Direct Press April 2025 • Misunderstood Grapes

DIRECT PRESS April 2025

Misunderstood Grapes

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“Do you have a crisp, easy-to-drink white that’s already chilled? I’m pretty open to anything…EXCEPT Chardonnay.”
 
This is a common thing we hear in the shop, and we get it: there is an ocean of poor quality, overly-manipulated, mass-produced Chardonnay out there. But is that the grape's fault? The same can be said for many grapes out there. The "Sideways Effect" that tanked the reputation of Merlot mirrors the reaction to spoofy, oaky Chardonnay. Cheap straw-encased bottles of Chianti that tasted like battery acid turned many against Sangiovese. White Zin, Moscato, Sherry — there is a long list of wines that have traumatized the average wine drinker.
 
My frustration is not aimed at our customers. They don’t want these varieties for a very simple and very valid reason (that reason, of course, is that they’ve had a lot of sh!%#y examples.) Instead, I’m frustrated by the market forces at play — the economies of scale that have tarnished the reputation of some of the wine world’s most versatile varieties.
 
So this month we're hoping to unpack the baggage that comes with a bunch of misunderstood grapes: Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Zinfandel, Moscato, Palomino, Viognier, and Sangiovese. Read all about giving them a second chance in this month's Direct Press 'zine!
 
Cheers,
Kate, Jonathan, Jeremy, and Greg