal of becoming a biographer. I like small towns and agriculture and ended up living in Napa, working for a newspaper and covering the wine industry, with general stories about varietals, appellations and personalities. I suppose I ended up being a wine biographer. The subject is endlessly fascinating, great people, stories, new vintages and the opportunity to share my experiences with my readers.

SP:  How many different wines, on average, do you taste per year?

JL:  5,000 or 100 a week. Most are from California and tasted in regular Wine Spectator blind tastings for reviews. But I also taste hundreds of wines from around the world. That’s both a passion and curiosity.

SP:  Do you find the new, younger winemakers to be as committed as the prior generations such as Mondavi for example?

JL:  The new generation is committed to the same goals of achievement and quality that Mr. Mondavi defined for his and our generation. But the market is so fragmented that individuals end up pursuing their own goals and there’s less emphasis on building markets, which is still something that needs to be constantly worked on.

SP:  In a recent article in Wine Spectator you talk a lot about the changes in the wine industry due to the economy.  Do you sense there is a slight downturn and if yes what will be the next phase of the industry? 

JL:  Recessions always lead to shakeouts in wine and I expect many brands will disappear. The market defines what is important and necessary and there is a surplus of good, expensive wine that will struggle to remain viable. In a sense we have a bubble of good but high-priced wines. American vintners are not as aware of how foreign competition is cutting into the U.S. market. Countries such as Spain or Australia can make good wine and ship it around the world and still sell it for $10 or $15 a bottle. California doesn’t have the value edge it should have.

Jim, thanks for talking with me.
Steve