-=> Quoting Michael Loo to Jim Weller <=-

 JW> cheap, nasty, domestic, imitation German wine called Schloss.

 ML> We used to (in some cases still do)
 ML> have foreign-sounding so-called wines with names such as
 ML> Sauterne

Canada, along with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa got on
board with the EU some time ago and banned the use of terms like
Sherry, Port, Champagne, Burgundy and Chablis for domestic wines. So
did the USA except that you grandfathered existing brands and just
prevented the creation of new ones.

 ML> Napa and Sonoma Counties in California also wanted
 ML> to protect the local wine industry, but they did so
 ML> by ensuring fairly high minimum standards. In the
 ML> long run this proved to be a good path.

So did some Canadian winemakers. We do not have AOC type
designations but do have the industry driven VQA
designation which is short for Vintner's Quality Assurance.

 ML> Funny thing is that Peller is capable of producing
 ML> quite decent wines, including continent- if not 
 ML> world-class sweeties.

But declines to drop the nasty stuff that got them started back in
the bad old days,

Speaking of bad Chablis ...

"The wide semi-generic use of the word "Chablis" outside of France
is still seen in describing almost any white wine, regardless of
where it was made and from what grapes."
 
"Chablis is one of the most famous names in white wine, so
after Prohibition, big American wine producers appropriated the
name for their white wines, a practice that continues today with the
cheapest jug wines."

"If you are a small vintner that doesn't sell outside the state in
which you produce the wine, and thus do not have a federal excise
tax stamp, you can still call your wine a Chablis even if it's made
from leftover fruit salad from the school cafeteria lunch line. You
won't be able to sell it across state lines or export it, but if
that doesn't matter to you ..."

As well as Schloss I vaguely recall buying and drinking my first
bottle of so-called Chablis. It was soft, fruity and sweet! It may
have been Paul Masson; I don't remember anymore but it did come from
California, not Burgundy.

I noted these two atrocities last night while looking for the above
quotes:

Capri American Chablis by Constellation Brands has residual sugar
of 17.5 g/L

and Paul Masson Chablis claims: "(learn about health benefits or
risks)

Rich in vitamins and minerals  - a good source of Vitamin B6,
Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium,
Zinc and Selenium.

Does not contain any risky components such as sodium, cholesterol,
saturated fat and added sugar!"



Cheers

Jim


... With its aura of cultural authenticity hipsters will overpay for it.

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