What Women Want are Fashionable Wines
By Bob Woehler
Comparing wine to women's lingerie got this
writer's attention during a Seattle seminar titled Wine For Women.
Leslie Sbrocco, author of Wine For Women, described a Riesling as
"like a bra that holds you up well but is comfortable." Her book,
which is part whimsy, part serious, notes that there is a difference
between men and women when they select a wine.
"Men are impressed if a certain wine gets a high score. They want
to know who won the game," she said. Women, on the other hand, often
focus more on the setting, the lifestyle, the occasion and the food
when it comes to selecting a wine, she said during the seminar at
last month's Taste Washington in Seattle.
Sbrocco writes about wine for the San Francisco Chronicle and
does national television cooking shows.
There are good reasons to pay attention to what women want when
it comes to marketing wines, she said. Women are major buyers and
consumers of wine and seek tastes and style in wine in the same way
as they look for it in fashionable apparel.
The panel she was part of included five women winemakers from
Washington: Kristina Milke-Van Loben Sels of Arbor Crest,
Sara Gagnon of Olympic Cellars, Frederique Spencer of
Sagelands Vineyards, Holly Turner of Three Rivers and
Kelly Hightower of Hightower Cellars.
"Women see wine like clothing accessories," Sbrocco said. Besides
the riesling and the bra, she compared a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with
a silky white blouse, a Merlot with a dark-colored cashmere sweater
that's soft and enveloping and Syrah with a sassy red leather purse.
As for the king of reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sbrocco likened it
to a stylish business suit. "You can't build a wine wardrobe without
Cabernet Sauvignon," she said.
In her book, she said studies show women are more involved than
men when buying and pairing wine for a gift, party or dinner.
Gagnon, winemaker for the woman-owned and managed Olympic Cellars
near Sequim, has continued that image on her wine labels.
The wines produced at Olympic include three with sassy-looking
women on the labels: "Working Girl White," "Go Girl Red" and "Rose
the Riveter."
Her descriptions on the labels include such comments as: "Working
Girl White is a sassy no-nonsense blend of Chardonnay and Riesling
that will ease the crankiness and stress of a long, sweltering day
in pantyhose and pumps."
I've never faced a day in pantyhose and pumps, but the wine
certainly was tasty. Here are some of the wines the panelists
offered:
Olympic Cellars Working Girl White, Columbia Valley $13 -
Think of a formal gown or bridesmaid's dress and a fun time. Spicy
and floral aromas with flavors of pineapples, pears and apples. It
was fun, flavorful and balanced.
Arbor Crest 2001 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $10 -
Silky (I'm hooked on this fashion statement stuff) with citrus and
tropical aromas and flavors. Great richness throughout with a nice
farewell.
Sagelands Vineyard 2001 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $13 -
Soft, round and lush. Stylish as a great pair of leather high heels.
Oak, dark bing cherries and raspberries with hint of black licorice.
Three Rivers Winery 2001 Boushey Vineyard Syrah, $39 -
Think mink coat. Big, bold and comforting. Lots of concentrated
clove spice and dark berry flavors with a rich, enveloping finish.
Hightower Cellars 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley,
$31 - Like a favorite piece of leather luggage. It has aromas of
cedar and pipe tobacco, then bold flavors of currants and dried
cherries. It's a take-anywhere red.
I can't say for sure whether females have a different touch when
it comes to making wines, but the women who are making wines today
in Washington are across-the-board excellent at their craft. They
seem to have a caring and soothing touch whether making a light,
fruity riesling or a bold, brooding cabernet sauvignon.
This aging male is discovering the feminine side of wine. 
Bob Woehler
has been writing about grapes and wines of the Pacific Northwest
since 1978. His columns appear twice monthly in the Tri-City
Herald in Tri-Cities, Wash. and in Wine
Press Northwest.
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