‘The World in a Wineglass’ explores state of wine production and future of industry

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• Nick Schifrin:

  The wine you might be pairing your turkey with shouldn't be taken for granted, because climate change is threatening wine production across the globe.

  Geoff Bennett spoke recently with a wine expert about the state of wine production and got some recommendations on which bottle to try next.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The ever-expanding world of wind looks a bit different today compared to 50 years ago. While consumption has increased, the accelerating effects of climate change have forced the industry to adapt and adopt more sustainable practices.

  We're going to dive into that part of the business with noted writer and editor in this industry who's out with a new book. It's called "The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now."

  And it's written by Ray Isle. He's also executive wine editor for "Food & Wine."

  Ray, thanks so much for being with us.

  Ray Isle, Author, "The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now": Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.

• Geoff Bennett:

  As we have reported recently on this program, global wine production has fallen to the lowest level in some 60 years. What accounts for that and how are wine producers coping?

• Ray Isle:

  Well, there's a number of things that account for it.

  One is drying up, I guess you would say, of the demand for truly the lower level, sort of lower price level of wines, in Europe, especially, where the youngest generation kind of doesn't want to drink with their parents or drinking. And so the supermarket level of wines there has shrunk.

  But there's also been a lot of climate issues which have affected grape production. You see it around the world, which is what the climate is doing, everything from fires in California, to hail in the wrong season in France, to heat spikes here and there.

  And then all this makes growing grapes for wine quite difficult. People manage. They keep going. They adapt to the climate shifting on them, but it's definitely thrown some wrenches at vintners' ways, I guess you would say.

• Geoff Bennett:

  There's been so much consolidation in the wine and spirits industry.

  Reading this book, I was shocked to learn that much of the wine consumed around the world comes from just a handful of producers, right?

• Ray Isle:

  Yes, it's true.

  I mean, a handful of very large producers make a huge amount of wine. And a lot of what you see on store shelves are brands that are owned by three or four or five companies. And I wanted to write this book to write about wineries that are working sustainably or organically that are run by people who live at the vineyard,who are on the vineyard, are trying to express something of a place and of personal passion.

  And a lot of wines are not that. They're made in 100,000-gallon tanks and they're enzymatically pushed through fermentation and zapped with liquid tannins and whatever you want. And it makes a very pleasant beverage product, I guess is the way you would say it.

  That wasn't what I was after with this book. I wanted to get to the kind of soul of wines that really — we're about the land, as an agricultural product, as well as a drink.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Yes, you referred to the book. Really, it's an encyclopedia in many ways. It weighs in at around two, three or four pounds.

  (LAUGHTER)

• Geoff Bennett:

  But the most interesting part of this book in many ways is, you talk about learning to describe wine based on the stories that sort of come from them…

• Ray Isle:

  Yes.

• Geoff Bennett:

  … less so by the point system.

• Ray Isle:

  Yes, I think the point system is a little reductive in a way, and partly because — and I have noticed this working at "Food & Wine," as I talk to consumers. And I talk to younger consumers a lot.

  There's just more and more interest in how a wine was made and what you're putting in your body when you're drinking it. And then the point system, you don't get more points for being organic or sustainable or anything.

  And, additionally, it adds a kind of pseudo-objective rating. I mean, it's really subjective, as we know. All critics ratings are subjective to some degree. But you say 94 points, and it sounds very official. And it's an opinion, as we know.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Well, you were kind enough to give us some recommendations. And we have some of the bottles here.

  So walk us through what you're recommending that folks take a second look at.

• Ray Isle:

  These are all wines that come from the book that are also just terrific for the holidays as well.

  First one is a Grgich Hills sauvignon blanc from Napa Valley. Grgich Hills is a fairly large winery. And what's interesting to me is, they work organically and regeneratively, which involves keeping cover crops on the ground, so the soil life — soil stays alive, essentially.

  But they do it at scale. They have got a couple of hundred acres of vineyard. So, they produce quite a lot of wine, but they farm very responsibly at the same time. And this is a gorgeous sauvignon blanc. It's classic Napa Valley, a lot of citrus, plus a little bit of melon character, adaptable to anything you might want to eat.

• Geoff Bennett:

  And then you also recommended a red?

• Ray Isle:

  Yes, and then so the Coudoulet de Beaucastel.

  Chateau de Beaucastel, it's one of my favorite quotes in the book. Chateau de Beaucastel is one of the great chateau nouveau producers in France. They have been farming organically since 1950. They have never put it on the label.

  And Marc Perrin, who's the family that owns it, said to me, his father said to him there are the people who go to church because they believe and there are the people who go to church so they can tell everybody they went to church.

  So they have been organic for a long time. They don't promote it, but that's — they believe in it. And it's just a gorgeous Southern Rhone red, rich fruit, lots of power, lots of flavor, sort of perfect for cold weather.

  And then Lyndenhurst. Spottswoode is one of the great Napa Valley wineries. Their top cabernet costs a lot, but it's a great cabernet. They too have been — they're in the early wave of sort of organic farming in Napa back in the 1990s.

  But their Lyndenhurst wine, which is their affordable cabernet, is — it's a beautiful bottle of cabernet, really elegant and focused perfectly. And I say — when you talk about organic grape growing, that's not a flavor. It doesn't — the wine won't taste different or weird compared to a normal Napa cabernet.

  It's really a philosophy and approach to the land and a way of farming that doesn't involve a lot of agrochemicals.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The book is "The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now."

  Ray Isle, thanks for your time.

• Ray Isle:

  Thank you so much for having me on.