Layne’s Wine Gig Presents
DISCOVERING WINE
By Layne V. Witherell
Discovering wine locally happens in many ways. Sometimes it is on purpose. Or it can be by accident. Or in today’s world, the wines might discover you.
We will explore some examples today to conclude my 2025 yearly thoughts.
THE NATIONAL BRAND
(All chain stores.)
Their usual home is the grocery store. They can be front and center on a large display and covering large swatches of real estate on the shelf or cleverly cross merchandized alongside the fish or meat counter.
Great examples of the genre are Kendall Jackson, Bota Box, Barefoot, Josh (can’t forget Josh).
They are usually predictable in both quality and price. To appeal to a wide range of people is their chief calling card.
The only problem might occur because of their efforts in “expanding the franchise” for more valuable shelf space by introducing freshly concocted “tutti, fruity, coconut with hibiscus” flavors to the lineup. The most brilliant idea is the 200ml Tetra Pak that is both convenient, single serve, and affordable.
Bogle Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Clarksburg, 750ml., California, 2022, $10.
Five generations of farmers and winemakers and they do it right.
Blackberry and plum flavors are perfect with a juicy burger (plant based or regular) or to just have a glass and relax.
National brand prices are geared to be discounted, complete with that little shelf tag. They can go up and down, but consistency is their hallmark.
PRIVATE LABELS
Although not just limited to Costco and Trader Joe’s (lots of people offer them now), they are a version of the wine lottery with lots of wine in the world unsold, consumption declining, and wineries willing to create wines or labels for stock that is already in bottles that are known as “shiners”.
I have both created them as an importer, sold them at retail, and purchased them for Tuesday night drinking.
If there is no one around in the store to provide guidance you are in true wine exploration land. But, for the money, you shouldn’t be hurt too badly. It can be like a yard sale in a store.
Maison Barboulot Cabernet-Syrah, Pays D’oc, France, 2023, 750ml., $6.49 at Trader Joe’s.
The irony is that two labels for similar wines have captured the imagination of the wine discoverer.
Fat Bastard (the little circus hippo) and the Rooster label are the viral sensations of today. Sadly, few really know the origin of this wine.
In my memoir “Wine Maniacs: Life in the Wine Biz” (2020), I was there as an importer and discoverer in the early 1980’s in the South of France.
Alongside several other importers we were creating the bottlings of the basic French bistro pour, a tasty affordable everyday wine from the South of France – all 700 thousand acres of it. I know, as I got to experience the moment when the kids fresh from winemaking school taught dad about making affordable, exportable wine.
Maison Barboulot also produces a white and a rose; and yes, it is my house wine.
It’s fun to get some friends and set glasses alongside the California national brand to taste. The French, a little leaner and the California fruitier.
HEY, we are experiencing wine! Bang for the buck for not a lot of money. Get out the charcuterie board.
THE WINE SHOP
In his October 14, 2025, New York Times column Eric Asimov lays into the entire wine industry for “jacking up the prices” together with issuing a call to “lose the snobbery.”
Locally, this year has seen several good smaller distributors being sold to several good larger distributors. Wine shops by their very nature are more expensive than the forementioned places. So, what to do?
A quick aside: There are FIFTY THOUSAND ACRES of vines being ripped out in California alone due to lagging interest in wine. It is on you, the wine shop merchant, to get off your phone and care about every customer!
Look for excitement or bargains, they are there. Get rid of pretention. The world is awash with good, reasonably priced wine.
Shaman 20 Champagne Marguet Grand Cru, N.V., 750ml., $80.
Find it locally at Grippy Tannins, 16 Middle Street, Portland, ME.
There is Champagne, and there is this!
National – scratch that, make it international brands – are nice. Think Champagne – the chalk, that thrilling, bubbly acidity. Combined with a bite of sushi and a bit of the umami flavor of soy sauce, it’s indescribable.
Shaman 20 is a world apart. It is 81% Pinot Noir, 19% Chardonnay, with five years in the bottle, disgorged with zero dosage (no additional sweetness). In its 24-ounce bottle of four pours it can change dramatically in flavors and intensity of bubbles (the official word is mousse).
RESTAURANTS
They can be either the best or the worst in rewarding or gouging the customer. Look up the menu with your smartphone and if there is a wine list then set a budget per bottle. Remember, wines by the glass are their profit margin bonanza. Better four of you to share a bottle.
We like Bread and Olive at 935 Congress in the West End for little bites and a remarkably reasonable wine list – a model of pricing. They feature a free wine tasting every first Wednesday of the month. Look for similar events at wine shops and restaurants, and don’t forget to take photos of those labels.
There is also Blue (BPM) at 650 Congress Street, Portland. You don’t expect a discovery of the year to be found in a local music club. At Blue, I put together my monthly Layne’s Wine Gig. I choose a topic and select wines that I haven’t tasted to share with a live audience.
I hadn’t explored South African wine in ages but selected some likely interesting characters.
Moment Of Silence White by Blankbottle, 2023, $60.
It is one thing to taste a new discovery on stage with an audience and yet another to be completely blown away by greatness.
Wine maker Pieter Walser is a surfer, iconoclast, and old vine whisperer extraordinaire. These are single release bottlings (500 cases or less) with some never to be seen again. Only he knows the blend: ancient vine Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Grenache Blanc.
Sit back, listen to some jazz, and experience a wine tasting miracle. A wine to contemplate.
APPS: The Algorithm Follows You Home
There is a fabulous article in the current Wine Enthusiast Magazine, “Gen Z’s Lackluster Drinking Habits Aren’t about Wellness – They’re Broke”. This is a brilliant, realistic analysis of this moment.
If you pull up anything on your phone about wine, the algorithm is certain to follow you home.
Let’s look at my most recent two-minutes-ago feed: 95 POINTS!! (from whom?)… 75% off (usually Napa and Barolo)… Reg. $200.00 Now $39.99!!
Funny how they zero in on the pricey stuff. Last friggin’ bottle in the universe. Blah, blah. Always. Blah, blah… Act now!!!
The Gen Z people are addicted to their phones which sadly invite the insidious little creatures from algorithm land to come knocking, imploring, pleading, and beseeching you for your ever diminishing funds.
This entire article, together with everything that I have written and published on the subject for over thirty years, is about the sheer enjoyment of wine as part of our lifestyle. From the everyday grocery store Tuesday night wine, to the flea market find of the private label bottle, to the recommendation that your local wine merchant just got in, to our “Cheers” wine bar, to the stupendous find that appeared from out of nowhere at a local music club…
Relax and enjoy.
INDIVIDUAL WINE GIGS
Small groups or large groups. Pick the place and theme. E-mail me at lvwitherell@gmail.com.
