6 Things To Be Thankful For About Wine Today

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  1. Wine.  Obvious, sure, but thank God that we've got wine in our lives.  Celebrations, tough work days, and moments made into memories wouldn't be the same without it.
  2. Co-conspirators.  Life's simple pleasures are usually more pleasurable when enjoyed with companionship.  And so it goes with wine.
  3. Abundance.  Fluid trade, modern importing/distribution channels, deregulation, and the internet have connected consumers in locations like Manchester, Vermont and Chagrin Falls, Ohio to producers in the most backwater places like Montsant, Spain and Murphys, California.
  4. Democracy.  We live in a Golden Age of wine.  Right here, right now.  The abundance of choices consumers have today in effect constitute a democracy - especially on pricing.  Think that Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has gotten too expensive?  Me, too.  So stop paying those silly prices and discover Pinot from Patagonia.  By the time Patagonia prices catch up with value, Russian River Valley fruit will be priced closer to where they should be.
  5. Modernity.  Thanks to the global sharing of best practices, ancient vineyards and legacy facilities can improve production quality at low cost.  This means that those vineyards in the back of beyond whose owners have been producing $5 nose-pinching plonk are able to crank out lovely little $8 wines thanks to a little know-how.
  6. Access.  With essentially zero barriers to entry, virtually everyone on the planet with an internet connection has access to information about nearly every wine marketed.  If you aren't already using CellarTracker, you will be soon.