Table Wine

[emglow101]

I have been enjoying red table wine or just labeled red wine. Mostly from California. They remind me of the wine I had in Italy.
I am a little confused of how WKPEDIA defines table wine. Quote " In the United States table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine wich is neither fortified or sparkling. And Europe has their classifications. What is ordinary wine and a wine style ?

[Bill Hunt]

The US is as odd location for wine. There are some strict laws, involved in wine labeling, and there are many wines that "fall through the cracks," of those laws.

Let's take one, Joseph Phelps Insignia. It is a Bordeaux-like blend, but can change each year (as can Cain Five), though it is basically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbed - or some of a few, and none of the others - it just depends. Same with Cain Five, which, in some years could be called "Cain Four," or, in one case, "Cain Three."

Now, back to Insignia. It is almost always in most critic's "over 90 points" list, and has garnered the Wine of the Year, at least three times over the last 20 years, from WS. Not a shabby wine, by anyone's definition. However, and due to the US laws, it is called "Red Table Wine."

I agree with Midlife - whoever posted to Wiki-pedia, was either thinking of "table wine" form Italy (Vin Tavola), or just had no clue, and should never have posted. I will leave that decision to you.

In the US, "Table Wine," can mean so very much. It might be "plonk," or one of the greatest red wines produced in the US, by some folks' definitions.

Enjoy,

Hunt

[FrankJBN]

I agree with both definitons - that explained by Bill Hunt and that shown as Wikipedia's - with qualifications..

You have to read "ordinary wine" as the opposite of enhanced wine - a still wine produced by ordinary methods - no second fermentation for carbonation, no addition of spirits to the wine, no extraordinary harvesting of grapes (although here this definiton breaks down a bit as ripasso wines would generally qualify as table wines)..

To me, that's all a table wine is - a still wine suitable for service at the table, IOW, with dinner. Both La Tache from France and 2-buck Chuck meet these criteria.

My understanding is that dessert wines, are not thought of as "table wines"

[Bill Hunt]

In many areas of the globe, and by many definitions, that is correct.

However, in the US, things can be very different. Same for some areas of Italy. "Table Wine," can be mundane (maybe even plonk), but can be totally outstanding. It depends on the "law of the land."

Hunt

[sunshine842]

and not a little "luck of the draw"

[Bill Hunt]

Oh how much I agree with you. "Table Wine" can be weak, and not worth spending time on, or fabulous. Just depends. "Table Wine" was why two terms, Meriatage and Super Tuscans, were developed.

Now, with the former, many wine producers do NOT ascribe to that term, Meritage, nor do they belong to the organization - they do their own thing, and feel that most drinkers will look past the legal, US ATF and FTC regulations, and will buy and consume their wines, regardless of the designations.

I do not have the data in front of me, and am too lazy to do the research, but I would speculate that 4 of the last 20 Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year, have been labeled as Red Table Wine.

Hunt

[PolarBear]

Last months newsletter from The Wine Country (SoCal) had an article by owner Randy Kemper making the argument for retiring and/or replacing the term Meritage due to the confusion created over blended wines. Would love to hear folks thoughts, PDF download:

thewinecountry.com/mm5/newsletters/May%202012.pdf

Cheers,

Dave

[Midlife]

This should really be a topic by itself.

[PolarBear]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/853669

[Midlife]

I would disagree with whoever posted that Wikipedia definition. In the US, 'table wine' means the same thing it does in Europe. Basically I'd say it's usually 'simple' or 'everyday' wine of modest quality and price. The lack of specific standard (what grapes are used) allows the maker more freedom in making it than if it were specifically labeled.

[sunshine842]

it's whatever they happened to have in the barrel today -- there is no style, there is no type that is applicable -- it's fermented grape juice, and thus "table wine" is all it has to say.

It might be good, it might be drain cleaner -- and there's no way to tell by the label.