- Two Thumbs Up
- Abundant aromas of vanilla and sweet citrus and tropical fruit. Bright flavors of grilled pineapple, tangerine, mango with a smoky note of clove and cinnamon.
A long time ago at a wine magazine that I’ll not mention here, I wrote a “list” story with various people in the wine industry listing their top-five wines. Responses were littered with wines like ’61 Latours, ’63 Fonsecas and Screaming Eagles. To be honest, I don’t recall exactly who I talked to or what wines they listed, except for one.
Andrew Schweiger, who may be the funniest winemaker on the planet, gave me an insightful response that sticks with me to this day. The winemaker for Schweiger Vineyards chose Charles Shaw as one of the most important, impactful wines to him.
In case you don’t know Charles Shaw wines by their proper name, you may otherwise know them as Two Buck Chuck, the ultra-discount wines sold by the millions at Trader Joe’s markets.
The way Schweiger saw it, many thousands of Americans were being introduced to wines of sufficient quality at a price so low that wine could be part of everyone’s everyday life. And if even a small percent of Two Buck Chuck lovers drifted away to other more interesting and more expensive wines—like Schweiger’s, to name one—the entire wine industry benefits.
The other day, a package arrived with two bottles of interestingly named wines called Gifft. As I examined the bottles a little more closely, it became clear where the “Giff” in Gifft came from. “Kathie Lee Gifford has her own wine. Just what the world needs, another celebrity wine,” I said to myself as I tossed the red and white wines in the “to get rid of” box.
A couple days later, I had a second thought and recalled Schweiger’s take on Two Buck Chuck. For those of you who don’t watch the fourth hour of the Today Show, Gifford and Hoda Kotb are its co-hosts. Besides yucking it up with small talk and celebrity gossip, they do the unthinkable: they drink wine on TV…at 10 in the morning.
Credit: Gil Kulers
Credit: Gil Kulers
They don’t make a big deal about it (although a lot other neo-Prohibitionists do). They have fun with wine and never over-imbibe. With a Lucy-and-Ethel-like goofiness they take the stuffing out of what tends to be a stuffy subject.
I know a lot of wine lovers are rolling their eyes because they see Gifft as an anything-but-serious wine. Which leads me to ask: How serious does a wine have to be?
Wine brings people together; it lightens their spirits; and adds a little laughter to their lives. Wine can also be thought provoking, intense and heart-stoppingly expensive. I’m comfortable with both sides of this ancient beverage. Wine is a big boat with enough room for elitist collectors, Two Buck Chuckers and everyone in between.
As I rummaged through my discard box looking for Gifford’s wines (a red blend and a chardonnay made by Scheid Vineyards in Monterey, Calif.,), I thought to myself: is this a marketing-driven, mass-produced wine? Yes. Are there other, more interesting wines out there at the same price? Probably. Is this wine going to make a few thousand people less intimidated by wine and, perhaps, help them discover that regular, moderate wine consumption is a part of a healthy diet and lifestyle? We’ll see. It will be available in Georgia starting in June.
Gil Kulers is a sommelier and maitre d’ for an Atlanta country club. You can reach him at gil.kulers@winekulers.com.
Note: Wines are rated on a scale ranging up from Thumbs Down, One Thumb Mostly Up, One Thumb Up, Two Thumbs Up, Two Thumbs Way Up and Golden Thumb Award. Prices are suggested retail prices as provided by the winery, one of its agents, a local distributor or retailer.
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